10 Ingredients to Avoid in Processed Foods Part 2 – Juggling Real Food and Real Life

This is Part 2 of my top 10 Ingredients to Avoid.  If you missed part 1, you can get caught up here.   I’ve been going crazy this fall trying to keep up with my family’s schedule and it is getting harder and harder to stay motivated to eat real food.  Yes, I said it……….It’s not always easy.  I write this blog and I’ve been writing a lot of great real food recipes lately.  My focus has been on eating great real food.  My focus has not been on avoiding artificial ingredients.

Why does that matter?  I’ve let a few too many trips to the concession stand happen and a few “Oh, it’s just this one time” foods into my family.  I feel like I’ve ever so slowly let the junk creep back into my life.  Not all the time……..but more than usual lately.  When I started my real food journey I was so excited that I spent all my time researching food and ingredients and the information was fresh in my mind.  As with anything new, the shininess and excitement eventually fades.  This is when the real work begins.  I need to keep my family on track.  This is not a sprint we are running.  It is a lifetime marathon of healthy eating.

I love my children so much and really couldn’t handle the guilt of knowing I didn’t give them the best possible nutrition I could.  Maybe, I need therapy.  Or maybe this is the motivation that is going to keep me going.  Here is a reminder for you and I of some of the ingredients we are avoiding.  I’m tired, but I need to keep running this marathon.  It is so worth it!  Thank you for always running beside me.

10 Ingredients to Avoid in Processed Foods (Part 2)

Preservatives…………..

6. Benzoate Preservatives – These preserve fats and prevent them from going bad. That sounds good, right? The side effects of this is hyperactivity, asthma, tumors, and dermatitis. It messes with estrogen levels and increases cholesterol.

7. Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate – Chemicals that are used to preserve meat. I’ve actually read conflicting information on these preservatives. Some studies say they these chemicals convert to nitrosamines which are associated with cancer. Others studies say they are not harmful at all. I’m not taking any chances with my family.

And now for the oils…………..

8. Brominated Vegetable Oil– Chemical that is used in citric-based fruit and soft drinks.  It is said to damage liver, kidney, heart, thyroid, and testicles.  Wow!  I think we need those things.

9.  Olestra– It is an fat substitute that is used in fried and baked foods.  It is not digestible.  Olestra gets in the way of nutrient absorption and is linked to gas, cramps, and diarrhea.  Yuck! Yuck! Double Yuck!

10.  Shortening, Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Oils – These include palm, soybean, and others.  These are factory created fats which are used in more than 40,000 food products in the United States.  They contain trans fats which have been found to increase your risk for heart disease.

Did you check your labels?  Have you seen any of these ingredients in your foods?  What do you think is the best way to avoid these ingredients?  Have you tried cutting any of these out?  What is the most difficult to avoid?

I can’t wait to hear from you. Leave me a comment here and I invite you to join the fun on our various social media. Just join us by using the various buttons at the top of the page. Lots more recipes, tips and fun to be had by all! If you are new to the blog……..I invite you to check out our Weekly Challenges. This is a great systematic way to to eat more of a Real Food diet and eliminate processed food. This is the approach my family took to overhauling our diet. Remember……small changes can create dramatic changes to your overall health. Good luck!

 

Sources: http://www.healthiertalk.com/10-worst-food-ingredients-you-should-avoid-plague-4066

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/9-ingredients-to-avoid-in-processed-foods-1268429.html