Every Saturday morning during the summer months in Canada, we head down to our local farmers’ market. It is a special time to chat with our farmers and pick up all the produce we need for the coming week. From there, we purchase our homemade gluten-free sausage, bacon and free range eggs. I absolutely love this way of buying our food – directly from the farmer, beekeeper, maple syrup producer, vegetable grower and butcher. This is where we are able to buy real food. We also buy a half side of organic grass-fed beef and our free range chickens twice per year. When I am in Mexico, I seek out the freshest fruits and vegetables from a variety of open-air markets and grocery stores. I shop almost daily for the freshest ingredients for my green smoothies.
Definition of real
re·al1 ˈrē(ə)l/ adjective (of a substance or thing) not imitation or artificial; genuine.
(fo͞od) noun – Material, usually of plant or animal origin, that contains or consists of essential body nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals, and is ingested and assimilated by an organism to produce energy, stimulate growth, and maintain life. So then… Real food is genuine, not artificial. It is material of plant or animal origin that contains or consists of essential body nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals, and is ingested and assimilated … to produce energy, stimulate growth, and maintain life.The problem today is that much of what is on grocery shelves is not real food. About 70 percent of it is an edible food-like substance, full of chemicals, sugar and other sweeteners, modified corn, flavour enhancers, bad fats and preservatives. These substances will actually harm and not heal the body. These fake foods don’t contain the essential body nutrients to repair the body and maintain great health. Since we are all about healing, we are going to talk about seeking out real food and discovering the health benefits of eating a clean, nutrient-dense diet.
Let food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.
-Hippocrates
Characteristics to look for…
1. Real Food only has one ingredient.
That’s right. An avocado only contains an avocado. It is purchased in bulk and paid for at the cash.
2. Real Food doesn’t have a label, doesn’t come in a box, wrapper and preferably not a can.
This way, we do not have to worry about reading labels and contending with a lot of added salt, sugar, preservatives, chemicals or dyes. There are a few exceptions we have to make if we want to consume certain foods. Sardines come to mind. We also purchase vinegar and olive oil in glass bottles, coffee in a package. Yes, I still enjoy my organic black coffee and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Loose tea also comes in a package for those that enjoy a cuppa.
Deciding to make real food the heart of our diet leads to choices about what goes and what stays. After deciding to go the real food route, we looked at the prepared “foods” in our kitchen cupboard – the ones that can sit on a shelf for a year – and threw most of them in the garbage. Fixtures of the (SAD) Standard American Diet such as breakfast cereals need preservatives to maintain a long shelf life. These and similar food products are usually loaded with sugar and chemicals that will not help to create great health.
3. Real Food can be found in the perimeter of a grocery store.
Learn to just navigate the outer areas of the grocery store, where you’ll find fruits, vegetables, meats and eggs. We prefer to buy organic and free range from local farmers, but not everyone has access to these. We all have to do the best we can with what is available. When we shop at a grocery store, we’ll typically arrive at the cash register with a cart full of fruits and vegetables. We only venture into the middle aisles for things like coffee, tea, olive oil, freezer bags and yes, on occasion those sardines.
4. Real Food as made by God.
Much of the produce in our stores is chemically or artificially ripened, or its appearance changed in some way. In some places, there are still available heritage varieties of fruits and vegetables along with others that have not been altered in any way. These come in their natural color and state. No dyes or waxes applied. I love the fruits and vegetables in Mexico because the oranges look authentic – not dyed to a perfect orange color. Again, we have to do the best we can where we are, to feed ourselves with what’s available.
5. Real Food has not been genetically modified.
Genetically modified organisms, otherwise known as GMOs, are organisms whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there. The best way to ensure that your food is not a GMO is to either grow it yourself or buy directly from a farmer who is growing heritage or non-GMO varieties. In this way, your dollars help support farmers who are growing health-giving foods. Try and stay away from the “GMOs,” sometimes referred to as “Frankenfoods,” which have been linked to disease. I avoid the most common ones such as corn, soy, canola (oil), sugar beets (sugar) and alfalfa.
6. Real Food is organically grown.
In best case scenarios, real food is grown in rich soil without the use of pesticides, herbicides or other unnatural interventions. Organically raised animals are NOT given antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts. If you can’t find or afford organic, just buy regular fruits and vegetables. I often buy non-organic fruit and vegetables because I live in areas where these are not abundant. And although my preference is for the organic, I was able to heal just fine eating the regular stuff most of the year. Don’t stress, just do your best.
7. Real Food needs to be prepared.
Learn how to cook, and make time to prepare your own food – every day. We have lost this important skill, and are relying way too much on additive-laden convenience foods at meal times. It is difficult for a person who is sick to cook their own meals. However, there are simple and easy-to-prepare dishes that are much more nutritious and beneficial to our health than processed foods. Eating real food prepared in your own home will help you to heal, and you will have so much more energy.
Remember – We are looking for real food that is nutrient-dense and will heal the body, not harm it. Our diet should consist of good (unaltered) fats, carbohydrates, proteins that contain all of the necessary vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids. We need these for healing and optimal performance.
When I eat junk, I feel like junk!
When I eat well, I feel well!
Now that I have my health back, I will never go back to my old (SAD) Standard American Diet way of eating. I am sold on a nutrient dense diet – the Paleo Diet, to be exact. I now have lots of energy and can do the things that I want to do. It is important to break the cycle of eating junk foods. I know that when I eat junk, I feel like junk. When I eat well, I feel well. It takes time to heal a nutrient-depleted body but well worth the effort.
Blessings and Best of Health!
Brenda
References
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/real
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/food
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/genetically–modified–organism
