7 foods you should probably stop eating
Even though modern food production has given us the ability
to enjoy the safest food in the history of mankind, in some ways, big food
manufacturers are also introducing new hazards in our food supply. Thankfully,
labeling regulations force food manufacturers to print ingredients on packaging
so consumers will be more aware of exactly what it is they are eating.
Providing information on exactly what ingredients are used to produce food
probably does not make big food manufacturers happy, but it gives us consumers
the vital information we can use to make better choices. Giving up on the
following food items is worthy of consideration, due to the harmful nature of
their ingredients.
1. Margarine
After many years of touting the “benefits” of swapping your
butter for margarine, the truth is slowly starting to come out. The latest
discoveries are suggesting that fat is not as bad for your health as the
government and food producers have been telling us since the 1970’s. Margarines
can be loaded with trans- fats, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and
calories, which probably present a much greater danger than butter ever has.
2. Artificial sweeteners
A lot of us may remember the introduction of artificial
sweeteners such as Saccharine as a low-calorie substitute for sugar. It was
great for the makers of artificial sweeteners, since consumers bought them with
the hope of helping them lose weight. Since then, many other artificial
sweeteners have emerged, and have been included in more and more food products,
including many that are not even advertised as “diet” foods. The problem with
just about all artificial sweeteners is that they can actually promote weight
gain. There’s also the issue of the potential damage they can do to your
health, such as increasing the likelihood of diabetes or damage to the kidneys.
3. Tomato sauce
Unless you can find and purchase “real” tomato sauce,
without all kinds of additives, the “tomato sauce” that’s sold to consumers is
often loaded with stuff that surely doesn’t fit the description of “tomato
sauce.” In their never-ending quest to make their products more addictive, food
manufacturers add ingredients like refined sugar and corn syrup to their
products. Many also have sodium, which is not recommended for people with
certain health issues such as high blood pressure.
4. Frosting
What’s a cake without frosting? Well, healthier for one
thing. Especially if you normally used that prepared frosting that they sell in
cans at the supermarket. This stuff is probably one of the worst foods
imaginable and is loaded with sugar, trans-fats, corn syrup, artificial colors,
artificial flavors and preservatives. Some of the food coloring used in these
products is actually banned in other countries!
5. Cookies
Again, the packaged cookies sold commercially are the worst
of the batch where cookies are concerned. Cookies often contain hydrogenated
oils, which are one of the worst things you can eat if you value your health.
Obviously, cookies are also loaded with sugar, and may also contain things like
artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives and bleached white flour.
You’re much better off making your own cookies at home, and eliminating a lot
of the harmful ingredients the big food producers use to extend the shelf-life
of their product, make it more attractive, and increase their profits.
6. Soda
This product is undoubtedly one of the worst
of the worst. It’s basically little more than liquid sugar with a good dose of
artificial colors and flavors thrown in. Worse yet, the manufacturers of these
beverages now substitute other sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup or artificial
sweeteners like aspartame for sugar since it probably costs them less to
produce the product which boosts the money they make selling it to a
mostly-unsuspecting public. It’s not hard to see just how awful this stuff is
when you consider that much of it also contains phosphoric acid, which inhibits
your body’s ability to absorb calcium. Don’t be fooled by labels that contain
words like “natural” or “all natural,” since they are really meaningless, and
there are no laws that strictly govern the use of those terms. Many
manufactures settle on plain old tap water to produce their product, meaning
that it may also contain things like fluoride, chlorine and other contaminants.
7. Fast food
When you realize that many fast food restaurants are
basically serving up warmed- over garbage, it becomes a lot easier to resist
opting for a quick burger and fries. Fast foods are, not surprisingly,
formulated to provide the best flavor to keep customers coming back for more.
Unfortunately, the ingredients that taste good seldom contribute to improved
health. In fact, most of them are detrimental to your health, including high
levels of sodium, MSG, sugar, and trans-fats. Add to that things like food colorings,
artificial sweeteners and preservatives and you end up with food that’s not
only quick to prepare and serve, you also end up with a trip down the fast lane to an early grave.
