Toxic Tuesday- Processed Foods

 I saw a couple of girls checking out some fruit in the organic section of the produce aisle. They were speaking of if they were ripe and ready or not.  One of them commented how she had considered buying all of her fresh produce organic. Then looking up at the price, they said, “Two for five dollars!”  Without a second thought, they put the live avocado back and walked away from the vegetable aisle toward the aisles full of dead, boxed, canned, packaged goods where they can buy thousands of calories of poor-quality, nutrient-poor, factory-made, processed foods filled with sugar, fat, and salt for the same five dollars. This is the scenario millions of Americans struggling to feed their families face every day.

The odd paradox is that food insecurity — not knowing where the next meal is coming from or not having enough money to adequately feed your family — leads to obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease. Examining this paradox may help us advocate for policies that make producing fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole other foods cheaper, while rethinking the almost $300 billion in government subsidies that support the production of cheap, processed food derived from corn and soy.

At the same time, a Food Revolution, along the lines of that advocated by Jamie Oliver, a radical chef, can help Americans take back their table and their health from a food industry that has driven us to eat more than 50 percent of our meals out of the home compared to less than 2 percent 100 years ago. And most of those meals eaten at home are produced in plants, not grown on plants, are from a food chemist’s lab, not a farmer’s field. Cooking and eating whole fresh foods at home, can be cheaper, more fun, and simpler than most people think. Processed foods are not only fast to make, they are also easy to carry from place to place, and don’t go bad as quickly as fresh produce, meaning for many people, less waste. But how does processed food stay good for so long? It isn’t magic- it is due to the additives and preservatives! These additional ingredients make the food last longer and look better, but they also make us fatter, have higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure and other significant side effects. If you stop and think about it, these conveniences can’t come without a downside.

Our kids are basically addicted to this kind of food, and most of them include tons of salt, sugar and fat. Nothing that we would WANT our kids to be putting in their bodies, but rarely does anyone stop to think about the ingredients.

While there are dozens of additives that, in a perfect world, you would scratch from your diet, here are the ten worst of the worst that you should try to avoid. I will cover 5 today and maybe you'll be curious to know more and research the others.

1. Artificial Sweeteners- One of the worst additives we will discuss are the artificial sweeteners and fake sugar that are in so many of our products today. While people seem to believe that if they are drinking “diet” soda they are going to lose weight, unfortunately, artificial sweeteners are chemicals that we are putting in our food to make it sweeter, that is going into our bodies to cause problems. We think of them as good for us because there are no calories like sugar, but Americans are getting more and more obese- how is that even possible? Basically, if you are eating something sweet but not ingesting calories, your body wants more calories. So you crave more sweet things. Artificial sweeteners have the exact opposite effect of what people want, people gain weight instead of losing it, and feel hungrier. The chemicals in artificial sweeteners can be toxic in high doses, and these chemicals have been proven as a carcinogen in multiple studies. It is surprising that they are not banned by the FDA.

2. Sodium Nitrate. Sodium Nitrate and Nitrate itself are two additives that producers add to meat products to keep them edible for longer periods of time. These two terrible additives are put in hot dogs, lunch meat, sausage, and bacon. They are meant to control the growth of mold and bacteria. They also, not surprisingly, make the meat look pink and healthy. Instead of actually being healthy though, nitrates are also a carcinogen and are extremely dangerous. While the FDA admits they are dangerous, this isn’t widely publicized because they keep meat safe for longer periods of time. Nitrates have disturbing side effects like nausea, headaches, and dizziness.

3. Caffeine. Probably the one on this list that will upset you the most since each of us incorporates caffeine into our daily diets- caffeine is not only addictive, but it can cause birth related issues, heart problems, depression, insomnia, just to name a few. Caffeine is added to just about everything like soda, weight loss products, and even gum. People who try to cut caffeine entirely out of their lives experience pretty serious side effects as well, showing that it can’t be good for you.

