One of the best things you can do to be healthy is to eat unprocessed foods. Basically, foods that nature created. Vegetables, preferably Organic, which have not been sprayed with pesticides and are Non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms). Genetically Modified Organisms are foods that have been genetically altered in a laboratory to fit desired traits. There is a lot more to how this is done which I will not go into. But I recommend people do some of their own research. In my opinion I don’t believe the long-term effects of eating such foods are well known. I have a hard time believing any of it could be good.

Fruit is another healthy food, preferably organic. Fruit has fiber, vitamin c, antioxidants, minerals and enzymes. A lot of the juices you buy in the store are pasteurized. Pasteurization was created by Louis Pasteur. Pasteurization is the process of heating packaged foods to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life. This process however does kill live properties of juices such as the enzymes. There are some that theorize a lot of our health problems are linked to what is in many ways dead food. Cold-pressed juice is juice that has been hydraulically pressed to extract juice. It retains more of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes. It has also not been heated up.

Grains once again that are preferably Organic are healthy. They provide carbohydrates for energy and fiber that help push food through your digestive system. Some people are allergic to certain grains. You can get allergy tests to see what you might be allergic to. Grains are very high in carbohydrates, so they get a bad wrap sometimes. If you eat too much of them, you can gain weight. But they are an excellent source of energy.

Meat is another food that can be unprocessed and processed as well. Meat is an excellent source of protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids. There are grass-fed beefs. The cows graze on grass which is the natural diet of the animal. Grass fed beef is richer in Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, protein, minerals and in general fewer calories. Grass-fed beef farming can be less harmful to the environment. Organic meat is a great choice. It ensures that the animals are fed organic food and has not been genetically modified. Fish is generally higher in Omega fatty acids than other meat sources. People that live primarily on vegetables, fruits, grains and fish such as in Okinawa, Japan, have one of the longest life expectancies in the world. Chicken is another healthy food. Depending how you eat it is a big deal. Baked is very good but if you have fried chicken especially from the colonel it might be delicious but not healthy.

Processed foods can be one of the worst things you can eat. If vegetables are chopped and frozen technically, they are processed. That is an example of a minimally processed food. The highly processed foods could possibly have chemicals, artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives added to it. It could also be genetically modified.

One food that changed drastically over time and processed is bread. You can make bread with flour, yeast, salt and water. Which is the way it used to be at home or even when you bought it at the store. It has devolved to what I call chemical loaf. Most are made with low quality ingredients, highly processed, full of chemicals and preservatives. Providing virtually no nutritional value at all. Next time you go to a warehouse store check out the ingredients in their bread. You might want to pull up a chair it will take a while to read all the stuff they pump into it.

Fast food in my opinion is the worst food you can eat. All of it is highly processed and full of whatever the company wants to put in it. Tons of sugar, artificial colors, artificial flavors and preservatives. Some companies you can look up what they put in the food. A good portion of them you cannot. On top of that the treatment of the animals are less than exemplary. Many countries have adopted what they call the American diet. Which in a nutshell is eating fast food and taking in lots of sugar. They all have increased cases of diabetes and cancer. If you eat fast food, do it in mediation.

To put it simply your body can breakdown, process and nourish your body better with unprocessed foods. Your body struggles to breakdown and nourish itself with processed foods. If you consistently eat unprocessed foods more consistently you will feel better.

Check out the conclusion Nutrition Part 3 – Carnivore, Omnivore and Plant Based Diets. Thanks for reading my column. Have a great day.