The Health Benefits Of A Whole Foods Diet

It’s hard to know what to eat these days. We’ve got good fats, trans fats, bad carbs, good carbs and a new fad diet taking the Internet by storm nearly every day. We’ve got diet pills, super supplements and exotic health remedies. We’re counting calories, points and carbs.

We all want to eat better, but a lot of us simply don’t know how. Or we don’t know whether or not we should follow the advice of the latest health study or fad diet. Well, there is a simple plan that anybody can follow. It’s a plan based on common sense and optimal health.

The Whole Foods Diet

Whole foods are unprocessed, natural foods in their original form. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are prime examples of whole foods. They are full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, carbohydrates, fat and fiber as well as all of the hundreds of phytonutrients that work together in the proper amounts to give our body exactly what it needs to be healthy. They do not contain added flavors, colors or preservatives.

Whole foods mean different things to different people. To some, it may include whole grain breads, pastas and organic cereals. To others, it may be a raw, vegan diet with no cooked ingredients. Some might include humanely raised, range-fed meat. To others, it may simply mean a predominantly whole food diet but with flexibility to include the occasional indulgence. The key is to eat healthy and enjoy life.

I consider foods to be “whole” if they have not been altered from their natural state. That means that I do not consider juice, dried foods or isolated, concentrated nutrients as whole foods. However, I do eat them on occasion.

Don’t think of a whole foods diet as a diet. Instead, think of it as a lifestyle. There is nothing radical or “crunchy” about it. It’s about eating wholesome, clean food that isn’t processed in factories.

Why Eat A Whole Foods Diet?

Phytonutrients: Whole foods such as fruit and vegetables contain hundreds of plant compounds called phytonutrients. Antioxidants are among these plant compounds that provide an array of disease and cancer-fighting health benefits. Vitamins and minerals are found in the right balance to promote optimum health and prevent disease.

Recent research into vitamin supplementation is pointing toward whole foods as the better choice for getting nutrients rather than relying on multivitamin pills. People who eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day have a lower risk of disease than those who eat a standard American diet. Multivitamin supplements alone have been shown to be ineffective in preventing disease!

The processing of foods cause vitamin and mineral loss. It also destroys antioxidants and phytonutrients. There is a huge difference in the nutrition profile of a fresh strawberry and strawberry pastry filling, even when it’s made with “real strawberry”.

Good Fats: A whole foods diet emphasizes good fats over bad fats. You’ll eat more avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds and fewer saturated animal fats and hydrogenated oils (trans fats). I still keep my fat intake low, even on a whole foods diet.

Good Carbs: This diet promotes healthy carbohydrates loaded with fiber and healthy, natural sugars to provide efficient fuel that won’t turn to fat. You’ll even have whole grain options to many familiar indulgences!

Quality Protein: Many whole foods are rich in quality protein. Beans, peas, nuts, seeds, leafy greens and even fruit are complete protein and have all essential amino acids that help build strong muscles. If you eat meat, choosing humanely-raised, naturally fed meat will lower your exposure to hormones and dangerous pathogens rampant in factory farmed meat.

Fiber: Whole foods are rich in fiber. A lack of dietary fiber has been implicated in a variety of diseases. Many fiber supplements are available but the best source of fiber is from whole foods which contain a complete range of nutrients as well. Fiber helps regulate the absorption of minerals and keeps your digestive system functioning properly.

Organic: Whenever possible, eat organic whole foods to avoid exposure to chemical and pesticide residues on produce. Buying organic will also reduce your exposure to irradiated foods, chemical flavor and color additives as well as preservatives.

The Health Benefits Of Whole Foods

Eating a whole foods diet provides many long-term health benefits that fad diets cannot. It is not just a weight loss diet, but a total physical and emotional healing diet.

Weight Loss: A whole foods lifestyle is the best diet for loosing weight and keeping pounds off. Simply eliminating high calorie, high sugar and low fiber foods can significantly improve your weight loss. You’ll eat real meals that fill you up instead of relying on diet shakes. This is not a temporary plan to loose 30 pounds. It’s a permanent lifestyle change that you won’t want to give up!

