One of the main downsides of UP foods is that ultra-processing can take nutritionally rich food that is whole and remove not only essential micronutrients but the many plant compounds that fall under the banner of phytonutrients. These beneficial bioactives include betalains from beets, carotenoids from carrots, glucosinolates from broccoli and polyphenols from barley leaves.
Unlike vitamins and minerals, there are no recommended daily amounts for phytonutrients, including the 8,000 types of polyphenols. But not ingesting any of them through poor nutritional choices, especially ultra-processed foods, means missing out on the upside of health protection afforded by these plant compounds.
Ultra-processed foods are often packaged with labels that read “fortified with vitamins and minerals.” By comparison, whole foods are naturally rich in essential nutrients and phytonutrients, whereas UP foods are not going to provide the antioxidant, cell-protecting, inflammation-fighting and prebiotic benefits of polyphenols, carotenoids, betalains, etc. On top of this lack of naturalness comes the added sugar, salt or fat that really adds unhealthiness to UP foods. So, put them down and pick up the most wholesome foods you can.
Then there’s the upside of AIM nutrition that delivers a concentration of nutrients and phytonutrients in whole-food powders such as BarleyLife. Turning the leaves of indigestible barley grass into a juice powder requires minimal cold-processing to capture optimal amounts of plant compounds for easily assimilated nutrition.
The AIM method for creating juice powder is very different from the ultra-processed example of taking whole bananas that are nutritious to begin with and then turning them into deep-fried chips that contain added salt, sugar or unnatural flavorings and preservatives. People might think they’re making a healthy choice with plant-based banana chips but the opposite is true of this ultra-processed snack.
It’s not hard to imagine how much better your body responds to the nutrient-dense delivery from BarleyLife drinks or BL capsules compared to banana chips or some other calorie-dense, nutrient-poor UP food. For anyone with a sweet tooth, BarleyLife Xtra does the trick with 18 fruit and vegetable powders. Giving your body ultra-nutritious greens instead of ultra-processed foods is simply healthier.
The AIM Companies 