By Camilla Nichols, M.S.
You are what you eat, so it’s time to take control of your health by choosing your foods wisely. Here are tips for taking control of your diet and health. Learn to read food labels. The first three ingredients should never be sugar, corn syrup, HFC or sucrose. Avoid foods with additives, dyes, chemicals, artificial ingredients, preservatives and bio-engineered or GMO foods.
Avoid processed foods, often high in sugar, fats, sodium, and chemicals affecting organs, cell function and your immune system. They can be linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, allergies, cancers, and asthma. Sodas and sports drinks contain brominated vegetable oil, originally patented as a flame retardant. Also avoid propylparaben, BHA and BHT food preservatives that may affect endocrine function.
Chemicals lurk everywhere. Choose wild-caught salmon instead of Atlantic farm-raised salmon. Baked goods may contain potassium bromate, which may cause kidney damage, cancer, and nervous system damage. Research has linked red dye 40, a synthetic food coloring, to many conditions.
Learn to read bar codes and PLUs. The first two or three numbers tell you what country it came from (690, 691, 692 = China; 50: UK, 30-37: France). PLU stickers: If the number starts with a 4 it’s conventionally grown; 9: organically grown; 8: genetically modified One day GMO foods will start with an 8. To avoid them, stick with 4s and 9s.
Use BPA-free plastic. Bisphenol-A (BPA) can leach into food and beverages. Research shows it binds to estrogen receptors and influences cell repair, reproduction, and other hormone function.
Many U.S. manufactured foods are banned in other countries because of health issues. U.S. beef, pork, and processed meats with hormones, ractopamine (pork), sodium nitrate and other chemicals fed to animals may be linked to cancer. U.S. cheese and milk products as well as artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharine, sucralose) and trans fats which put you at risk for stroke and heart disease.
So what can you do? Eat real food, drink water (not soda) and research what you eat. Learn to cook and eat at home, preparing in advance for the week. Avoid using the microwave to heat or cook. Know where your food comes from and support your local farmers markets.
Book a Healthy Cooking Class, join me at The Centre for Nutrition Facts/Fiction (3rd Wednesday 5:30pm) or order a healthy meal from me. 727-534-1406 or info@simplethings.world.