Is your food making you sick?

Are the foods in your pantry making you and your family sick? We all try to make good food choices for our loved ones but how can you make good choices when you're constantly bombarded with conflicting information? We are constantly being told "eat this" and "don't eat that". How can anyone make sense of it all?

What's Making You Sick?

Among the plethora of items in processed foods that can contribute to inflammation and other conditions, these are a few of the biggest contributors to disease.

GMOs

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are plants (or animals) that have been genetically altered by adding bacteria, viruses, or genes from other plants/animals in order to make them resistant to herbicides and in some cases, even produce their own insecticides. How does that affect you? The truth is, we don't know exactly. What we do know is that a growing number of reports have linked GMOs directly to health and environmental problems. We also know that more than 60 countries world-wide have banned the use of GMO foods. Do you know where they are lurking in your food?

Food Additives

Chemical additives are often used to change the color, texture and taste of your food. Additional items are added to preserve products and make them resistant to mold. Studies have linked some of these artificial additives to cancer, asthma, lower IQ and even behavioral problems in children.

Artificial Sweeteners

A vast majority of products labeled "sugar free" contain the carcinogen Aspartame. Aspartame has been linked to a plethora of ailments and conditions, more so than any other food. It can cause conditions ranging from Fibromayalgia to anxiety and has been linked to Alzheimer's Disease and brain tumors.

High Fructose Corn Syrup, although derived from a natural source, is a highly refined sweetener which present in most processed foods. HFCS increases LDL (Bad cholesterol) levels and contributes to diabetes and leptin resistance.

What Can You Do?

There are many other food ingredients that should be avoided for optimum health but these are three of the biggest culprits. The problem is, most people are unaware of how to avoid these toxins and where to find them in their pantry. The best remedy is to read food labels and avoid processed foods whenever possible.

Educate yourself. Start by reading food labels before you buy. Swap out foods with long lists of ingredients for those with 5 or less. If what you’re buying has more than 5 ingredients, make sure you not only know what each of the ingredients are, but can pronounce them.