The Big Picture of Little Nutrients

Processed Foods: Waging War On Your Health

As members of American culture, we often find ourselves busy handling a hefty work schedule, attending school functions, making time for family, and hanging out with friends. We try to do what is necessary to maintain a healthy, well-balanced social life in which we get to spend time with all the people most important to us. When dealing with the ebb and flow of constant obligations, many individuals often forget the importance of maintaining good physical health as well. This often leaves people stuffing their faces at the last minute with ready-made T.V. dinners, fast foods, or packaged foods already prepared to consume straight from the store.

 

What do we really know about the banquet of processed foods already prepared for consumption? The truth is that many people have no idea the nutritional value provided by these products, nor the potential health concerns and risks that they create upon consumption. With no idea what ingredients make up these foods, or how they will affect the human body, most individuals continue to blindly stuff their faces with synthetic ingredients that could make a bad situation much, much worse. We give you the names of these ingredients, their potential for health problems, and how to avoid them.

 

The Sinister Reality of Fabricated Foods

We consider it fairly commonplace for a mom to stuff a Twinkie or two into her child’s lunch box, or for our coworkers to dig a burger dripping with grease and ketchup from a paper bag. Many of us even suck bright blue yogurt from a tube, or eat a super-salty microwavable dinner for lunchtime at work. But rarely do we consider the consequences of these actions – and rightfully so. We should not have to scrutinize every ingredient used to create these tasty treats that millions of Americans enjoy on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, none of the associations responsible for ensuring the nutritional value and safety of our food products takes their job very seriously, leaving the public to fend for themselves against distributors looking to make make cheap and easy food at a low price. We have outlined some of the worst ingredients you may want to watch out for, and their devastating effects on the human body.

One of these ingredients, hailed as nutritious at one point, is synthetic trans fats. Commonly found in food products consisting of hydrogenated vegetable oils, synthetic trans fats contribute to a number of negative health conditions as they interfere with the natural processes of the body. Regular consumption of this ingredient could result in diabetes, as it impedes the function of insulin receptors in cell membranes. Synthetic trans fats also discourage proper immune response and interrupt operations of enzymes used to fight cancerous cells. Additionally, this ingredient interrupts the functions of enzymes responsible for the production of sex hormones, making it an endocrine disruptor, while increasing the body’s risk of heart disease.

 

Artificial vs. Real

Artificial flavors harbor dangers upon ingestion, and are often trickier than other ingredients as this term could imply one flavor, or a concoction of up to one hundred different substances. One such artificial flavor, called diactyl, is linked to dysfunction in brain health. It can instigate the degenerative process of Alzheimer’s disease, causing inflammation in brain neurons.

One ingredient many individuals are familiar with, MSG, goes by the name of monosodium glutamate. As a flavor enhancer, it wreaks all sorts of havoc on the body, and most people have an allergy to it – realized or not. MSG performs as an excitotoxin, causing the cells to work themselves into damage or death. It also has negative effects on brain functions, including dysfunction within the system, setting off or making worse a learning disability, and triggering degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Lou Gehrig’s.

Artificial colors also pose a threat to our digestive systems through brightly colored food products including candies, sodas, and yogurts. The United States alone uses up to 15 million pounds of artificial dyes as ingredients in its food products yearly. In fact, at least 9 of the most commonly used food dyes have evidence that they may trigger the formation of brain tumors. Red #40, a favorite in candies and slushies, can cause children to experience hyperactivity, a common symptom of ADD and ADHD.

 

Food Ingredients To Avoid

It’s once been said: The longer the shelf life, the shorter yours will be. Consuming a great deal of refined grains can also contribute to a number of adverse health conditions. Refined grains include foods like white bread, cereal with a high sugar content, white rice, and white pasta. Ingesting such products increases your risk of heart attack by 30%. People who eat these breads as a regular part of their daily diet have a greater likelihood for experiencing health problems like high cholesterol, raised blood pressure, dysfunctional insulin production, and weight problems.

Another ingredient to watch out for includes high-fructose corn syrup – one of the most common and cost-effective sweeteners used in multiple food products. The average American ingests up to 63 pounds annually. Most of this consumption is through drinks, candies, and processed baked goods. Recent evidence from research performed on high-fructose corn syrup suggests that it agitates metabolic function, which puts you at greater risk for heart disease and diabetes. More research advises that high-fructose corn syrup can lead to overeating, while decreasing the body’s natural levels of chromium – a mineral necessary to maintain good levels of cholesterol, insulin, and blood sugar.

