04 Feb Deviant Ingredients

Ever look at ingredients before you purchase? You should, here’s why… The reality is that we as a people choose our food products based on convenience and brand recognition. Today our food choices are driven by marketing, strategic colors and logos to draw attention to their packaging for its consumers.  Packaging literally screams out at you with bold health claims like Natural flavors, Lowers cholesterol, Fat free, Multi/Whole grain, No sugar added, Sugar Free, Zero Trans Fat, Free Range, Made with Real fruit, Made with Organic ingredients, Just to name a few, the list literally goes on and on.

Most frequently the claims made on these packages don’t match the ingredients listed on the back. The truth is if it sounds too good to be true then your curiosity should kick in by turning the package around and reading the ingredients. Companies like to brag about the natural ingredients that they use by actually listing those ingredients word for word vs just listing “Natural Ingredients”. All natural doesn’t really mean much. According to FDA.GOV the FDA has considered the term “natural” to mean that the food doesn’t contain added colors, artificial flavors & synthetic substances. Which leaves plenty of room for these companies to add preservatives, sodium, High fructose corn syrup etc…Food Makers can slap a natural sign and not actually be natural! How deceiving!     

It was a process for me to become ingredients savvy, the reality is that there are so many complex terms used on ingredients list that we read most of them and don’t bother to question it because it becomes overwhelming. I can share a personal experience on my evolution in bread choices. Something that should be so simple is not so simple at all. I can recall from my childhood eating Wonder Bread. For one it was inexpensive, but it was also heavily marketed aka a well-known brand that was often viewed on TV and billboards. I would like to illustrate its ingredients as an example…

Wonder Bread…

31 ingredients

Versus my choice of bread today…

Ezekiel Bread

11  ingredients

As you can see Wonder Bread lists 31 ingredients and this Ezekiel bread only has 11. Some Products have more ingredients than they really need. Reading ingredients is the only way to have knowledge of what’s in your packaged food and how processed it can be. Most of us don’t consider that the food that we eat might be poison! And are considered toxic. When I say Toxic I mean: containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation. Just because you do not see an immediate reaction does not mean its not toxic.

Decoding an ingredient label can be difficult because you would question if what you’re reading is foreign language.  Truth is there are over 43 different names for added sugar alone. The most important rule of thumb is … If you can’t say it, DON’T EAT IT!

Top 10 ingredients to avoid.

1.Palm oil

2. shortening

3. white flour, white pasta & bread- when whole grain is refined most of its nutrients are sucked out in effort to extend its shelf life.

4. High fructose corn syrup- ahh the king of all evils! This guy is in everything!!

5.artificial sweetners such as ( sweet n low, Equal, Nutrasweet, Splenda)

6.Sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate- known carcinogen found in some sodas to prevent mold.

7.BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) potentially cancer causing preservative. Also found in cosmetics to prevent things from spoiling.

8.Sodium nitrates & Sodium Nitrites (believed to cause colon cancer and metabolic syndrome which can lead to diabetes.

9.Blue, Green, Red & Yellow ( linked to thyroid, adrenal, bladder, kidney, and brain cancers)

10. MSG ( Monosodium glutamate) it’s a processed flavor enhancer.

Do your research and become ingredients savvy!

–Miss Rehab Ramdass

Disclaimer: Miss Rehab Ramdass website, blog, social media and videos should not be construed as medical advice. Content from this site and blog are not intended to be used as a medical diagnosis or treatment. The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice