7 Ingredients to Avoid If You Want To Be Healthy and Live Longer.
It’s become more widely acknowledged and understood that the food we have easy access to, and that are processed (read: combined or created entirely in a factory or plant) are often found to be the cause of or directly linked to many of our modern health issues.
Especially in America, the rising number of people with allergies and intolerances to foods is rising rapidly. And unless you know what to look for, you may be unknowingly ingesting chemicals that are seriously harming your health.
I’ve shared my shopping list before, and now I’d like to share some of the ingredients I look to avoid when I’m scanning labels at the grocery store. It’s disturbing how many of these things are hiding in our foods!
So, screenshot this and add it to your favorites in your photo album for reference on your next shopping trip!
Carrageenan
Sodium Phosphate
Sugar
Vegetable oil, soybean oil, and all seed oils
Glyphosate
Artificial coloring like Red 40
Artificial coloring like Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. To be safe, avoid all colored numbers!
Carrageenan
Found in everything from store-bought ice cream (yes, even your favorite B&J’s!) to Costco rotisserie chicken. It’s linked to intestinal inflammation (which can eventually lead to disease) and increased risk of cancer.
Sodium Phosphate
A food thickener and preservative that is found most often in deli meats, fast food, canned tuna, and baked goods as an aid to rising the dough. It’s been known to increase your risk of developing kidney and heart disease. The phosphates end up in your blood which goes through the heart, as you know, and is filtered by the kidney. No bueno!
Sugar
Increases risk of Type 2 diabetes, weight gain, inflammation (disease), and. Decrease sugar intake gradually so your tastebuds get acclimated and you’ll actually find most of our foods to be far too sweet tasting.
Vegetable Oil, Soybean Oil, and Seed oils
Heavily processed oils that have unhealthy levels of Omega-6 fatty acid and can cause inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and auto-immune disease. Opt instead for Avocado oil or Ghee for high heat cooking, or Coconut oil for medium-high heat cooking.
Glyphosate
The active ingredient in Roundup weed killer, which can be found in many wheat-based products like Oreos, Stacy’s Pita chips, Doritos, and Goldfish amongst so many others
From Sokolove Law’s website, here is a list of some common household products that tested positive for Gylphosate:
Granola by Quaker, KIND, Back to Nature, Nature Valley
Instant oats by Giant, Quaker, Umpqua, Market Pantry
Whole oats by Quaker, Bob’s Red Mill, Nature’s Path, Whole Foods
Cereal by Kashi, Kellogg’s, including Lucky Charms and Cheerios
Snack bars by Quaker, KIND, Nature Valley, Kellogg’s
Orange juice by Tropicana, Minute Maid, Signature Farms, Kirkland
Crackers, including Cheez-Its, Ritz, Triscuits, Goldfish
Cookies by Annie’s, Kashi, and Nabisco (Oreos)
Chips by Stacy’s, Lay’s, Doritos, Fritos
Artificial coloring like Red 40 and Yellow 5 and 6:
Yellow 5 and 6: Not only does it increase symptoms of ADHD, but it has been found to cause damage to DNA, mutating the cell which can cause cancer.
Red 40 is a derivitive of petroletum and is still prominent in candy, cereals, drinks, and many other household food products. It’s been linked to migraines, skin rashes, as well as ADHD as it’s thought that the chemicals disrupt brain chemistry and deplete minerals. Red 40 has been banned for children in the EU and banned completely in Austria and Norway.