You’ve heard of the food chain that has algae and amoeba at the bottom and lions and tigers at the top, but you may not know about the other food chain — that is, the processed food chain. In this food chain, foods in their natural state, like apples, greens, berries, and whole grains, are at the bottom, and processed foods, like sugary snack cakes and fast-food burgers, are at the top.
If you eat low on the food chain, you’ll automatically eat a clean diet. So think about food in its natural state before you buy it. A gelatin fruit salad packed in a little plastic cup with chunks of peaches floating in it is very different from a fresh peach picked right off the tree.
If you’re still buying foods with a label, use the following rules to help guide your choices:
When you follow these simple rules, you may notice that a lot of the foods you’re used to buying are no longer on your grocery list. This switch in what you buy can take some time, but don’t stress! You can ease into the process. Becoming aware of what you put in your shopping cart and bring into your house is the first, and most important, step.
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