Read Labels: 12 Harmful Ingredients to Avoid
Eighty-five percent of the average American diet is from processed and packaged foods, which equates to approximately 10-12 pounds of additives and chemicals eaten annually. The majority of packaged and processed foods contain harmful ingredients that are linked to an endless list of adverse health problems, diseases and complaints.
Take a "buyer’s beware" approach of the damaging additives, GMOs, Roundup ready glyphosate, and synthetic chemicals in the foods before you buy and eat them or feed them to your family. Become an avid label reader, be a detective, and familiarize yourself with the following common and harmful ingredients. Better yet, stick with “read food” that doesn’t have an ingredient list.
Common items claiming to be healthy (and are far from it)
| * Energy bars & protein bars | * Diet soda, fruit juice, Crystal Light |
| * Cereal, granola, instant oatmeal, trail mix | * Multi-grain, whole-grain & wheat bread |
| * Vitamin waters & sports drinks | * Dried fruit & fruit roll ups |
| * Cooking sprays, canola oil, margarine | * Agave syrup |
| * Low fat and nonfat yogurt | * Fruit smoothies |
| * Some protein powders & some vitamins | * Veggie burgers |
| * Soy milk, soybean oil & soy products | * Most gluten-free foods |
| * Low-fat & on-fat products | * K-cup coffee |
12 Ingredients to Avoid at all Costs
1. Fructose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is the number one source of calories for most Americans. Estimates are that Americans consume 70 pounds of corn sweeteners annually, which is the equivalent of 30 teaspoons of HFCS every day! Aside from weight gain, fructose has been linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diabetes, inflammation, oxidation and several diseases. Products with HFCS also contain high levels of mercury. You’ll find fructose in processed, packaged and fast foods, fruit drinks, sodas, syrupy coffee drinks, chewing gum, baked goods, and in hundreds of other processed, packaged food items.
2. Partially hydrogenated oil (trans fats) found in thousands of packaged and processed foods (breakfast cereals, cookies, chips, crackers) are proven to cause heart disease, vascular inflammation and obesity. Restaurant food, especially from fast food chains often serve food loaded with trans fats. Consequences of a diet high in trans fats include decreased IQ, increased inflammation, immune dysfunction, neurological damage, obesity, cancer and diabetes.
Avoid all vegetable oils and other frankenfats such as margarine and fake butter products, oil sprays, cottonseed, canola and soybean oil.
3. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a chemical food additive associated with seizures, rashes and hives, infertility, depression and panic attacks, migraines, permanent damage to the endocrine system, linked to obesity and other serious disorders.
Especially harmful to developing fetuses, children and the elderly, MSG is an excitotoxin, overexciting brain cells to the point of death. MSG is found in frozen meals, ramen noodles, soups, chips and numerous packaged foods. MSG is used as a taste enhancer and has over 50 different names that are used to disguise it on food labels.
4. Processed soy contains phytoestrogens, plant-based estrogens that are similar to and mimic estrogen. Before you mix up a soy protein shake, snack on a soy protein bar or pour yourself a glass of soy milk consider this: 93% of all soy in the U.S is genetically engineered, soy inhibits the thyroid, is an anti-nutrient, deficient in amino acids, is estrogenic, contains aluminum, is toxic to infants, and shrinks the brain.
There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products only. If you want to reap some of the health benefits from soy, do so in moderation and stick with organic, fermented forms only.
Pass on all processed forms of soy including soy milk, tofu, soy burgers, soy protein powder, soy ice cream, soy cheese, and other soy junk foods that are disguised as health foods and any item containing soybean oil.
Hidden sources of soy-based ingredients are often found in bread, ice cream, margarine, chips, poor quality vitamins and fish oil, pet food, vegetable oil and processed, packaged and fast foods. Approximately 98% of soybean production in the U.S. is used for livestock feed, including pet food. Remember, you eat what the animal ate! Choose organic!
Hidden sources of soy-based ingredients are often found in bread, ice cream, margarine, chips, poor quality vitamins and fish oil, pet food, vegetable oil and processed, packaged and fast foods. Approximately 98% of soybean production in the U.S. is used for livestock feed, including pet food. Remember, you eat what the animal ate! Choose organic!
