The first time I heard this term I immediately thought it was referring to being on a vegetarian diet.
However, after a bit of research, I've found that the term live food VS dead food doesn't have much to do with being a vegetarian.
There are cultures where live animals are eaten so I want to be clear this isn't what the term refers to.
The distinction between live food and dead food is easier to make when we refer to it as organic food VS processed food.
Organic food means the food is alive and will spoil rather quickly if you don't eat it.
Heavily processed food can sit in your cabinet for weeks or months and not go bad because it is dead and has had chemicals and preservatives added and enzymes removed during manufacturing processes.
The Difference is Enzymes
Live (fresh, organic, raw) food has enzymes.
When you cut an apple open it immediately begins to turn brown because the enzymes in it are exposed to oxygen. This is proof that it still has life in it. Live food reacts to air because the enzymes in it are still alive.
Organic raw food isn't processed with preservatives therefore it reacts to the environment. These enzymes help to create good health as they add life to your body.
Classification
There are numerous ways to classify food such as low-carb, low-fat, gluten-free, or lactose-free. I truly believe the way to good health is through eating food that is classified as live food.
You can't go wrong with food that has life in it!
If given a choice between 1 medium-sized gala apple or a processed low-carb protein bar, choose the apple.
The apple has a higher carb content than the protein bar but the natural carbs in live food are better than processed carbs from added sugar.
The apple isn't processed so the natural sugar that's in it shouldn't cause weight gain if eaten in moderation. In its natural state, the apple provides more nutrition for your body than anything that's been highly processed.
A small gala apple contains about 89 calories. It also has about 21 grams of carbs but of that is 3.6 grams of fiber, which provides 13% of your daily fiber needs. This kind of nutrition makes it worth eating natural carbs.
An apple's calories have live enzymes which can help your body have energy and promote wellness. It also has natural fiber (not added fiber) to help keep you regular and promote weight loss, and it contains vitamins to help build your immune system.
When it comes to good health fresh fruits and vegetables are the way to go. Read more to learn about The Lie About Carbs.
Anything processed is dead food.
Nearly anything that comes in a box, bag, or can is highly processed. Highly processed food usually has added preservatives and chemicals designed to help the food last longer on the shelf. These added chemicals are not healthy for your body.
Complex Carbs Are Worth the Carbs
Learning the difference between simple and complex carbs is imperative to good health.
Organic complex carbs (in moderation) should help you lose weight, have energy, and encourage overall health. However, if you're prone to inflammation issues, eating the lowest-carb organic food is best.
When it comes to weight loss, keeping your calories low and getting your carbs from live food is key.
Cook at Home
One of my biggest regrets when raising children is that we ate out a lot. It was the American way of life and I was ignorant of how bad fast food is.
Now that I understand nutrition better, I know that cooking at home provides the best health benefits for your body. This way you know exactly what is in your food and you can keep up with the nutrition your body is getting.
You can also learn cooking techniques that help to reduce the carb content of your food. Carbs and fat content can't be controlled as easily when eating out.
Cooking Techniques
Starchy vegetables can spike your insulin causing hunger issues. However, certain cooking techniques can lower starch and carb content.
For example, potatoes can be washed after boiling to remove some of the starch, then cooled in the fridge overnight. This will reduce the carb content. You can reheat them and serve them the next day.
Starchy foods can be chilled after cooking causing them to go into a process called Retrogradation. Retrogradation causes a starchy carb to become more of a resistant starch, meaning the change allows the food to become more resistant to digestion.
Lower the Carbs
Potatoes are high in starch, however, certain brands or types of potatoes provide a lower carb content. Yellow, white, and red potatoes are usually lower in carbs than brown. Spud Lite, Zerella, and Gilicious are known to be lower in carbs.
If you use the chilling technique and stick to only a couple of teaspoons of the lowest-carb potatoes you can incorporate them into a healthy well-balanced diet.
By removing simple carbs from our diet, we can make room for complex carbs. This allows you to not feel so restricted when dieting and get the nutrition your body needs.
You can even have air-fried french fries if you eat them in moderation (just a few) and choose the right cooking technique. To lower the carb content of french fries simply bake them, cool them, then let them sit in the fridge overnight. The next day air-fry them so they're crispy.
The important thing is to fill your diet with food that will help you stay full. Complex carbs do just that and they help your diet to be well-balanced so that your body gets all of the nutrition it needs.
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