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EAT Healthier, FEEL BETTER

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Healthy FOOD?


I am often asked what constitutes “healthy” vs. unhealthy food. The simplest way to think of this is that processed foods are far less healthy than unprocessed, more “natural” foods.

The easiest way to remember “Processed” vs. unprocessed is that unprocessed food is in its natural form, whether it’s fresh fruits and vegetables directly from the fields or unaltered meats, poultry and dairy products. This does not included pasteurization and other health assuring processes.

Processed foods are those that have certain substances added or taken away in order to make the food cheaper, have longer shelf life, while providing taste, smell and packaging that is more attractive to the unsuspecting consumer. The problem is, this process usually results in food which has increased amounts of salt, sugar and saturated fats. This also results in higher concentrations of calories making processed food much more calorically dense.

Additives to processed food contribute to chronic illness like obesity, hypertension, heart disease and increased risk for many forms of cancer.

I cared for a middle aged woman recently who had been visiting Scotland to care for her ill mother. She was there for several months, consuming native foods which are minimally processed due to very strict European food regulations. She suffered from fibromyalgia and other autoimmune disorders. While in Scotland, consuming much less ultra-processed food, her symptoms improved dramatically only to worsen agin within days of returning to home, resuming her “normal” American diet.

It is important to remember that the food industry is  primarily concerned with profits. And to maximize profits, they must make their processed foods palatable and, frankly, addictive. To do so, they  engineer flavors in their “Taste labs” while adding salt, sugar and saturated fats, rendering their products far less healthy.

What should we do to maximize health? Quite simply, cut down on processed food and maximize unprocessed, more natural foods. This can easily be accomplished when shopping in the grocery store. Natural foods are usually found around the perimeter of the shopping space, while highly processed food, usually packaged in boxes or bags, are found in the interior aisles. Read labels on the back of food packages. Pay no attention to the misleading advertising on the front of the packaging.

Follow these simple guidelines and you will feel better and live longer!


In health,


Dr. John Monaco

MONACO Wellness

(813) 541-6440

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