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Real Food Defined

 

When I think of real food, fruits and vegetables in the natural, unprocessed state come to mind. Here you can find a simple list of what can be defined as real food:

 

• Whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry

• Lots of fruits and vegetables (shop for these at your local farmers’ market)

• Dairy products like milk, unsweetened yogurt, eggs, and cheese 100% whole-wheat and whole-grains (find a local bakery for approved sandwich bread)

• Seafood (wild caught is the optimal choice over farm-raised)

• Only locally raised meats such as pork, beef, and chicken (find a local farm)

• Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, naturally sweetened coffee & tea, and, to help the adults keep their sanity, wine and beer!

• Snacks like dried fruit, seeds, nuts and popcorn​

• All natural sweeteners including honey, 100% maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates are acceptable in moderation

                                             Adapted/copyright from: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

 

So if you decided you would like to get healthy and eat real food you can take the following approach:

 

Eliminate man made ingredients. In other words, chemicals, that were most likely added to the product so it is enhanced in one way or another. You may want to first concentrate on one ingredient or a few at the time. The great rule of thumb is the less ingredients, the better the product and if you can't pronounce it, it's probably not good for you either. Here is a list of most avoided ingredients with a description of side effects or know or possible health risks (in alphabetical order):

 

• Artificial coloring: are a common ingredient in processed foods and other products and they are linked to increased hyperactivity rates in all young children 

  • Blue No. 1 – Cancer risk has been associated with this artificial coloring. In laboratory animals, cancerous tumors have grown after exposure to Blue No. 1

  • Yellow No.6 – This is being linked to problems of the kidneys and adrenals.

  • Red No. 40 – This artificial coloring is under scrutiny right now. It is being tested for a correlation between ADHD and increased hyperactivity after consumption. This color is prevalent in snack foods. Children with a sensitivity to this chemical may show a worsening of their symptoms. Even people who are not diagnosed with ADHD may notice changes in behavior after consumption of Red no. 40.

  • Blue No.1 and 3 are also being looked at as having something to do with male sterility.

  • Yellow No. 5 – Exposure to this color has led to a multitude of symptoms being present. These include headaches, dizziness, anxiety, asthma attacks and behavioral problems.

 

• BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene): chemically a derivative of phenol, that is useful for it's antioxidant propertives and used as food additive. BHT is also an antioxidant additive used in products such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, rubber, electrical transformer oil (at 0.35%), and embalming fluid. In the petroleum industry, it also finds uses in hydraulic fluids, turbine and gear oils, and jet fuels, among other applications. BHT is also used to prevent peroxide formation in diethyl ether and other laboratory chemicals.The National Toxicology Program (NTP) in 2005 as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” on the basis of experimental findings in animals. Lastly, Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) warns that BHT should not be allowed to enter the environment, can cause liver damage, and is harmful to aquatic organisms.

 

• Carrageenan: is a family of linear sulfated polysaccharide that is extracted from red edible seaweeds. It is wildly used in the food indrustly for it's gelling, thickening and stabilizing properties. Also, main application is in dairy and meat products, due to its strong binding to food proteins. While some studites indicate that carrageenan safely passes through rat GI tracts without adverse effect when it is a dietary ingredient, other animal dietary studies have observed colitis-like disease and tumor promotion. Europe prohibits the use of carrageenan in infant formula, organic or otherwise, for precautionary reasons, but allows it otherwise. In the U.S., it’s allowed in organic foods, including juices, chocolate milk, and organic infant formula, as well as other types of foods. Lastly, it is a hidden source of MSG produced during its processing.

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• Disodium inosinate: a food additive and often found in instant noodles, potato chips, and a variety of other snacks and it is a hidden source of MSG produced during its processing. Common side effect include but not limited to flushed skin, burning sensation, numbness, tightness, sweating, and swelling. While the U. S. Food and Drug Administration considers disodium inosinate, MSG and other flavor-enhancing additives to be GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe), consumers may suffer allergic reactions to these substances.

 

• Disodium guanylate: is a natural disodium salt of the flavor enhancer guanosine monophosphate (GMP). Disodium guanylate is a food additive with the E number E627. It is commonly used in conjunction with glutamic acid (monosodium glutamate, MSG). It is not used independently of glutamic acid; if disodium guanylate is present in a list of ingredients but MSG does not appear to be, it is likely that glutamic acid is provided as part of another ingredient such as a processed soy protein complex. Disodium guanylate is not safe for babies under twelve weeks, and should generally be avoided by asthmatics and people with gout, as guanylates are metabolized to purines.

