Processed? Or Unprocessed? That, is the Question.
So what is the difference between processed and unprocessed foods? What does it actually mean?
Most people that know med know I follow a diet lifestyle of real sugars, real fats, whole foods, fresh produce, fresh grass-fed meats, locally sourced as much as possible. I rarely eat anything that’s been processed or isn’t in it’s whole original form.
But what does this mean? Whatever I eat I like to be in its original form. Untouched by chemicals, additives (E numbers), trans fats, not powdered, fortified, hydrogenated, filtered, processed, refined, vulcanised, ultra-heat treated (UHT), as ALL of the aforementioned words are a form or type of process.
My meat comes straight from local farms, my fruit, veg and herbs are home grown or from UK local sources, my milk and diary comes raw straight from the local farm, my sugars are maple syrup or honey that is local, I make my own bread, nut butters, granola, kefir, jams and most meals from raw ingredients. Some think it seems extreme, but it’s the way I like to live. I like to know exactly where my food comes from and what I am eating. And in the last 5 years, I can probably count on one hand how many takeaways I have had.
A lot of people think that processed foods are only junk foods, and pre-prepared meals found the freezer aisle, or sweets, chocolates, cakes and fizzy drinks. But that’s not the case. A majority of what you see in supermarkets are processed in some shape or form.
Lets look first at additives and what you may know as E numbers. What are they? And why are they added to our foods?
Most people that know med know I follow a diet lifestyle of real sugars, real fats, whole foods, fresh produce, fresh grass-fed meats, locally sourced as much as possible. I rarely eat anything that’s been processed or isn’t in it’s whole original form.
But what does this mean? Whatever I eat I like to be in its original form. Untouched by chemicals, additives (E numbers), trans fats, not powdered, fortified, hydrogenated, filtered, processed, refined, vulcanised, ultra-heat treated (UHT), as ALL of the aforementioned words are a form or type of process.
My meat comes straight from local farms, my fruit, veg and herbs are home grown or from UK local sources, my milk and diary comes raw straight from the local farm, my sugars are maple syrup or honey that is local, I make my own bread, nut butters, granola, kefir, jams and most meals from raw ingredients. Some think it seems extreme, but it’s the way I like to live. I like to know exactly where my food comes from and what I am eating. And in the last 5 years, I can probably count on one hand how many takeaways I have had.
A lot of people think that processed foods are only junk foods, and pre-prepared meals found the freezer aisle, or sweets, chocolates, cakes and fizzy drinks. But that’s not the case. A majority of what you see in supermarkets are processed in some shape or form.
Lets look first at additives and what you may know as E numbers. What are they? And why are they added to our foods?
Below are the 6 groups of E number additives. And the reasons why they are added to our foods -
Colours – Food colours are added to foods to change their colour and appearance. This is mostly done to encourage you to find them more appealing. Colouring's can be natural or synthetic. So if colourful foods are visually appealing, why don’t we just eat all those naturally colourful foods, fruits, grains and vegetables without them being synthetically added?
Preservatives – A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to our food and drinks to prevent decomposition by bacterial growth or by unwanted chemical changes. This is mostly done to extend shelf life in shops.
Why not simply eat foods when they are fresh? Or natural foods that store longer like grains and legumes? Or food that has been stored naturally to extend life like dried foods, quick frozen food or fermented foods (as we actually do want and need some bacteria in our foods), naturally (not heat treated is what I mean by naturally) pickled foods ?
Antioxidants – These are substances that prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules we produce in our bodies as a reaction to the environment around us and other pressures we put our bodies through. Again the antioxidants that are added to our food can be natural or synthetic. We do need these as they are understood to help clear out the free radicals and remove them from our bodies. However, our bodies are able to produce our own. We can produce our own internally and add them naturally by eating foods that are naturally known to have high antioxidants already in them. Such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. So why add man made antioxidants if we can simply eat them naturally?
