Marc's Fat Loss Secret #3 - Whole Foods

Right behind water, the biggest changes people can make to their diet is to get back to whole foods. Don't let anyone tell you carbohydrates are bad. It's the type of carbohydrates that we typically eat that are the enemy- the white breads, bagels and pastas that are so processed they are devoid of any nutrition. You're body treats them as sugar. Calories derived from carbohydrates are necessary for energy and can be very healthy if they come from whole grains (the problem is eating too many calories and not getting enough exercise). Whole foods are plant based, low fat, high fiber and loaded with thousands of disease prevention and anti-aging substances.

Phytochemicals
Forget fortified this or that. If you really want to be healthy, get back to the basics with whole foods, virtual gold mines of phytochemicals. “Phytochemicals have completely changed the way we view foods”, says Mark Messina, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition at Loma Linda University(10). There is more to foods than vitamins and minerals, scientists are finding all kinds of compounds that are only found in whole foods and they are key to your health. The good news is you are already consuming thousands of them every day in your favorite foods without even trying.

Phytochemicals are found most abundantly in;
Soy beans, beans (of all kinds), whole grains (concentrated in the grain's bran and germ, refining removes most of the phytochemicals), fruits, vegetables, garlic, walnuts, onions, red wine, green tea and many more.

The key to health;
Choose a variety and whole foods. The germ should never be removed, as this is where virtually all of the vitamin E, essential fatty acids and coenzyme Q10 reside.

Soy Beans
Soy has been found to lower cholesterol, lower risk of colon cancer (possibly other cancers especially hormone-related cancers), it may boost immunity; keep blood vessels flexible and even curb the symptoms of menopause. Other promising new evidence includes boosting brain function, hypertension and curbing middle-age weight gain. Not bad for a lowly bean.

The key to health;
Get two to three servings per day. One serving is ½ cup tofu or 1 cup soy milk.

Antioxidants
Found mostly in fruits and vegetables it lowers the risk of heart disease, cataracts and arthritis. In fact, one of the few things that science knows for sure is that eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day can cut you cancer risk in half. New research shows that antioxidants like vitamins E, C and selenium slow the aging process.

The key to health;
Variety! Eight to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, four servings of whole grains and one serving of nuts. Buy organic. The soil is derogated and pesticides are used in most commercial operations.