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For simple terms of understanding, real food is not processed beyond reasonable means, whereas processed food is a food item that has had a series of mechanical or chemical operations performed on it to change or preserve it. Processed foods are those that typically come in a box, bag, or can and contain a list of ingredients that are usually modern conventions foreign to its unprocessed state in the natural world.

What we are specifically concerned with are foods that have incorporated chemically produced additives to increase cravings for the purpose of overeating and thus are purchased both more and more often. These foods are typically ready-to-eat with a minimum of additional preparation. These dangerous foods comprise almost 60% of total calories in the U.S. and nearly 90% of the energy intake due to added sugars. Such products have led to an overwhelming rise of obesity. Furthermore, higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular, heart disease and an overall 62% increased hazard for all causes of mortality.

The overwhelming dietary pattern shared by those longest-living peoples is 95% to 100% whole food especially rich in beans, whole grains and root vegetables. Whole food diets that are plant-based have been repeatedly shown to reverse severe heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity. A whole food diet based on plants is the primary diet clinically shown to actually reverse heart disease. Whole food plant-based diets have been known to rapidly improve and often reverse type 2 diabetes. A whole food diet rich in plant matter can slow or reverse numerous forms of cancer. Chronic diseases such as hypertension and auto-immune disorders can be improved or reversed with a whole food diet rich in plant nutrition. Plant-based eaters have much lower rates of disease, live longer, and have the best metabolic health. Eating minimally processed, fiber-rich foods best allows our natural satiety signals to work, while also being sustainable in the long term.

Healthy skin tone and fewer wrinkles result from eating more fruits and vegetables: the abundant antioxidants in plants ward off oxidation stress from the sun on the skin and from chronic inflammation and decreased blood flow (often resultant from processed or animal foods and saturated fats or cholesterol). Furthermore, acne is a common symptom of a poor diet and often extremely improved by cutting dairy and eating whole plant foods.

Whole food meals consisting of plant foods are rich in complex carbohydrates and thus have a low glycemic index which keeps blood sugar and energy levels more stable while intracellular activity increases; moreover, the lack of saturated fat and endotoxins in meat and dairy help circulation and digestion immensely.

Sleep and diet significantly influence one another; contributing factors include general improved mood and body comfort (such as reduced pain) from reducing or eliminating inflammation, ease of breathing from eliminating mucus and pus inducing foods such as meat and dairy, maintaining internal microbiological balances, and sleep improving nutrients like isoflavone, tryptophan and melatonin.

Athletic benefits of whole food plant-based diets include leaner body mass and composition which boosts metabolism and endurance, easier glycogen/energy storage from complex carbohydrates, better blood circulation and oxygenation, reduced oxidation stress, and reduced inflammation.

Changing to a whole food plant-based diet with an emphasis on unsaturated fats, whole grains, beneficial proteins, and fruits and vegetables, while limiting consumption of trans and saturated fats, highly refined grains, and sugary beverages provides significant benefits for non-vegetarian, vegetarian, and vegan individuals alike. Examples include reducing blood pressure and plasma lipids and ceasing chronic medications resultant from the replacement of key nutrients. A diet based on these principles is healthy through virtually all life stages, from young adulthood through old age.

Perhaps the most important theme of this work is that cutting back on added sugar, refined grains and highly processed foods while concentrating on eating plenty of vegetables and whole foods without worrying about calories or portion sizes produces healthy body mass and functioning. Diet quality, not quantity , is what helps maintain a healthy body mass and disposition long term. Instead of counting calories, it is best to avoid processed foods that are made with refined starches and added sugars, chemicals and preservatives. The key is to focus on eating real foods as much as needed to avoid feeling hungry. This can drastically change our relationship with food, for example no longer eating in our cars or in front of the television, and rather cooking more at home and sitting down to eat dinner with families and friends. We do not have to restrict or even think about calories. Regardless of the percentage of calories coming from fats or carbohydrates, eating healthy fats and carbohydrates from real foods can help prevent heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. However, it is not that calories do not matter, but merely focusing on nutritious whole foods satisfies hunger naturally. If we focus on a dietary foundation which is more vegetables, more whole foods, less added sugar and less refined grains, true health is a real, natural byproduct of real, natural foods.