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B Y: G A B R I E L L A M I K I E W I C Z

STUFF WHOLE FOODS HAS TAUGHT ME

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Words You Shoul d Kn ow Before We St art:

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Organics

Pure Food, Free of Chemical Additives

Doesnt contain additives, flavor enhancers, artificial sweeteners, contaminants, or preservatives, that can cause health problems. Meat and fish can be organic. If a cow is sick and given antibiotics for their health, theyre no longer considered organic. If organic carrots touch conventional carrots, theyre considered contaminated & cant be sold as organic. See pg 2.

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TING H E A LT H Y E A ing to be

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Vegan
No Animal Products
A person who choses to avoid consuming and using animal products. Vegans avoid eating dairy, wearing leather or fur, and using cosmetics tested on animals. Did you know?? Normal sugar isnt vegan! Its whitened with bone. Honey is also largely debated because it comes from bees. You can get all the nutrients you need and more from a vegan diet.

A very simplied guide to leading a more healthful lifestyle, changing your eating habits, and how to look more closely at what youre eating. My Ba ck gr o u n d:
ve been vegetarian for almost four years. I started to stop eating meat when I was visiting my grandmother in Poland. If you dont know much about the standard Polish diet, all you really need to know is that its based o of a lot of meat and potatoes. And cabbage. My grandmother grew up and raised her children in a communistic environment, and those values are still instilled in her when her grandchildren come to visit: eat as much as you can, all the time! So one day I told my poor grandmother that I had stopped eating meat and therefore couldnt eat her dinner. The idea stuck, I kept researching, and I havent regretted one day since. I still eat sh, and plan to cut that out one day. Maybe even vegan is next?

GMOs I got a job at Whole Foods Market in October of 2012. Since then, Ive Genetically Modified learned so much about my lifestyle. I Organism have stopped thinking about calorie Food is changed through gene splicing techniques of content and the amount of saturated fat biotechnology. Most GMO products arent labeled. In the U.S., GMOs are in as much of 80% of conventional in foods, while thinking more about processed foods. Not organic. pesticides, preservatives, and articial additives. Meat & Fish Farming
Once you start to learn more about the food that goes into your mouth, it stops being about losing weight and looking like a model (though eating better does help). This becomes about feeling better and being a better version of you. It isnt just a craze. Humane & Sustainable
Most seafood isnt sustainable. Fish farming is overexploiting the marine ecosystems around the world. Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) helps regulate & label seafood. Factory Farms are large, industrial farms that raise animals for food. They focus on profit and efficiency at the expense of animal welfare.

SAD
Standard American Diet
Consists of 50% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 35% fat. Positively correlated with elevated obesity, death from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Wha t Did Y o u E a t T o d a y ?
Drink: Coke Zero
Whats inside? High fructose corn syrup, phosphoric acid, aspartime, monosodium glutamate, sodium cyclamate (articial sweetener), acesulfame potassium (articial sweetener - 200x sweeter than sucrose), sodium benzoate (preservative), Aspartame (sugar substitute), sucralose (articial sweetener), and more.
In some countries around the world, Coca Cola uses Sodium Cyclamate in Coke Zero, which is illegal in the United States.

Dinner: One Slice of Dominos Pizza with Pepperoni and Marinara Sauce on the side
Whats inside?: Monocalcium phosphate (used as leavening agent and in fertilizers), Calcium Propionate (preservative), Xantham Gum (secretion from bacteria used to thicken sauces), Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Calcium Disodium EDTA (made from formaldehyde, and sodium cayanide), Sodium Nitrate (used in pesticides), and more.

? t i n i s What
If you cant read and pronounce whats on the label, what makes you think you can digest it?!

HFCS:
High Fructose Corn Syrup
A common sweetener in sodas and fruit avored drinks. Can contribute unwanted calories which leads to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and more. There is a proven rise in obesity and diabetes in countries where food contains HFCS.

Lunch: Hot Dog

Whats inside?: In the Hot Dog: meat trimmings and fat, avorings, preservatives such as sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrate. The smoking, curing, salting, etc. contains chemicals that have been linked directly to colon cancer. In the Ketchup & Mustard & Relish: high fructose corn syrup, articial colorings, Xantham Gum, added sugar, and more.

Breakfast: Lucky Charms

Whats inside?: Modied Corn Starch, Gelatin (pork product), Articial Flavor, Trisodium Phosphate (food additive, used as a cleaning agent, stain remover), and articially made vitamins Added to Preserve Freshness

Cutting Down
Is it even possible to have a diet completely HFCS-free? Food you had no idea was even sweetened probably contains HFCS, like bread, crackers, and dried fruit.

Preservatives
What are they?
Chemical preservatives help delay the growth of microbes in food. They help to keep the product edible for longer. Food keeps its color for longer.

Be S ma rt:
Smart Ideas: Try Going Gluten, Dairy, or Meat Free
Try going Gluten Free or Dairy Free for one week. Look at all the ingredients on everything you eat this will probably open your eyes as to how little you know about whats in the food you consume. Im warning you now - its going to be extremely hard. Watch out for gelatin products, creme added to soups, and wheat free doesnt mean gluten free! It may be just a week, but can you handle it?

