Here is a simple guide:
Whole Food: this is one that is still as complete as when it came from the Earth. Therefore, nothing has been taken away from it, even if it has been processed in some way. It does not mean that the food is in one whole piece! A pile of grated carrot is as whole as a carrot in one piece.
Processed Food: this means that the food has undergone some sort of process. This may be a relatively harmless process, such as being chopped into small pieces. Other processes are more harmful as they may have changed the nature of the original food, such as microwaving it. Therefore Processed Food is neither good nor bad. Some foods are easier to digest after processing. For example, wheat groats are quite hard to digest, but after the process of crushing them between heavy stones and grinding them into flour, they become easier to digest.
Refined Foods: refined foods are these that have been processed in a way that removes some of the elements of the original food. Often it is valuable nutrients that are lost in favour of flavour, appearance or durability. Fibre, vitamins and minerals are the usually the first to be lost! For example, whole wheat groats may simply be ground into a wholewheat flour. This is processed but not refined. Or they may be ground with the fibre discarded, creating white flour. This is refined. The main problem with refined foods is that because they are de-mineralised, our body seeks to readdress the balance after we ingest them. It may do this by taking minerals from our precious storage in our bodies.
Non Foods: these are simply not recognisable as foods, and may be completely made by a chemical process. Margarine is one such example, as are many additives and flavourings. Often they are treated by the body as toxins.
Junk Foods: these may have once come from nature (but are usually grown/reared with chemicals), but has been heavily refined, processed, had additives put in, often deeply fried in poor-quality oil….
Healing is about trying to become whole. We cannot become whole is the food that we are eating is not whole. After all, we are what we eat!
©Shashi Solluna 2007