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youraw
10-04-2007, 06:43 AM
I keep seeing this term pop up (as in whole foods market) but also raw whole food. I looked up the definition..

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed.

Often confused with "organic food" (i.e., organically-grown food), whole foods aren't necessarily organic, nor are organic foods necessarily whole, although they do share a number of traits, such as an avoidance of chemically-assisted agricultural techniques. Because of the lack of even basic, organically-acceptable processing, many whole foods have a very short shelf life and are not easily sold outside of farmers' markets.

Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains; organically garden-grown fruits and vegetables; and non-homogenized milk. For some, it is preferable to eat whole foods raw to obtain the maximum nutritional benefit.

"Whole Food" has also been know to describe a food that is a complete balance in nutritional value by non mechanical means.

So....are all raw foods considered whole foods as well? I had asked the question on a local discussion group and was told it wasn't just about what you ate but it was a lifestyle.....and then gave me a link to a website it I was feeling like an activist!

juliebove
10-04-2007, 10:37 AM
To me it means foods in their natural state. Like an apple or leaves of lettuce. Something like onion bread would not be a whole food to me because it has been processed so to speak.

firefaery
10-04-2007, 07:27 PM
Olive oil is a raw food, but it isn't a whole food. Coconut water is raw, but not a whole food. The idea to me is consume the food as nature intended (not that I don't occasionally indulge in EVOO!) so when you eat the whole olive or coconut you are getting the whole spectrum of nutrients as opposed to isolating some by extracting them from their natural package. Does that help?

EZ rider
10-04-2007, 07:34 PM
When I think of whole foods I think of foods that have everything intact. The complete structure of the food is there as it grew in the garden. It has all the water, enzymes, nutrients, and bonds (chelation) that happened when the food made the elements of the earth a part of itself.

samariah
10-04-2007, 07:36 PM
yummy, olives and fresh coconut. wish i had some.

firefaery
10-04-2007, 07:38 PM
me too! :D