The dictionary defines health food as “any natural or prepared food popularly believed to promote good health” or “specific foods claimed to be especially beneficial to health.”

You’ll note that these are foods “believed” or “claimed” to be good food for your health. And that’s where it gets confusing. Not everyone believes the same things. Some people may believe a varied diet of meat and vegetables and grains is the most healthy diet. Others declare that a small amount of meat with larger amounts of grains and vegetables is the way to go. Vegetarians get rid of the meat, and vegans go even further and don’t eat ANY animal or dairy products.

Love Veggies!

So who’s right? Which of these are health foods?

Then we get down to specific foods or groups of foods. For instance, at one point the experts said, “Don’t eat eggs!” Other times, we’ve been told to eat various supposedly healthy diets: Eat a low fat diet! Eat a high protein diet! Eat the right carbs! The list goes on and on.

So who’s right? Which of these are health foods?

What’s even more confusing is the so-called experts are usually citing some study or another that “proves” their point. If that’s the case, then how is it that some time later another study comes along that “proves” the exact opposite?

It makes it difficult to really know what is true health food and therefore beneficial for your body.

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Searching For True Health Food

There is one truth you can be sure of – just because the popular media trumpets a food as being a great health food – ‘don’t make it so’. There are fads in foods and diets just like there are fads in clothing, music and many other things.

In addition, just because someone did a study, doesn’t mean the results are accurate. The results can be inaccurate due to a poorly designed study. Or the results can be inaccurate because the people conducting the study skew the results to fit their needs, like a big company wanting to show their product has good benefits.

 Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. ~ Aaron Levenstein

Just substitute “study results” for “statistics” and you’ve got it.  After all, people producing food products are in the business to make money and putting a spin on advertising is one way they entice you to part with your hard-earned money and buy their stuff! So when a big company is telling you what a great health food they’ve got, dig a little deeper to make sure the food lives up to the claim. In most cases, a manufactured food isn’t going to be as healthy for you as one that has had minimal to no processing.

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So What Is Health Food?

Simply put, health food is nutrient dense, with vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients that are good for you.

Most of the time these are foods that are as close to their original state as possible. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a good example. The less processing a food has, the more of a health food it usually is.  For example, whole grain flours, like whole wheat, are much more nutritious than refined white flour that has been stripped of nutrients, then a few vitamins are artificially added back in to make it sound healthy.

Milk and meat and eggs from animals that have been fed natural foods, and kept in healthy environments are also generally more healthy for you. Think about it… whatever goes into that animal first hand is going to go into you second hand when you eat the meat, milk or eggs that came from it.

That means it’s also important that any food, no matter how full of nutrients, is also free of dangerous chemicals like pesticides, hormones or antibiotics. Otherwise, it isn’t really a healthy food.

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Super Health Foods

Many foods qualify as health food in the sense they have beneficial nutrients, but some foods are so nutrient dense – so full of good vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients – that they’re an exceptionally good health food. These are the super health foods!

Among these super hero health foods are oats, walnuts, tomatoes, blueberries and more.  Obviously, the more of them you include in your diet the better.

So when considering what is a health food, don’t look for fads, don’t look for a food altered to supposedly make it healthier, don’t look for some chemical concoction. . . just use your common sense to guide you as to what is health food and what isn’t.

Bottom line: If the food is nutrient dense and free of undesirable chemicals, it’s health food.

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Just What Is Health Food?

Unless you’ve had your head stuck in the sand, you know we’re in a recession. Because of that economic slow down, it was expected by market researchers that there would be a slump in sales of organic foods.

Organic Food Sales Increased

Turns out instead of a slow down in organic food sales, they actually increased by 15.8 percent in 2008, according to a survey done by the Lieberman Research Group for the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

The Organic Trade Association’s executive director Christine Bushway declared, “Organic products represent value to consumers, who have shown continued resilience in seeking out these products. This marks another milestone for the organic food market.”