5. The B’s: Potassium bromate, bromated vegetable oil, BHA and BHT, sodium benzoate Potassium bromated, a chemical food additive and known carcinogen, is found in baked goods, breads and tortillas.
Bromated vegetable oil (BVO) is a synthetic chemical derived from soy or corn that is found in Mountain Dew, citrus sodas and some Gatorade products. BVO contains bromine, a flame retardant for plastics banned in foods throughout Europe and Japan. BVO accumulates in fatty tissue causing behavioral, reproductive and organ damage, neurological disorders, early puberty and heart problems. Bromine (fluoride and chloride) are halogens that displaces iodine, which can compromise thyroid function.
Sodium benzoate is a chemical preservative found in carbonated beverages, salad dressings and used to preserve and treat meat and poultry products.
BHA and BHT, made from petroleum and coal tar, are chemical preservatives (carcinogens) that are toxic to the liver and kidneys. You’ll find BHA and BHT in processed and packaged foods including cereals, chewing gum, chips, processed meats, vegetable oils, margarine and baked goods.
6. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine altering brain, behavior and psychological function. Consuming sugar in its many forms (grains, wheat, candy, juice, cereals, soda, bagels and more) promotes inflammation and oxidation, triggers cravings, increases appetite, risk of depression, heart disease, ADHD, diabesity and other diseases, is a fuel source for yeast and parasites, causes magnesium, vitamin B and other nutrient deficiencies, accelerates aging and the production of free radicals, which cause collagen to breakdown creating wrinkles.
Of the nearly 600,000 food items on grocery store shelves, 80 percent of them contain added sugar!
Avoid all items that end with –ose (a sugar), evaporated cane juice, barley malt, brown rice syrup and hidden sources of sugar found in processed, packaged and fast foods and beverages.
7. Sodium chloride (commercial table salt) found in microwave dinner, take-out items and processed foods is highly processed containing aluminum, chemicals and additives that are toxic and cause neurological disorders, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders.
We need salt! Opt for a healthier version: unprocessed sea salt.
8. Artificial sweeteners (Aspartame, Splenda, Equal, Sweet ‘N Low, Sucralose, Saccharine, TruVia, Acesulfame-K). This includes the little blue, yellow & pink packets too!
Splenda consists of sucralose, which contains chlorine, originally a pesticide and fillers maltodextrin and glucose. It’s about 600x sweeter than sugar. Splenda is toxic to the brain and thymus, causes GI distress, weight gain, thyroid dysfunction, alters gut microflora, and destroys beneficial bacteria in your gut. Splenda affects expression of certain enzymes known to interfere with nutrient absorption and medications.
Aspartame is an excitotoxin and neurotoxin that comes with a laundry list of side effects.
Aspartame and artificial sweeteners stimulate appetite, intensifies carbohydrate and sugar cravings, cause bloating, digestive and liver dysfunction, migraines, weight gain, microbiome problems, increased risk of depression, bone loss, stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, ADHD, brain seizures and tumors, rashes, hives, and cancer.
You’ll find artificial sweeteners in thousands of items including desserts, gelatins, low calorie foods, kool-aid fruit drinks, breath mints, sugar-free gum, energy and sports drinks, wine coolers, flavored bottled waters, cereals, cold remedies, medications, some vitamins and protein powders and of course, diet sodas.
Healthier sweeteners: SweetLeaf stevia, coconut nectar, raw organic honey
9. Wheat, corn, grains and gluten create a reaction in the intestines that sets off adverse symptoms. The ultimate effect of this hidden wear and tear is the slow destruction of the lining of the small intestine causing gut permeability, leaky gut syndrome, nutrient deficiencies and autoimmune responses.
All grains are sprayed with Round Up (glyphosate). Grains have elevated levels of mycotoxins, which are endocrine disruptors. Rice contains high levels of arsenic. Remove all grains from your diet and testosterone increases. Humans cannot properly digest wheat, rye and barley.
Processed, refined grains are void of nutrients, disrupt insulin levels, are highly intolerant for many individuals and come with a laundry list of adverse health conditions for approximately 80 percent of the population.
