Frequently Asked Questions
This section will grow almost daily as we continue to add to it...
What is Real Food?
Real Food is tasty, healthy, nutritious, whole foods from plants and animals that are close to their natural state. Real food is generally fresh and high in quality. It is high in nutrients for the amount of calories consumed. This is the opposite of "junk" food, which is typically very high in calories, but very low in nutrients.
How can you tell if a food is "real"?
Is it from a plant or an animal, in a natural state? If so, you're on the right track. Think of things like fresh apples, crisp sugar snap peas, a warm bowl of whole grain rice, or a lean cut of fish - all pretty close to how you might find them in nature. So what about Skittles: a real food? Definitely not: no Skittle trees, right? Skittles are a prime example of a "junk" food: high calorie, low nutrient-density. So is a microwaved, fried apple pie from a fast-food drive-thru, or a frosted Apple Cinnamon Pop-Tart. These products have apples in them, yes, but they're a long way from the tree.
What is "junk" food?
Junk food is low quality food that is no longer in its original state, but altered by extreme refinement or processing. It's been commercially "prepared" in a way that has removed a lot of the food's natural vital energy and stripped away most of its nutrients.
Junk food is things like candy, soda, fast-food, microwave, prepared stuff that is high in calories, but really low in nutrients.
The 3 bad things to watch out for in low quality, junk foods are:
1. Bad Fats: trans-fats, hydrogenated oils
2. Too much sugar
3. Chemical and artificial ingredients (anything you can't pronounce)
Need an example?
Real food burger: homemade, free-range turkey burger with lettuce, tomato and avocado on a whole grain bun
VS
Junk food burger: any burger from any fast food joint ~ it's extremely high in salt and saturated fat, coated with a sauce that's high in sugar and artificial ingredients, and all wrapped up in a highly refined white bun...