Sweeteners – These are added to keep a sweet taste, but lower the calorie content, they also replace sugars where this helps extend the shelf life of the food item. Over the years there has been many a report on how they have found various synthetic sweeteners are bad for us and cancer causing. But we still shovel bucket loads of them into our food? And have those sweeteners when we ‘diet’ and follow a ‘healthier lifestyle’. Why do we continue to be fooled into thinking synthetic food sources are better for us than natural ones?
Emulsifiers, Stabilisers, Thickeners and Gelling Agents – Again some are natural and some synthetic. These are added for texture, structure and stability reasons. Emulsifiers are a surface agent and sits as a layer which helps separate to liquids such as oils and water. They help control crystallisation and separation. These can then be blended to then become a product. Examples are vinaigrette, sauces, mayonnaise and reduced fat spreads. Thickeners are flavourless powders and gums, and these starches and gums are often used in soups, sauces and puddings. Stabilisers are substances that helps food remain and retain their physical form or characteristics, used in ice creams and margarine. Gelling agents are to provide thickness without stiffness, so are used for jellies, jams, salad dressings and desserts. We can make our own soups, vinaigrette, sauces and mayonnaise and use natural ingredients without adding flavourless powers and gums to our food, so why do we happily buy them off the shelves?
Others - Acid, acidity regulators, anti-caking agents, anti-foaming agents, bulking agents, carriers and carrier solvents, emulsifying salts, firming agents, flavour enhancers, flour treatment agents, foaming agents, glazing agents, modified starches, packaging gases, propellants, raising agents and sequestrates. And so the list goes on….
The document below lists all current additives, to give you an idea of what gets added to our foods we eat off the shelves. (Listings provided by www.theukfoodguide.net) -
Colours – Food colours are added to foods to change their colour and appearance. This is mostly done to encourage you to find them more appealing. Colouring's can be natural or synthetic. So if colourful foods are visually appealing, why don’t we just eat all those naturally colourful foods, fruits, grains and vegetables without them being synthetically added?
Preservatives – A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to our food and drinks to prevent decomposition by bacterial growth or by unwanted chemical changes. This is mostly done to extend shelf life in shops.
Why not simply eat foods when they are fresh? Or natural foods that store longer like grains and legumes? Or food that has been stored naturally to extend life like dried foods, quick frozen food or fermented foods (as we actually do want and need some bacteria in our foods), naturally (not heat treated is what I mean by naturally) pickled foods ?
Antioxidants – These are substances that prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules we produce in our bodies as a reaction to the environment around us and other pressures we put our bodies through. Again the antioxidants that are added to our food can be natural or synthetic. We do need these as they are understood to help clear out the free radicals and remove them from our bodies. However, our bodies are able to produce our own. We can produce our own internally and add them naturally by eating foods that are naturally known to have high antioxidants already in them. Such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. So why add man made antioxidants if we can simply eat them naturally?
Sweeteners – These are added to keep a sweet taste, but lower the calorie content, they also replace sugars where this helps extend the shelf life of the food item. Over the years there has been many a report on how they have found various synthetic sweeteners are bad for us and cancer causing. But we still shovel bucket loads of them into our food? And have those sweeteners when we ‘diet’ and follow a ‘healthier lifestyle’. Why do we continue to be fooled into thinking synthetic food sources are better for us than natural ones?
Emulsifiers, Stabilisers, Thickeners and Gelling Agents – Again some are natural and some synthetic. These are added for texture, structure and stability reasons. Emulsifiers are a surface agent and sits as a layer which helps separate to liquids such as oils and water. They help control crystallisation and separation. These can then be blended to then become a product. Examples are vinaigrette, sauces, mayonnaise and reduced fat spreads. Thickeners are flavourless powders and gums, and these starches and gums are often used in soups, sauces and puddings. Stabilisers are substances that helps food remain and retain their physical form or characteristics, used in ice creams and margarine. Gelling agents are to provide thickness without stiffness, so are used for jellies, jams, salad dressings and desserts. We can make our own soups, vinaigrette, sauces and mayonnaise and use natural ingredients without adding flavourless powers and gums to our food, so why do we happily buy them off the shelves?
