Medical Questions » Diet Questions » Question No. 1226
| Question: | What is a wholefood? |
| Answer: | A wholefood is a food that hasn' t been refined. Foods such as wheat and rice were traditionally refined into white flour and white rice so that they would be less prone to infestation by weevils: refining removes the nutrients the insects need to survive, allowing these staples to be stored longer. This was necessary during the Industrial Revolution to feed workers in cities before improved transport systems and refrigeration made it possible for everyone to eat fresh food.
So, if you eat a lot of refined food you' re eating food that wouldn' t support the life of a weevil! Instead, eat wholefoods - beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, and wholegrains such as oat flakes, wholewheat or whole rye bread or pasta. Basically, if a food you buy is recognisably near its original condition, when it was plucked from a tree or pulled out of the ground, it' s a wholefood. If not, the chances are it' s been refined or processed in some way that has reduced its nutritional value. |
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