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Nutritionally empty foods

jon

New member
My #1 rule when it comes to nutrition is try to eat "whole" foods, and avoid nutritionally "empty" foods. Nutritionally empty foods are those that have had most of their nutrients processed away, and contain only carbs, sugars, fats, or even protein . A couple of examples would be useful:

Nutritionally empty foods:

* White-flour products: eg. white bread, alot of pastries, cakes etc. Wheat is very healthy and good for you in it's whole form, however white flour is no good at all. It is devoid of nutrients, and essentially a high GI carb source. Avoid when possible.
* Sugary products: avoid products containing large amounts of processed sugars (as opposed to natural sugars: lactose, fructose etc). Sugar is no good at all for maintaining stable insulin levels, and generally products with high sugar contents have little nutritional merit. Processed sugars may be suitable post workout to quickly restore glycogen and blood sugar levels, however arguably a few pieces of fruit are probably better (oranges or similar very sweet fruits).
* Saturated fatty foods: avoid foods that contain large amounts of added fats (esp. saturated fats). Cream, deep-fried foods, etc. Some fats are regarded as being healthy (eg, flax, fish oils) so some discretion is advised.
* Protein powder: besides post workout or first thing in the morning, this is probably no good for you at all. It is highly refined (being almost completely protein), and has little nutritional value besides its protein content.
This list is nowhere near complete, but hopefully gives you an idea what I mean.

Now for example of foods that are good choices:

Nutritionally complete foods:
* Whole grains: eg. oats, whole wheat, rye barley, triticale, etc. All are excellent low GI carb sources that contain lots of essential nutrients and fiber (which is often neglected).
* Fruits and vegatables: eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Steaming is generally better than boiling, as it retains more nutrients, but I don't get too concerned either way. Leafy green vegatables are often neglected but are in fact some of the richest nutrient sources available; try to include some in your diet.
* Meat, fish, poultry etc: beef, lamb, pork, fish, chicken, duck, turkey, eggs etc, are all very nutritional in their natural forms, and great sources of protein. Certain preparation methods are dubious (eg. fried bacon rashers probably aren't the healthiest food around). As long as they are prepared in a healthy manner they are all good. Red meats tend to be higher in saturated fats, so eat in moderation.
* Nuts & legumes: the vegetarians protein source! Not just for vegetarians of course. They contain lots of protein and healthy fats, along with many other macro and micro nutrients.


All the other good stuff I've forgotten: can't remember what, but it goes here. Hopefully you can consider each food based on the premise presented here to gauge is healthiness.

Whole foods = good, processed empty foods = bad; end of story.
 
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