Let's start with nutrient additives. Nutrients are lost during the production of certain foods. To make up for what was lost, nutrients are added back into the food. There is no question whether these nutrients are necessary in our diets; however, my question is 'do I want to get these nutrients naturally or synthetically'? Examples of nutrient additives are:
- Riboflavin
- Folic Acid
- Iron
- Thiamin
- Niacin
- Amino acids
In my opinion, it is best to get these nutrients from foods that contain these nutrients naturally versus added in a synthetic form. For example, green vegetables contain folic acid such as spinach, broccoli, and asparagus. Foods containing riboflavin are almonds, protabella and shiitake mushrooms. Foods high in thiamin are sunflower seeds, chia seeds, squash and green peas.
What about preservatives? Preservatives are added to foods to help maintain their freshness and extend the shelf life. Research suggests that adding preservatives in its synthetic form to foods can initiate serious health problems. Examples of preservatives added to foods are:
- Citric Acid
- Sulfur dioxide
- Sodium benzoate
- Abscorbic Acid
- Nitrites
- Propionic acid
- Sodium Sulfite
I choose to limit foods with added preservatives. Again, I include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. You will also find that if you buy 'certified organics' the ingredients will be preservative free. The FDA only allows the certified organic label if this is the case.
Other things on the ingredient label are emulsifiers. Emulsifiers are synthetically added to food to help certain foods not become stale and to help prevent foods from separating once mixed. Emulsifiers have been found to cause side effects and health dangers. Examples of some emulsifiers are:
- Polysorbates
- Mono and Digclycerides
- Soy lecithin
You will find a lot of these emulsifiers in salad dressings, frozen desserts, and even peanut butter. For this reason, I make sure to purchase a peanut butter that has only two ingredients (dry roasted peanuts and salt) and I make my own salad dressings.
Other ingredients may include firming agents (calcium chloride, calcium lactate), flavor enhancers (monosodium glutamate, MSG), and leavening agents such as sodium bicardonate (baking soda, monocalciym phosphate).
With all of this said, I will give you my rules of thumb.
#1. I completely avoid foods with added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, sucrose and maltodextrin which are all sweeteners. Research suggests that added sugars affects metabolism and depletes your body of certain minerals. Not to mention that added sugar may lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer and can produce an inflammatory response in our body. If I have a sweet tooth I use 100% pure honey as a substitute. I also enjoy natural sugars found in fresh fruits.
#2. Less is more! I try to choose foods that contain one to five ingredients because they are less likely to have additives and preservatives. In general, less ingredients indicates healthier food choices.
#3. I avoid the word "enriched" flour. I actually avoid all white flour. The word "enriched" means it is missing the natural vitamins and minerals and they are synthetically added back in. I stick with 100% whole wheat flour, brown rice flour, quinoa flour, garbanzo bean flour, etc. For example, I eat a spaghetti with enchilada sauce; however, the spaghetti is 100% Whole Wheat
with only one ingredient.
#4. I try to eat plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, quinoa, white meats and make all my own sauces. I cook with extra virgin olive oil, avoiding vegetable oils. I avoid fried foods, baked goods and processed foods as much as possible.
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