Thursday, April 22, 2010

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT????????



If you are new to clean eating or even if you live by it you may look at the ingredient list on the back of food packages and find yourself asking "what is that?" Well a general rule to live by is that if you can't pronounce it then it probably isn't the best thing for you. Don't get me wrong things in moderation, however there are some ingredients you shouldn't have at all!!! I've listed them below and gave some explanations to help you in your journey to a healthier, fitter you!

Now clear out those cabinets! :)

SODIUM NITRATE/SODIUM NITRITE: Used as a coloring, flavoring, preservative in bacon, corned beef, hot dogs, ham, lunch meat, smoked fish. Sodium Nitrite stabilizes the red color in cured meat and adds flavor. Otherwise did you know your hot dogs and bacon would look gray!! Appetizing eh?Adding it to food can create small amounts of potent cancer-causing chemicals called nitrosamines- worth avoiding if you ask me!

BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE (BHA): In cereal packaging, chewing gum, oil and potato chips. It retards rancidity in fats, oils and foods that contain oil. According to the Federal Government's National Toxicology Program, it is "responsibly anticipated to be a human carcinogen."

OLESTRA (OLEAN):
A fat substitute used in Lay's Light Chips and Pringles Light Chips. It's a synthetic fat that isn't absorbed as it passes through the digestive system, so it has no calories. It can cause severe diarreah, loose stools and abdominal cramps.

SACCHARIN: An artificial sweetener in no-sugar added foods and Sweet'N Low. Animal studies have shown that it can cause cancer of the bladder, uterus, overies, skin and other organs. It also appears to increase the potency of other cancer-causing chemicals.

PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL: A fat in baked goods, fried restaurant food, icing, microwave popcorn, cookies, and even some energy and granola bars. Vegetable oil can be made into a semisolid shortening or margarine by chemically adding hydrogen. The process creates trans fats which raise LDL "bad cholesterol" and lower HDL "good cholesterol, making them worse for your heart than saturated fat.


ARTIFICIAL COLORINGS:
They're almost exclusively used in products with little nutritional value (candy soda etc.) so you won't be missing much if you avoid foods that have them. The presence of colorings usually signals the absence of fruit or toher natural ingredients. It's been said that colorings contribute to hyperactivity in some children. Ones to watch are: BLUE 1, BLUE 2, GREEN 3, RED 3, YELLOW 6!!!!!