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Processed Food: News Roundup
The health food nut's arch enemy has been in the news a lot lately. Yep, I am talking about processed food. In this day and age, with our busy lives, it is hard to live without some processed foods.
Do You Avoid Processed Foods?
Salt is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of processed foods because so many of them contain high levels of sodium. This is one of the many reasons that I try to limit the amount of processed foods in my diet. And including more natural food just takes a little planning ahead — it doesn't get much simpler than throwing a banana or apple in your bag for an afternoon snack.
Deconstructing the Twinkie
Happy Birthday to the Twinkie, which turns 77 this year. I'll admit that growing up, I was a huge fan of this cream-filled spongy yellow cake, but I know now that it's made with a whole bunch of junk.
Steve Ettlinger saw the list of 39 ingredients and didn't think much of it until his daughter asked, "Daddy, what's Polysorbate 60?"
Another Reason to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup: Mercury
The Corn Refiners Association has been hard at work trying to change our perceptions about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), but they may have a new public relations battle on their hands. Two new US reports found mercury in both commercial samples of HFCS and products that listed high fructose corn syrup as the first or second ingredient.
Almost half the commercial samples of the corn sweetener tested positive for mercury, and almost a third of the tested food and beverage products contained detectable levels of the heavy metal as well.
When to Buy Organic (and when not to)
Organic seems to be the way to go these days. Problem is, it's expensive. So what do we really need to buy that is organic?
5 Things About Salt
Since the FDA is considering regulating sodium in processed foods, I have been hearing more and more about the reasons why. Here are five things to ponder about the sodium content in your diet.
- Seventy-five percent of the salt we consume comes from processed food and food from restaurants, not from the salt shaker.
- Your tongue cannot adequately discern how much salt is in your food.
Limit Your Consumption of Red Meat, Reduce Cancer Risk
By now, hopefully we all know that eating too much red meat is unhealthy. It can raise your cholesterol, lead to obesity, and put you at risk for heart problems. Now there's more bad news for red meat lovers: a large study found eating red and processed meat regularly leads to an increased risk of cancer.
Sodium & Blood Pressure: What's the Connection
We all know salt enhances the flavor of food, but too much sodium... well that is a different story all together. If you excessively salt your food, please read this post to learn some of the danger of sodium.
FDA to Food Makers: "Time to Cut the Salt"
The Institute of Medicine says just 1,500 mg of sodium a day, a little less for older adults, is enough to regulate the body's fluid balance. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of salt is 2,300 mg, yet the average American consumes between 3,300 and 4,000 mg of sodium a day. So some say it's time for the government to get involved with what we're consuming.
What Processed Dessert Do You Eat?
geeksugar pointed me to a very interesting article that I had to share with all of you. I've never been a fan of processed foods, I have an occasional Cheez-it or Oreo every few months, but in general I avoid those aisles at the supermarkets. Thank goodness, because the article discussed a few fun facts about Twinkies.
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