Smart Substitution: 365 Soda

The brand 365 only makes organic products. Their soda is naturally caeine free, uses only real sugar, and is certied organic. (Cherry Vanilla is my favorite)

Why Theyre Bad for You

You are more prone to getting tumors and cancer from many BHT preservatives. Cause allergic reactions (you might not know youre allergic to them, though!). There are ties to cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, liver problems, and digestive issues. Even if you dont develop any of these, youre still consuming chemicals that have been made in a factory. That cant be good for you, no matter how you look at it.

Did you know? Natural is not the same thing as Organic.

The word natural is often misrepresented in product labeling to imply that it is healthful, but it just means that products have undergone minimal processing. Unlike organics, there is no certication or inspection system in place. Natural does not necessarily refer to growing methods or the use of preservatives. For example, 7-Up may say its natural, & its label says it contains natural ingredients but what else does it contain?

Are Organic Foods Healthier?

It depends on how you would dene foods as being healthier than other foods. Organic products arent necessarily more nutritious than conventional products, it just means that theyre spared the addition of potentially harmful, long-lasting chemicals, like pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. The US Environmental Protection Agency considers 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides, and 30% of all insecticides as potentially cancercausing agents.

USDA Organics
Meat, Poultry, and Dairy Standards
No Growth Hormones, No routine (or any) antibiotics, Raised in natural living conditions that are normal for their species, Fed only organic feed, Processing of meat needs to meet organic standards, as well.

Organic Foods:
Most people think of fruits and vegetables as being organic, but everything can be, from pasta to sauces, to frozen juices, to cereals, chocolate, soups, cookies, and even wine.

Whole Foods very own Four Pillars of HSH:

his is a common question that I get, from customers at the store, my parents, even my friends. Eating clean isnt just a fad 1. Plant Strong: and it takes dedication to see and feel Emphasize plant-based foods. Eat a results within your body. Therefore, you colorful variety of plants to ensure youre cant just go to the grocery store, buy getting the best nutrients for your body. yourself some Kale, go to the gym once, 2. Healthy Fats and expect to be the healthiest person in the world. There are steps and stages Chose things like nuts, seeds, avocados, that you can go through to achieve a etc. Minimize or eliminate extracted oils and healthy lifestyle, though. processed fats like margarine.

Sta h t l a e H

e rts Her

So... What can I do right now?

because they are nutrient dense and often come with bre, vitamins, and minerals. Bad carbs are highly rened and processed, and are mostly found in processed and packaged foods. They also contain little nutrients. Power to the Protein! The recommended Dietary Allowances for protein are 44-55 grams. Physicallyactive people may need more. Despite this, most Americans can easily reach 95 grams per day. So its not about how much protein you eat, its about the quality of it. Smaller Plates? Eat ve to six small meals per day. This helps to get your metabolism running faster and better. You wont get hungry for chips, but you have to make sure that theyre small meals not big ones. A good way to do this is to use smaller plates, literally, so that the portions look larger than they actually are!

3. Nutrient Dense
Build your meals around recipes that emphasize plant-based foods. Chose foods rich in micronutrients when compared to caloric content (use the ANDI score to help you with this: see below)

4. Whole Food
Chose whole, fresh, natural, organic, local, seasonal, unrened, and unprocessed foods.

Chose your foods wisely: This may come as a surprise, but organic foods dont have preservatives or additives, so they go bad easily. Check the sell-by and made on dates on packages closely. Also, use your food right away. Can the carbs! Dont get rid of them all, though, just the bad ones. Complex carbohydrates are considered good

N E X T T IM E YOU G O GRO C ER Y SHOPPING:

Quinoa
Pronounced key-nwa
Edible seeds that come from the Quinoa plant. Has extremely high protein content. It is also high in dietary bre, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. Since its a seed, its gluten free, easy to digest, and good for vegans because it also has a good source of calcium. Its so great, in fact, that the United Nations has dubbed this year, the International Year of Quinoa, 2013 Its true - Im not kidding you: The United Nations General Assembly took on this seed because of its exceptional nutritional qualities of quinoa, its adaptability to dierent agro-ecological oors and its potential contribution in the ght against hunger and malnutrition.

Kale is a form of cabbage and it is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can chose to eat. It has a lot of vitamin C, vitamin K, and calcium. Its honestly pretty grosstasting raw and by itself, but put some citrus-based dressing on it, throw in some cranberries & pine nuts, and Voi-La! You have my very favorite salad. Its also available pre-made from most Whole Foods in Chicago.

Milk Alternatives: Soy, Almond, Coconut, Rice, Hemp, and more.

What are they?
Lactose Free, dairy free, but still packed with all those things you look for in milk. Theyre usually lower in fat, low in carbohydrates, high in ber, and usually come with zero sugar. This all depends on the milk youre getting, of course. Hemp Milk (yes, it exists) is high in Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. Remember this: most soy is a GMO, so try to buy organic and look for Non-GMO on the label.

So whos Andy exactly?

ANDI stands for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index. It shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on caloric vs nutritional content. Basically, the more calories and less nutrients that a food has, its lower on the scale. Almonds:& 38 Tomatoes: & 190 Strawberries: & 202 Radish: & 554 Arugula:& 559 Watercress: & 1000 Kale: & & 1000 Collard Greens: & 1000

Collard Greens
Anti-Cancer Properties
Considered to be a very healthful food. They have vitamin C, vitamin K, soluble ber, and contain multiple nutrients with potent anticancer properties. They are also very low in calories, which gives them a high ANDI score.