Remember what Hippocrates said forever ago?
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food?”
Well, that quote is as relevant today as it was back then, and maybe even more so, with the number of health-related issues worldwide growing at an alarming speed. This epidemic is mainly fueled by the modern diet, which strangely considers ultra-processed foods as dietary staples.
Let’s be honest: We all know that switching to a diet with more of what we like to call “real foods” would hugely improve our health. The problem is, we might not be clear on the how and why of these changes, which keeps us from acting!
Keep reading to discover 5 reasons to add more real foods to your plate to improve your health in every way!
1. Eat your vitamins!
The vitamins and minerals in real foods are essential to keep everything in your body working as it should. These micronutrients are responsible for everything, from immune function to metabolism [1] [2]. Unfortunately, processing food strips it of these healthy compounds, meaning the only thing left is empty Calories [3].
2. Quit the white stuff… Sugar that is!
It goes without saying that a diet high in ultra-processed foods often leads to obesity and diabetes, among other things, because of excessive sugar consumption [4]. But there is good news! It is possible to recover from your Snickers addiction with the help of… You guessed it – Whole, unprocessed, real food!
3. Make your heart happy!
There’s a reason our distant hunter-gatherer ancestors didn’t suffer from heart disease as we do: Their real-food-based diet [5]. To stay healthy, your heart needs certain nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fats and antioxidants found in whole food.
On top of that, ultra-processed foods lead to inflammation, which in no way makes your heart happy [6]!
4. Stop spending so much money at Sephora!
Your diet can make or break your skin health, with diet deficiencies leading to skin conditions such as acne, inflammation, premature aging, and more severe problems as well [7]. However, as with everything, eating more real foods which contain lots of antioxidants and micronutrients can be a great solution to help you combat poor skin health [7], [8].
5. Heal your gut!
While processed foods are often stripped of their fiber content and nutrients, whole, unprocessed foods still contain all these essential compounds for a healthy gut. Moreover, ultra-processed food decreases the health of the community of bacteria living in your stomach [9]! Those microscopic creatures are essential for food digestion, and their imbalance is often linked to obesity and weight gain [10].
Food is not just fuel; it is medicine
When you fuel yourself with the right foods, you’ll notice higher energy levels, increased fitness, and overall better health – Without you needing to change another thing!
Today’s Daily Action
Think about how to incorporate more delicious real foods into one of your meals today, and do just that!
Remember, we all began our health journey somewhere. So if you eat a little more real food daily starting today, every day will be a good day.
References
[1] S. Mitra et al., “Exploring the Immune-Boosting Functions of Vitamins and Minerals as Nutritional Food Bioactive Compounds: A Comprehensive Review,” Molecules, vol. 27, no. 2, Art. no. 2, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.3390/molecules27020555.
[2] M. A. Maqbool, M. Aslam, W. Akbar, and Z. Iqbal, “Biological importance of vitamins for human health: A review,” vol. 2, May 2018.
[3] M. B. Reddy and M. Love, “The Impact of Food Processing on the Nutritional Quality of Vitamins and Minerals,” in Impact of Processing on Food Safety, L. S. Jackson, M. G. Knize, and J. N. Morgan, Eds. Boston, MA: Springer US, 1999, pp. 99–106. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4615-4853-9_7.
[4] E. M. Steele, L. G. Baraldi, M. L. da C. Louzada, J.-C. Moubarac, D. Mozaffarian, and C. A. Monteiro, “Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study,” BMJ Open, vol. 6, no. 3, p. e009892, Jan. 2016, doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009892.
[5] J. H. O’Keefe and L. Cordain, “Cardiovascular Disease Resulting From a Diet and Lifestyle at Odds With Our Paleolithic Genome: How to Become a 21st-Century Hunter-Gatherer,” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, vol. 79, no. 1, pp. 101–108, Jan. 2004, doi: 10.4065/79.1.101.
[6] S. Bengmark, “Processed Foods, Dysbiosis, Systemic Inflammation, and Poor Health,” Current Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 113–143, May 2013.
[7] N. Piccardi and P. Manissier, “Nutrition and nutritional supplementation,” Dermato-Endocrinology, vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 271–274, Sep. 2009, doi: 10.4161/derm.1.5.9706.
[8] G. Akalın and Z. Selamoglu, “Nutrition and Foods for Skin Health,” Journal of Pharmaceutical Care, pp. 31–33, Aug. 2019, doi: 10.18502/jpc.v7i1-2.1620.
[9] T. Travinsky-Shmul et al., “Ultra-Processed Food Impairs Bone Quality, Increases Marrow Adiposity and Alters Gut Microbiome in Mice,” Foods, vol. 10, no. 12, Art. no. 12, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.3390/foods10123107.
[10] L. Miclotte and T. Van de Wiele, “Food processing, gut microbiota and the globesity problem,” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, vol. 60, no. 11, pp. 1769–1782, Jun. 2020, doi: 10.1080/10408398.2019.1596878.