Why WholeWheatFreak?

     In my opinion, whole grains and whole foods are a truly powerful, and simple, way to drastically improve your life, prevent disease, conquer health challenges, and overall, feel better. Choosing to add whole foods into one's chronic (lifelong) diet may seem daunting at first, but can be one of the most beneficially things a person could do and it is very easy to get started.

      Whole foods are foods that are not significantly altered from their original, naturally occurring state. The three whole foods of interest are, in general, whole grains, whole fruits, and whole vegetables. Examples of common whole foods in these realms would include grains, such as whole wheat bread or brown rice; a fruit, such as an apple; and a vegetable, such as a carrot or crown of broccoli. Of course, this short list is not exhaustive, but they give a glimpse of some foods in each of the areas.

     Whole foods are the opposite of processed foods. Processed foods may have key nutrients taken away (and sometimes reintroduced, or enriched) are lacking in certain macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), vitamins, or minerals. They may also have additional substances added. Processed foods are not "bad," nor are whole foods "good." All food can provide energy in the forms of macronutrients, but also have benefits or consequences depending on the contents of the foods.

     One of the best ways to compare foods is to examine nutritional density. Nutritional density is having an abundance of nutrients with a relatively low amount of calories when comparing two foods side by side to each other. This is demonstrated by a high amount of vitamins and minerals in each food. Vitamins and minerals, or micronutrients, are vital to a healthy and functioning life.

     Why is this important?

     The vitamins and minerals found in whole foods benefit the body and can influence quality of life (QOL). Incorporating whole foods into one's diet can decrease the risk of many diseases and conditions, such as:

• Type II diabetes
• Insulin sensitivity
• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Cancers of the small intestine, blood, colon, liver, breasts, pancreas, prostate, soft tissues, and uterine cervix, as well as melanoma
• Mental health problems
• Comorbid diseases 
• All causes of death

     In addition to the prevention and even treatment of some disorders, whole foods can also improve non-diseased states. These can include performance, cognitive ability, higher testing scores in some content areas, short-term memory, spatial memory, auditory attention, a lessened cognitive decline with age, and typically these foods have low carbon and water footprints.

     While I may be somewhat biased since this is what my undergraduate thesis was on (which I have archived here), I think that this is plenty of evidence why I consider myself to be a "wholewheatfreak."

I started this blog as a memoir to share some of my life stories with you. My goal is that these encourage and educate you on how to live a more joyful, healthier, full life; one of hope.

I write about my fascination with whole foods, my love of Jesus, my struggles, my childhood stories, my passion for education, and my devotion to creating a healthy life (body, mind, and spirit) for every person in the world.