The survey found that organic food accounted for about 3.5 percent of US food sales last year. Not only that, but organic food sales grew at a much faster rate than general US food sales. 

The Biggest Sellers In Organic Foods

Yes, we love our fruits and vegetables!  They constitute the biggest part of organic food sales, accounting for about 37 percent.  As I mentioned in a previous post, “Food Holidays In June“, now is a great time to be getting fresh fruits and vegetables at Farmer’s Markets.  If you don’t know where to find one, you can look at the Local Harvest website to locate the nearest Farmer’s Markets, family farms and producers of organic foods.

Beverages and dairy sales are the other biggest sellers in the organic food market, at 14 percent each.  Organic beverage sales are growing the fastest, with 40% more sales in 2008 than the previous year. Organic breads and grains are close behind in sales growth, with 35 percent more sales over the year before.

(If you’re interested in the best whole grain breads, check out “Looking For Healthy Whole Grain Breads.”)

Choosing Organic Food

So how about you? In these times when most people are trying to make their dollar stretch more and more, are you choosing to go for the value of organic foods?

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Do You Buy Organic Foods?

Just What Are Carotenoids?

Simply put, carotenoids are pigments that plants synthesize.  These pigments are usually red, orange or yellow, and give various fruits and vegetables their bright colors.  They are essential for photosynthesis and plant growth, and are also a natural source of vitamin A for people.

There are over 600 identified carotenoids.  They are divided into two classes:

1. xanthophylls, which are the yellow pigments, and
2. carotenes, the orange and red pigments..

Why Should I Care About Carotenoids?

Carrots are orange and full of carotenoids, and you’ve surely heard about eating carrots for good eyesight, right?  This is because approximately 50 carotenoids are known to act as forerunners to vitamin A, an essential vitamin source for helping eyesight and seeing in the dark.

Not only are these food nutrients essential for good vision, they are potent antioxidants, help with immune function, and are involved with the growth and repair of tissues.

What Are Some Of The Better Known Carotenoids?

Even though there are over 600 known carotenoids, only a few are mentioned frequently on their own accord.  Some of these include:

• alpha-carotene: one of the most abundant carotenoids, it can be converted in the body into retinal, an active form of vitamin A
• beta-carotene: found in dark green and dark yellow fruits and vegetables, and another known precursor to vitamin A
• beta-cryptoxanthin: abundant and able to be converted to vitamin A, this carotenoid is a strong antioxidant
• capsanthin: carmine-red carotenoid pigment occurring in paprika, often used as a natural dye in foods. Accounts for 30-60% of total carotenoids in fully ripe fruits.
• lutein: yellow pigment that does not readily form vitamin A, but powerful antioxidant, and found in the retina of the eye.
• lycopene: found in tomatoes and responsible for their red color, this carotenoids does not readily for vitamin A, but is known to help prevent certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration
• zeaxanthin: one of the two carotenoids contained within the retina of the eye, gives saffron and corn their yellow color

What Are Some Of The Best Natural Food Sources For Carotenoids?

Yellow vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, squash and sweet potatoes are full of these food nutrients. 

Broccoli, peas, kale, lettuce, peppers, and spinach are some of the green vegetables containing carotenoids. 

Fruits such as apricots, cantaloupe, papaya, peaches, watermelon, cherries and tomatoes also have these food nutrients in abundance.

Tell Me Again – Why Are Carotenoids Such Important Food Nutrients?

The body uses carotenoids to make vitamin A, which is essential for good vision, growth and development, plus it strengthens the immune system.

Carotenoids are potent antioxidants, helping with immune function and the growth and repair of tissues.

These health food nutrients are also associated with reduced risk of several chronic health disorders including some forms of cancer, heart disease and eye degeneration

Health Food Made Easy Tip: If a food has carotenoids, it’s got some good food nutrients!  So eat up!

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Why You Should Care About Carotenoids