Increased Energy: A major benefit is the increase in energy on a whole foods diet. You’ll be eating natural sugars and fats that keep you full for longer without the sudden crash.

Improved Health: Research shows that people who eat more fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of disease. A whole food diet emphasizes fruits and vegetables as well as higher quality foods.

Emotional Wellbeing: Eliminating or reducing caffeine, alcohol and refined sugars helps improve mood, keep you focused and promotes a positive feeling of wellbeing.

Making The Change To Whole Foods

When making any dietary or lifestyle change, do it gradually. You might be tempted to change the way you eat overnight. Feelings of deprivations, however, make it much easier to cave in to cravings. Make the transition slowly. Start with replacing white bread with whole grain bread. Instead of sugary commercial fruit juice, eat whole fruits or make your own fresh squeezed juice. Make a green smoothie!

When you grocery shop, you’ll find that the healthiest, whole foods are along the perimeter of the supermarket. When I shop, I rarely go into the center aisles of the store. I buy the bulk of my food from the produce section. Then I head over to the organic section for some dry staple items. The produce sections of many grocery stores are also a great place to pick up freshly made whole grain breads too.

I recommend that you make the switch gradually. I created a 21-day whole food transition plan called Thriving On Raw Foods. You’ll start with adding a daily green smoothie and work your way up to eating more whole, unprocessed raw fruits and vegetables. You’ll learn how to make delicious meals that take minutes to prepare and add variety and joy to your mealtimes.

The 30-Day Trial

When I make a change to my diet or lifestyle, I find that it is helpful to start it as a 30-day trial. The thought of being able to return to my old ways after the 30 days are up helps me push through temptations and cravings. It is also necessary to take this amount of time to break habits and overcome addictions and cravings. This is the period where you should be very strict. After the 30 days are up, you can modify your diet as you please. If you decide to try out different diets, try each one for 30 days and keep a journal about how you feel. Always modify and adjust your diet (after the 30-day period is over) to fine tune to your unique needs.

You can work your way up to a 30-day trial by stepping up slowly using our Thriving On Raw Foods program.

Listen To Your Body

Your body knows what it needs in order to be well nourished and thrive. After the 30-day trial, you will be in a much better position to listen to your body and make dietary modifications based on what your body truly needs instead of what it is addicted to or unhealthy cravings. Pay attention to when you get hungry and eat only then. Notice how you feel throughout the day. Do you have periods where you suddenly feel less energetic? Do you feel weak and foggy-headed toward the end of the day? You might need more calories. If you get hungry 2 hours after you eat a meal, you might need more protein and fat in your diet. Don’t eat a certain way just because some diet guru or nutrition expert says so. Eat the way that make you feel energetic, alive and inspired.

• When Your Diet Is Working For You: Your dietary changes are working if you feel increased energy, your weight normalizes (weight loss or desired weight gain), your skin and hair is clear and soft, you have regular bowl movements, improved sleep quality and improved digestion (less bloating, gas, heartburn and that “rock in the stomach” feeling after meals). You might not feel any of these improvements until after making a dietary change for at least two weeks.
  
  
• When Your Diet Is Not Working For You: Your dietary changes are not working if after two weeks of making the change you feel tired or fatigued, obsessed with food, feel guilt after eating “unhealthy” food, you have dry skin or hair, you gain too much weight or you loose weight that you didn’t need to loose or if you are eating the same foods every single day.

  Please remember that you might feel some or all of the above symptoms during the first two weeks after making a dietary change. This is normal. If you are still experiencing this after a 30-day trial, your diet needs modification.

Diet Recommendations

The diet that works for you is a personal choice. I used to follow the Zone Diet for many years and still apply much of what I learned from that successful diet plan to what I eat today. Now, I follow a mostly raw, vegan diet with limited whole grains rounding out my carbohydrates. I am always making adjustments depending on what my body needs at the time.

Try out several whole foods-based diets on your own and find the one that works best for you. Don’t feel that you have to choose one and stick to it forever. Try it out for 30 days, see how you feel and either keep it up, modify it or experience another one!

Get started with green smoothies and then add raw more raw foods into your diet.

Tags: Nutrition, Raw Food Diet, Weight Loss, whole foods