Do you know that most Americans are literally poisoning themselves daily? That’s right…poisoning themselves! If we really knew and understood what the heck we were eating and possibly feeding our children… we would all die of shock instead of the poisoning. A matter of fact… maybe instead of going grocery shopping… we should go into a science laboratory and make up our own concoction and pour it into our coffee, tea or into our kids cereal. Sounds disgusting right? I remember my business partner Rick Wollman telling me a story on how we felt after a Super Bowl weekend. He ate, drank and stuffed his face with CRAP… (not literally) but crappy, disgusting and toxic foods. He said he felt so poisoned that he couldn’t get out of bed for a day. Maybe you should read more about his story in his new eBook, The Tale of Two Ricks.
In my last post we discussed taking my Internal Inventory Intake exercise. Do you remember? I wanted you to journal everything you eat and drink in a given day… and log it for at least a week. Once you have your list… highlight in yellow all the acidic foods and highlight in green all the alkaline foods. And in the blog post… I gave samples of the most common acidic foods and alkaline foods.
So you have your list… now what? My suggestion is to study that list of examples I gave in my last post. Begin to reduce or eliminate those acidic foods and beverages. Focus on having a more alkaline eating lifestyle. I would also focus on reading the labels and making sure that foods you are buying don’t have what I am going to talk about next.
So now let’s discuss some of the top nine foods and ingredients you should eliminate from your list…and become more aware about when you are shopping for certain foods. So grab a pencil and paper and make some notes before you create that next shopping list.
One of the worst things you could put into your body is…
1. ASPARTAME
You might be saying, “I don’t eat Aspartame!” Oh yeah? Maybe you have heard of SPLENDA, NUTRASWEET, SWEET N LOW, and EQUAL? Of course you have… but you may not have known that Aspartame … (but we will call it Nutrasweet and Equal) is an artificial, chemical “zero calorie” sweetener that is used in almost every diet drink and sugar free product. Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) saccharin (Sweet’N Low), and sucralose (Splenda) are among the more popular artificial sweeteners used in many diet sodas, juices, chewing gums, and other foods).
It may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness, migraine headaches, brain seizers, cravings, weight gain, increased appetite, bloating, rashes or hallucinations. It is best to stick with either raw sugars or natural sugar substitutes like pure stevia extract.
It has been said that NutraSweet was discovered by a scientist who was formulating an anti-ulcer drug. Some of what was in one of the test tubes spilled on the counter. The scientist then got some on his finger. He licked his finger to turn the page of a book and noticed that it tasted sweet. And there you have the accidental discovery of Nutrasweet…what was orginally intented to be part of a prescription drug. YUMMY!
Oh… so if we don’t go to the local science laboratory to make our own form of Nutrasweet… how about we go out to dinner and eat at a food chain restaurant instead? NOT! And I am not talking about the common fast food chains like McDonalds or Wendy’s. Most of the commercial restaurants, especially fast food chains, often serve food loaded with the next thing we should eliminate which is…
2. ALL PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS (TRANS FATS)
Partially hydrogenated oils are found in thousands of processed foods (breakfast cereals, cookies, chips). Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease and contribute to obesity.
Consequences of a diet high in trans fats include:
* increased inflammation
* decreased immune function
* decreased testosterone
* Arthritis
* Cancer
* Decrease IQ ¬ learning disabilities. American IQ has dropped 20 points in the past 20 years.
* Diabetes
* Elevated blood pressure
* Free radical production
* Heart Disease
* Interferes with neurological & visual development of fetus
* Liver damage
* Obesity
* Osteoporosis
* Type II diabetes
I am sure if you have children you may have cereal or some kind of yummy foods, snacks and beverages that have…
3. WHITE SUGAR
Sugar is more addictive than cocaine! Sugar has a profound influence on your brain function and your psychological function. When you consume excess amounts of sugar, your body releases excess amounts of insulin, which in turn causes a drop in your blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia.
And we aren’t just talking about the effects on children either. If you care anything about how handsome, pretty or young you look… sugar damages skin collagen and promotes wrinkles, increases your appetite, depletes your body of B vitamins, causes joint degeneration, ADHD and other behavior disorders, stimulates cholesterol synthesis and weight gain. So say goodbye to all the Frosted Flakes. So long Tony!
