(NOTE: the RDAs weren’t devised to promote optimum health; they are minimums established to
prevent deficiency diseases. They are not a measurement of nutrient density!)
Let’s use as an example one of my favorite foods in the world—hummus.
The whole unprocessed food is the garbanzo bean or “chickpea.” The whole processed version is called hummus—blended chickpeas with some added
natural ingredients.BASIC RECIPE:
1 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans (280 calories, half of which is resistant starch
and won’t be digested)
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas (no added salt preferred)
3 to 5 tablespoons (2 oz.) lemon juice, to taste, (7 calories)
1 - 1/2 tablespoons tahini (90 calories)
2 cloves garlic, crushed (8 calories) Refined ingredients, optional but not recommended.1/2 teaspoon salt (just a little bit more high blood pressure)
2 tablespoons olive oil (240 calories of fat)Given the calories added by the oil, and how good it tastes without it (thanks to the lemon, tahini
and garlic), in my opinion you don’t need it. (If you’re already lean and where you want to be with
success results, and you want olive oil to be part of your 10%, it’s fine. But if you’re ramping up to
the success results and seeking natural weight loss, foregoing this extra fat is a good idea if you can
do without it. Experiment with other seasonings when making your hummus. )
Once food processing begins, it doesn’t usually stop with the processing itself, as it does with
hummus, bean purees, smoothies or chopped salads. Unfortunately, what happens next for most
processed foods, especially those you purchase packaged at the store, is that they have ingredients
like sugar, oil, and salt added to them, and they are baked or cooked in other ways that change the
original state of the food and the integrity of its nutrients.
What may have originally been organic and nutrient-rich is no longer organic or nutrient-rich,
rendering it a nutrient-poor food. Worse, many processed packaged foods do not start with organic
nutrient-rich foods to begin with. Keep this in mind when processing foods and buying refined
foods.
Becoming an Expert: Getting Your Black Belt
I’ve emphasized through this book why and how a nutrient-rich health eating is not a diet in the
way most of us perceive and relate to “diets.” We’ve talked about improving your eating style and
lifestyle, which is a whole other matter and works better in so many ways we’ve discussed.