What To Avoid When It Comes To Feeding Your Family
As a parent myself, I know
that we all want to do the best that we can for our children. I also know that the information that we need
in order to do this is not always brought into our awareness. Although the information is available, it
remains hidden behind the perspectives we are often taught to believe. This is what I faced when I went through the
journey of helping my son to heal and to thrive.
The more that I learned,
the more I found myself faced with the need to do two things. First, to make the necessary changes in our
lives to benefit him based upon my newfound knowledge. Second, to work through my feelings of
betrayal and confusion that I felt toward those who had failed to provide the
information in a clear way to be before. I learned that the quickest and most efficient way to move through the
later, and thus allow for the first was to embrace the concept of forgiveness
and to let go of any of these negative feelings.
Therefore, please do not
hold onto blame, either toward yourself or anyone else as you read about the
following concepts. Stay in the present
moment so that you can clearly discern for yourself what you believe will serve
your child to their highest benefit.
TOXINS
Toxic substances found in
foods negatively impact our children’s health on all levels. Their reaction to a toxic substance can
literally show up as a behavioral issue at school or home. There are many of these toxins in our food
supply today, so awareness is the key to making sure that we keep them away
from our children to the best of our abilities.
Reading ingredient labels is
our only way of knowing what is in the foods we are eating. Even when we read them, it is important to
keep in mind that all elements are not included. These include pesticides, herbicides, Genetically
Engineered or Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs), MSG, antibiotics, hormones, and
many other additives. Therefore, when we
treat our kids to an ice cream cone after school, without taking into
consideration the actual ingredients that are in the product, we are
unwittingly exposing them to numerous toxic substances.
There are numerous catch
phrases that companies place on their products to lead us to believe that they
are somehow more healthy and nutritious than they really are. Therefore, it becomes imperative that we
educate ourselves as much as possible in order to avoid certain toxic,
unhealthy ingredients in whatever foods we are choosing to purchase for our
families.
The most important thing
that we can do is to be aware that businesses use marketing in order to sell
their products, and this does not necessarily mean that what they are saying is
the truth. For instance, “natural
flavors” on a label does not mean that the flavors are coming from natural
sources at all. The word “natural” on
food labels is a non-regulated marketing tactic. Genetically Engineered foods in the U.S. can
still be labeled as “natural” though they contain insecticides within the
actual seeds of the plants, are highly treated with pesticides, and are altered
from their original, natural form. The
words “gluten free” on a label have nothing to do with the quality of nutrition
inside of the package, only that there are no gluten-containing
ingredients. In fact, some companies
selling gluten free foods are providing nothing more than GMO-laden, starchy,
non-nutritional foods. “Fat free” is
another misleading marketing tactic. This label has nothing to do with nutritional content, and just because
there is no measurable fat, does not mean that your body will not turn the product
into fat once consumed.
Knowing what to avoid
makes making choices so much easier.
There are certain foods, such as gluten and sugar, which are known to
cause inflammation, the source of many of the health conditions people of all
ages experience. These foods can be
avoided, thus resulting in less inflammation and reactive symptoms. We also want to avoid foods containing toxic
ingredients, such as additives and preservatives, as described in the list
below. We would hope that we could trust
the food system to keep toxic elements away from us and not to market them to
children, but unfortunately, we cannot.
Being aware that many food corporations are working to make money, and
not necessarily to provide nutrition, allows us to break free from their
marketing and to make our own conscious decisions about what we feed to our
children.
SYNERGISTIC TOXICITY
Synergistic
toxicity refers to the effect of two chemicals on an organism that is greater
than the effect of each chemical individually, or even the sum of the
individual effects. In other words, the
presence of one chemical enhances the effects of the second. Many processed foods, sodas, gum, and fast
foods contain more than one toxic element.
When taken into consideration that the chemicals (additives,
preservatives, pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics and other medications) have a
stronger reaction in the body when they are combined, it becomes easier see why
children are struggling so much with their health and well-being.
The
harder their bodies have to work to process the foods that they eat, the harder
they have to work to concentrate and to perform to their best abilities at
school. Having to work so hard to
discern the toxins from the nutrients they actually need puts added stress upon
their systems.
ALLERGIES AND SENSITIVITIES
If
your child has an allergy or sensitivity to any foods, make sure to keep these
foods away from them until these allergies and sensitivities can be healed and
resolved. Until then, consuming these
foods causes great imbalance for them as their immune systems are working
overtime. Food reactions can take many
different forms and are different between different children. They can be immediate or delayed, by a few
minutes or a even a few days. If you are
unsure if your child has a food allergy or sensitivity, it is worth having them
tested. However, often the allergy tests
do not prove effective for identifying sensitivities at all, so sometimes you
will have to do elimination protocols and watch for reactions yourself. In fact, my son and I are so sensitive that we have had to learn to fully engage and work with our intuition in order to know what is in our highest interest to eat at any given time.
