We all want to make sure the food we consume has healthy ingredients, and most of us assume our everyday on-the-shelf foods don't contain poison. Most of us are wrong.
My goal as a health and fitness coach, and as a blog brand, is to share my knowledge of health and nutrition so more people can be educated on what to look out for in our foods.
In this blog post, I will share what these unhealthy ingredients are and why it's not good for our bodies, what every day foods you'll find it in, the sneaky names it can also be called on a nutrition label, and how to avoid it.
You will be shocked to know the deadly damage these ingredients can cause.
I will be breaking down this list of unhealthy and poisonous ingredients:
- artificial ingredients
- preservatives
- bleaches
First off, we don't want to be consuming artificial anything. Our digestive systems do not recognize "artificial" or in other words - FAKE - ingredients.
Artificial ingredients can include MSG (monosodium glutamate), artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners.
Some of the health effects associated with MSG are asthma attacks, headaches, heart palpitations, muscle tightness, nausea, depression, and mood swings.
Don't be fooled by things like "peppermint flavor" or "strawberry flavor". These synthetic chemicals are a cheap way to enhance flavoring in our foods, but give no benefit to us whatsoever.
Some of these chemicals, like benzyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and amyl acetate are commonly used in industrial cleaning products. How are they in our food?
Ingredient labels will often have these listed:
- Tartrazine (Yellow No. 5)
- Carmoisine or Azorubine (Red)
- Erythrosine (Red No. 3)
- Amaranth (Red)
- Sunset Yellow (Yellow No. 6)
- Ponceau 4R or Chochineal Red A (Red)
- Allura Red (Red No. 40)
- Indigo Carmine or Indigotine (Blue)
- Brilliant Blue (Blue No. 1)
- Brilliant Black
Most of these artificial colorings are coal-tar dye or synthetic dye that are registered as pesticides, or used in the textile industry.
And we put these ingredients in the food we consume?
These artificial colorings can trigger asthma, cause hyperactivity in children, cause skin rashes, migraine, headaches, blurred vision, reduce digestive enzymes leading to a host of digestive problems, thyroid tumors, mood swings, defects in embryos, reduce white blood cells count, damage kidneys and adrenal glands, damage genes and so many more.
Watch this video for a more in-depth look at the dangers of artificial food colorings:
Artificial sweeteners, like Saccharin, Cyclamate, Aspartame, and Acesulphame K, are DEADLY and CARCINOGENIC. They cause damage to eyes, brain, liver and other organs, birth defects, tumors, leukemia, chronic respiratory diseases, joint pains, vertigo, insomnia, slurred speech, depression, anxiety attacks, fatigue, hyperactivity, stomach disorders, rashes, ringing in the ears, and unfortunately...more.
Preservatives are what food companies put in our food to give it a longer shelf life by killing bacteria and other organisms, but that also means killing the good bacteria and in the end...hurting us.
Here are some of the names of preservatives you'll find on a nutrition label:
(this includes the labels of many canned/dried fruits and vegetables)
Sulphur dioxide
Sodium sulphite
Sodium bisulphite
Potassium metabisulphite
Calcium sulphite
Calcium hydrogen sulphite
Sulphur dioxide has been linked to mutations of cells that cause cancer.
And the various sulphites can cause asthma, blurred vision, dizziness, irregular breathing, stomach problems, nervous irritability, and more.
Sodium nitrites can be found in sausage, bacon, ham, hot dogs, lunch meat, and more.
They are highly toxic and affect the red blood cells, cause breathing difficulties and headaches.
When combined with certain chemicals in the digestive system, it forms what is called nitrosamine, which is a very potent cause of cancer.
Benzoic acid and sodium benzoate are used in pickles, sauces, margarine, packaged juices, carbonated drinks, and more.
They provoke allergies, cause asthma, skin reactions, hyperactivity in children, gastric problems, migraines and activates carcinogens in the body.
Watch this video for a more in-depth look at the dangers of processed meat and beef products:
It may be hard to believe, but bleaches can be found in our foods.
Chlorine is used as a bleaching agent in food, much like Chlorox.
These agents destroy whatever vitamins that may be left in your food.
Then, coal-tar-derived (carcinogenic—cancer causing) vitamins are added and sold to the unsuspecting public as “enriched”.
Commonly found in flour products like biscuits, bread, cakes, etc., Chlorine, over time, can corrode the skin and mucous membranes.
It has also been linked to bladder cancer, birth defects and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Do these artificial ingredients effect my kid?
Have you ever wondered why your child is hyperactive, or why he throws a tantrum...check the food he eats.
Is he exposed to artificial chemicals in the every day foods he's eating? What about when he was in your womb, consuming the foods you were? Were you heavily exposed to these additives as well?
These chemicals upset a child’s biochemistry. They may have difficulty concentrating (much like ADD), settling down to sleep or may have disruptive behavior.
Change the foods they eat before settling on medication. Their bodies don't need more drugs to calm them down!
When these artificial foods are removed from the diet and healthy, whole foods are given instead, you most likely will see improvement in their behavior.
Even though they may not suffer from disruptive behavior, keeping them away from these food chemicals will also help them grow healthily.
The information in this blog is just the TIP of the iceberg when it comes to nutrition labels and ingredients in our food.
For years now, I have been researching the ingredients in the foods we consume and what I've come to conclude is that most of what we eat is processed and harmful.
My best tip - shop the perimeter of the store. Most processed and unhealthy foods with artificial ingredients are stocked in the middle of the store. Stick to the freshest ingredients, mainly fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grass-fed meats.
Want more fitness, food, and lifestyle?
Subscribe now to my once-a-month healthy living Newsletter.
Follow me on Pinterest.
Follow me on Instagram.