Make “Real Food” Your Health Food, “Health Food” Your Junk food and Put Junk In the Garbage!
Who needs junk food when most health foods are really refined foods that are loaded with all kinds of unnatural stuff?
I would venture to say that 90% of all health foods are really junk foods and nothing more than junk foods in disguise with “all natural” marketing on the package.
If it was all natural, it likely wouldn’t be in the package.
Now I’m not an idealist and I know that distinctions in meaning need to be clearly made.
So let me explain.
Real “nutrient rich” food, in its natural state, is healthy food. You don’t have to look at it as health food, but it naturally promotes health.
Health food, is usually never as ‘nutrient rich’ as real food and in most cases is really junk food (see below), because it is far from food in it’s natural state, even if it came from natural sources at one point.
I say “likely”, or “in most cases”, because healthy foods are usually refined, meaning many nutrients have been stripped out of the food. Some quote “health foods” though are “processed”, but haven’t had vital nutrients stripped out.
For example, a real food bar or meal replacement may actually have more nutrients than a real food meal, even though it is processed. Still, meal replacements need to be eaten in conjunction with real whole nutrient rich food.
Another example is a traditional hummus. Everyone loves hummus – processed chick peas or garbanzo beans. It’s a processed food, often sold as health food, but because it’s not refined it’s still considered real whole ‘Nutrient Rich’ food.
Fragmented foods, overly cooked foods, those foods that have as many unnatural substances added etc, while they may be healthier or better than traditional junk food, are still junk! These are foodstuffs that have strayed so far from their natural state, that their effect is similar to junk food.
Many “health” cereals fit that bill.
Whenever I want a good hit of junk food, (and I do sometimes) all I need to do is look for a health food store or the healthy section of most stores and I can find some worthy junk food.
Junk food?
Who needs that, when we are surrounded with pseudo healthy foods that are often as rich as a standard chocolate bar or shake?
This Atkins Day Break is a great example. Although, you can usually find health food that is far less junkier than this!
I for one will go find a dark chocolate covered greens bar if I’m really looking for something junkie.
The point here is, “change your definition” of junk food and make “health” food your junk food if you need it.
You don’t need junk food, when you could just as easily eat your basic health food bar. I was in whole foods the other day and noticed all the chocolate covered greens bars they have amongst an array of choices.
These food bars are as good as any chocolate bar I’ve ever tasted and are way better for you. Hasta la vista Snickers.
Now of course, I have to finish this post off by saying, eat at least 90% real nutrient rich foods and real nutrient rich food bars, nutrient rich meals, replacements etc and your need for junk will go by way of the highway.
There are so many nutrient rich foods that are so tasty in their natural state, soon enough you won’t need much health food or junk food. A medjool date for example is natures snicker bar. A ripe persimmons is natures syrup and there are countless other examples.
This is the most successful mindset when transitioning to a nutrient rich diet and deciding to eat for health, performance and natural weight loss.
That’s a resolution that can work!