a common preservative, L-ascorbic acid, is actually a form of vitamin C). Refined oils, flours, starches and sugars can all be classed as natural, but when added to foods and drink they can be detrimental to our health.Īdmittedly, it would be wrong to tarnish all food additives with the same brush since not all have been scientifically condemned as nutritional assassins and some might actually provide genuine benefit (e.g. What’s more, even foods proudly labelled as having ‘no artificial ingredients’ might not be as innocent as their packaging suggests. Whilst not always the case, these are usually identifiable as unrecognisable, hard-to-pronounce items on a product’s ingredients list. Though lacking in nutrients, many processed foods often serve up an oversized platter of unwanted additives.Ĭertain artificial preservatives, flavourings and colourings used in processed foods have been linked with adverse side effects ranging from headaches to cancers. They tend to be calorie dense and nutrient sparse a trait common to the overall Western diet nowadays in a broader sense. Generally speaking, compared to their whole food counterparts, most processed foods fall way short when it comes to nutrient density. Nutrient density can be evaluated by stacking up the nutrient content of a food or drink against the number of calories it contains. The concept of ‘nutrient density’ is worth exploring. The problem is further compounded when this overconsumption comes at a cost to our intake of quality whole foods. One issue, therefore, is that highly processed foods with their finely-engineered ingredient composition have a greater potential for overconsumption. Interestingly, in whole foods, this combination seldom exists foods tend to be naturally higher in sugar (e.g. Many experts have branded foods with this tantalising-triad as ‘hyper-palatable’ and numerous studies have investigated whether these foods should actually be classed as addictive in the exact same way as many recognised drugs (See notes 1-3). Often cited in this regard is the seemingly irresistible combination of sugar, salt and fat.
At times, companies have even shamelessly shouted about it – anyone recall a well-known crisp company with the slogan ‘once you pop, you just can’t stop’? The problem with processed foods The act of food processing often diminishes the nutritional value of a food and increases the likelihood of us wanting to consume more and more.įor years, food and drink companies have been hard at it in laboratories extensively researching the precise balance of ingredients that pin point reward centres in our brains, amplifying the voice at the back of our heads that encourages us to keep eating. The above results are great news for food manufacturers but rarely are they great news for us. Make them easier to package, transport and store.Increase or decrease certain nutritional values (e.g.Generally speaking, foods are typically processed in order to:
Image credit: Stocksnap (copyright free). Whole foods on the other hand are largely unaltered and appear pretty much as they would do in nature.
But what is a whole food exactly and what is it about them that makes them so superior?Īfter all, strictly speaking even the most unprocessed looking foods have been subjected to ‘processing’ in some way (milk is pasteurised, tuna is tinned etc.).įor us, processed foods are defined as foods that have been somewhat removed from their natural state as a result of chemical, biological and/or mechanical manipulation. Sounds simple enough and terms like ‘whole foods’ are becoming increasingly recognised amongst folks with even the slightest interest in nutrition. It encapsulates our main nutrition ethos and over-arches the other six habits that follow:Įat whole foods instead of processed foods whenever possible. Our first habit is possibly our most important. It’s for that reason that our seven habits, whilst being encouraged to everyone, allow a degree of flexibly so that they can be applied to each individual’s needs, goals and preferences. Much like hydration, a crucial fact that too often goes unacknowledged in mainstream nutrition is that there isn't a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.Ī nutrition strategy that works for one person is by no means guaranteed to work for the next. Whole food vs processed foodĪt Porsche Human Performance, the blueprint for the nutritional guidance we provide our athletes centres around seven fundamental ‘habits’.
DOES WHOLE FOODS SELL BLUEPRINT CLEANSE HOW TO
Eating whole foods instead of processed foods would seem like an obvious choice for most athletes, but how easy is it to make the choice in practice? Sport and Exercise Scientist Jack Wilson explains the differences between the two foods and provides advice on how to choose the ingredients for your next meal.
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