There seems to be a perceived heightened sense of culture and civilization when a Whole Foods comes into town. Many of those striving to lead a healthy lifestyle look to Whole Foods as a central part of their plan of action.
A bunch of junk! Now that sounds a little harsh...Even with the pristine image Whole Foods has branded for itself, John Mackey, the stores CEO, brazenly stated in a July 2009 article that alongside its carrots and granola, the stores sell “a bunch of junk”.
This statement may be shocking to customers under the comforting impression that Whole Foods products are healthy for them and their families.
So why would the CEO say such a thing!?
Stunning, yes, but I appreciate his candor in this day of smoke, mirrors and half-truths.
I do want to expound on the statement to supply a proper explanation, but before I start I want to preface that I’m not out to damn Whole Foods. I overall appreciate Whole Foods and they do play a part of my healthy lifestyle regiment. I commend them for giving overall healthier options that people wouldn’t generally get at a conventional supermarket.
Actually, most health food stores (and stores such as Trader Joes) are guilty of this statement to a greater or lesser extent— this isn’t just a Whole Foods issue.
Whole Foods, organic vegetables
In one sense, Whole Foods is just fulfilling customer demand— though there may be misunderstanding and false pretenses in regard to the health and quality of what the consumers are actually buying. This can be stemming from both sides: consumer mis-education, misunderstandings and just plain not paying attention.
There may also be some deceptive labeling and marketing on the other end.
So as I walk into my neighborhood Whole Foods and saunter through the wonderful produce section, I get over to that “other” area of the store.
Wandering through the aisles with a discerning eye, it’s safe to say that about 80% of the store falls into this category the CEO described. There are some products I would call outright “junk,” but I would be prefer to say that the majority of the products sold aren’t conducive to long term overall health.
Below is a quick break down of some key areas I found when going through the aisles that back up my statement in the previous paragraph:
- Refined and gluten laden grains, pasta, and breads: a good bit of the population is either gluten-intolerant or -sensitive. Over time gluten can damage our intestines and inhibit nutrient absorption. It can even be behind neurological, mood and behavioral disorders. Eat all the health food you want, but if you can’t absorb the nutrients, then your money is being wasted.
- Chemical laden, processed gluten free options: given my previous statement, there is now a big industry providing gluten-free substitutes-though these options are gluten free, most of them are just chemical laden, processed dead foods that are not conducive to health.
- Low fat and non-fat processed dairy: processed dairy is linked to a variety of health ailments and low fat and non-fat foods are not whole foods.
- Deceptively labeled meat and eggs
- Health damaging, conventional (mostly genetically modified) Soy products
- Empty calorie chips and pretzels
- Sugar, chemical, and canola oil laden desserts
- Sodas and Pasteurized juices: “organic” or not, a soda is a soda and not conducive to health. Any juice in a box, pouch or bottle has been pasteurized— this kills the enzymes and phytonutrients and leaves the juices not much more than sugar water.
- Refined, sugared, and gluten laden cereals
- Chemical and sugar laden ice cream syrups
Another way to look at it is that most of the above foods are not “Whole Foods” as the store name would suggest.
I do not want this to deter you from going to Whole Foods, but just to become a more conscientious and educated consumer. What I’ve been telling people for years is: “When at Whole Foods, shop mostly for whole foods."
How’s that for a plan?! Shop for foods (not on the above list) with 1 to 3 ingredients on the label. If it hasn’t been around for 10,000 plus years, don’t eat it!
Now knock yourself out and buy whatever else you want, as long as you now know what category it falls into- that’s your prerogative. I just wanted to create a better overall understanding of Mr. McKay's statement.
Happy shopping and feel free to email me with any questions.
Adam is a Reiki Master, certified Health and Lifestyle counselor, Licensed Massage Therapist, 20 year practicing bramana initiated Bhakti Yogi, Spiritual advisor, visionary, jock and veteran of the “hardcore punk scene” all rolled into one. Adam is the founder of Omkara World and produced the mind/body fitness DVD “Intelligent Fitness."
Click here for Adam's past article archive.
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