So What Might You Be Eating?

I gave an informal lecture to a mom's group last week and we discussed food ingredients.  There are a lot more additives put into food, especially into packaged foods.  I compiled a short list of ingredients to try avoid and thought I would share with y'all!

     Aspartame:

more popularly known as Nutrasweet and Equal. Aspartame is believed to be carcinogenic and accounts for more reports of adverse reactions than all other foods and food additives combined.  Aspartame is also a neurotoxin. Known to erode intelligence and affect short-term memory, the components of this toxic sweetener may lead to a wide variety of ailments including brain tumor, diseases like lymphoma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue, emotional disorders like depression and anxiety attacks, dizziness, headaches, nausea, mental confusion, migraines and seizures.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (in Canada called glucose/fructose-read you labels and you will see how often glucose/fructose is in your food!):

As discovered by Princeton researchers HFCS leads to obesity. They discovered that rats which had access to high fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to basic table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same. 

Food Dyes: Blue #1 and #2; Red #3, Yellow #6, Tartrazine

may contribute to behavioral problems in children and lead to a significant reduction in IQ. Animal studies have linked other food colorings to cancer. Banned in Norway, Finland and France. Has been proven to cause thyroid cancer and chromosomal damage in laboratory animals, may also interfere with brain-nerve transmission

Check product ingredient lists for beet, carotenes, annatto (a paprika extract)—all are natural colorants.

MSG:  

    is known as an excitotoxin, a substance which overexcites cell

to the point of damage or death. Studies show that regular consumption of MSG may result in adverse side effects which include depression, disorientation, eye damage, fatigue, headaches, and obesity. MSG effects the neurological pathways of the brain and disengaged the "I'm full" function which explains the effects of weight gain.

Sodium nitrite

  is used as a preservative, coloring and flavoring in bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats corned beef, smoked fish and other processed meats. Highly carcinogenic once it enters the human digestive system.  This chemical is used as it turns meats bright red. It's actually a color fixer, and it makes old, dead meats appear fresh and vibrant.

Avoid Microwaved popcorn:  

    the bags are lined with Perfluorooctanoic (PFOA) acid which lines the bags, and when heated the compound is released. It is toxic, carcinogenic and a hormone disruptor.  Here is the post of how to make stove top popcorn. http://forhealthyroots.blogspot.com/2011/05/stove-top-popcorn.html