So I thought it might be good to clarify our “rules” a little. By this point I think you understand what including superfoods in all meals means. So no need to go into detail on #1. It’s #2 and #3 I wanted to focus on.
What are processed foods and why are we going to great lengths to avoid them? Well besides the fact that the FDA did a major recall of many processed foods the other month, processed foods just aren’t necessary in our every day diet.
Processed foods are foods that have been altered in some way from their natural state for convenience and “safety”. Mainly just to increase shelf life. The reason this is not good is that many of the nutrients the food possesses in its natural state diminishes when it is processed. Now not all processed foods are created equal. Frozen vegetables, for example, can sometimes maintain more nutrients then the stuff you buy in the produce aisle. I am talking about the type of processed foods that include some sort of additives to prolong the time something can sit on the shelf at a grocery store and still be deemed edible. Extra salt, extra sugar, extra fat. Not to mention the long words you can’t pronounce. The key to cutting out processed foods is to read labels. It’s amazing what you’ll learn. And try to cook with as fresh ingredients as possible. If you are going to eat superfoods, make them count!
Our other rule is to cut out refined sugar, enriched flour, and white rice. Now all three of these can also fall under the processed foods category, but they are so special they get a rule all to themselves.
Let’s start with refined sugar. Refined sugar is made by taking raw sugar, putting it through a process called affination then adding chalk to remove any impurities. The brown color of raw sugar is either burnt off by carbon or an ionic resin then the liquid is boiled so the white sugar crystals can grow. Let’s face it, sugar really isn’t that good for you, raw or refined. But raw sugar doesn’t have the added process and chemicals refined sugar does. Besides by specifically cutting out refined sugar, you will be cutting out a lot of sugar in general. If sugar is a must in your morning coffee try using raw sugar instead of refined sugar. My mom does this and it tastes just fine, maybe even better.
At this point in your life you have heard about “whole grains.” Enriched flour and white rice are both grains that are not “whole” anymore. Like refined sugar, they have gone through extra steps to reach the state in which American’s recognize as common everyday flour and rice. By adding these extra steps we lose much of the fiber nature intended us to get from these grains. It does take some grace to bake successfully with 100% whole wheat flour, but it is getting easier to find whole grain options at the grocery store. I personally prefer brown rice and whole wheat pasta but I do have to admit it takes some getting used to. In the end, I am sure your intestines will thank you for all that added fiber.
The best part about following these rules is that your health truly benefits. There have been numerous studies that link processed foods to cardiovascular disease, some kinds of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Not to mention obesity. Reason enough for us to make the switch.