Do I have your attention so far? Good! Hopefully now you will begin to start looking at some of the ingredients in the foods you buy… because the next one doesn’t stand for Madison Square Garden… but it is called:
4. MSG
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), carrageenan, and refined salt. Often hidden in foods under different names, MSG is a pervasive salt chemical you will want to avoid that is linked to causing headaches, heart problems, brain damage, and other problems. Carrageenan, another chemical additive often hidden in “natural” and organic foods like nut milks and lunch meats, is similarly worth avoiding, as it can cause gastrointestinal upset and colon cancer.
Commercial table salt is highly processed and full of aluminum, chemicals and additives which are toxic. And processed salt, which is added to just about everything these days, lacks the trace minerals normally present in sea and earth salts, which means it ends up robbing your body of these vital nutrients. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke are just a few of the many conditions that can result from refined salt intake, so your best bet is to stick with unrefined sea salts, Celtic sea salt (light pink, grey or beige color). My personal favorite is the Himalayan sea salt.
5. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS)
HFCS is the number one source of calories for most Americans and causes obesity. You’ll find high-fructose corn syrup in processed food, fast food, sodas, syrup that goes into your Latte, etc. HFCS is extremely toxic to your liver, increases inflammation, causes obesity, oxidative stress and creates an aggressive insulin response. Avoid all foods that contain HFCS — this can include breads, cereals … it will make a significant improvement for your health.
6. VEGETABLE OILS (including hydrogenated and ‘trans’ fat varieties)
Most people believe that unsaturated vegetable oils are a healthy alternative. Not only do many vegetables oils turn rancid quickly, which means they are toxic, but many of them also contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids which, apart from omega-3 fatty acids, can cause severe health problems like heart disease and cancer.
Many vegetable oils are also made from genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), including canola, soy, and corn oils. These same oils are often hydrogenated… which is a process that turns them into heart-destroying solid oils. Eat healthy fats like grass-fed butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and hemp oil.
If you have children… this is an important one you should pay attention to. I am sure in some of the snacks, cereal, juices and candy that our children eat … there is definitely:
7. FOOD COLORINGS (Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 5, 6)
Six food colorings still on the market are linked with cancer in animal testing. There is evidence that food coloring and food additives contribute to behavioral problems in children, lead to lower IQ, hyperactivity, ADHD, depression, hormonal dysfunction and cancer.
Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, ice cream candy and baked goods have been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. This artificial color causes cancer and changes in brain chemistry. Check and read the list of ingredients in your child’s cough syrup (artificial color).
Green 3 is a potential allergen and has been linked to bladder cancer. Green 3 is added to candy, mint jelly, cereals and beverages.
Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods, cereals and pet food have been linked to allergies and cancer.
Yellow 5 is the most notable artificial color because it causes the most immediate allergic reaction in people sensitive to salicylates such as aspirin.
Yellow 6 has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney. Yellow 6 is added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods and candy.
Stay away from any product listing an ingredient with a color plus a number.
8. PROCESSED/REFINED WHEAT AND GLUTEN
Refined grains are void of nutrients, disrupt insulin levels and are highly allergenic for many individuals. Wheat and gluten have adverse health effects for approximately 80 percent of the population. Gluten is a protein found combined with starch in the endosperm of grains, notably wheat, rye and barley.
Signs and symptoms of gluten intolerance: The ultimate effect of this hidden wear and tear is the slow destruction of the healthy mucosa, or lining tissue of the small intestine causing an autoimmune response that’s similar to an allergic reaction.
In some cases there may be symptoms in childhood such as allergies, asthma, anemia, reoccurring infections, a constant upset stomach or milk intolerance. Other symptoms are nasal and throat mucous, feeling of food sitting in stomach, bloating, gas, diarrhea with periodic constipation, mental fogginess and skin rashes.
In severe cases, as with Celiac disease, there can be seizures, psychosis, violent behavior and withdrawal from self. Eliminate gluten-products for 3-4 weeks and tell me how great you feel.
It’s important to form a habit of reading the list of ingredients on ALL products!
9. WHITE BREAD (pasta, and other refined flour foods)
They are cheap and come in hundreds of varieties. But white breads, pastas, and other foods made from refined flour will destroy your health. Most white flour products are bleached and they also lack vital nutrients that are stripped away during processing. Avoid them, and all processed wheat products if possible, to optimize your health.
Tips from this article
Tips:
• Start reading labels and ingredients as you shop
• Reduce or eliminate the foods that contain ingredients from our top 9 list
• Use the healthier alternatives
Comments
Excellent article. Well written and informative. Please keep these coming. The alkaline/ acid way of eating really made great changes in my life. I highly recommend it to everyone. Thank you .