Altered fats, like trans fat, interesterifed fat, and the additive MSG, an excitatory neuro-transmitter or “excitotoxin”, and sugar substitutes are alien substances which impersonate real food.

Altered fats (trans fat and interesterified fat) are identifiable on most processed foods, as they are required to be listed on the nutrition label. MSG is another story. Even though MSG is an excitotoxin, which over-stimulates brain cells to the point that they die, it’s not always easy to locate it on products. Although there’s a few key words to look for: Flavoring, Hydrolyzed, and Extract. These words are meant to sound nutritious, but may be hiding MSG as an ingredient. Of course, there’s the helpful “No MSG” announcement on some products.

“Really?” Brodie can’t believe people eat artificial stuff.

It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature
There are other food additives “regarded as safe,” which can have adverse side effects. At least these artificial additives can be found on the nutrition label. Olestra is an indigestible fat substitute used in some chips and has had problems ranging from gas to bloody stools to cramps.

NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, Equal-Measure and Canderel are all aspartame. Aspartame is a substance that alters brain hormone balances and has been linked to neurological effects, including seizures. Splenda, the brand name for sucralose, is.an artificial sweetener made with Chlorine. It’s has been linked to rashes, to headaches, to severe gastrointestinal problems, as well as cancer.

The FDA has approved thousands of chemicals in our food supply. It took thirty years for the FDA to admit that trans fat was harmful and we shouldn’t ingest any! There’s a percentage of the population, who can’t tolerate various additives. Some have adverse reactions to dyes, some to nitrates, and some to sulfates. Whether you or your children have an immediate reaction to these artificial ingredients, they are ultimately harming your health.                     

Getting back to basics
You and your family deserve the best. Make an effort to eat whole foods as close as to the way God created them. Whole foods are what your body needs to maintain health. The quality and purity of what you make at home is far superior to anything processed. Cooking does take time, but today we have hundreds of appliances, which make every aspect of preparing foods easier.

If you want to avoid the chemicals added to processed foods, there’s no real alternative. You must cook at home using whole foods. When you purchase processed foods (anything in a box or a can or a bag) read the label. My rule of thumb: if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it. Many times making something from scratch really doesn’t take any more time than the processed variety. It just takes a good recipe, knowing a couple of short cuts, and a little practice. ( Click here for three easy short cuts for cooking nutritious meals.)

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For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.