Thursday, October 28, 2010

Dangers in Our Foods

Today I am sure you hear all about the dangers of aspartame and also High Fructose Corn Syrup, but what about MSG?, I never really took the time years ago to read the labels, until my own health and weight problems began. Over the past year, I learned more and more about additive and chemicals that are allowed in the American diet, and still to this day, I do not understand how these harmful chemicals can be added in our foods without any warnings on the package. Unlike tobacco, I assume the FDA is a little generous about labels and really does not have a watch over the American public's health issues concerns, but I will not get into this, my reason for posting this blog is to set awareness about MSG. Now I had to do some research and find out more why this chemical is in our foods, and what is it's purpose and also WEIGH-GAIN.
Continuing to allow MSG and Aspartame to be added to our foods with all the research that documents their ill effects is disturbing.   It is clear that we must be conscientious in our food choices for ourselves and for our families

Monosodium Glutamate

MSG is a flavor enhancer traditionally used in Chinese food, but found today in many foods like breakfast sausages and potato chips. Food companies and restaurants use MSG to make food taste better and to get you to eat more of it. If a food company were to abstain from using MSG, they would be outsold by their competition who does use it.
Another benefit to the food industry is that MSG causes hunger. When I "use to" eat  fast food, I was ravenously hungry an hour later just like I had eaten in a Chinese restaurant. It causes you to eat more during a meal too. Have you ever noticed that you eat more when you eat out? Now it is linked to obesity.
I  took over 30 minutes in the grocery store the other day, because I was wanting to see if I could find some broth without MSG, after 30 minutes of reading labels, I found one, but it cost almost $5.00,  it amazed me how much MSG is in almost every thing you buy. Today my family is reaping the benefits of my own selfishness in getting healthy, I am so happy to be able to teach them to read labels, it is not too late for them, but it is sad, because our foods are filled with crap, and unless we take a science course in chemicals we would never really know about all this in our America foods, which now is world wide. We preserve foods to last longer and sell cheap, but it costs our health.
One thing I will mention is that I am still leaning towards Stevia as the only natural sweetener that is safe, and I usually have to be my own experiment, and I did purchase "Truvia" and like it in my ice tea. Japan has been using Stevia in sodas for over 50 years, it has been around for along time.
So, the process of elimination has begun, and my weight loss has been showing progress.
No more:
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Aspartame
MSG
and I am not done yet, I still have a long list of food additives to go through, but so far, by taking milk thistle, educating myself and paying attention to how my body reacts to foods is the key.

Here is some more information on MSG

The Truth about MSG Monosodium Glutamate Clinical Nutrition

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