It
is important for parents to know about food reactions because mental, physical
and neurological health conditions are often misdiagnosed because food allergies
and sensitivities have not been addressed first. Some of the allergies and sensitivities that
many children have are reactions to chemicals in foods as well. Read the lists below to be aware of chemicals
to avoid. Some preservatives and
additives have been directly linked to ADHD symptoms.
Some examples of food
reactions include:
Hives, swelling,
hyperactivity, difficulty focusing and concentrating, lethargy, weight gain,
insomnia, mood swings, crying, pain anywhere in the body, constipation,
diarrhea, clumsiness, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, reflux, dark or red
circles under the eyes and of course, anaphylaxis.
READING LABELS TO KNOW WHAT TO AVOID
The key when reading
labels is to avoid toxins and anything to which your child is allergic or
sensitive. Here is a general list of
toxic ingredients to avoid.
Wheat – Gluten containing, highly chemically processed,
and highly inflammatory. Also, known to
be addictive and cause an opiate reaction in certain individuals, especially
those with ADHD and autistic symptoms.
If your child has any problems with ADHD, ADD, autism, Tourette’s,
obesity, digestive problems, allergies, or asthma it is to their benefit to
avoid eating glutinous grains (wheat, rye and barley) and soy sauce (made with
wheat).
Sugar – Very toxic to the body, addictive, and
inflammatory. Sugar sourced from beets
is further toxic in being genetically modified.
Additives – All artificial colors and flavors, MSG (see
below), artificial sweeteners, “natural flavors”
Preservatives – Many of the following examples have been proven
to be carcinogenic among other negative health effects: Sodium nitrates and
nitrites (found in processed meats and lunch meats), BHA and BHT, Benzoates,
Bromates, Mono-glycerides and Di-glycerides, Propyl gallate, Sulfites, Maleic
hydrazide, Maleic hydrazide, Proplene glycol and Carboxymethylcellulose, Citric
acid, Potassium Bromate. This is not a
comprehensive list, but provides examples of common harmful preservatives. BHT can even be found in the plastic lining
of certain cereal brands.
GMOs – Any non-organic ingredients containing soy,
corn, sugar, cotton (watch for cottonseed oil), canola oil, alfalfa, papaya,
and non-organic meat and eggs from animals that have been fed GMO
foods. he insecticides are actually
within the seeds of GMO crops, and they are often sprayed with more Roundup
than other crops because they are engineered to be resistant to the weed
killer. These foods are currently not labeled in the U.S., although they are
labeled in Europe and banned in over 40 other countries in the world. GM foods have never been evaluated as safe
for human consumption. Most processed
foods in the supermarket contain some amount of GM foods. To be sure you are not buying GM foods, look
for the Non-GMO verified seal on the package or buy organic. See the Resources section for more
information about GMOs.
High Fructose Corn Syrup – Despite what the corn industry would have us
believe through their advertising, HFCS is not
natural, not processed in the body
the same way as sugar, is linked to obesity, causes damage to the lining of the
gut resulting in inflammation, and can be contaminated with toxic substances
such as mercury. HFCS is the most widely
used sweetener in processed foods, candies, and sodas in the U.S.
MSG - A neurotoxin, which hidden in many processed
foods, including those marketed as “natural” or “health food." It is not always labeled as MSG. It is also found in many Asian food restaurants. Refer to this website for extensive lists and
information about this toxin: http://www.truthinlabeling.org/
Potato Chips – Potatoes and many oils produce toxins when
heated at high temperature. Olestra (Olean)
is a toxic additive added to “fat free” products.
Soy – 91% of
soy crops planted in the U.S. are genetically modified. Unfermented soy is known to be harmful to
hormone levels in the body. Soy lecithin
and soy protein isolate are highly processed forms of soy used in most
processed foods. Read labels carefully
and avoid non-organic soy.
Partially hydrogenated oils – These are synthetically man-made and convert
to toxic trans fats within the body once consumed.
Artificial sweeteners – Aspartame, Saccharin, Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame – K), Sucralose,
and Neotame, Cyclamate
Added vitamins and minerals (Enriched) - Can be found in products labeled as
“enriched." These are synthetic in form,
and will not be assimilated by the body the same way as the natural form. When you have the choice to purchase a
product, which is enriched versus one that is not, opt for the later, which is
more pure and provide the other nutrients either through the rest of the diet
or through a natural supplement if needed.
Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone
(rBGH) – This is not going
to be labeled in the U.S., and the only way to be sure to avoid it without the
label is to consume only organic dairy products or those labeled specifically
to not contain rBGH. Consuming dairy
treated with this toxin is consuming the toxin yourself. In addition, cows given rBGH often develop
mastitis, which means that they are treated with more antibiotics. When this happens, pus from the mastitis goes
into their milk, which is transferred to whomever consumes it. This includes dairy in any form, including
cheese, yogurt, milk, cheese crackers, ice cream, cheese powder, and cheese
flavoring.
Mycoprotein – A meat substitute found in Quorn products made
from processed mold.
BPA – This chemical is used in plastic bottles,
aluminum cans (soda and canned foods and infant formula), and dental
sealants. Scientific studies have shown
it to be an endocrine disruptor, affecting hormones and brain functioning. You can avoid it by not buying food in cans
or using plastic bottles unless otherwise labeled as BPA free.
“Lean Ground Beef” - The low quality meat
that is for sale at grocery store and is used in restaurants, which often has
added “pink slime.” Pink slime is the
fat and trimmings that people would normally not consume, mixed with
ammonia. It is cheaper and served in
school lunches and in restaurants. Just
because you pay a lot of money for a steak dinner does not mean that you are
getting chemical free, high quality meat. You have know where the meat is sourced from in order to be able to tell
if it is pure or not.
FAST FOOD IS NOT WORTH IT
Although eating out and
grabbing something quick on the go is convenient, in the long run it is not
worth the toll it takes upon our children’s bodies. It is not possible to read the labels of
everything you are served in a restaurant. You can, however, make choices based upon where they say that their food
is sourced, which they can tell you if you ask.
Also, some will list this information on their websites. Doing the research before going to a
restaurant is worth it.
Regarding fast food,
however, you can go online and read the ingredients for yourself. Take this list from McDonald’s, for
example.
When you read it, at first
it sounds pretty good. It is 100% beef
and vegetables, etcetera. However,
scrolling down to the lower part of the document, you can read the ingredients
that are actually within those 100% angus beef burgers and buns. Note the inclusion of maltodextrin and
autolyzed yeast extract, both processed additives and forms of MSG, which is a
neurotoxin. Also, take note of the many
different preservatives and artificial flavors listed. Soybean oil is sourced from GMO soybeans, and
is also a toxic oil itself. The
partially hydrogenated oils in some of the products are the dangerous oils that
turn into trans fats in the body when eaten. Even within the sauces there are preservatives, additives and artificial
flavorings added. You have to scroll
down pretty far to read the scary ingredients in the “pasturized process
american cheese,” but it is worth the look.
When these different
chemicals are combined upon ingestion, the result is that the toxicity within
each one is amplified through synergistic toxicity. Therefore, just by consuming one meal at
McDonald’s your child could be ingesting numerous chemicals, including the
hormones and antibiotics in the meat. There are too many risks in this type of food. The added flavorings and MSG make the food
taste appealing so that people will eat more of it. Beyond obesity, which many children are
dealing with today, these foods are simply toxic.
HARMFUL PROTEINS
Although protein is a very
necessary part of eating healthy and maintaining health and thriving, not all
forms are equal. Textured vegetable
protein, soy protein isolates, and wheat gluten meat substitutes (seitan) are
highly processed, inflammatory and toxic to the body. TVP and anything else made from soy that is
not in its whole form is processed. Along with processing comes chemicals.
In addition, remember that almost all soy in the U.S. is genetically
engineered, which has never been proven safe for human consumption. Stay away from these meat substitutes and
make sure that you are buying and being served the real thing.
Even the meat on your
pizza may not be real. Take a look at
this ingredients list from Pizza Hut: http://www.pizzahut.com/files/pdf/ph_ingredients.pdf Note the shocking ingredients in the meat
products, some of the vegetables and the sauces - processed soy, tvp,
preservatives, additives, chemicals. The
nitrites in the pepperoni are toxic to the body and have been linked to
childhood health conditions. Then, add into
the mix the bleached white wheat flour (yes, it is really white due to bleach
and numerous other chemicals), the non-organic cheese, which means that the
cows were given growth hormones and antibiotics. Eating a pizza out can be a toxic experience
from the chemical soup of processed and unwhole ingredients used to make it. Pizza can be made at home so that you can be
sure that your children are eating healthy foods. Pizza crust can be made out of any number of
ingredients to suit anyone’s dietary needs including: rice flour, millet flour,
almond flour, coconut flour, and ground flax seeds.
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