4. Refined Sugar. Most people in the United States eat about a half a cup of sugar per day! Refined sugar is in just about every food you eat, and sneaks into your body whether you realize it or not. Diabetes instances have tripled in the last two decades, and no wonder, with this astounding level of sugar intake.  Eating too much sugar can cause a laundry list of health problems like headaches, diabetes, obesity, several forms of cancer, heart disease, and naturally, obesity. If you’re looking for ‘refined sugar’ on labels and not finding it- that is because it is hidden under a variety of other names, like dextrose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, and about a dozen more.

5. MSG. MSG, or monosodium glutamate is an additive used in cooking to help bring out strong flavors in our food. This allows food producers to use less real flavor in cooking if they increase the level of MSG in their products. MSG is most often known to be in Chinese food and the food of other Asian cultures. MSG is also on the radar of the FDA, because some studies have shown that it can cause nerve damage in the brain in test animals. Many people suffer severe headaches when consuming food with MSG in it, which has caused many companies in the United States to stop using it in their foods. Some people are more sensitive to this additive than others, and children are shown to be significantly more affected by it.  Shockingly, it is still used in many products where you may never expect it, in milk, candy, gum, and even in baby formula!
   Thousands of people eat by-products and many leave large portions uneaten, so it basically just piles up. By-products will show effects of rot, but they are genetically designed to last long periods of time without rotting, therefore when it actually begins to rot it just hardens by not decomposing it turns to stone.
   

   

What are They& Where Do They Come From?

Food additives are substances that become part of a food product when they are added during the processing or making of that food.

"Direct" food additives are often added during processing to:

Add nutrients

Help process or prepare the food

• Keep the product fresh
• Make the food more appealing

Direct food additives may be man-made or natural.

Natural food additives include:

• Herbs or spices to add flavor to foods
• Vinegar for pickling foods
• Salt, to preserve meats

"Indirect" food additives are substances that may be found in food during or after it is processed. They were not used or placed in the food on purpose. These additives are present in small amounts in the final product.

Food additives serve five main functions.

Give the food a smooth and consistent texture:

• Emulsifiers prevent liquid products from separating.
• Stabilizers and thickeners provide an even texture.
• Anticaking agents allow substances to flow freely.

Improve or preserve the nutrient value:

• Many foods and drinks are fortified and enriched to provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Examples of commonly fortified foods are flour, cereal, margarine, and milk. This helps to make up for vitamins or minerals that may be low or lacking in a person's diet.
• All products that contain added nutrients must be labeled.

Maintain the wholesomeness of foods:

• Bacteria and other germs can cause food borne illnesses. Preservatives reduce the spoilage that these germs can cause.
• Certain preservatives help preserve the flavor in baked goods by preventing the fats and oils from going bad.
• Preservatives also keep fresh fruits from turning brown when they are exposed to the air.

Control the acid-base balance of foods and provide leavening:

• Certain additives help change the acid-base balance of foods to get a certain flavor or color.
• Leavening agents that release acids when they are heated react with baking soda to help biscuits, cakes, and other baked goods rise.

Provide color and enhance flavor:

• Certain colors improve the appearance of foods.
• Many spices, as well as natural and man-made flavors, bring out the taste of food.

Most concerns about food additives have to do with man-made ingredients that are added to foods. Some of these are:

• Antibiotics given to food-producing animals, such as chickens and cows
• Antioxidants in oily or fatty foods
• Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharine, and sodium cyclamate
• Benzoic acid in fruit juices
• Lecithin, gelatins, corn starch, waxes, gums, and propylene glycol in food stabilizers and emulsifiers
• Many different dyes and coloring substances
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Nitrates and nitrites in hot dogs and other processed meat products
• Sulfites in beer, wine, and packaged vegetables

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a list of food additives that are thought to be safe. Many have not been tested, but most scientists consider them to be safe. These substances are put on the "generally recognized as safe (GRAS)" list. This list contains about 700 items.

Congress defines safe as "reasonable certainty that no harm will result from use" of an additive. Examples of items on this list are: guar gum, sugar, salt, and vinegar. The list is reviewed regularly.

