What is in your food?

Food.
It should be simple to choose and consume, however in our current society of convenience you need an interpreter to help decipher what is truthful and what is disguised speak in order to sell you. Sadly the meme pictured here is true: the majority of foods sold at a grocery store are rancid oils, are chemical laden to prolong shelf life and boost flavor, or just plain fabricated.  While you may think the FDA has your back by regulating food labels and companies, you are and will always be the best advocate for yourself. Knowledge is power after all.

There has been an explosion of cancer, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases recently and food consumption plays a major role in our health crises. Your large intestine is the largest metabolic organ in your body so anything that interrupts the function of it affects how your body processes insulin and fat storage. A study of emulsifiers (chemicals that keep packaged foods creamy such as mayonnaise, candy, and ice cream) found that these chemicals permeate the intestines causing inflammation. Crohn's disease, headaches, pancreatic & colorectal cancer are also linked to preservatives found in many food items. One research study concluded that all synthetic preservatives are carcinogenic.

Some common terms to look for on the ingredients list are:

•  Polysorbate 80
• Carboxymethylcellulose
• Sodium nitrates
• Sodium benzoate
• Sulphur dioxide
• Benzoic acid
• Sorbic acid
• Propylparaben
• Dimethyl dicarbonate

This is just a few of the preservatives you will find.

Reading your ingredients list

When you purchase an item you want to look at the ingredients list versus nutrition facts. Although for years you were told to be obsessed over how many carbs or fat were in a product, that doesn't matter much at all whereas the ingredients tells the truth about the item you seek to consume.

First off whatever is listed first is of highest concentration.
If an item has sub-ingredients then those are placed within parentheses.
There are certain spices that do not need to be listed.
Chemical preservatives need to be labeled with their function.

So far transparent, right?
What if you come across the term "natural flavoring" or "artificial flavoring"?
What is the difference?
This article in Scientific American lays out the difference:

"There is little substantive difference in the chemical compositions of natural and artificial flavorings. They are both made in a laboratory by a trained professional, a "flavorist," who blends appropriate chemicals together in the right proportions. The flavorist uses "natural" chemicals to make natural flavorings and "synthetic" chemicals to make artificial flavorings. The flavorist creating an artificial flavoring must use the same chemicals in his formulation as would be used to make a natural flavoring, however. Otherwise, the flavoring will not have the desired flavor. The distinction in flavorings--natural versus artificial--comes from the source of these identical chemicals and may be likened to saying that an apple sold in a gas station is artificial and one sold from a fruit stand is natural."

So natural flavor is created in a lab with items from nature, while artificial flavor is created in a lab from synthetic items. Both are created in a lab.

It isn't just your food that is chemical laden

That's right, it isn't just food that contains preservatives.
Your skin is the largest organ of your body and anything that comes in contact with it from soaps to makeup and more will seep into the skin and your bloodstream. These chemicals are not necessarily digestible by your body and considered an endotoxin. Endotoxins get stored in fat cells within the body and also play a role in disrupting glucose burning and insulin secretion leading to altered fat burning abilities as well as immune response.

What can you do?

Start by clearing the chemicals out of the foods you consume by eating more fresh food.
Link up with a local farmer for meats, eggs, dairy and more.
Then start going through the everyday products you utilize such as soap, shampoo, lotion, shaving cream, toothpaste and more and begin clearing the chemicals out.
You will notice a major difference in your mood, energy, and overall health.
For a complete list of common preservatives go here.