Before You Eat That Check the Label

by Teresa Carr

	Before You Eat That Check the Label Reading Food Labels by Teresa Carr One of the main steps of protocol to living a healthier lifestyle is at the supermarket or the grocery store. Whether it’s shopping for yourself or for a family it’s important to know what you and your family are consuming on a daily basis. When eating healthy you need to know what’s in the food. Each year companies add more preservatives to most of these we consume and have been a major concern to well-being and health. The most important step that any consumers should know is how to read a label. Parents have another concern in what to feed their children and teach them the right kinds of foods they should consume for optimum health well up into their adulthood. That’s where Mr. Label Man comes in. Mr. Label Man teaches your child how to read labels and choose the right type of food for him or her. Most preservatives to look for and stay clear of are sodium nitrates and nitrites that are found in cold cut meats like bologna and lunchmeats, hot dogs, deli, pork, and bacon products. Research has shown that these cause cancer and fuels the growth cancerous tumors. Another culprit to look for is high sodium package products especially frozen dinners, canned pastas and high fructose corn syrup found in most fruit juices and other drinks such as sodas. High fructose corn syrup is known to raise blood pressure to high levels. So if you’re watching your blood pressure, try to avoid this additive. If you want to wean yourself and your kids from sodas try Hansen’s Natural Soda as a healthier alternative. It contains no preservatives, sodium, caffeine, nor high fructose corn syrup. It’s all natural with pure triple filtered carbonated water and natural cane sugar. I like the creamy root beer with natural spices of wintergreen, birch, anise, sassafras, and Tahitian vanilla extract. If you drink juice always check the labels for 100% fruit juice. Welch’s Grape Juice is 100% juice. Be careful not to get the fruit cocktail juice, which only have 10%-30% juice and contains a large amount fructose corn syrup and dyes. Other 100% juice brands include Juicy Juice, Whitehouse Apple Juice, V8 Fusion, and organic fruit juices that are pure and natural. It’s best to go with the natural and organic fresh fruits and vegetables. I don’t emphasis enough to Juice your fruit to get that important fiber in your diet. I think one of the best juicer on the market at this writing is Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer. Many diet sweeteners are the worst things for you. They do more harm than good in regards to losing weight. They don’t do that at all. They cause you to gain more weight than lose it! These I’m telling you about are aspartame and saccharin among others. Go for the natural sweeteners, Stevia and xylitol or sweeten with raw honey or Agave nectar. In a recent news article raw honey and molasses are one of the top 7 superfoods everyone should include in their daily diet. MSG or monosodium glutamate is another to stay clear of. MSG is an excitotoxin that can cause nerve damage. MSG can be found in most pre-packaged products, canned soups, salad dressings, corn and potato chips, and other boxed items. Research has shown that MSG can also fuel the growth of cancerous tumors. Considered cancer fodder it can do damage to normal cells as well. MSG has been known to causes chronic headaches. It overstimulates the brain and actually kills brain cells. Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives. ©2007. Teresa Carr. Skyhouse Communications & Mega Grafx® Studio.
The Notorious Toxins Chart (Avoid These at All Costs. It just may save your life!) Some additives mentions may have a low toxicity or no known toxicity. Use at your own discretion.
Toxin or Suspected Food Additive		Additive IN	Cause & Effects
Aspartame		Artificial sweeteners and other diet food products and beverages.	Cancer and nerve damage.
Caffeine		Coffee, tea, most packaged beverages. Try choosing all-natural caffeine free teas. Rooibos red tea from South Africa is naturally caffeine free and is not bitter and has a smooth taste. Green tea contain ECGC an antioxidant and burns fat. Herbal teas are other choices.	Heart disease.
Carmine red coloring			Most dyes can be cancer causing agents.
Chocolate		Avoid the processed stuff (You need to get the chocolate that is natural without additives or processed white sugar. Natural dark chocolate and natural cocoa powders are the best sources.)	Obesity.
Dextrose		See linking article.	Linked to Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes.
Disodium Guanylate		Flavor intensifier. Isolated from certain variety mushrooms.	Gout patients should limit this.
Disodium Inosinate		Flavor intensifier. Inosinic acid found in dried sardines.
Food colorings & dyes		Most all packaged food products. Check those labels! Make sure that food colorings are from natural sources and not chemicals!	Cancer.
Fructose Corn Syrup		This is the worst for you.	Type I and II Diabetes. Corn Syrup has been known to raise blood pressure levels and increase in cholesterol.
Metabisulfate		Oxidant preservation used in brewery and winery. Not to be used in meats or food recognize as sources of vitamin-B. Low toxicity.	Low toxicity.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)		Can be hidden as yeast extract, autolyzed vegetable protein, or hydrolyzed vegetable protein	Alzheimer’s disease, chronic headaches, nerve damage. Known to overstimulate the brain and kill brain cells. Also clogs vessels in the brain to prevent normal circulation through the brain. Also known as cancer fodder. Cancer patients are to avoid at all costs.
Potassium Chloride		Found in fertilizers! White ionic solid. Occurs naturally. In the manufacture of potassium hydroxide. Used in the brewing industry. Also used in gelling. Used as substitute for sodium chloride in low sodium dietary foods.	Can cause gastro-intestinal irritation. Patients with Leaky Gut Syndrome should avoid. Purging.
Saccharin		Artifical sweetener	Known to cause cancer in laboratory animals (rats).
Sodium Benzoate		All Soft Drinks and Sodas, and other foods always check your labels.	Cell damage and cancers.
Sodium Erythorbate		Antioxidant and pickling brine. Non-toxic. Meat products. Used in beverages and baked goods escalates color fixing and curing.	Claims of non-toxicity by the FDA.
Sodium L-lactate		Most all meats-beef, poultry, pork roast, ham, chuck roast.	Cancers.
Sodium Nitrites		Most all packaged, processed meats-bacon, ham, hot dog wieners, kielbasas, pepperoni, bologna, salami, other luncheon meats. Choose soy bacon (e.g. Morning Star), Tofurky deli slices and organic meats with the label - no additives or preservatives all natural.	Cancers.
Sodium phosphates		Turkey breasts	Kidney disease, congestive heart disease, electrolyte imbalance. Dangerous if you have these conditions.
Sulphites (Sulfites)		Preservatives anti-browning agents. Used for bleaching. FDA prohibits sulphites in the production of thiamine.	Depletes B vitamins especially that of vitamin B1 (thiamine).
Tricalcium Phosphate		Calcium salt of phosphate. Anticaking agent in salt and vanilla powder. A dietary supplement. Used in bleaching agent in flour. Dentifices agent. No known toxicity.	May be linked to calcification of blood vessels causing heart disease.
Vegetable Gum (Carrageenan)		In most packaged foods. Comes from seaweed, a red algae or Irish moss. Used in place of animal bone by-product gelatin. Check your label.	Non-toxic.
Xantham Gum		In most packaged foods. Remember always check those labels! Pure culture of carbohydrate. Also called corn sugar gum. Meat and poultry products. Stabilizes water-based foods in salad dressings. Used in animal feeds.	Non-toxic.

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