10. Genetically modified (GM) foods are those derived from a process in a lab where genes are taken from one species and inserted into another in an attempt to obtain a desired characteristic or trait. Often referred to as Frankenfoods, GMOs alter and disrupt DNA. Children, newborns and pregnant women face the greatest potential hazards from GM food.
A study published in the Journal of Biological Science revealed numerous health hazards from GMOs and pesticides, specifically liver and kidney function, and damage to the heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells. Side effects include infertility, immune dysfunction, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, autism, arthritis, increased food allergies, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.
The United States does not require labeling of GM foods. The most common genetically engineered crops in the U.S. include corn, soy, alfalfa, Hawaiian papaya, summer squash, sugar beets, cottonseed and canola. If you eat processed foods, you’re consuming GMOs.
All processed food items contain at least one or more genetically modified ingredient.
Must watch video: Charles Poliquin talks with author and leading anti-GMO activist, Jeffrey Smith on why you should avoid GMOs at all costs.
11. Caramel coloring, artificial colors and dyes (Blue 1, 2; Red 3, 40; Green 3; Yellow 5, 6) have been linked to hyperactivity disorders and behavioral problems in children, lower IQ, altered brain chemistry, depression, hormonal dysfunction, allergies, migraines and cancer.
Carmel coloring and artificial colors & dyes are found in soda, energy and sports drinks, candy, cereals, pastries and baked goods, pet food, sausage, canned items, cough syrup, vitamins and pharmaceutical drugs.
Take home message: Avoid any item that includes a color plus a number listed on the ingredients.
12. Carrageenan. Carrageenan is a food additive extracted from red seaweed that is widely used in food and beverages as a thickener and stabilizer. Carrageenan is nutritionally-void and is found in many of the foods you eat and liquids you drink. It’s been known to cause insulin resistance, be carcinogenic, inhibit the immune system and cause severe digestive inflammation, digestive problems, increased risk of intestinal lesions, ulcerations, and even malignant tumors. You’ll find carrageenan hiding in items claiming to be "natural" and "organic” such as coconut and almond milk, luncheon meat, yogurt and many other items.
- Choose organic versus conventional, and especially avoid the Dirty Dozen fruits and veggies.
- Focus on eating nutrient-dense real food like those our grandparents and ancestors ate. This is the best way to avoid chemicals and toxic, harmful ingredients.
- Beware of chemicals in the cosmetics you put on your skin and personal care products, which compromise the lymph and liver, and increase exogenous estrogen load.
Look for and avoid parabens, phthalates and artificial fragrances in your skincare and personal care products. Notable ingredients to avoid include sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, aluminum, proplylene glycol (PEG), Butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT), diethanolamine (DEA) and quite a few others. - The average woman puts 200-500 chemicals on her body every day. Anything you put on your skin is absorbed into the blood stream. My favorite professional skincare products are Devita Natural Skin Care products. They’re 100 percent paraben-free and PETA certified.
- Become an avid label reader.
- Choose to shop at your local Farmers Markets, local farms or other natural health food store.
Stick with real food. Real food is NOT.......
As a holistic nutritionist and functional health practitioner, my philosophy is to identify the root cause of any underlying health issues, slowly "peel away the layers of the onion," and design a healing protocol and comprehensive LIFESTYLE plan specific to your unique biochemistry so you can heal, experience vibrant health, balanced hormones, age well, and look, think and feel better than ever for a lifetime. I consult with men and women around the world, all over the U.S. and with clients locally in the Phoenix area. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation!♦ Real food is NOT injected with hormones, antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones and GE ingredients.
♦ Real food has NOT been sprayed with poisonous pesticides and Roundup ready glyphosate.
♦ Real food is NOT found at a drive up window.
♦ Real food does NOT come from a factory farm.
♦ Real food does NOT contain chemicals, dyes & colorings, GM soybean, corn & canola oil, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, preservatives, HFCS and toxic ingredients.
Copyright © Paula Owens. All rights reserved.
The material in this article and on this blog is copyright material and may NOT be reproduced or copied without written permission. Reproduction of the articles on this blog may be shared and are permissible ONLY when instructions found at the bottom of this blog are followed. Thank you.
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Sources
- 77 studies showing the adverse reactions to dietary soy
- 174 studies showing the adverse reactions to isoflavones (phytoestrogens)
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