Hello all, I'm glad to be back after a short break! Thank you for hanging with me, and I hope you all had a fabulous few days.
Over the weekend, I heard someone say that they were thinking of moving toward more of a whole foods, unprocessed diet, because they felt better when they ate less processed food.
I started thinking about what this person said, and y'all know how fun it gets around here when I start thinking.
And here is what I thought:
Over the last 7 years I have really embraced a whole foods diet in principle, even if my ideas of what that consists of have changed a little over time. I have read volumes about it, met many people on it and plain done it.
The whole foods diet seems to be the trend these days and I really do think it's a good thing. There are several approaches out there that embrace the "whole foods" philosophy, among the ones I can think of are The Maker's Diet, Nourishing Traditions and most (but not all) vegetarian and vegan books out there.
But lately I have come to see what I feel are interesting differences between what our culture labels a natural, whole foods diet, and what I think it really should be.
So today I would like you to help me think through this one.
A Typical Whole Foods Diet.
From my own cooking experiences and those of my friends, here is what I understand when most people say that they are on a whole foods diet.
Typically:
1) They don't eat fast food or junk food, or at least not very often.
2) They cook everything from scratch, with "whole", "natural" ingredients.
3) They are into buying organic and range free produce and flesh.
4) They do not buy or consume ultra "refined" foods such as things made from white flour and things that come with a tanker of high fructose corn syrup or white sugar attached to the box, complete with a personal IV line.
My observations:
I think that those steps above are pretty healthy. Don't you agree? Everybody knows I'm biased toward a fruitarian diet because of the journey I've been through and how I feel on it.
However, I do think there are several healthy levels of eating out there, that it doesn't have to be fruitarianism or nothing for everyone. And I probably just caused some hardcore fruitarians and 811-ers' eyes to pop out of their heads. Do I hear snarling out there? :)
But my point is - although I personally believe that fruitarianism is THE most natural, optimal and appropriate diet for mankind, I also think that there is a big health difference between eating a diet of 3 different fast food places in a day, and eating a diet of 3 simple home cooked meals a day.
If you want to see an even greater difference, give the low fat raw vegan diet a 30 day trial. :)
But should we really be calling a cooked food diet, a whole foods diet?
I rarely go to Whole Paycheck anymore because of distance and price, but it used to be one of my favorite places to shop. I felt so at home there - it even smelled natural and herb-y. And they obviously support a "Whole Foods" diet.
But the last time I was there, I realized that other than the produce section, the rest of the store (ie most of it) actually consisted of a) things in boxes, jars and packages sitting on shelves, b) pills, lots of pills, in bottles, c) "Natural" bottled chemical solutions such as cleaners and body hygiene products and d) Animal parts sitting on ice. And almost everything there has been processed with heat to some degree in order to get it to fit in a box and have a long shelf life.
It struck me then that perhaps the whole foods diet isn't as whole as I used to think it was. Food corporations have started catering to people who have been caught up in the whole foods movement. "Whole" ingredients can come in a jar or a can. Want cheetos but afraid of the processing? Well, now you can buy healthy cheetos made from real milk products, real oils (no trans fats), sea salt and real flavoring! Ask me how I know!
So I decided to look up the following words in the dictionary and here is what I found:
Whole: A thing complete in itself, or comprising all its parts or elements.
Unprocessed: Not altered from an original or natural state.
Natural: Having undergone little or no processing and containing no chemical additives.
So are you really eating a whole, unprocessed, natural diet if you ever:
-eat something from a jar, box, package, can or bottle?
-eat something that was assembled from several different ingredients?
-eat something that has had heat applied to it?
-eat fractionated, isolated supplements?
If your answer is no, then should we rename this "whole foods" diet?
Oxymoron, anyone?
Dare I assert (dun dun dun) that if your food meets any of the 4 criteria above, then calling it a whole foods diet is a bit of an oxymoron?
Personally, (and I get to say this ad nauseum because this is my blog) :) - it's pretty clear to me that raw fruits and veggies are the ultimate whole foods diet.
Pick from tree or plant, flick bugs off if necessary, stuff in mouth. The end. No grinding, liquifying, pulverizing, adding, mixing or heating.
Opinions? I accept them all, even vehemently opposing ones, as long as you promise to be respectful of everyone else's thoughts too. :)
17 rotten tomatoes:
Your reasoning makes sense to me. That a "whole foods diet" would be made from raw materials. And it should be renamed. What you listed as the typical "whole foods diet" seems like a normal healthy diet to me.
Happy Monday Sarah!
I love this post. As I've been eating more fruit and veggies, I'm finding my family is asking me more about this topic (as well as about my thoughts on eating organic and about supplements). I try to explain my views with the same clarity and simplicity you offer in your writing, hoping to help them bypass some of the resistance of tastebuds and tradition (I come from a family of Italian restaurant chefs with skills!) to focus more on the health benefits. It's an excellent reminder for me, too.
Loving the definition of "whole" on more than one level: "A thing complete in itself" feels to me like what we are. The simplicity of it is so beautiful.
And I do applaud everyone (including myself!) who is working toward a more wholesome, unprocessed way of eating, even if it's not (yet?) raw vegan: it's a huge step toward a healthier life/style.
~Kim M.
I was just in Whole Foods this weekend and thought the same thing...most of the food in there is not "whole". The produce department is maybe 15% of the entire store. Sad isn't it?
Hey! I really enjoyed reading what you had to say. Just curious - what is the difference between a raw vegan diet and a fruitarian diet?
