Be Cognizant Of What You Eat!

LMP-22003

​Today, when you purchase food for consumption by you and your family, be cognizant of what you are buying.  Producers are here only to sell their products.

Be Cognizant Of What You Eat!
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) – are infiltrating the food supply at an alarming rate.  More than 90% of corn and soy are now genetically modified.  Other crops are in discussion for modification in this fast-growing industry.  Experts and opponents agree that adequate testing was not complete before GMO foodstuffs were added to the ingredient listing of thousands of products.  As of this date, no one knows the long-term effects GMOs will have on human health.
Solution:  look for GMO-free labels whenever possible or buy Certified Organic.
 
Refined Sugar – one of the leading cancer-causing foods is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other refined sugars.  Even brown sugar is highly refined white sugar with some removed molasses added back in for flavor and color.  Refined sugars (and foods made with them) are the source of significant insulin spikes and feed the growth of cancer cells.  Most of the sugar supply in the U.S. is made using GMO sugar beets.
Solution:  substitute organic honey, coconut sugar, or maple sugar.
 
Soda and Carbonated Beverages – these beverages are filled with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), dyes, and many other chemicals.  They provide zero nutritional value and rob your body of the nutrients you get from other foods.  Adding 'diet' to the label means you are most likely consuming 'aspartame.' According to the American Cancer Society, aspartame is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Anti-aspartame activists claim a link between aspartame and many ailments, including - cancer, seizures, headaches, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dizziness, weight gain, congenital disabilities, lupus, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis (M.S.).  Research is ongoing to confirm or invalidate connections between these ailments and aspartame, but the studies still have inconsistent outcomes.
Solution:  you guessed it, do not drink soda or carbonated beverages.
 
Microwave Popcorn – starting with the container, a chemically-lined bag to the actual contents, microwave popcorn is at the center of lung cancer debates worldwide.  Not only are the kernels and oil most likely GMO (which the manufacturer does not have to disclose) unless they claim organic, the fumes released from artificial butter flavoring contain diacetyl, which is toxic to humans.
Solution:  make popcorn the old fashion way with a popper and oil.
 
Canned Goods – most cans are lined with a product called bisphenol-A (BPA), which has altered the brain cells of rats genetically.
Solution:  purchase fresh organic foods.
 
Grilled Red Meat - scientists have discovered that preparing meats 'on-the-grill' releases a carcinogen called heterocyclic aromatic amines because the chemical and molecular structure of the meat changes.
Solution:  broil or bake your meats and stay away from charcoals.
 
Farmed Fish - fish farming means raising fish commercially in tanks, cages, or ponds as a food product.  Commercial fish farmers grow their 'crops' in limited crowded environments.  The most popular crops are carp, salmon, tilapia, and catfish.  Because of crop conditions, these fish have been treated with antibiotics, pesticides, and other carcinogenic chemicals to try and control the bacterial, viral, and parasitic outbreaks result from cramming the fish into a small, confined space.
Solution:  be aware of what you are buying and its source.
 
Salted and Smoked Foods - contain preservatives, such as nitrates, intended to prolong shelf life.  The additives used in processed foods can accumulate in the body over time.  Eventually, these toxins cause damage at the cellular level and may lead to diseases like cancer.  When smoked foods cook at high temperatures, the nitrates convert into more dangerous nitrites.
Solution:  you guessed it, stay away!
 
White Flour – is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds.  Today, wheat is the most common base for flour.  To convert wheat into white flour, the wheat is processed (refined and bleached with chlorine gas).  Due to its processing, the final product, 'white flour,' has no nutritional value.
The glycemic index for white flour is exceedingly high, meaning it spikes your insulin levels without providing nutritional fuel.  Carbohydrates are converted to sugars by your body, so excessive products that contain white flour can lead to increased insulin resistance.  Simple sugars (like refined carbohydrates) are the preferred fuel source for cancer.
Solution:  you guessed it, stay away! 
 
Hydrogenated Oils – are vegetable oils that are 'chemically altered' to improve the oil's shelf life.  Hydrogenation is when a liquid unsaturated fat is turned into solid fat by adding hydrogen.  A type of fat called 'trans-fat' is produced during this manufacturing process.  These oils are generally treated with chemicals to change their rancid smell and taste.
Hydrogenated oils and food items containing them are detrimental to your health.  Research has linked ingestion of trans fats to heart disease, cancer, auto-immune disease, altered bone health, fertility problems, and type 2 diabetes.  When you eat trans fats, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases because trans fatty acids inhibit the function of insulin receptors.
There are two types of hydrogenated oils, fully hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated.

• Partially hydrogenated oils can affect heart health because they increase 'bad' (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) cholesterol and lower 'good' (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) cholesterol.
  
  
• Fully hydrogenated oils complete the process of hydrogenation, which forms a single bond rather than a double bond.  It is much harder than regular shortening, making it difficult to spread and use in cooking.  Although it is harder to use, it has much less trans-fat.  These oils do not carry all the same health risks as trans-fats.

Solution:  use vegetable or plant oils (such as safflower, olive, or avocado oil).  Consider baking and broiling foods instead of frying them to save on fat and calories.  Avoid using margarine and shortening (partially hydrogenated oils).
 
Products to be aware of:

• Cottonseed Oil – it is one of the unhealthiest of oil choices.  It is commonly used in junk food items like potato chips because of its low price.  
  The cottonseed oil cycle is as follows: initially, the original product (cotton) is intensely sprayed with pesticides, then the picked seeds are processed into oil, which is most often hydrogenated for longer shelf life.  The final oil product has prominent levels of saturated fats.

• Peanut Oil - has a high level of saturated fats with a low level of unsaturated fats, making it ideal for cooking since it does not break down at high temperatures.  The product is manufactured from peanuts which are processed and often hydrogenated to increase shelf life.  The oil does not break down as much as other types of oils during the hydrogenation process, so as a result, it is lower in trans-fat content than other oils.

• Corn Oil – an inexpensive oil option that is commonly hydrogenated to increase shelf life.  Since corn oils are low in saturated fats and high in mono and polyunsaturated fats, the hydrogenation process breaks down the fats and results in high trans-fat levels.  
  ​A very unhealthy oil choice when hydrogenated because of the high levels of trans-fats that result from the hydrogenation process.  When regular corn oil is used in high heat, it will hydrogenate because of the high temperatures.

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