Help Learning About Ingredients and Additives.

Hi J.,

My chiropractor says if you can't pronounce it or don't know what it is don't eat it, it's not food. I try to stick to that as much as possible. Makes the research easier anyway, ha!

One easy way to avoid most additives is to cook from the natural food and avoid the boxed, easy to prepare, stuff like Mac & Cheese and Hamburger Helper.

I don't know of any book specifically, but in general, if you can't pronounce a word on the ingredient list there's a good chance its an additive. Then you can google it. Just remember to take a lot of what you read with a grain of salt (same with a book!) as much of it is opinion not backed by science. Some of those long, hard-to-pronounce words are vitamins or such, too, so check up on them. And many of the additives are preservatives, so expect the food to go bad a lot faster if you don't have them.

Most things taken in moderation will be okay. Just teach your kids to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and do as much "from scratch" cooking as you can, and you'll significantly drop the additives you consure.

Dear J.,
A lot of these additives are "excitotoxins" like MSG, autolyzed yeast, and others. This is what makes the taste of something so appealing (like Cheetos - yum) and you want more. Unfortunately they are not good for you. The previous responses are right on. Do a Google search on food additives and keep the list with you when you shop. After a couple of trips to the store you will recognize what to stay away from. The things I always look for are the sodium content (salt is a contributing factor to high blood pressure and water retention). I also look for the word 'hydrogenated' or 'partially hydrogenated'. When I see that in the ingredients I put it back. I don't care if I have a 50% off coupon or my kids have asked specifically for that item. It is not coming into my house. I look for the amount of sugars (never eat artificial sweeteners and stay away from the high fructose corn syrup), protein and fiber. This may sound like a lot of work but after awhile it becomes automatic. Ideally I cook from scratch as much as I can but if I am getting anything off the shelf at the store I check these things out. I wish more people were asking the questions you have asked. Hang in there.

Morning--
Check out "Natural Cures they don't want you to know about". You'll find all the info on all your questions there.
J.

Eat This Not That provides several excellent book choices that provide information specific to your question. The author makes the Eat This choice based on everything from sodium and transfats to the better "organic" food producers. There are books specifically for use in the grocery store, kids nutrition, and restaurant selections. If you would like to see the types of recommendations that are commonly made you can either Google Eat This Not That or visit the Women's Health Magazine Website and click on the link to Eat This Not That. My family has 3 of the books and our most recent purchase Cook This Not That has provided us with 5 delicious and healthy meals in just the past week.
Good luck with your search!

The color of cheddar comes form Annatto, the seeds of a fruit of a tropical tree. It is used in many cheeses (e.g., Cheddar, Red Leicester, and Brie), margarine, butter, rice, smoked fish, and custard powder.
I was just at Amazon.com there are so many books listed, to many to list here.

Buying good food for the families become more and more difficult since there are so many things added to the food to make it stable and there are no clear studies that show the affect of all these things. I try to avoid porcessed foods where I can.
Sorry not to have a book recomendation but I will monitor this thread and see if someone else has one. I would like to have a book resourse as well. Good luck.

There are lots of books out there to help you with this issue. One of my favorites is called "If It's Not Food, Don't Eat It" by Kelly Hayford. Also, Dr. Lendon Smith has a bunch of books on feeding your kids right that I love, although they are more along the lines of what TO feed your kids, instead of what NOT to feed them. And a great online resource would be mercola.com. For something more scientific (lots more scientific), you can read Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills by Russell Blaylock. That one is pretty in depth, though, but has some great information. Maybe an easier read by Dr. Blaylock would be Health and Nutrition Secrets. It's about more than just food additives, but has some great information that is easier to understand than his Excitotoxins book.

Hi J.,

Shopper's Guide to Healthy Living by Kathy Loidolt with Drs. John & Gail Warner, DC. This is a GREAT little book, easy to understand, and step by step ways to transition into healthier nutrition. http://www.amazon.com/Shoppers-Guide-Healthy-Living-Loido...

I hope that helps.

L.