Well, because I'm into raw I believe "whole foods" is just that, fresh raw whole foods. Definitions of raw, organic and whole, etc are always changing to cater to the masses so they can feel better. I don't mean that as a slam really. I do like the fact that people are paying attention more to labels and ingredients and organic vs conventional, etc etc as I believe it's a step in the right direction. It's still frustrating and/or annoying to have to deal with the differences still, especially when a store calls itself WHOLE FOODS. :)
Hey Sarah!
I had an "organic" craze like that several months back. If the pizza was organic -it's healthy- organic chips? bring it! Organic gummy bears (made out of organic corn syrop..I know) let's have it! I would stuff myself thinking it's healthy..why do i always fall for things like that.
Thank God I found you RAW! I kinda regret finding dates..but that's a different story..
I remember having a similar revelation about the health food stores around me. I used to go to them all the time as a cooked food vegan, and they were especially useful on a gluten free diet.
But looking around them now, I realize that there's just that small isle of produce that I can pick from and that's about it.
I completely agree. I know that one day I will be a whole foodist, not just a raw foodist. ;-)
XOXOXO
I actually did the "whole foods" vegan diet for about a year and a half. I got into it after reading Proffesor T. Colin Campbell's The China Study. However, after trying a raw foods restaurant, reading some more books, and then stumbling across Dr. Douglas N. Graham, which I don't need to link to you because I know you know all about the 811 RV diet, I believe that he has brought humanity back to his/her most natural diet, and it has worked the best for me so far. I can't believe I used to cook the water out of food and still call it whole. I can't believe I used excite-o-toxins out of jars and called them whole. Now I eat cauliflower and tomatoes, and call them whole; I eat bananas and mangos and call them whole. I am a victim now and then of eating dates, which are dried and not whole, and therefor dangerous - though I try to eat them with celery or cukes.
Great post on several points. I would agree that being more conscious of the ingredients used in one's foods is a step in the right direction and ultimately a stepping stone to a truly or mostly whole foods diet. I also think that when people do not get really conscious about what they are eating and how they are spending their money it is quite easy to be swept into the fantasy of being organic and healthy merely because you are shopping in a Whole Paycheck sort of store. I have found myself leaving there in the past with foods that were definitely higher quality than what you'd get at a fast food joint but still fast food in truth. Ultimately, this lifestyle takes an active interest so that one educates oneself because this thinking is surely not what is taught in school or our media. As always, such great thoughts- thanks for sharing!
As almost always I couldn't disagree with you even if I wanted to.
What I don't understand is how professionals like Dr. MacDougall or Dr. Campbell can call whole grain breads and pastas "whole foods". They, of all people, should know better.
And to top it off it is better for the environment too! :)
Great post as usual!
Amanda, I'm glad it made sense! :)
Kim, clarity and simplicity is def the way to go with people, I agree! It sounds like you're doing a great job. I loved that definition of "whole" too. :)
Jen C, 15% sounds about right! Grocery shopping no longer holds the same appeal to me as it used to. I go in and out very quickly. :D
Danieal, yep, one reason we rarely shop there anymore! Sprouts is a great store for comparison if you have one near you - they have a similar approach but MUCH LOWER PRICES!
Paulina, a fruitarian diet is a raw vegan diet that consists mostly or entirely of fruit and some (like me) include some greens. A raw vegan diet is simply an uncooked diet, there are different ways to do it, some people eat a lot of fruit but others eat mostly greens and nuts/seeds. :)
Heidi - ironic isn't it, the store's name? I think about that every time I go there or drive past it.
Sandy - don't worry tooo much about the dates - they are just a little better than organic gummy bears, don't you think? :)
Andrew - yeah - you like my gluten free aisle pic? :D
Wendi, nice to hear from you! I like the term "whole foodist". I like it a lot!
Shalee, I agree, I go to farmer's markets for the bulk of my produce!
Sam - yeah, I do 811rv. I like the way you put it - you eat bananas and mangos and call them whole. :) How could anyone argue with that?!
Cali girl, you brought up a good point - I used to feel very healthy simply because I shopped at places like Whole Foods :) It was like a force field of health around me, anytime I bought and ate something from there it had to be automatically healthy. What a crock! :-)
Martin, are you *looking* to disagree with me? Hehehe :) Good to hear from ya!
Via - I suppose they do so because of all the books and products they already have out there! It would be really difficult for them to suddenly change their stance, I'm sure. Or perhaps they just really believe that as long as it's derived from a whole food source, it's ok?
Ecodea, yeah!!! Right on.
I love reading this, as well as all the comments. It could have come right out of my brain! I've been calling it Whole Paycheck for awhile, and find myself only there to buy my family's "healthy" junk food.
I've been struggling myself to stay on track for the last couple of weeks. It's like once I strayed, it's gotten harder and harder to get back on track. If I get time later today, I'll write a post on my blog about it.
I suppose we can say (w)holy cow or (w)holy mackerel and call those foods whole as well. Marketing is always there to get you (or at least the non-811ers).
Did you see one of the latest YouTube videos from Richard Blackman? He went into a store and filmed all the so called healthy foods, some are even meant for vegans who don't want to be left out of the suicide pact.
When I used to go to Whole Foods I would always find something cooked and laced with toxins that I used to be addicted to even after being on 811.
Slowly over time I realized these concoctions were not good tasting and definitely not worth the money for the low quality food so now if I do go I stick to the 15% of the store that sells food.
I used to lerk on a vegan cooked web site because I used to be a cooked vegan. The site claims to be fat free and whole food oriented.
Once I left a comment that nothing from a box, jar or can is a whole food and the site owner replied that lentils, beans, quinoa, etc. were sold in boxes and were whole...yup there is a different level of whole for some.
Michele I'll have to check your blog soon!
Green - you should have told the guy that lentils, quinoa etc are not whole because they've had the water removed from them so they can sit in those boxes!!! :-)
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