Some substances that are found to be harmful to people or animals may still be allowed, but only at the level of 1/100th of the amount that is considered harmful. For ther own protection, people with any allergies or food intolerances should always check the ingredient list on the label. Reactions to any additive can be mild or severe.

While I know some things are repetitive, its really important to understand exactly what we're dealing with.

Exactly what does it do?

• Processed foods are highly addictive. Your body processes whole foods much differently than it does refined, processed, and heavily-modified "junk" foods. Processed foods tend to overstimulate the production of dopamine, also known as the "pleasure" neurotransmitter, which makes you crave them constantly. Your body ends up not being able to resist the temptation to continue eating junk foods in excess, which can lead to obesity and other health problems.

• Processed foods often contain phosphates that destroy your organs, bones. Many processed foods contain phosphate additives that augment taste, texture, and shelf-life. But these additives are known to cause health problems like rapid aging, kidney deterioration and weak bones, according to the Rodale Institute, which makes foods that contain them far less attractive to those in the know.

• Fresh foods are actually cheaper than processed foods. People with junk food addictions often claim that fresh, healthy foods are too expensive. But according to numerous studies and assessments, whole foods made from scratch end up costing less per serving than their unhealthy, processed equivalents. According to Rodale, a single serving of 100 percent organic chili made with fresh ingredients and grass-fed beef, for instance, is about 50 cents cheaper to make than buying a can of chemical-laden, microwaveable chili from the grocery store.

• Processed foods cause chronic inflammation. One of the leading causes of chronic illness today is inflammation. And studies continue to show that refined sugars, processed flours, vegetable oils, and many other nasty ingredients commonly found in processed foods are largely responsible for this inflammation epidemic. So the next time your body craves a candy bar or a box of cheese crackers, consider the fact that heart disease, dementia, neurological problems, respiratory failure, and cancer have all been linked to the chronic inflammation caused by processed food consumption.

• Processed foods ruin digestion. Because they have been stripped of their natural fibers, enzymes, vitamins, and other nutrients, processed foods tend to wreak havoc on the digestive tract. Chronic consumption of such foods can throw your internal ecosystem off balance, harming beneficial bacteria and exposing your system to infection. So you can basically think of those gummy bears and that piece of cake as literal poison for your system, which may help deter you from eating them.

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• Processed foods destroy your mind. If you suffer from chronic bouts of brain "fog," or have difficulty concentrating and thinking normally, chances are your diet has something to do with it. And a recent study out of Oxford University lends credence to this possibility, having found that junk food consumption can cause people to become angry and irritable. Nutrient-dense whole foods, on the other hand, can help level out your mood, sustain your energy levels, and leave you feeling calmer and more collected.

• Processed foods are loaded with GMOs. The basic buildings blocks of most processed foods on the market today are derived from laboratories, not nature. Genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), which have been linked to infertility, organ damage, gastrointestinal disorders, and cancer, are prolific in processed foods. Excess consumption of these poisons promotes weight gain, acidifies your blood, and can even permanently alter the composition and function of your intestinal flora.

• Processed foods are loaded with pesticides. In order to effectively grow the GMOs used in processed foods, conventional farmers have to apply Roundup (glyphosate) and other pesticides and herbicides, many of which end up in the final product. According to data compiled by Rodale, breakfast cereals alone have been found to contain up to 70 different types of pesticides, including warehouse fumigation chemicals and other residues.

• Processed foods are not actually food. One of the ways you can assess the nutritional value of food is to see how animals, insects, bacteria, and fungi respond to it. Real foods will actually rot or grow mold, for instance, while fake, processed foods remain largely the same in appearance and shape no matter what their age. As we reported recently, processed food is essentially synthetic, and the industry that produces it admits that heavy tampering and crafty modifications are necessary to make it taste real, even though it is not.
  

The bottom line is say no to chemically processed foods. If you or your children are sick and you and your doctor can't figure out why; Maybe it's in the processed foods you are eating.

Thanks for reading and please share?