Cheat sheet…

I’m one of those people who walk around the grocery store with my iPad. I know, it looks funny, or I look hoity-toity, but trust me, I’m not. I find it much better than keeping up with a little piece of paper. Not to mention I’m not killing any trees. Another plus is that I can keep my cheat sheet of harmful food additives to avoid & the dirty dozen.

There’s no way you could memorize all of those, right? That’s why it’s so easy to keep the list right on your grocery list!

The Dirty Dozen… This is a list of the 12 fruits and vegetables that require the most pesticides to grow. If you’re only going to buy a few things organic, let it be these.

Apples
Cherries
Grapes (imported)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bell Peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach

Harmful Food Additives to Avoid…

Sodium Nitrate/Nitrite (mostly used to preserve meats)
BHA & BHT
Trans Fats
Olestra
Propyl Gallate
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (commonly found in Chinese foods but also in baby foods, infant formula, protein bars, waxes on fresh fruits, etc.)
Potassium Bromate (commonly found in bread)
Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame/Saccharin/Mannitol (found in sodas, Equal/Sweet ‘N Low, etc.)
Food Colorings
Sodium Chloride
Acesulfame-K
Refined Sugar
Hydrogenated & Partially Hydrogenated Oils
Sodium Sulfite (mostly found in wine)
Maltodextrin
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Sulfur Dioxide (commonly found in beer, dried fruits, chips and soft drinks)

Why is it so bad for me?…

All of these ingredients are highly processed “food-like” substances. There is absolutely no nutritional value to any of these items. In fact, most of them have been linked to cancer. Bottom line, if it’s not a real whole food, we should not consume it. Yes, it is hard since our grocery stores today are full of thousands of these processed food-like substances but don’t you want to read the label and at least be in-the-know? For example, aspartame has been shown to cause cancer in rats at levels approved for human consumption. On the same note, Nitrates or nitrites are chemicals that are classified as probable carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Carcinogen = Any substance that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. Be a label reader, you’ll be shocked!