❓Do you trust that every ingredient permitted in our food has undergone thorough safety assessments?
❓Do you place confidence in the FDA to guarantee the safety of all components used in processed foods?
❓Do you believe that if food additives are determined to pose a threat to human health, they will be promptly removed from the food supply?
Do you know that new food additives are often approved by the manufacturer themselves, and not by the FDA. That means that the FDA is sometimes not even aware that new additive has been introduced into our food. The FDA claims that so as not to waste government resources, they will just let the manufacturer decide whether an ingredient is safe to eat or not.
The food industry has yet to justify the questionable additives they are adding to our food. They also haven’t helped us understand why they have voluntarily taken out certain controversial food additives for people in other countries but not us here in the United States. These food-like substances are made from chemicals that are cheap, provide zero nutritional value and improve the bottom line of food manufacturers.
That’s why you need to learn to read ingredient labels and know more about what you are eating and where it comes from.
Let’s get started…
INGREDIENTS – what are they?
Know what is in your food. For starters, you must read ingredient labels. https://www.coachtheah.com/post/readingfoodlabels
If the food contains any additives or preservatives, ask yourself why they are used and whether they’re really necessary. If you don’t know what an ingredient or additive is or how it can affect your health, put the product back and look for a product made with real food instead.
I will provide you a list of the most popular ingredients to avoid in processed food because they are associated with health issues. If a product contains any of the additives in this list, try finding an alternative product or make it at home from scratch.
Coach❤️Theah general rule – try buying products with 5 or less ingredients and know what all the ingredients on the label are.
Ingredients –❓ are they nutritious
Marketing terms like “diet,” “light,” “free,” “natural,” and “healthy” are blazoned on food packages that are filled with controversial additives that provide the body with zero nutrition. What kind of viable nutrition does your body get when you nosh on Red #3, carrageenan, and natural flavors? The answer is none.
An easy way to answer this question is to clarify whether the food is “whole” or “processed.” A food that is “whole” simply means a food as found in nature. Whole foods are typically “one-ingredient foods” and they don’t contain any preservatives, dyes, or preservatives.
Real Foods is: Real Meat, Strawberries, Potatoes..........
My Top Items to avoid in foods:
❌ Refined cooking oils
In recent years, seed oils have gotten a lot of attention in the health world. Seed oils are vegetable based oils like:
Canola Corn
Soybean Cottonseed
Grapeseed Sunflower
Peanut oil Rice bran
Safflower
These seed oils are highly refined and cause inflammation, metabolic disease (Weight Gain), Heart Disease, increased insulin spike, increased blood glucose and oxidized LDL.
These fats are not found in nature.
They are mostly utilized in restaurants because of the inexpensive cost for dressings, sauces and cooking.
Commonly found in these foods: margarine & other butter substitutes, salad dressing, fried foods, crackers, cookies, baked goods, trail mix, potato chips, frozen meals, frozen desserts, buns, soup, sauces, microwaved popcorn
❌ Artificial Flavors -Synthetic flavor made from proprietary chemicals.
These are used to make fake food taste real. This is not a single ingredient – each flavor may contain of up to 100 ingredients, including synthetic chemicals, solvents and preservatives such as BHA, propylene glycol, MSG, parabens, and more
Commonly found in these foods: Cereal, candy, drink mixes, desserts, soft drinks.
If you are consuming foods with Artificial Flavors, toss them ~ they are not Coach❤️ Theah Approved
❌ Artificial Sweeteners - Despite being calorie-free, artificial sweeteners have been demonstrated to contribute to weight gain by fostering sugar cravings. Research indicates that these sweeteners stimulate appetite, intensify sugar cravings, and facilitate fat storage and weight gain. A study conducted by the University of Texas revealed that consuming sodas containing artificial sweeteners could lead to an increase in waist girth, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. When you consume something sweet, even if it lacks calories, your brain is deceived into desiring more calories because your body does not receive sufficient energy (calories) to feel satisfied. Consequently, the cycle of craving and consuming sweets persists, contributing to weight gain. Many individuals struggle to achieve their optimal health or weight loss objectives as they are consistently influenced by these chemical artificial sweeteners that deceive the brain and body.
