Eat Real Food: Avoiding Food Additives
I became a vegetarian when I was 18 because Denny, a guy I was dating, kept discussing the reasons why it’s important until I was convinced to try it myself. I have found it hard to stick to when others were serving the food, but I’ve cooked vegetarian ever since. I am no longer a strict vegetarian, but I avoid all red meat and only have poultry once in awhile. Every time I do, I thank the poor chicken for giving up its life for me.
Being a vegetarian did not prevent my cholesterol level from going up. I eventually discovered that I have inherited high cholesterol. A low-fat diet doesn’t help at all, but aerobic exercise does lower my cholesterol level.
Years ago, I created the habit of looking at labels to see how much trans-fats and saturated fats are in each food. It made me cut out a lot of yummy foods that might have killed me some day.
My astrologer has been telling me for years to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and to avoid processed foods. This year, she told me that it is imperative for me to quit eating any foods with preservatives and additives. She said if I do that and exercise regularly, I will get younger; and if I don’t exercise and eat right, my body will degenerate. Well, she struck fear into my heart, and I’ve been checking ingredients. I suppose this is a prescription for youth and longevity. But, we are surrounded by additives!
I am very sensitive. I have sensitive skin, seasonal allergies, allergic reactions to chemicals in foods, paints, cosmetics, you name it….So, it only makes sense that I need to eat organic, pure foods without any additives!
How many of us are like that, I wonder? How many people die from cancer because of what is in the foods we eat, unknowingly?
As I looked for a place to buy lunch during my workday, I found two places that had healthy foods: Bucharest restaurant which sells Mediterranean food and which I have to drive to and pick up lunch; and Whole Foods Market, where I have to drive and shop and pick up a whole week’s worth of lunches in order to make it worth spending my lunch hour to go there.
At the delis and restaurants that I can walk to during my lunchtime, I began to ask where they get their produce. They looked at me funny, didn’t know the answers, and didn’t seem to care at all. My favorite places buy their produce at the Farmer’s Market, though. I asked about preservatives in the salad bar, and they said they buy from the Farmer’s Market and there are no additives to preserve the foods, since they get used up and replaced constantly throughout the day.
I totally avoid McDonald’s and Burger King because they only have processed breads and their produce is obviously not the best. At the deli, I now request whole grain bread or flat bread.
The best way, though, to be sure that you are eating real food is to shop organic, make your own meals, and pack your own lunches.
Two sources that I follow for information on good and bad foods are: foodbabe.com and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (cspinet). Watch out, though! I often cringe when I find out what our food is made out of!
The cspinet has a newsletter called “Nutrition Action” Health Letter. It is so full of shocking information that it takes quite awhile to read through it all. It also has charts that you can take to the supermarket with you as guides through the dangers lurking in the food isles.
Food Babe Vani Hari investigates what is really in our food, how it is grown and what chemicals are used in its production. She exposes what the food industry is doing and shares her findings on her website along with alternative ways to find and make healthy food.
Leave a Reply