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Natural Foods: Health Stores, Nutrition And No Added Preservatives
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Published: July 2, 2007
As Americans become more concerned about their health, the trend towards natural foods has become more direct. Though it has taken several different forms, from straight up veganism to a more health conscious omnivorous approach, there's no doubt that the country is at least thinking healthier. But if the average person wants to live a healthier lifestyle and introduce more natural foods into their diet, how do they go about getting there?
The first step is usually to find out what natural foods brands are available in the area.
Most grocery stores mean well and almost all of them carry a more healthy selection of foods now, but the best bet is to find a organic or natural food store. The natural food store is usually smaller and more community oriented carrying only a selection of natural foods. These stores are typically vegan, though they might carry a selection of chicken or fish. One popular line of stores is called United Natural Foods. There are many local and national companies that provide the same services.
One benefit to a diet with more natural foods is the elimination of harmful preservatives in processed foods. While the effects of adding preservatives, both positive and negative, to foods is the subject of a lot of debate in the scientific community, there's no doubt as to the nutritional value of foods without preservatives. While it's true that these natural foods, without the added chemicals, might not be stored as long, sugars, salts, and vinegar can help them stay fresh for longer. The less chemicals ingested, the more chance a person has of maintaining a healthy diet.
Many people will point to the addition of more fruits and vegetables to a diet as the ultimate in natural foods. Indeed, it has been proven many times that a natural foods diet including fruits and vegetables can provide almost all the vitamins and minerals the human body needs to survive. Additionally, fruits and vegetables can provide flavors that engage every part of the palate, so even if a person doesn't like the flavor of one fruit or another, there is sure to be some fruit or vegetable that they will enjoy.
One fruit that natural foods activists really enjoy is raspberries. While the raspberry crop has declined somewhat in previous years, raspberries are readily available in stores throughout the U.S. There are literally hundreds of recipes including salads, chicken dishes, and deserts that include raspberries as a main ingredient. Raspberries are considered excellent source of nutrition because of their high vitamin C and antioxidant content, which help prevent cancer. Along with grapes and blackberries, doctors point to raspberries as part of an excellent anti-cancer diet.
No matter what people decide on as their natural foods of choice, there's no doubt that the movement is a good one. America on a whole is on the brink of a major health and obesity crisis, and dietary adjustments can be made in most people's lives with minimal effort. Choosing better, more healthy foods with more fruits and vegetables to help increase vitamin intake and decrease the risk of major illness is one major step. Eliminating chemical and preservatives intake is another. Natural foods are out there, it's just a matter of making them a part of one's diet.
Sources:
Our Mission and Vision. United Natural Foods. 2003-2007. 24 June 2007. http://www.unfi.com/OurMission.aspx.
Dalton, Louisa. “What's That Stuff? Food Preservatives.” Chemical & Engineering News. 11 Nov. 2002. 24 June 2007. http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/8045/8045sci2.html .
Siple, Molly. “When Good Fat Goes Bad.” Natural Health. 2007. Weider Publications, LLC. 24 June 2007. http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/healing_foods/10.< br />Raspberries. Whfoods.org. 2001-2007. The George Mateljan Foundation. 24 June 2007. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice& ;dbid=39.,
The first step is usually to find out what natural foods brands are available in the area.
Related Articles
One benefit to a diet with more natural foods is the elimination of harmful preservatives in processed foods. While the effects of adding preservatives, both positive and negative, to foods is the subject of a lot of debate in the scientific community, there's no doubt as to the nutritional value of foods without preservatives. While it's true that these natural foods, without the added chemicals, might not be stored as long, sugars, salts, and vinegar can help them stay fresh for longer. The less chemicals ingested, the more chance a person has of maintaining a healthy diet.
Many people will point to the addition of more fruits and vegetables to a diet as the ultimate in natural foods. Indeed, it has been proven many times that a natural foods diet including fruits and vegetables can provide almost all the vitamins and minerals the human body needs to survive. Additionally, fruits and vegetables can provide flavors that engage every part of the palate, so even if a person doesn't like the flavor of one fruit or another, there is sure to be some fruit or vegetable that they will enjoy.
One fruit that natural foods activists really enjoy is raspberries. While the raspberry crop has declined somewhat in previous years, raspberries are readily available in stores throughout the U.S. There are literally hundreds of recipes including salads, chicken dishes, and deserts that include raspberries as a main ingredient. Raspberries are considered excellent source of nutrition because of their high vitamin C and antioxidant content, which help prevent cancer. Along with grapes and blackberries, doctors point to raspberries as part of an excellent anti-cancer diet.
No matter what people decide on as their natural foods of choice, there's no doubt that the movement is a good one. America on a whole is on the brink of a major health and obesity crisis, and dietary adjustments can be made in most people's lives with minimal effort. Choosing better, more healthy foods with more fruits and vegetables to help increase vitamin intake and decrease the risk of major illness is one major step. Eliminating chemical and preservatives intake is another. Natural foods are out there, it's just a matter of making them a part of one's diet.
Sources:
Our Mission and Vision. United Natural Foods. 2003-2007. 24 June 2007. http://www.unfi.com/OurMission.aspx.
Dalton, Louisa. “What's That Stuff? Food Preservatives.” Chemical & Engineering News. 11 Nov. 2002. 24 June 2007. http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/8045/8045sci2.html .
Siple, Molly. “When Good Fat Goes Bad.” Natural Health. 2007. Weider Publications, LLC. 24 June 2007. http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/healing_foods/10.< br />Raspberries. Whfoods.org. 2001-2007. The George Mateljan Foundation. 24 June 2007. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice& ;dbid=39.,