Aspartame (NutraSweet) Saccharin
Dextrose Sugar Alcohols (Sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol)
Erythritol Stevia Extract (it is not the stevia leaf)
Fructose or Fructose Syrup Sucralose (Splenda)
Corn Syrup or High Fructose Corn Syrup Maltodextrin
Commonly found in these foods: Anything labeled diet or sugar-free, diet soda, protein powders, yogurts, cereal, fruit cups, "sugar-free" sauces, syrups, frostings etc..
👎Aspartame (NutraSweet): has been linked to increased risk of brain tumors, lymphomas, leukemia and heart disease. This study showed that replacing sugar with aspartame simply increased hunger and the subjects compensated by eating more calories.
👎Corn syrup and dextrose ~ typically made from GMO corn that produces its own insecticide
❌ Food Coloring - there is no nutritional benefits and food coloring/dyes are only used to improve the appearance of food. Artificial colors can disrupt the immune system and some are linked to causing cancer.
👎Blue 1, Yellow 5 & 6
👎Red 3: Artificial red dye derived from petroleum. Recognized as an animal carcinogen it was banned from cosmetics in 1990, yet the FDA still permits it in food.
👎Red 40 - The most popular artificial color used in the U.S., linked to hyperactivity in children. Europe requires any food containing this dye to carry the warning label “May Have an Adverse Effect on Activity and Attention in Children.”
Commonly found in these foods: Strawberry milk, baked goods, maraschino cherries, candy, sausage casings, soft drinks, candy, cake, frosting, cookies, fruit cups, cherry filling, popsicles, toaster pastries, cereal bars, cereals, ice cream, yogurt, drink mixes.
❌ Synthetic preservatives
Sodium Benzoate: Soft drinks, pickles, syrups, sauces, salad dressing.
Sodium Nitrate
Sodium Nitrite: Deli meat, ham, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, jerky, meat snacks.
#1 to avoid: Sodium Phosphate: commonly used in processed food. When you consume phosphate it can lead to excessive levels of phosphate in the blood and puts you at risk of chronic kidney disease, increased mortality, heart disease, and accelerated aging.
Preservatives:
Sodium Phosphate
It is so commonly used that if you eat processed food, you likely eat it daily. When you eat phosphate additives often, it can lead to excessive levels of phosphate in the blood and puts you at risk of chronic kidney disease, increased mortality, heart disease, and accelerated aging. The EWG warns that sodium phosphate is a top additive to avoid.
Commonly found: Frozen meals, cooked chicken, pudding, gelatin, mac n’ cheese, frozen desserts, soup, deli meat, imitation cheese slices.
BHA & BHT: Butylated Hydroxy anisole, commonly known as BHA, serves as a preservative that has been identified as an endocrine disruptor, elevating the risk of cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies BHA as "possibly carcinogenic to humans," and the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, National Toxicology Program considers it a "reasonably anticipated human carcinogen." Although its use is significantly restricted in Europe, the FDA permits food companies in the United States to use it. BHA is commonly found in various products such as sausage, pizza, canned soup, boxed potatoes, drink mixes, canned refried beans, spaghetti sauce, and chewing gum.
Citric Acid: Although citric acid is naturally found in lemon and other fruits, the additive used in packaged foods is typically derived from mold made with GMO corn (not from fruit). Frequent consumption is linked to an increase in tooth decay and also can irritate the gut.
Found in: Juice, bottled ice tea, citrus-flavored sodas, energy drinks, baby food, flavored chips, candy, canned tomatoes.
Coach❤️Theah Tips:
❤️Shop the perimeter of the store, cook your meals and eat real food
❤️Learn to read labels and reduce these ingredients from your diet ~ see my blog post below
❤️You can reach me at coachtheah@gmail.com for any help or more information
❤️DISCLAIMER: Please always check with your primary health care provider before starting any supplement regime. More importantly, it is critical to monitor your numbers and levels of which you are on medication for insulin, thyroid medication, blood pressure, whatever it may be. With this way of eating and specific supplements, you begin to heal and you may over time be able to reduce or eliminate the need for certain medications. ❤️
