I began this quest for better health a few years ago, and I am so thankful for the time I have spent investigating this topic. When I began my research, I realized I had not a clue as to how our bodies responded to the different foods we put in our mouth each and every day. Like so many other people, I was influenced by food companies and the media. I believed the commercials telling me that I could have my cake and eat it too, as long as it was sugar-free; or that because my cholesterol is high, I am no longer allowed to eat nuts, seeds, or eggs. I was told to stay away from fats and eat more carbohydrates to lower my cholesterol. Well, I don't know about your body, but mine retaliated in a big way! I gained weight that I could not shed, had hormonal imbalances, and started experiencing other health problems. And to top it all off, I was feeding this stuff to my children. So it became a mission for me to change our family's eating habits.
With information in hand, I headed to the grocery store. I was ready to tackle this! But I became so overwhelmed and frustrated at reading food labels, I found myself walking out empty-handed and angry. Angry at myself that I never paid attention to what I was eating, angry at the store for putting this junk on the shelves, and angry at the food manufacturers for trying to pass this stuff off as actual food!. Many of the ingredients that I read on the labels are not good for us, and could cause health problems further down the road, including cancer. And we know cancer rates are on the rise; so why isn't anyone taking a good look at what environmental factors, such as food, are causing this rise? But that is a topic in itself for a later date.
So, with all of the information about food that we are being bombarded with, how is someone able to dig through it without being overwhelmed? Do what I did.....I decided to take baby steps.
First thing first……Start reading food labels. Don't read the front of the package where it might tell you fat free, but read the ingredients instead. I believe if you cut out these six ingredients, you are on your way to good health.
Partially Hydrogenated Oils (aka Trans Fats) are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. They raise our "bad" LDL cholesterol while lowering our "good" HDL levels. They increase inflammation, which has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Many manufacturers are advertising "Zero Trans Fats", but if you look at the ingredient list, it is still in there. Manufacturers are allowed to state that claim as long as it under .5 grams. One landmark 2006 study found that increasing your intake of trans fatty acids from about one percent of your caloric intake to two percent -- equivalent to going from about two grams of trans fats a day to about four grams -- will increase your risk of developing heart disease by 30 percent. (Boston.com)
High Fructose Corn Syrup is made from corn, and your body can tell the difference between that and sugar. Excess sugar is harmful to the body, but I would choose it over HFCS. If you need to lose weight, or if you want to avoid diabetes and heart disease, fructose is one type of sugar you'll want to avoid, particularly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. Part of what makes HFCS such a dangerous sweetener is that it is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar. Many people who have cholesterol problems should be aware that this ingredient causes triglycerides in the blood to skyrocket. I know that from experience. Once I cut all HFCS from my diet, my triglyceride counts normalized. This ingredient is in everything: ketchup, snack foods, salad dressings, frozen foods; you name it and it's mostly likely in it. And HFCS almost always is made from genetically modified corn which in itself has been debated whether it is safe or not. But that is a blog post for another time.
Nitrate, sometimes listed as Sodium Nitrite, is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef. Studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer by reacting to the stomach acids to produce nitrosamines. Manufacturers add sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate, to inhibit the formation of nitrosamines to reduce the nitrite in the food, but why add another ingredient to prevent the damage of another? I tend to look for uncured varieties of ham or bacon to avoid this ingredient.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is an amino acid that is added to food to enhance the flavor. It is found in soups, salad dressings, frozen food, and chips. I strongly suggest you read the book, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board certified neurosurgeon, as he explains how glutamate in MSG causes the brain cells to "overexcite", thus killing them. Manufacturers disguise this ingredient in many of their products by listing them under different names. The link, http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html shows a list of the hidden MSG ingredient in your food.
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are used to preserve common household foods because it protects the fat in the food from going turning rancid. BHA and BHT are often added to potato flakes, dry breakfast cereals, enriched rice, and foods containing animal fats and shortening. These chemicals have the possibility to be carcinogenic to humans, and it is totally unnecessary. Some manufacturers use Vitamin E as an anti-oxidant in the food, instead of BHA and BHT.
Aspartame is a sweetener found in so-called diet foods such as low-calorie desserts, gum, gelatins, drink mixes, and soft drinks. It is also known by the brand names NutraSweet® and Equal®. It is an excitotoxin, and it may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness or hallucinations. It "accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA." 2 Artificial sweeteners in diet foods and drinks ruin your body's ability to count calories, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge. Buying diet sodas to reduce your daily caloric intake in order to lose weight does not work!
I know it's a lot of information to take in, but take baby steps like I did. Make a goal to pick one of the above ingredients to cut out each week, and you will be on your way to better health is a little over a month.
Footnotes:
1. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/blog/dailydose/2011/01/trans-fat_free.html
2. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/02/26/artificial-sweeteners-once-again-linked-to-weight-gain.aspx