   

• Enriched flour: is a flour with specific nutrients returned to it that have been lost while being prepared. These restored nutrients include iron and B vitamins (folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine). Calcium may also be supplemented. The purpose of enriching flour is to replenish the nutrients in the flour to match the nutritional status of the unrefined product. This differentiates enrichment from fortification, which is the process of introducing new nutrients to a food. Also, since the wheat germ and bran are removed from this type of flour, the body treats it as a refined starch. The “enrichment” itself is made using toxic ingredients. For example, iron is added back into enriched flour. Unfortunately, food makers use a metallic form of iron that your body can barely absorb and should not be ingested. Lastly, enriched flour products tend to be higher on the Glycemic Index, quickly raising blood sugar levels.

 

• High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired sweetness. It is commonly used in breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soft drinks, soups, and condiments. Studies have shown that the reactive carbonyl molecules can cause tissue damage that may lead to obesity, diabetes, and also heart disease. HFCS is made from genetically modified corn and processed with genetically modified enzymes. In addition, studies have recently revealed that nearly half of tested samples of HFCS contained mercury.

 

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is “the sodium salt of the common amino acid glutamic acid" MSG may cause the following adverse reactions: brain damage, endocrine disorders (obesity and reproductive disorders), behavior disorders, and neurodegenerative disease, retinal degeneration, migraines, seizures, cancer, heart irregularities, asthma, IBS, learning disabilities.

 

• Modified cornstarch: It is a derivative of corn, chemically altered to disolve quickly and serve as a thickener. People who have wheat and gluten alergies should avoid products with this ingredient as it is often can be suplimented by a supplier by food starch from; wheat, potato, rice, or tapioc. 9. Propylene glycol alginate (E405): is an emulsifier, stabilizer, and thickener used in food products. It is a food additive with E number E405. Chemically, propylene glycol alginate is an ester of alginic acid, which is derived from kelp. Bear in mind that even though propylene glycol is used as a food additive, it has many industrial uses including automotive antifreezes and airport runway de-icers. Lastly, some evidence shows that it inhibits the absorption of whatever nutrients happen to be in the food product it's mixed in with.

 

• Polysorbate 60: short for polyoxyethylene-(20)- sorbitan monostearate this emulsifier is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industry. They are also often used in cosmetics to solubilize essential oils into water-based products. Polysorbates are oily liquids derived from PEG-ylated sorbitan (a derivative of sorbitol) esterified with fatty acids. Made of made of corn, palm oil and petroleum, this gooey mix can’t spoil, so it often replaces dairy products in baked goods and other liquid products. 12. Soybean oil: More than half of all soybeans crops grown in the US are genetically-modified (GMO) representing a meteoric rise since 1996, when only 7% were GMO soybeans. Monsanto Company, DuPont/Bunge, and Asoyia in 2004 introduced Roundup Ready soybeans. There is a growing concern (and mounting scientific evidence) that genetic engineering of food plant seeds may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health.

 

• Soy protein concentrate: is a protein that is isolated from soybean. It is made from soybean meal that has been dehulled and defatted. Dehulled and defatted soybeans are processed into three kinds of high protein commercial products : soy flour, concentrates, and isolates. It is used in a variety of foods, such as salad dressings, soups, meat analogues, beverage powders, cheeses, nondairy creamer, frozen desserts, whipped topping, infant formulas, breads, breakfast cereals, pastas, and pet foods. Also, it is used for emulsification and texturizing. Specific applications include adhesives, asphalts, resins, cleaning materials, cosmetics, inks, pleather, paints, paper coatings, pesticides/fungicides, plastics, polyesters, and textile fibres. It contains Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) or less know as processed free glutamic acid. MSG and its related products have been linked skin rashes, nausea, migraine headaches, heart irregularities, and even seizures.

 

Eat more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are real food. There are no ingredient lists to read or worry about. They are wholefoods and 100% natural. Also, buying local produce is a great way of knowing where these items came from as well as they didn't have to travel across the country or world to get to your supermarket. There are farmers markets in each city nowadays or you can look for one at The Local Harvest or if you live in Michigan (Oakland, Wayne or Macomb county) you can check our Farmer's Market guide here.

 

Eliminate foods that cause inflammation. Many chronic health issues are caused by inflammation. Based on my own research it seems that most inflammation starts in our stomach/gut. Grains (even whole grains), diary, sugar, meats full or hormones or antibiotics are just a few foods that can cause inflammation. These may subsequently lead to depression, thyroid imbalances, arthritis, immune system deficiencies. If you are suffering from any of these issues you might want to research which foods or ingredients should be avoided and start an elimination diet. This type of change should take at least 30 days in order to see any change. This is especially important for women since we go through the menstrual periods and our hormones can play an important role on how we feel or respond to food. After 30 days, you can start adding one food/ingredient back in to your daily routine and monitor how you feel.

 

Each of these steps can be enhanced one step further by purchasing your produce and other products in their organic versions. There are several organizations that specialize in organic certification and products carrying their seal are sure bet you are getting a quality product. The bottom lines is if you eat real foods, fruits, vegetables, wild caught seafood, pasture raised meats and poultry, home made meals from scratch with quality ingredients, whole foods (which are more of a product of nature than a product of industry) you will feel better.