Others - Acid, acidity regulators, anti-caking agents, anti-foaming agents, bulking agents, carriers and carrier solvents, emulsifying salts, firming agents, flavour enhancers, flour treatment agents, foaming agents, glazing agents, modified starches, packaging gases, propellants, raising agents and sequestrates. And so the list goes on….
The document below lists all current additives, to give you an idea of what gets added to our foods we eat off the shelves. (Listings provided by www.theukfoodguide.net) -
Surprised at the amount that gets added?
So what is a whole or unprocessed food? And why is it better for us?
The definition in the dictionary of a whole food is ‘food that has been processed or refined as little as possible and is free from additives or other artificial substances.’
Look at these comparisons below of good and bad examples of processed and unprocessed or whole foods.
So what is a whole or unprocessed food? And why is it better for us?
The definition in the dictionary of a whole food is ‘food that has been processed or refined as little as possible and is free from additives or other artificial substances.’
Look at these comparisons below of good and bad examples of processed and unprocessed or whole foods.
Fats
GOOD FATS
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Real Butter Coconut Oil Avocado Oil Ghee Olive Oil (Look for cold pressed or opt for Extra Virgin, as Olive oils can often be mixed with some guys from the bad side!) All nuts and Seeds are also under this category! - Read here for more details on these. WHY? These fats and oils are produced and sold in their original state. Cold pressed fats and oils means they were not heat treated in any way, and in simple terms the oils/fats were just squeezed from the olive, avocado or coconut to be produced, and haven't been heat treated in anyway, so not to damage the fat molecules. So is in its original form. Real butters and fats are again in their original form. With all nutrients intact. Solid fats are saturated fats, and after getting a bad rap for years, much research has now been done that proves these fats are in fact good for us. Saturated fat molecules are in a fixed solid form, they can be heated to high temperatures and are resilient to damage at high temperature and can be cooled to then return to their original form. Unlike oils, that can get damaged when heated and isn’t good for our bodies. See Fats Are Good So, use solid fats for cooking, and oils for drizzling. |
BAD FATS
Plant Oils – Corn oil, Vegetable oil, Soy Oil, Sunflower Oil Margarine/Butter Spreads Groundnut Oil, Sesame Oil, Bran Oils WHY? These fats have been processed or hydrogenated (heated) to be produced. If you squeeze a vegetable how much oil comes out? To get fats out of plants takes a lot of processing and heating. The heating of oils damages the molecules (oxidisation) and can produce gases that have also been found to be bad for us. So much so, some claim them toxic and carcinogenic. (See Why are Oils Bad) Oil damage worsens each time we heat it. So if you buy a heat-treated oil, then you cook with it, then you microwave your meal, your left with a very unstable fat content in that meal. Frying and frying again is even worse, as heat levels are higher. They do have high amounts of Omega 6 (a polyunsaturated fat like Omega 3) in them too. However, the ratio of omega 3 to 6 we eat should be 1:1, and western diets are currently around 20:1. We don’t need the high volumes of omega 6’s in these products. They can cause very high amounts of inflammation in your bodies. See Omega 3 & Omega 6’s. And finally they can be full of artificial fats called Trans Fats. Which have been found to cause a whole heap of damage to us humans. See here for more information about Trans Fats. |
sugars
GOOD SUGARS -
Local or Farm Honey Maple Sugar Coconut Sugar WHY? Honey is an amber nectar from bees and is eaten in its natural untouched form so is a whole food. It is 75% sucrose. (A mix of glucose + Fructose. Glucose is transported in the blood stream and utilised as energy all around the body, whereas fructose can only be digested by the liver for energy) The other 25% is other trace nutrients such as protein, fat and fibre, and has its own antioxidants. It is natures sweetener. It is not an empty calorie as it had nutritional value If you eat local honey, it is believed to be better and to help with allergies as you are familiarising yourself with local pollen. And you can be sure it is