As the quote on the left intimates, large manufacturers have changed our culture's definition of food—after all, you can ask for the soda aisle or the cookie aisle. Because of this, those unfamiliar with whole foods may find an easier introduction by looking at what whole foods are not, namely: processed and refined “food”, the products that stock the majority of shelves in mainstream grocery stores.
The general picture is that refining means taking food in its natural, whole form and separating it into two or more parts. A common example is the separating of the starch in a grain from its bran and germ. This results in nutritionally inferior fragments, and destroys their natural protection from oxidation and other damage.
Processing means a team of food chemists (the closest thing the processing industry has to “chefs”) combines those refined fragments with fillers, flavorings, colorings, stabilizers, and preservatives to create “food products”. Any goals such as nutrition are secondary to the necessity that the resulting product be easily manufactured, packaged, shipped, stored, and then still accepted for consumption.
“Refining” and “processing” are not strictly defined words, so there are some gray areas, and it's up to each individual to decide what he or she is comfortable eating. In order to do so consciously, one has to spend at least some time learning what happens to food before it gets to the grocery store. With the whole foods group, you don't have to do it all on your own.
| Less or Unrefined | Refined | |
|---|---|---|
| whole wheat bread | white bread | When wheat and other grains are refined, the bran and germ are removed. While removing these parts makes the grain easier, in some ways, to cook, it also removes the bulk of the nutrition. The only thing left behind is the starchy part, which is one reason “carbs” have gotten a bad rap at different times in recent history. |
| whole grain pasta | durum or semolina pasta | |
| brown rice | white rice | |
| extra virgin olive oil | canola oil |
When vegetable oils are refined, they often undergo complex processes consisting of many steps. Some of these steps can involve the use of solvents such as hexane—not only does some of the solvent end up in the finished oil (and thus, eventually, your body), but many are petroleum products and thus not sustainable. Often the refining process involves high heat which can, to use canola as an example, create trans-fats that end up, again, in your body. |
| rapadura, agave syrup, etc. | white sugar, cane juice, etc |
More info on what whole foods are is available at this Green Guide article.
More on organic, including Bay Area resources, can be found at Om Organics. Further info can be found here, here, and here.
Books can and have been written on this topic, but the short answers include:
Trying to eat primarily whole foods in our culture can feel like swimming against the current, to say the least—few options for eating out, only a handful of specialty grocery stores, and family & friends who may not understand.
Rather than face all of that alone, we can come together and not only enjoy whole foods for ourselves, but with others as well.
If you're unsure about how to prepare whole foods, the first step is to relax! It doesn't have to be difficult, and no one will think poorly of your first attempts. We all have to start somewhere.
Resources:
While some people might go that far, they are not the people this group is for. This is not about attaining some dieting “ideal”, convincing other people to eat like you do, or eating in the “perfect” way “all” the time.
This is about real people living in the real world, who want to take responsibility for their own food choices, and have a good time with other people doing the same. Not necessarily making the exact same choices, but all exercising their power to choose.
Short answer: No.
We do have some guidelines. Folks are asked to use both organic and whole ingredients as much as possible, and to bring their ingredients list for their dish. This way, each person can make an informed choice about which foods they put in their body.
Nearly any diet can be adapted to whole foods. You are encouraged to share your eating style with us by bringing a whole foods dish prepared in the ways that suit you. Bring some friends and you're guaranteed to have dishes other than your own to taste.
Although most folks who eat whole foods choose a primarily plant-based diet, some do consume animal products, including meat. We do encourage people who choose to eat meat to use better quality meats: organic, grass fed or wild caught, etc, and to consume more of the whole animal, not just the standard butcher cuts.
Joshua Alexander is a San Francisco-licensed massage therapist, Emotional Freedom Technique practitioner, and whole foods nut. Among other things, he helps folks holistically address problem eating, food cravings, and negative body image.
Far from a “food Nazi”, Josh's approach to food recognizes that we are whole persons, with an array of thoughts, feelings, opinions, and desires that must be honored and accepted, not ignored and repressed, for maximum health and wellness to occur.
He received his training at The Heartwood Institute in Northern California, where he studied whole foods nutrition with Paul Pitchford, author of Healing With Whole Foods.
More information about his practice, as well as contact information, can be found on his website: www.egomagick.com.