Steer clear of sodium nitrates and sodium nitrites – yes, this spelling of both is correct. Your eyes are not tricking you. These compounds are often found in highly processed meats, like sandwich meats and hot dogs. They may contribute to the development of colon cancer, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.

Sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate, preservatives often used to control the growth of mold on certain products like soda, have a carcinogenic effect linked with destruction of thyroid function – thus making these compounds common endocrine disruptors. When plastic bottles settle in hot temperatures, the levels of these benzene-based ingredients builds up at dangerous levels.

Butylated hydroxytoluene, a typical additive that helps impede oxidation, was deemed as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” by the National Toxicology Program in 2005. Other products, including jet fuel, petroleum-based substances, and embalming fluid also include butylated hydroxytoluene in their list of ingredients. Animal studies prove that it can cause liver damage, and harm to water-dwelling creatures. If that is not enough to make you reconsider its presence in food, then nothing will convince you.

The list of offensive additives formulated into common food products grows longer, and the potential health concerns derived from the intake of these toxic substances also continues to lengthen as more knowledge, research, and information becomes available to the general public. As health problems rise in America, and ingredients used in food substances continues to go unchecked, is it any surprise that this research finds more and more links to the items meant to nourish us? But there are ways to stop the food distributers from poisoning you without your permission. Take a look at some common methods of ensuring nourishment and safety in your meals.

 

Go Organic to Get Control of Your Nutrition

We know that we keep the message circulating about filling your fridge with organic foods, but we have good reason behind our message. Staying healthy means being proactive about your nutritional intake. Thus, American citizens can no longer sit back and buy what companies produce and shelf.

It is up to you as an individual to ensure that you know what goes into your food – and therefore, into your body. The saying “You are what you eat” has never been more relevant than it is today. And with food-production companies more concerned with monetary gain than putting lives in danger, there is no better time than now. We suggest consuming more organic foods in their raw form.

Raw fruits and vegetables hold a very important value in our daily nutrition. Yet, the typical range of daily fruit and vegetable intake averages out at about one to three servings per day. Multiple health studies prove that increasing a person’s intake of raw fruits and vegetables provide preventative measures for a long, growing list of illnesses, conditions, and diseases.

A sample of these negative effects prevented by a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables includes: cardiovascular disease, irregular blood pressure, cancer in multiple forms, dementia, and bad eyesight. Most Americans only consume zero to three servings of fruits and vegetables daily, where up to thirteen servings is needed. With an increased rate in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, health problems in America would greatly decline.

 

GMO Must Go!

What is GMO? GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Learn more about GMOs here.  To help ensure your health is to consume only non-GMO foods. The market that accommodates a wide variety of GMOs contributes to a number of American health issues. Scientific studies have proven that an array of toxins absorbed through GMOs is detectable in the the blood streams of pregnant women and unborn fetuses. And the sudden rise in gluten-related issues as of late? You can thank GMOs for that one.

One study concluded that regular consumption of GMOs can lead to an imbalance in digestive bacteria, dysfunctional digestion, and damage to the tissues that line the intestinal walls. Not enough to make you say no to GMOs? Another study published results showing that GMO crops, like soybeans, expose the body to glyphosate, a compound that encourages the growth of breast cancer and heightens the risk of birth defects. Go organic, and get the health you deserve.

Face naturals is proud to offer non-GMO products containing only the best organic botanicals available. We encourage you to take your health into your own hands by reading labels, researching ingredients, and understanding how different substances work with your body. That’s why we are proud to assist any client in understanding the quality and formula of our products.

Our ingredients do not have names that sound like a substance straight out of a science-fiction film. They are made from organic plants and transformed into the quality skin-care products that you purchase today. So, if you have any questions, then we have nothing to hide. Start being proactive about your health by inquiring about our skin-care products, and what going organic can mean for you.

 

References

• 7 Worst Ingredients in Food
• 4 Most Harmful Ingredients in Packaged Foods
• Processed Food Pitfalls: Top 10 Toxic Food Ingredients
• 12 Dangerous and Hidden Food Ingredients in Seemingly Healthy Foods
• Fruits and Vegetables: Get Plenty Every Day
• 10 Scientific Studies Proving GMOs Can be Harmful to Human Health