Food Additives can affect your Health!

It is increasingly harder to discern between what is natural and safe for you and your family and what was historically called JUNK or treats! Companies either ignorantly or knowingly exploit labeling laws and therefore the consumer. It seems like regulatory bodies are losing focus or control in this exploding area and if we (the parents) don’t become better informed our children will suffer diseases we don’t even have names for today!
Substances added to food are classified as additives, chemicals, preservatives, colours.
Listed and documented side effects include: behavior changes (aggression, defiance, acting out), sleep problems, hyperactivity, rashes, eczema to name a few.
If something is added to a food substance (or fluid) it is an additive. That is, it normally is not present in the food in its natural form. Baring in mind, some foods are not natural such as margarine, as one example, so the entire food source can be considered with the same principles as additives, ie artificial.
Natural or synthetic added substances can be equally as dangerous. Just because something says no “artificial ingredients” only “natural colours” etc…, still indicates that the product has been altered from it’s natural state.
A “natural” food source such as an apple that has fallen from a tree into your hand (and has been grown in the Huon of Tasmania with organic soils and pure water), is vastly different to apple left-overs, mulched , squeezed into funky plastic wrap, with preservatives added so it won’t go rancid and coloured to look brighter and sweetened to ensure kids get hooked (even though the packet-apple mulch mentioned maybe marketed as natural) and tooted as being “apple”.
This is the first article in a many to help you understand the mind-boggling, but pertinent area of food, beverages and additives.
Here are 9 guidelines to decrease your exposure to additives and chemicals:
1. Where possible try to buy “virgin” produce. Eg fruit, vegetables
2. Shop more regularly, rather than trying to do one big shop per week. There for your need to long-life products decreases
3. Start reading labels and become familiar with common terms (more info on www.byebyebridget.com web site)
4. Avoid foods that have numbers in the ingredients panel
5. Avoid foods that have things that you have no idea what they are; Eg: hydrolyzed vegetable protein (as it’s likely to be an additive)
6. Avoid foods and drinks that have bright colours (natural colours can be beautiful, but colour-enhancers, such as green, can have diabolical side effects for your child).
7. Make it your business to stay up-dated with changes in the food and beverage industry.
8. Subscribe as a follower to www.thehealthqueen.blogspot.com and as I add things you will be up-dated as well.
9. Join www.byebyebridget.com for chemical free recipes and lunch ideas