5 Reasons Whole Foods Are Better

We hear a lot about “whole foods” these days. Eating less processed foods and more whole foods is healthier for us. A whole food is any food that remains in its natural form, free of any artificial additives, preservatives, or other man-made ingredients. Examples include fruits and vegetables.

Processed foods are stripped of their natural nutrients and loaded with preservative and sweeteners. Plus, a whole foods diet has been shown to reduce risk of many of the disease that plague us today, such as obesity diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Here are five reasons why a whole food diet is the best way of fueling your body with the nutrients it needs to function optimally.

Full Nutrition

Overly processed foods are detrimental because they lack nutrients. In order to lengthen shelf life and improve taste, valuable nutrients are stripped away.

Whole foods fuel your body with a multitude of vitamins and minerals you would otherwise be deprived of by opting for their processed alternatives.  

Less Sugar

Many food products today contain a huge amount of added sugar and sweeteners; different names are used for these sweeteners in the list of ingredients on the label.  Food manufacturers know that the sweeter a food is, the faster it will fly off of the shelves.

While foods in their natural form can still contain sugar, the actual amount is much less, or the fiber in the food slows its release into the blood stream, avoiding an insulin spike.

More Fiber, Less Overeating

Processed foods have very little fiber, meaning you have to eat more to feel full, which leads to overeating and obesity. By sticking to whole foods, you will naturally reduce the number of calories you consume. Furthermore, consuming a fiber-rich diet is essential to digestive health.

Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation can be a confusing topic. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to heal damaged tissues and a defense against infectious agents. However, chronic inflammation damages health. Chronic inflammation is linked to an enormous number of diseases including diabetes, obesity and even cancer.

Research has shown that many of the artificial additives in today’s food, cause an exaggerated inflammatory response in the body. The body responds the only way it knows how, by triggering the inflammatory process as protection from these artificial additives. Eating whole foods reduces the inflammatory response.  

Groceries Are Cheaper than the Doctor

It seems kind of odd that whole foods are more expensive compared to food that has gone through a lengthy, complicated refining process.

However, paying a little bit more for whole foods (which isn’t all that much more expensive) is worth it compared to the money you’ll end up spending in medical bills and hospital visits to manage the chronic diseases that processed foods cause.

At the end of the day, isn’t giving whole foods a try worth it to feel and look better, live longer, and save money?