Use Food to Heal: Benefits of Eating Whole Foods
Have you ever stopped to consider the ingredients you are putting into your body day after day (or even hour after hour)? The foods you eat ultimately fuel your cells, bodily processes, and your body.
If your diet is filled with poor nutrients and illness-contributing ingredients, then your cells will “starve,” and/or become damaged, and vital functions won’t be carried out. It’ll just be a matter of time that dysfunctions, imbalances, and diseases manifest.
HOWEVER, consuming the right kind of foods can help you avoid chronic diseases, and encourage resilience against pathogens and viruses. Plus, the benefits of eating whole foods will lead to a long vibrant life, with explosive energy even at an older age!
First, Let’s Chat About The Consequences of Eating Processed Foods
If processed foods are your staple meals (like frozen pizza, chicken tenders, premade meal, french fries), you could be increasing your risk of health problems in the short term and as you age. Even more than smoking cigarettes.
This is because most processed foods contain health-damaging compounds that lead to chaos within your bodily functions. Processed foods are likely to contain:
- Nutrient-poor/ empty calories
- Excess sugars
- Unhealthy, inflammatory oils
- Artificial ingredients and fillers
Sadly, the standard American diet (SAD) is filled with processed foods and many people eat diets that are worse than the SAD. In fact, they are so apparent in our everyday life that an astounding percentage of kids don’t even know where real food comes from. One survey found that 41% of kids don’t know where eggs come from!
There is a huge disconnect when it comes to REAL food, how it impacts our health, and how our eating habits are impacting generations to come. This is one reason why we are seeing a shocking rise in chronic diseases, even at younger and younger ages.
But if you can learn the benefits of eating whole foods, how to use food to heal, and how to cook real food, then you can transform your health and life, AND positively influence your family and future generations.
So, what are the benefits of eating whole foods? Well in general, eating a variety of organic whole foods is the best diet for humans (or different varieties of whole foods). There will be exceptions here and there, (more on that later), but a whole foods diet is better for overwell wellness than fueling your body with processed and fake foods.
Here’s why…
Real Food is Our Original Form of Medicine
One of the best benefits of eating whole foods is that food is, and has been, a form of medicine for centuries. Food is the first line of defense against illness and diseases. Real, whole food supplies all the necessary:
- Minerals
- Vitamins
- Phytonutrients
- Antioxidants
- Adequate fiber
- Fluids
- Healthy fats
- Proteins
- And healthy carbohydrates
You don’t get all those benefits when you fuel yourself with processed food every day.
Depending on your certain health conditions, medicinal foods and diet swaps can be used in healing, as they have been used for centuries before us. While conventional medicine is absolutely necessary in certain situations and life-saving, our society has forgotten about the basics of health and food as the first line of defense.
Food First, Conventional Medicine Second
Whole foods should come first, then conventional medicine should come into play…if necessary. Most times, diet changes alone can transform the lives of millions by reversing or completely preventing many of the chronic diseases we see today.
Whole Foods Allow the Body to Heal Itself
Whole food is medicine because it gives the body the resources and building blocks it needs to heal itself and thrive. Much of this is tied to our gut health and the power of the microbiome to protect, nourish, and heal the body as a whole.
Even 2500 years ago, Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” So it’s vital you keep the gut as healthy as possible to avoid diseases from manifesting.
Eating an array of whole foods can help:
- Diversify your gut microbiome, supporting your overall wellness
- Promote regular bowel movements, which are vital for toxin and excess hormone elimination
- Support a healthy brain-gut connection, reducing your risk of mental health issues
- Give you sustained energy throughout the day
- Enhance your immune function, keeping your body more resilient toward infections and illnesses
- Promote better sleep, which is necessary for optimal health
- Protect your cells from stressors and cell-damaging oxidative stress
What does eating real, whole foods look like?
For overall health and well-being, real food examples include whole foods that have not been processed and are in a form that is most likely to be found in nature. The entire food is consumed, the fiber, the vitamins, minerals, and all.
The way foods work, metabolize, and function within our bodies has developed over millions of years. Scientists are good at focusing on one certain nutrient and isolating it. But the way an entire food and its complexities function are still not fully understood.
We do know that eating whole foods, is most times better for your health than isolating just certain vitamins and minerals. (This is why you can’t supplement your way out of eating a healthy diet!)
Consuming real, whole foods look could look like eating organically grown vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, organic meat, and wild-caught fish.
I say organically grown vegetables and fruits because conventionally grown produce may have toxins on them, which could cause damage to your body. Some organic foods also have higher levels of minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients which can boost your cells.
You can read more on why eating organic is essential to optimal health here.
When Food is Needed to Heal Certain Diseases
Foods have their own unique nutrient profile
If you are attempting to address and overcome a specific disease or illness, certain foods may be encouraged over others. This is because different foods have their own unique nutrient profile giving them characteristic healing properties.
If you have a chronic disease that is related to high inflammatory markers, foods like turmeric, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, berries, walnuts, and fatty fish like salmon all contain anti-inflammatory properties, which should be incorporated into most meals to experience relief.
Everyone Reacts Differently to Foods
Keep in mind that while in general, a whole foods diet is the best diet for everyone, there are specific exceptions that should be made. This is because everybody is unique and reacts differently to foods. A “healthy” food may be healthy to most people, but maybe not to you.
Eggs, for example, are a great source of vital nutrients. However, many people have a food sensitivity to eggs, causing inflammation and annoying symptoms. So, if a particular whole food is triggering inflammation, you’ll want to avoid it…even if it doesn’t have a rich nutrient profile.
This is why functional lab testing like a high-quality food sensitivity test can give you a great insight into the best diet for YOU.
However, just eliminating processed food from your diet and adding more whole foods, can transform your health and make you feel healthier and more energized than you thought was possible.
Remember that it takes time to experience these changes. Stick with it and you’ll be seeing the benefits of eating whole foods before you know it!
Are you feeding disease or fighting it?
Every time you eat or drink or expose yourselves to chemicals and hormones, you are either feeding disease or fighting it! Which one are you doing? Start reaping the benefits of eating whole foods today!
If you need help optimizing your diet and addressing illnesses with food, please reach out to me. I’m Dr. Skye Stewart, Maryland Functional Medicine and Naturopathic Doctor in Annapolis. I use diet, lifestyle, and functional lab testing and analysis to get to the ROOT cause of your symptoms. This way you can create a healthy lifestyle and feel your best for years to come! Schedule a FREE 10-minute consult to get started!