Over the past 100 years many things have changed in our society. We no longer grow our own fruits and vegetables - we get most of them from another country. We no longer butcher our own meat - what preservatives, additives, hormones, steroids have been given to the livestock? Most of our food is purchased from a store where we get the cheapest price.... what is important to know about the additives that are used not only in our fresh produce but our canned foods, and meats.
Additives have been included in most all of the food you buy to increase shelf life. Whether it is a preservative or a virus (yes, I did say virus) it allows the grocer a longer amount of time to sell the product before it goes bad.
Here are some additives that you should avoid at all costs.
1. Sodium Nitrite. This is your virus - bacteria. It is added to almost all of what we call "cold cuts" - processed deli meat, hot dogs, sandwich meat, bacon, smoked fish, among others. "This would be at the top of my list of additives to cut from my diet," says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., M.P.H., R.D., L.D.N., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "Under certain high-temperature cooking conditions such as grilling, it transforms into a reactive compound that has been shown to promote cancer."
Additives have been included in most all of the food you buy to increase shelf life. Whether it is a preservative or a virus (yes, I did say virus) it allows the grocer a longer amount of time to sell the product before it goes bad.
Here are some additives that you should avoid at all costs.
1. Sodium Nitrite. This is your virus - bacteria. It is added to almost all of what we call "cold cuts" - processed deli meat, hot dogs, sandwich meat, bacon, smoked fish, among others. "This would be at the top of my list of additives to cut from my diet," says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., M.P.H., R.D., L.D.N., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "Under certain high-temperature cooking conditions such as grilling, it transforms into a reactive compound that has been shown to promote cancer."
2. BHA and BHT - Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and
butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT). These antioxidants are added to foods to limit or restrict oxidation. They can be found in gum, oils, cereal, and a variety of other foods. "The structure of BHA and BHT will change during this process [of preserving
food], and may form a compound that reacts in the body," says Gerbstadt. "BHA
and BHT are not stable or inert. They're not just hanging out and being excreted
by the body." These antioxidants have also been proven to increase the possibility of ADD / ADHD in children.
Additional reading: http://www.stopkillingmykids.com/bht-bha/
3. Propyl gallate. This chemical is often used in conjunction with BHA and BHT in oils to prevent them from going rancid. It can be found in chewing gum, soup bases, and any other food with oil as an ingredient. It has been known to cause asthma like allergic reations, kidney problems, and increases the liklihood that you will be more suseptible to cancer.
Addtional reading: http://www.stopkillingmykids.com/the-dangers-of-propyl-gallate/
4. Monosodium glutamate (MSG). If you have ever been to an asian restaurant, you probably have seen signs that state that they are or are not MSG free. There is a reason for that! MSG has long been used to increase flavors in foods... especially asian food. Gerbstadt recommends replacing MSG with a small amount of salt when possible.
"Why bother using MSG when you can live without it?" she says. "MSG can cause
migraine-like headaches and create other adverse affects for certain people. It
is a flavor enhancer, but you’d be better off putting in a few grains of salt." Remember though, MSG can be found in a wide variety of foods - it is not limited to asian foods.
5. Trans fats. I think we all have heard that trans fats are bad. But why? They have been proven to increase heart disease, increase plaque, increase strokes, and increase kidney failure. Optimally, we should get two grams or less of trans fats daily. The FDA has now made it mandatory to disclose how many trans fats are in foods - so that makes your decsision process much easier.
6. Aspartame. Do I need to refresh you here? Alzheimers-like symptoms, siezures, brain damage, muscle damage, slurred speach, etc... STAY AWAY!! I can't stress enough. If you want more info on Aspartame - do a search on my blog - I have a full post on Aspartame with lots of details.
7. Acesulfame-K. I had never heard of this one. It is a relatively new artificial sweetener.. go figure! Released in 1998 for use in soft drinks, it is now found in baked goods, gum, and other desserts. The longterm use of this sweetener can cause headaches, kidney failure, liver failure, depression, among others.
Additional reading: http://www.stopkillingmykids.com/acesulfame-k-such-sweet-poison/
8. Food colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; and Yellow 6. We have discussed food colorings before. These can be found in your baking, icings, candies, etc... anything that has a bright color is almost assured to have artificial colors. Artificial colors are known to be a cause of ADD / ADHD, migraines, food allergies, cancer, etc.
9. Olestra. This is a relatively new product on the market, and a dangerous one at that. It can be found in many potato chips and other fried junk food products. It's marketing is that it inhibits oil from being absorbed into the body... but what it doesn't say in its marketing collateral is that it also inhibits nutrients from being absorbed into the body as well.
10. Potassium bromate. This chemical increases the height that flour products rise. The danger of this product is that even a small amount is known to cause cancer in humans. The state of California requires cancer warnings to be put on all packaging of products that have potassium bromate in them.
11. White sugar. Need I say more? Really? White PROCESSED sugar removes all the benefits of any nutrients and gives you straight sugar. Brown sugar is better than white sugar, raw cane sugar is better than brown sugar... and THERE IS A DIFFERENCE! Read up on what additional nutrients are found in what types of sugar... Read up on HOW different sugars are broken down in the body - certain sugars are hard on the liver, and others are hard on the kidneys... of all the sugars out there - Honey is the best. It has already been broken down in the stomachs of bees - so is the easiest for humans to digest and break down for energy.
12. Sodium chloride. Yes, that is every day table salt. Now... unlike the other items above, salt is not all bad. There are differences between salts as there are between sugars. Sea salt is less pure - and has more nutrients in it. "Small amounts of salt are needed by the body and are beneficial in preserving
food," says Gerbstadt. "Excessive amounts of salt can become dangerous for your
health, affecting cardiovascular function, leading to high blood pressure, heart
attack, stroke, and kidney failure."
Additional reading on additives: http://blessedmom.hubpages.com/hub/Most-Dangerous-Food-Additives
So, make sure you are reading your labels and questioning everything you purchase. The fresher the ingredients, the better for you. Always look for products that are organically grown - not chemically altered - no antibiotics / steroids... not only are they better for you, they also taste better! Blessings... E
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