WHITE IS WRONG.© Emily McTaggart 2011
When it comes to Food, Embrace the Dirt
All our lives we have been told that white represents goodness and purity. After all, what is more beautiful than a blanket of freshly-fallen snow on Christmas morning? However, when it comes to food, white is not always pretty. In terms of certain foods, the “dirtier” they look the better they are. Most white products are refined to the point of not only being virtually void of nutrition but could even be harmful to your health. Flour, sugar, salt, rice, and white bread are the most obvious examples.
The Nitty-Gritty
White flour starts with whole wheat and then the bran and wheat germ are removed. This means that the bulk of the nutrients – vitamins, minerals, and fibre – are no longer there. What is left behind is pretty, white, starchy powder – FLOUR! This is used in everyday staples such as fast-food hamburger buns, white bread, and a wide variety of other “foods.” Eating these things on a regular basis is an unhealthy habit because your intake of nutrients fall far below what your body needs to function properly, remain healthy, and simply “feel good.”
Double Trouble
Combinations of these white foods are even deadlier – white sugar and white flour used together (as you would find in a typical cake) is doubly harmful because not only does it make you feel full (by diverting your appetite away from healthier foods) but it also lacks the fibre of whole grains (which can slow down the all-important final step of the digestion process) and has a high glycemic index. This causes a spike in blood sugar and that is not a desirable effect.
Tasteful Choices
It is a good idea to avoid white processed foods wherever possible. There are easy substitutions that you could use to “right the white wrong.” Here are a few basic examples:
For white flour, use whole wheat, oat, chickpea, corn, barley.
For table salt, use Himalayan crystal salt or unprocessed sea salt.
For white sugar, use honey, coconut sugar, agave nectar, molasses, unprocessed brown sugar, or stevia.
For white rice, use brown, basmati, or jasmine.
For white bread, use whole wheat, flax, multigrain, sourdough bread.*
*Sourdough bread uses fermented flour, which changes the chemical and nutritional properties positively.
There is White at the End of the Tunnel
One notable exception to the “white is wrong” rule is unprocessed coconut. It is one of the healthiest foods you could eat. Other examples are potatoes, parsnips, almonds, onions, and garlic. Think of it this way: If food is white and unprocessed, it probably has some nutritional value. If it is white and processed, it probably doesn’t. Being aware of these nutritional issues puts you in control of what goes into your body. Making smarter choices on what you eat can lead very quickly to improvements in your health, your attitude, your energy level, and your overall outlook on life.
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White Is Wrong
