Natural Foods Diet

Popularized throughout Europe and North America in the 1970’s, natural or “whole” foods are those, which are unprocessed or minimally processed. This diet was not created by any one person, and actually mimics the way human beings have eaten for centuries. Modern foods such as high fructose corn syrup and enriched white flour are a recent tradition, and natural foods advocates blame these types of processed foods for obesity and an array of chronic illnesses.
Advocates of a natural foods diet use whole grains rather than refined ones and natural sweeteners such as honey, agave, stevia and maple syrup instead of processed sugar. Organic foods are considered ideal by people that follow this type of diet, and they often seek out organic fruits and vegetables, dairy and eggs, and meats or seafood. While many vegetarians do follow a natural foods diet, not all people who embrace a natural foods diet are vegetarian. People who follow a natural foods diet also try to avoid convenience foods and pre-packaged foods as much as possible, preferring to make things at home from unprocessed ingredients.
Weight loss and better health are often linked to these types of diets. A natural foods diet tends to rely heavily upon the consumption of fruits and vegetables so the increase in dietary fibre and the lack of “junk” foods in one’s diet are the likely reasons people following these diets experience weight loss. A natural foods diet has many proven beneficial effects for your health, and the only potential downside is that it can be hard to follow this type of diet if you are accustomed to dining outside the house frequently.