INGREDIENTS! What to look for when reading food labels!

Fats and Oils
The Good the Bad and the Ugly!

Good: Unsaturated Fat - Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Most nuts and seeds, Sesame Butter(Tahini), Almond Butter, Most nut and seed butters, Olives, and Avocados

Bad: Saturated Fat - Butter, Milk, Cream Cheese, Yogurt, Ice Cream, Sour Cream, Meats, and Eggs Animal Products typically contain a lot of Saturated Fat. A good clue is, if it comes from an animal, it contains saturated fat. I do not think these are as bad if they come from properly fed animals that have not been given antibiotics, hormones and other harmful things. Animal forms of Saturated Fat have been said to contribute to heart disease so not overdoing is a good idea. They are also very mucus forming so people with sinus, allergy or lung issues find they do much better without them. Our family pretty much avoids this fat or use very, very sparingly.

Ugly: Trans fats, Better known as Partially Hydrogenated Oils and Interesterified fats - Margarine, Chips, Crackers, Pastries, and snack foods in general. Read labels, if it has any trans fat or says partially hydrogenated anything in the ingredients then you don’t want it. These fats are unnatural processed products that our bodies are unable to process effectively. They contribute in a huge way to excess body fat and cancer causing free radicals in our systems. There are now some snack foods now that don’t contain this type of fat. They aren’t really "healthy" but a much better option than those "Ugly fats".

Sugar
Is it really that Bad?

Avoid: All refined White Sugars - Granulated, Brown, Powdered, Corn Syrup, Fructose, Sucrose, etc. I consider these a drug, not a food and one of the main causes of ADD in children. They are addicting, they make you act and feel funny, and they deplete your body of nutrients. Start looking at the labels and you will be really surprised how much of this you and your family eats, we must do better if we want to be truly healthy.

Sugar Substitutes: Aspartame (known as NutraSweet or Equal), Saccharin(known as Sweet & Low), Sucralose (known as Splenda) These are even worse and should be avoided like the plague. They are the cause of many health problems and in my opinion should never have been allowed on the market! Besides that, they cause Carbohydrate cravings so if you are using these as part of a low calorie diet it is sure to backfire. (Not to mention if you have been sucked into the "Low Carb" scam). It is impossible for me to stress how much damage these cause to your body! You would be so much better off to completely stay away from anything that contain these "Sweeteners."

Good in Moderation: Raw Honey, 100% Pure Maple Syrup (not the flavored sugar water, it must say 100% pure), Blackstrap Molasses (unsulphered is best), Stevia (a naturally sweet herb), Dates or date sugar (the dates are dehydrated then powdered), Sucanat (dehydrated cane juice), and Raw sugar

Grains
I thought they were all good!

Not Good: White Bleached Flour -Wheat flour, (I know what you’re thinking, "Wheat is good for you." It is, but as an ingredient it must say 100% whole wheat flour or it is Bleached, processed, constipating, most suitable for paper mache or wallpaper paste, white flour) White Bread, White Flour Tortillas, White Rolls, Doughnuts, Pie Crusts, and White Pastas. When the grain is highly processed all the nutrients are bleached out and your left with nothing more than junk food. Even if it is fortified, the added vitamins, are not assimilated by the body because they did not come from whole food.

Better: 100% whole wheat or whole grain bread - These are better and still have some nutrition in them but I have not found much bread at the grocery store that doesn’t contain some unwanted ingredients. Just look at the label and you will find one or more of the following ingredients; Partially Hydrogenated oils, Sugar, Corn Syrup, and many preservatives that you won’t be able to pronounce. I have seen some pretty good Whole grain bread at health food stores or you can make your own. Just be sure to use good ingredients, like Olive oil instead of butter and honey instead of sugar. If you grind your own wheat you know exactly what’s in it.

Best: Sprouted Grains - Grains eaten this way give you the most available nutrients. Bread can even be made of the sprouted grain. I know you are probably thinking that can’t taste very good. It is a little different but, you will be surprised how good it is. You can make it yourself or we have found a brand called Ezekiel Bread that makes different kinds of breads, buns, tortillas and other things that are quite tasty.

Other Unwanted Ingredients
I NEVER knowingly eat these or give them to my kids!

Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Is it a preservative or a vitamin? It’s neither! MSG is added to food for the over excitment it brings to the taste buds that keeps you coming back for more. (Now there’s a way to sell more. Brings new meaning to the slogan "Betcha Can’t Eat Just One.") Since many people now realize that MSG isn’t any good for them the manufacturers have started disguising it with names like, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Autolized Yeast, and Natural Flavors. It is in most processed foods and pretty much all fast food places use tons of it. Is very addicting and damaging to the body. I hate this ingredient as much as artificial sweeteners and I feel we are slowly being poisoned by them both.

Any artificial colors (Red 40, yellow, lake Blue, etc.)- many people are allergic to artificial colors. I have found they make my kids very aggressive, mean and hyper (maybe another reason ADD is such a problem these days). We also try really hard to stay away from Chemicals and preservatives. A good rule of thumb is if you can’t pronounce it you probably shouldn’t eat it. Also the fewer ingredients the better. If something has a long list of ingredients it will more than likely have something in it that your body doesn’t want.

The Best Ingredients

Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and don’t forget legumes (beans, peas, etc.) Organic is best but can be expensive and hard to find. You will likely see it more and more over time. Just do your best and consider learning how to grow your own organic garden. Talk about self reliant. These things eaten with variety in their natural state, or as close to it as possible, will provide you with ultimate health. It is that simple! It may seem hard at first and you will find you really crave bad food as it cleanses out of your body but if you are patient you will find that once all those chemicals and addictive substances are out of your body you will no longer crave them and you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. You will have renewed health and vitality not to mention you will look fabulous and never have to worry about your weight again!