We see the prompt “eat real food” everywhere. Hey, it is my first pillar of health as well : “Enjoy Real Food”. But what does it mean? With all the advice on food and diets out there it is easy to get confused.
Real food, to me basically, means non-processed foods. Think of foods that come straight from nature or the farm to you. Real foods are not altered or processed in a factory.
To make things a little more complicated, not all processed foods are bad. Humans have always used processes to preserve our foods through for example freezing or canning. But what we want to be cautious about are foods that have been altered by adding unhealthy ingredients and preservatives such as salt and sugar, artificial colors and flavors. These are sometimes referred to as "ultra processed foods" to distinguish them from "good" minimally processed foods, such as frozen fruits, veggies and nut butters.
Why is this ultra processed food so bad for you? One reason is that according to Dr. William Sears our body’s inflammation system doesn’t recognize the ultra processed foods, so when we consume them it causes an inflammatory response. These processed foods cause fat and/or sugar spikes in your body which in turn can lead to inflammation and illness. Another is that, as noted, processed foods tend to contain added salt and sugar as well as fat which in turn are linked to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
So how do you chose real foods?
When you can, chose fresh natural foods. A helpful trick is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Usually the produce section is first. If you continue around the perimeter you will find the meat section and the dairy section. Once you walk down the middle of the store you will find more of the processed foods. You can still find a lot of "real food" in the middle of the store and frozen food isle but make sure to check the labels.
Become a pro at reading the ingredients list on packages. Stay away from long lists of ingredients (rule of thumb is five-ten ingredients or more) and words you cannot pronounce or don’t recognize.
Eat foods your grandparents would have known and cooked with. This has been an important part of my own health journey. A "back to basics" approach if you will. There are of course many healthy foods that my grandparents would not have known but the idea is to use clean, simple ingredients and cook your own food as much as possible. This was a rule made famous by Michael Pollan in his book In Defense of Food.
At the end of the day food and eating should be fun and enjoyable, not another source of stress. By just making some simple tweaks you can add food that support you healthy lifestyle easily. Start making some small changes, make some healthy swaps and have fun!
Sources:
Sears, William (2015). The Inflammation Solution. When Everything Works and Nothing Hurts. Dr Sears Wellness Institute.
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