REAL. As bees are dying, only 40% of the amount of honey we eat is real. There is a lot mixed with syrups to be sold cheaper, So pay for and look for local real honey. Maple syrup is made by sap withdrawn from the tree; it is then heated to produce a syrup which is 100% Maple syrup. You can get Organic Maple syrup, and the difference is more in the way it is produced rather than anything else (Read here for more) And it is the preference for vegans as is plant based. Coconut sugar is made by withdrawing the sap from a coconut palm, and is placed under heat until the water has evaporated, and there you have it, coconut sugar. It’s a brown colour in its granular form, and still holds a number of nutrients. Such as minerals like zinc, calcium and potassium, and contains the fibre inulin, as well as antioxidants. It is again about 75% sucrose, which remember is a mix of fructose and glucose. |
BAD SUGARS -
Granulated Sugars – Brown and White Agave Treacle Syrups WHY? Normal sugar is made up of both glucose + fructose to make sucrose. And this sucrose is produced in the plants it is made from. When the cane is chopped down and taken back it is purified and filtered and made initially into a dark brown sugar, it is 99% sucrose. This does hold some trace nutrients but are minimal. This sugar is then ‘refined’ stage by stage removing the brown molasses that makes the sugar brown. Until all is gone, and we are left with the white sugar. White sugar are empty calories. They have no nutritional value and high in calories. So brown sugar and the lighter brown sugars, and white sugars all come from the same cane but are just more and more refined. The nutrients in even the brown sugar are so minimal, it makes it just as much as an empty calorie as the white. Treacle’s and syrups are by products of sugar. And Agave is a syrup made of pure fructose. (Fructose is mostly made from fruits) You may think this is healthy. However as I mentioned in the good column, fructose can old by digested by the liver. And research has found people eating just fructose have quick formed ‘fatty liver’ disease as all of it is sent to the liver. So eating just this sugar on its own may cause future problems. |
grains
Good Grains -
Whole Grain Rice – Black, brown, red Buckwheat Bulgar wheat Quinoa Whole Oats Spelt Rye Amaranth Millet Teff Pearl Barley WHY? These listed are all grains that are in their whole original form. As they were harvested. A whole grain intact will include the Bran: The hard-outer layer of the grain. It contains fibre, minerals and antioxidants. Germ: The nutrient-rich core that contains carbs, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and various phytonutrients. The germ is the embryo of the plant, the part that gives rise to a new plant. Endosperm: The biggest part of the grain, contains mostly carbs (in the form of starch) and protein. Read here for more detailed information. Eating a whole grain (and any whole food) means our body eats all that is required to help digest it properly, and efficiently absorb all vitamins/minerals and nutrient in the food source eaten. When part of a food is removed, our bodies are missing part of the puzzle during the digestion process. And a lot of good nutrients could go to waste. See here for my page on grains. They are high in fibre, carbs, minerals and proteins and are an all-round good natural food. |
Bad Grains -
White and treated Flours – Covers breads/pastries/cakes/biscuits made with these. White rice Pasta Cous Cous Crackers/Crisps WHY? I think most people already know about how these are bad for you. Empty calories, low in nutritional value, high on the GI table so bad for your insulin levels and can lead to insulin resistance and T2 Diabetes. A lot of grains over the years have been genetically modified (GM) to shorter stalks, and longer germ for more produce when harvested, and with the treatments the soils have had to preserve and sustain the volumes, the nutritional value in the soils can sometimes be zero. Most mass production grains are nowadays GM. Why do you think breads and other produce get ‘fortified’ with vitamins and minerals? It’s because there is none in them. So they need to be added in an E number form, in an attempt to make them better for us. These fortified vitamins however are processed in themselves. And can sometimes cause over consumption of the fortified nutrients added. So it’s a vicious circle. Natural flours like millet, rye and spelt are still pretty much as they have always been and mostly not yet genetically modified which is why these are better and are made from the whole grain. (See good column) You may be surprised at cous cous, however cous cous is small pieces of pasta. It is not a grain. |
