Why Real Foods Matter

There is a lot of research on what diet is best for health and which foods to eat for optimal health.

A few years ago, Dr. David Katz and Stephanie Meller were asked by Annual Reviews, a scientific publisher, to review several diets and elements of diets, including low-fat, low glycemic, low carb, Mediterranean, mixed/balanced (DASH), Paleolithic and vegan. Katz and Meller’s findings concluded that while there is not one best diet, there are patterns in eating habits, clear common elements, that are proven to be beneficial for health. “The weight of evidence strongly supports a theme of healthful eating while allowing for variations on that theme. A diet of minimally-processed foods close to nature, predominantly plants, is decisively associated with health promotion.” The “minimally-processed foods close to nature” is what some refer to as real foods, or whole foods.

Whole foods are foods from plants, and they are unprocessed or unrefined and free from additives or other artificial substances. In some cases, a whole food can be as minimally processed or refined as possible, but it is still free from additives or artificial substances. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and legumes are whole foods. When they are not processed, or minimally processed, they retain much of their complete profile of beneficial phytochemicals and nutrients, plus fiber. Sometimes when a food is processed, it can be stripped of its fiber, phytochemicals and nutrients.

Here are a few reasons why whole foods are important:

• Phytochemicals: Whole foods contain phytochemicals (phytonutrients), which are biologically active plant-food components. Phytonutrients can be powerful antioxidants like lycopene, a red-colored carotenoid found mainly in tomatoes and anthocyanins, which gives berries like blueberries their deep blue color.
  
• Essential Nutrients: Whole foods are nutrient-rich, offering us a simple, easy way to get more nutrients into our diets.
  
• Fiber and Whole Grains: Many minimally-processed foods are rich in fiber, helping to keep our GI tract on track and providing cardiovascular and weight management benefits. Plus, whole grains retain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, which help promote overall health.
  
• Good Fats and Protein: Processed foods tend to contain more trans fats and saturated fats, the not-so-healthy fats, while whole foods tend to have more of the good-for-you fats like omega-3s, essential fatty acids from plants or fish, plus monosaturated fat from plants.
  
  ‘Good fats’ and the protein found in whole foods can help increase satiety, that feeling of fullness. The peptides send signals to the brain and gut that lead to the suppression of MORs (Mu-opioid receptors), resulting in the curbing of appetite. Additionally, protein stimulates the production of the hormone that signals satiety, cholecystokinin (CCK).