Stick with non-processed foods and feel better. Breads, cereals, and crackers, says Garrett Hoelscher, should be limited or removed from the human diet. Here, the fitness enthusiast and financial analyst explains how whole foods are better for the body.

Interviewing Experts: Good morning, Garrett Hoelscher, and thank you for speaking with us today.

Garrett Hoelscher: My pleasure.

Interviewing Experts: You believe that whole foods are superior to processed foods. Can you explain why?

Garrett Hoelscher: Sure. During the refining process, many of the basic nutrients are removed from the original food product. Also, processed foods may contain additives that we humans just don’t need and that our digestive systems often cannot process.

Interviewing Experts: Can you give us an example?

Garrett Hoelscher: Salt and sugar are two of the main culprits here. 75% of our salt intake tends to come from boxed, cured, and prepackaged food. Sugar is added to just about every cereal on the market. Too much sugar can add to a person’s risk of diabetes and obesity. Also, many preservatives are difficult to near impossible to digest, and often the chemicals used to provide color cause allergic reactions, especially in children.

Interviewing Experts: That’s a very troubling piece of information.

Garrett Hoelscher: Yes, it is. Considering that Americans especially are accustomed to buying food for convenience and many foods that are marketed as healthy are actually bad for your digestive system.

Interviewing Experts: Can you give us an example?

Garrett Hoelscher: One story in the news recently points to a mom who fed her daughter the hazelnut spread Nutella based on the product’s insinuation that it was part of a healthy diet. Long story short, it’s not and is more or less a candy bar in a jar. This just illustrates how consumers are misled by advertising and are always looking for a way to cut corners.

Interviewing Experts: So, what kinds of foods should we be eating?

Garrett Hoelscher: Lean protein, like chicken and fish, raw nuts, fruit  and vegetables.

Interviewing Experts: What about carbohydrates and starches; should those items be avoided?

Garrett Hoelscher: Carbohydrates found in whole foods, like bananas and potatoes, are much better for you than white bread or boxed pasta. Carbs shouldn’t make up a large percentage of diet, although low glycemic carbs are not off limits.

Interviewing Experts: Before we go – what is your advice on how much one should eat?

Garrett Hoelscher: Keep in mind that there is an equation of “energy in = energy out” that will keep you from gaining weight. Regardless of what foods you eat, the best rule of thumb is to take in as much or less than you expend in energy. Ben Franklin once said, “One should eat to live, not live to eat.” Today’s society seems to have reversed that way of thinking. Eat right and exercise for a healthy life – it’s that simple.

Interviewing Experts: Well, we are out of time for today but look forward to speaking with you again in the near future.

Garrett Hoelscher: I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you for spotlighting this health epidemic in the United States. We need more media to get on board.