legumes
Good Legumes -
Chickpeas Red/Green/Brown Lentils Kidney Beans Black Beans Peas and Edamame Butter, Haricot, broad beans Peanuts WHY? Now speak to a Paleo diet follower, and they will say ‘Legumes are bad!’. However after trialling lots of different diets, for a normal healthy person, I think we need a good bit of diversity, and a little bit of all that’s good for us. And I believe legumes and beans to be good! They have definitely helped my function better when I introduced and raised my legume intake. So what are they? They are a member of the ‘pea’ family, and are a seed, a pod, or other edible part of a leguminous plant that we use as food. And again a good whole food in its original form. Just as nature intended. See here for my page on nutritional value of legumes. They are super high in fibre, some are complete proteins so great for vegans, high in vitamins and minerals and particularly vitamins B’s. They are amongst the best forms of plant-based proteins. Some raw legumes can hamper digestion, which is why you often have to soak them as this process degrade the ‘antinutrients’ that can upset digestion. Once this is done, they should be easily digested and in fact aids the process. See here for more information. |
Bad Legumes -
Baked Beans Salted, roasted, honeyed peanuts WHY? Processed legumes are often so because they are covered with sugar, vegetable oils, salt or all of the above! So the whys in this section is easy, buy them whole, and prepare them yourself. You cover them then in the good fats, good sugars and know exactly what you are then consuming and that they have been prepared properly. See here on my page for how to prepare them. |
Dairy
Good Dairy -
Whole Cow’s Milk Raw Milk (If you can get it) Full Fat Yoghurt Creams Full Fat Yoghurt Quark (Naturally low-fat cheese) Eggs Full fat Cheese and Cottage Cheese WHY? I am a firm believer in milk and dairy being good for us. I know a lot of people say otherwise. But I disagree. We all have our opinions. ‘Raw’ milk and dairy mean it comes intact with all enzymes, fats and all other nutrients still in place. It hasn’t been filtered, Ultra heat treated (UHT) or pasteurised (sterilised) so is still full of the nutrients it is supposed to hold. Read here for more information. You can also see I suggest eating and drinking dairies with all fat intact. Remembering what I said earlier about good fats? Removing fats from produce means its been processed. And what do they normally add when fats are removed? Sugar. You should be understanding now the concept of ‘whole’ foods now. Simply stick to how nature intended it to be. Why do we feel we need to remove nutrients, add additives, add sugar, sterilize and filter our foods? How on earth is this supposed to make it better? There is in this list, Quark which is a low-fat cheese. However, it is naturally low fat when made. So nothing has been removed, just a lovely creamy low-fat cheese. |
Bad Dairy -
Low fat Milk (Skimmed, Semi) Low fat Yoghurts Low fat cheese Anything 0% fat Anything fortified UHT Milks/Creams American Style yellow cheese Squeezy tube cheeses WHY? Anything advertised as low fat or 0% fat has generally been processed to be that way (except Quark, see good column) so has had nutrients tinkered with. Removing fats and replacing them often with sweeteners or sugars. Most supermarket bought dairy is pasteurised or sterilised, or ultra-heat treated, nutrients removed or fortified with vitamins and minerals that have somehow gone a miss in the production of the food. Margarine, squeezy cheeses, American yellow cheeses and often laced with Trans Fats. Stay away from these bad boys! These are artificial fats found in high amounts in margarine, spreads and vegetable oils. See here for more details. They are plastic fats, nutrient free and dangerous. |
Meats
GOOD MEATS -
