If you want to improve your metabolic health, you need to start eating whole, real food.
But the sad truth is, not all whole, real food is 100% equal.
First, let me be clear: eating whole, real food is always better than not eating it. But once you’ve made this change, you can start to optimize further by focusing on food quality.
And for that, what you eat matters just as much as where you buy it.
Why typical grocery store food can be bad for your health
There’s a less-than-appetizing reality behind the shiny veneer of industrial meats, vegetables, and fruits.
Because while they’re certainly healthier than processed foods, they’re not necessarily problem free.
Here’s why:
Pesticides
Research suggests as much as 75% of our food contains residual pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides.
There are plenty of chemicals on conventional meat products as well. Approximately 15% of meat products have antibiotic residue, whether that’s from medications, medicated feed, or processing and preparation.
Long-term pesticide consumption can lead to a number of issues. Glyphosate, for example, plays a significant role in gluten intolerance.
Washing your produce can only help so much. Even organic products aren’t necessarily pesticide-free.
Fewer nutrients
If you follow me on X, you know a calorie is not just a calorie. The same logic applies to the freshness of food: a packaged bag of pre-cut apples has a different nutrient profile to a whole fruit, for example.
Take a look at baby carrots, which are simply pre-cut versions of ‘regular’ carrots. The missing skin leads to fewer nutrients, which somewhat defeats the purpose of eating for better metabolic health.
Another thing to consider: a loss of nutrient density over time. Most grocery store food sits for at least three days in transport, which is more than enough time for natural enzymes to do their work.
This means whole, real produce degenerates quickly:
- Up to 62% fewer flavonoids
- Up to 77% less vitamin C
- Up to 80% fewer glucosinolates
Perhaps most concerning, the nutrient profiles of whole, real foods are steadily dropping thanks to monocropping and selective breeding. This also includes animal products like meat and milk — poor-quality forage results in poor-quality meat.
Which brings me to my final point:
Poor-quality meat
Factory farming is a net negative for everyone.
It impacts animals, who live short, unhealthy lives.
It impacts farmers, who are slaves to government subsidies.
And it also impacts you — depriving you of nutritionally-dense protein.
There are two explanations for this gradual loss in quality:
- Poor-quality food. Studies show grain has lost key nutrient value over the years, although it remains a primary food source for CAFO animals — if they’re lucky. Many wind up with ‘byproduct feedstuffs.’ The least fortunate are subject to ‘garbage feeding,’ which is legal in 25 states.
- Sick animals. Poor conditions and poor feedstuffs result in abnormally-high pneumonia rates. Animals then suffer from significant stress, which results in lower-quality meat.
Bad food plus stress equates to less nutritionally-sound animal protein. Compared to pasture-raised pork, CAFO-raised pork has 60% higher omega-6 oils, 2x less vitamin E, and 8% less protein overall.
This is a significant nutritional deficiency, especially if you’re eating a carnivore diet.
How to buy whole, real food
To reiterate, I’m not suggesting that conventional grocery store food is bad for your health. However, we must be mindful of the factors that contribute to poorer nutritional outcomes.
That’s why I encourage my patients to purchase whole, real food that is:
Organic
This characteristic is mostly self-explanatory. If you can avoid high-load pesticides in the food you eat, you’ll be far more likely to live a longer, healthier life.
Of course, I realize there’s a significant price difference between organic food and conventional food. If you can’t buy organic, use baking soda to remove pesticides where possible. Dr. Paul Saladino has an excellent video on this.
You can also try growing some of your own food. It’s easy to sprout your own organic microgreens, for example.
As a side note, organic food is government-certified, which means it’s not just another marketing play to print on a box. I wrote a guide to reading food labels so you can separate fact from fiction.
Fresh (aka local)
There’s a surprising amount of controversy about what counts as ‘fresh’ food — to the point where official guidelines debate on whether fresh food is safe to eat.
I define fresh food as locally-grown and sourced, meaning it takes less time to travel from a farm to your table. Considering some grocery store produce is up to a year old, fresh food should contain many more nutritional benefits.
Local food can also help you avoid the downfalls of factory farming, especially when it comes to red meat. Grass-fed beef, for example, has more vitamin A and E than feedlot beef. It’s also less likely to contain Polysorbate 80 (among many other pesticides that are present in conventional operations).
Raw
To put it simply, raw food is as unprocessed as possible. This means it hasn’t been cooked, salted, or otherwise preserved beyond what’s necessary for your pantry, fridge, or freezer.
Most whole, real food automatically falls into this category. However, do your best to avoid:
- Salted or roasted nuts. You’ll probably find seed oils hidden in the ingredients list.
- Pre-cut fruits and vegetables. Slicing leads to higher rates of oxidation and nutrient loss.
- Hot bar foods. Rotisserie chicken, for example, may be injected with sodium tripolyphosphate, which is scientifically linked to heart disease.
You can find raw foods in a number of locations, including your local farmer’s market, farm co-ops, or community-sourced agriculture programs. Local hunters and foragers could also be a resource. But again — be sure you know the person you’re buying food from.
Because even if you purchase grass-fed beef, do you know what kinds of pesticides were sprayed on the grass?
Resources for finding healthier foods
I realize this is a lot of information all at once. However, my goal wasn’t to overwhelm you (or make you feel bad about purchasing conventional produce).
At the end of the day, I just want you to eat more whole, real food. If conventional grocery store food is more cost-effective, by all means, eat that.
But if you can carve out space in your budget for local, organic food, I encourage you to do so. It will be an invaluable investment in your metabolic health.
If you want more suggestions on how to eat better for metabolic health, you’re welcome to investigate my Elite Metabolic Health community and join our members in swapping tips, suggestions, and recent research.
You can get more information about the intricacies here.
