Know What You're Eating and Feeding Your Family

Look Out! Right now you could be consuming processed foods that go against nature by being genetically modified and full of additives for the sake of being more tasty, richer in color and faster for you to prepare. You may not realize how you are compromising the health of yourself and your children. Before you prepare food, always check the nutritional value of foods and get to know your opponents well.

Many foods and drinks that people buy such as processed snacks and frozen meals are full of chemicals, dyes, sweeteners, artificial flavors and harmful fats. Then they are stripped of their nutritional content,  antioxidants and fiber that our body needs!

By recognizing "processed foods" you can make your eating habits more healthy and prevent illnesses. Once you get the hang of of which ingredients pose a threat to your well being, making good choices becomes easier and you can avoid those foods when shopping.

Foods contain either saturated fats (animal products) or unsaturated fats. When you eat natural sources of fats like nuts and grains, monounsaturated and polysaturated fats are good for you. It is very unfortunate that these fats are turned into dangerous trans fat by adding hydrogen atoms that alter their chemical structure. This process is used in margarine and other products to extend shelf life. This type of fat increases your risk for heart disease by lowing your good cholesterol and raising the bad.
Look on your container of margarine. Do you see "partially hydrogenated"? If you do, throw it away. If you make a better natural choice you can reduce your heart disease rate by 53%.

Corn syrup is a sweetener. It's cheap to produce and mixes easy with other ingredients. Corn syrup is taking over the food industry and we should take caution. High frutose corn syrup's chemical structure encourages overeating and has very negative effects on our liver. Corn syrup should be avoided in your diet. Look for this ingredient in your pantry. Make the change to buy better quality products that do not contain corn syrup, high frutose corn syrup and corn sweetener.

To make healthier choices:

• Try to eat as much local and seasonal fruits and vegetables as possible.
• Select "organic" and chemical free produce
• Resist purchasing factory-farmed meats that have been genetically modified, contain hormones or antibiotics. A good tip to remember is if it does not specify "grass fed", "hormone free", "cage free" or "organic" it isn't!  If you are going to eat meat, make sure you do your best to choose animals that have been raised in a natural environment and eating their natural foods. The majority of the cattle in the US is fed corn. Cows were put on the earth to consume grass. Would you feed your family cat a bowl of bird seed because it was cheap? I didn't think so.
• If you must eat at a restaurant or fast food, please go online and look at the nutritional menu before you go. If you make the time beforehand to see what the calories, fats and sodium are, you will have a better chance at winning the battle.

 I know it is overwhelming at first to make all these different choices. We all walk in our supermarkets and see these food products and think they are OK for us to consume. No one is going to hold your hand at the market and tell you what is good for you and what isn't. It is YOUR responsibility to feed yourself and your family healthy and nutritious foods. Just because the FDA passed chocolate donuts as an edible product, does not mean it is OK to feed this to your children on a regular basis. I know sometimes we can't eat the way we should all the time. I would just like to encourage you to open your eyes, read the labels, understand the labels and ingredients and begin to make better choices.

It gets easier with time.



Coincidentally, Here's a link that popped up on my Facebook today.