All grass fed and organic where possible – Beef Lamb Pork Chicken Turkey Venison Game WHY? Grass fed is much leaner than its conventional counterpart because it's higher in key nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins, and a beneficial fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that's been tied to improved immunity and anti-inflammation benefits. Plus, grass-fed meat packs about 50% more omega-3 fatty acids than standard beef (although the amount is still far lower than the total omega-3s found in fatty fish like salmon). Grass-fed meat is also less likely to contain “superbugs”—bacteria that have become resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics—so it’s considered superior from a food safety perspective as well. So, could grass fed be fed antibiotics I hear you ask? Well yes, as grass fed isn’t the same as organic. Organic meats specify that the animals were not fed on hormones or antibiotics. So it is best to look for organic grass-fed meat. It is more expensive, but worth it. As it lessons both together means less inflammation, no steroid pumped meat, no unwanted antibiotics killing my healthy gut bacteria and higher nutritional value. |
BAD MEATS
Processed Sausages Processed Bacon Corned Beef Canned Meat produce Hot Dogs/Saveloy's Some sliced meats Preserved meats – cured/salted/canned Ready meals WHY? For all the reasons explained in the good column, and some. The meat is often of poor quality, meaning fed on hormones, antibiotics and can be farmed in some unsavoury ways. I am a meat eater; however I would like to think the animals I eat have been cared for and been able to roam free in fields and eating grass in their life cycle. There is also a compound often found in these meats called sodium nitrite (Nitrosamine). Sodium nitrite is used as an additive for 3 reasons: To preserve the red/pink colour of meat, to improve flavour by suppressing fat oxidation (rancidification), to prevent the growth of bacteria, improving flavour and cutting the risk of food poisoning. But these nitrites can have an adverse effect on us humans. Some believe that they can cause stomach and bowel cancer. See here for more information. |
FISH
GOOD FISH -
The key thing with fish is quality and where its sourced. Always look for sustainable fish, and freshly sourced when possible. This is often not found in supermarkets, but sometimes if you search. Cod and any white fish Tuna Mackerel/Sardines and all oily fresh fish Alaska Salmon (Wild) Fresh Seafood In fact...all fresh fish! WHY? It is well known for being the healthiest food on the planet. Although has recently had a bad rap with it containing mercury and micro-particles of plastic that we have been throwing in our seas for years. And we all know how we must improve how we handle out plastics and move to zero plastic household don’t we? Don’t get me started on that. They are very high in Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats and Vitamin D, which are great for our body and brain. There are so many good reasons to eat fish , too many to list here so have a read here for more information. Trying to get people to buy freshly sourced and sustainable is difficult, as we don’t all live by the sea, or next to Billingsgate Market. I sometimes wince at the smell as I walk past a supermarket fish monger as if you went into a fresh fish supplier it simply wouldn’t smell like that. My favourite sources is on the south coast Rye fish monger. There back door looks out to the sea. They catch it, bring it round back, and sell it in the shop. Cant get much fresher than that. They do deliver around the country, as a price. So I buy a shed load and freeze it whenever I’m there. So if your lucky enough to live buy the sea, I would be seeing it plucked from the sea, cooked and eaten same day. Nothing like it! It is fine to freeze fish as the deep freeze hasn’t been found to harm the nutrients too much. |
BAD FISH -
Fish that are farmed unethically/becoming extinct/damages/known for high mercury levels specifically – Bluefin Tuna Farmed Salmons Monkfish Groupers Chilean Sea Bass Ready Fish Meals – Fish fingers/battered brands/in sauce meals. Frozen Seafood's - Or, be sure you know what your buying and where from. WHY? - For all the reasons listed above. Ready made meals are often full of additives, salts and sugars which take away all the goodness a fish can bring. Eat it simply. Fresh, and home prepare as soon as you can. |
fruit and Vegetables, organic, local and seasonal
All fruit and veg in their original form are on the whole list. I would always recommend fruit and vegetables to be bought in season, from a UK source or locally sourced and as much as possible fresh.
Why?
Please see my Seasonal, Organic and local article - Still to come. Watch this space....
Why?
Please see my Seasonal, Organic and local article - Still to come. Watch this space....