Fresh, Natural, Whole Foods

To achieve a quality level of health, it is important to try to tip the scales in favor of fresh, natural, whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and dairy foods that are fresh, natural, and whole, are also the best for our health. They taste better and contain more nutrients to aid our body in feeling good and working properly.

* FRESH * Fresh food is food that is at a perfect stage to eat. It is vine-ripe, hasn't been stored for a long time, has a healthy texture and a beautiful color, is free of aging/bruising/mold, and tastes great. An apple picked off your backyard apple tree is a fresh food. A dozen eggs gathered in the pasture yesterday by a local farmer is a fresh food. A bag of corn chips sitting on the grocery store shelf is not a fresh food. In fact, there is a good chance those corn chips were made from corn that is years old.

* Natural * A natural food is simply anything found in nature that is edible. If we could have hunted or gathered it 1000 years ago, it is a natural food. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, berries, and meats would all be considered natural. They are at their best when they are kept in their original form. Don't be fooled by processed foods that claim their products are "all natural." Check the ingredients list. If you see numerous ingredients that you can't pronounce or have never heard of, it is not a natural food.

* Whole * A whole food is one that is not altered or changed. For example, a real fresh orange is a whole food. A glass of orange juice is not a whole food. It is the sugar and liquid from the orange, minus the fiber, enzymes, and a good portion of the vitamins and nutrients. Go for the real deal more often than not. Whole fruits and vegetables are two of the most powerful foods for improving health!

The more you can consume fresh, natural, whole foods, the better off you will be. These are the foods that your body recognizes. These are the foods that contain the most nutrition. These are the foods that turn on gene switches in our body that promote health and well-being!