There is a huge benefit of food being in its whole form. As soon as we start altering the state of food, it takes extra work for our body to break down. In nature, everything is packaged perfectly. When minerals, vitamins and fibre are taken away, the body must exert unnecessary energy to complete the process. After consuming white rice, the body will take mineral content from the bones instead because its not in the food. A lifetime of white flour and refined foods can therefore lead to osteoporosis and other degenerative diseases, since the bones must repeatedly contribute minerals to balance out what is lacking in the food. When we drink orange juice, this causes blood sugar spiking because the natural fibre in the original orange has been removed. The fibre in whole fruit slows down absorption so that the body can process the food at an appropriate rate, therefore maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and eliminating cravings.
When we consume processed and chemically altered food, it is even tougher on our body. Not only are nutrients not coming in, but the body has to donate many nutrients to efficiently metabolize food. Just think – if it was drawn out of the food, it has to be drawn out of our own resources…our bones and tissues.
Once we begin to eat whole foods, the benefits are limitless. The body doesn’t have to contribute anything else to balance itself out. It also consumes less energy since there aren’t any harmful additives it needs to process. This extra energy is very useful to us, leaving us feeling more alert and energized. The body deposits the nutrients into a reservoir which is used during times of high stress or a weakened immune system. This makes us more resilient and enables us to recover from sickness quicker.
Choose a day this week that you try to eat food in its original state as much as you can. Observe if this is a big change from your regular schedule. If it is, try to make changes slowly so that you eventually alter your diet over time. Your body will thank you!
