Written by guest blog writer and Live Well Kitsap business member Amy Jackson.
In America, profit is put over health and when it comes to the foods we eat every day, the U.S. is at the bottom of the pile in terms of food quality and safety. It’s really unfortunate, but the truth is our tainted food supply is taking a major toll on our health. American food is a chemical nightmare because of all the additives, preservatives, and food dyes. Some popular food brands are made completely different in other places like the UK because they have stricter guidelines. Here in the US, they take a more reactive approach and they let anything through unless you can prove it’s harmful. Most foods we don’t even know are genetically modified (GMO) which means the DNA of the produce or animal has been changed. The biggest culprits are corn, soy and other veggies like tomatoes, zucchini, squash and eating these genetically modified foods regularly can cause health issues. Corn is the worst because it’s in so many foods (corn syrup) and it’s the main thing being fed to mass produced poultry and beef farms. Remember you are what you eat. So your best bet is to buy certified organic or certified non-GMO.
The following foods are commonly found in the American Diet. There’s no judgment if you eat these things, we all have and do. The reason I’m bringing awareness is because of the #1 disease we don’t want to get. No, it's not Covid, it's Cancer. And all these ingredients have been known to cause or lead to cancer.
Chips, microwave popcorn, mayo, coffee creamer - common ingredient: Vegetable oil (soybean oil, canola, or sunflower) No it’s not healthy just because it has “vegetable” in it. Commercially processed oils go through a process that makes them oxidative which increases free radicals in your body and because they are GMO and contain trans fats, this will increase inflammation. Both can end up causing cancer. Oils like coconut, olive and
avocado are the best.
Syrup, Pop Tarts, Soda, Heinz 57 - common ingredient: High Fructose Corn Syrup (and corn syrup) Made from corn which we already talked about. But what is Fructose? It’s a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits, then when combined with corn syrup it's chemically treated to increase its sweetness. Manufacturers use this in alot of foods because it’s super cheap and easier to use than sugar. HFCS and white sugar can cause liver disease, insulin resistance and obesity. Avoid this as much as possible.
Crystal Light, Coke zero, Yoplait, Protein powder - common ingredient: Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin) think of “sugar free” foods and drinks, sugar alternatives like Sweet & Low, Splenda, Nutrasweet. There’s a huge market for artificial sweeteners, because they’re geared towards those that are wanting to lose weight, or have high blood sugar. Although these sweeteners have no calories, they can actually raise insulin levels and leave you craving more sweets and lead to weight gain!! Better natural alternatives would be coconut sugar, raw honey, maple syrup or Stevia.
Deodorant, dryer sheets, sunscreen, baby powder - ingredient: Several other cancer causing chemicals like aluminum, talc oxybenzone, fragrance, etc. There’s alot of great information about these foods and items at thetruthaboutcancer.com and endocrine.org The more you know, the better you can protect yourself and your family from health issues. Just because it’s approved by the FDA doesn’t mean you’re all good, and that’s because we’re using or eating these chemicals all day! Not just one, once in awhile.
Now, this isn’t meant to freak you out, but I do want to wake you up a little. We all want to live healthier lives, right? But we can’t change something if we don’t know what the problem is. I empower my clients to really start to adopt a healthier eating process, by being more
mindful about the choices they’re making, which includes reading ingredients and nutrition labels.
Want to know more about Amy Jackson and A Better Path Coaching? Find her at www.livewellkitsap.com/mind-your-health
Want to be our next guest blogger? We give top priority to our paid Live Well Kitsap Business Members, however we will accept blog contributions from our free listing members to publish occasionally as well.