Whole Foods are foods that are in their God-created, natural, unprocessed state. According to Wikipedia, “The term ‘Whole Food’ has been known to describe any food that offers a complete balance in nutritional value while in its natural state.” As Jack LaLanne says, “If God didn’t make it, don’t eat it.” That is great advice from the 94 year-old king of fitness. The body knows how to metabolize and use the whole foods made from our Creator. It has no clue how to use the chemicals and artificial derivatives in processed foods. When we eat those kinds of processed foods, we get our bodies into trouble.

Raw fruits and vegetables are some of the most nutrient dense and common whole foods. Fresh Juicing using Juicers or simply eating raw fruits and vegetables are the best ways to get your true daily value of vitamins and minerals. Some other whole foods are legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs, meats, and grains like rice, barley and oats. And, no, cereal is not considered a whole food…it is made from processed grains. Also, most dairy products are processed (pasteurized and homogenized), which makes them damaging to most people who consume them regularly.

Most processed foods have additives like refined sugar, dairy, salt, soy, corn, MSG, and other preservatives. These additives are included in synthetic, unnatural states, and so may cause damage to the systems of your body. Beware of the marketing and sales ploys behind food companies’ products that say ‘All-Natural,’ or ‘Fortified with Vitamins and Minerals’. Remember, they also consider the brain toxin MSG (among others), natural. Also, if the food were truly in its whole, natural state, it wouldn’t need to be fortified with anything or packaged.

The results of eating a whole food based diet often reduces body fat, gives you more energy, better focus, and better overall health. Whereas, processed foods often make our bodies fat, sluggish, unhealthy, and/or toxic. The choice is yours. Live well.

The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produces a Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of nearly 51,000 pesticide tests on food crops by the U.S. Department of Agriculture between 2000 and 2005. The results of their data takes into consideration the way in which consumers wash, peel and prepare produce prior to consumption.

Organic fruits and vegetables by definition are grown without the use of pesticides. But some find that the expense of buying organic is simply too much. Below is a list of 12 “dirty” foods followed by a list of 12 “clean” foods. These  two lists are for your information and are presented here to reiterate their importance. We, here at Transformation LLC, believe it is up to each person to weigh the costs of buying organic versus buying conventionally grown produce. Keep in mind, however, that research shows that the effects of pesticides on the body can definitely lead to serious health problems.

The EWG states that “the best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.”

12 Foods You Should ALWAYS Buy Organic

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories in the Guide to Pesticides, the following twelve foods had the highest pesticide load when conventionally grown. For this reason, they are the least safe to consume:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Lettuce
• Grapes (imported)
• Pears
• Spinach
• Potatoes

12 Foods that You Don’t Have to Buy Organic

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories in the Guide to Pesticides, the following twelve foods had the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown. Consequently, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume:

• Broccoli
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Banana
• Kiwi
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onion

In our next two blogs, we contrast Michael Phelps’ diet with that of an athlete who’s had a lifelong record of athleticism, health and amazing endurance. This person has not only displayed an amazing athletic ability, but has proven to be a shining star, even in the twilight of his life.

Read Part 2 of this article.

Read Part 3 of this article.