Every day, we battle with making the right food choices for ourselves and especially for our young children. The unscrupulous world of business is producing tons of delicious artificial foods that are full of toxins and chemicals. Our children are attracted to the tastes and colors of all the processed foods, so much so that they grab and put them in their mouths. Even the 'fresh and natural foods' are affected by high levels of pesticide and chemical residues.
Nothing is really safe. Different foods are polluted with different toxic residues. In a Consumers Union report, popular fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, strawberries, cantaloupes and winter squashes have toxic residues that exceed the safe levels. They are not only unhealthy for children to consume, even the adults will be 'poisoned' by these 'natural' foods.
One of the ways to prevent your children from eating high-residue foods is to wash and peel suspected toxic foods. A better option is to buy organic varieties of high-residue produce. Here are some steps that you may want to consider so as to protect yourself and your family from toxic foods.
Avoid Highly Processed Foods
Avoid foods that are highly processed, especially those with added artificial flavoring and colors. The reason is because most of these artificial additions have coal tar in them. Foods that need bright colors to attract consumers may have food dyes extracted from coal tar. The medical world has confirmed that coal tar in foods is one of the primary causes of various cancers.
Avoid buying processed foods because they have been transformed by various chemicals. Some of these chemicals can cause many types of cancer in the internal organs. Read the labels of all products. In Asia, many processed foods are packed with monosodium glutamate (MSG) which is bad for the body. Some medical reports have stated that MSG is responsible for endocrine disorders, neuro-degenerative disease and even brain damage.
Avoid 'Old' Frozen Meats
Processed meat products that are stored for a long time in deep freezers, such as salami, bologna, sausages and other delicatessen products, contain a preservative and color fixative known as sodium nitrite. This chemical is commonly used to prevent the growth of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum which is responsible for botulism. Sodium nitrite has an extremely toxic profile. It can cause colon cancer when the stomach acid reacts with it to form the highly toxic nitrosamines.
If you really like to eat processed meats, then it may be advisable to buy directly from the butcher who makes these in his butcher shop. The other way is to buy ground mince and make them yourself. At least, you are sure that you are not feeding yourself and your family with the dangerous sodium nitrites.
Natural Sweetness
Popular artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet and Equal may seem beneficial to diabetic patients but they can also be dangerous. According to some medical reports, these artificial sweeteners have aspartame which is known to cause various medical problems. Aspartame contains 50% phenylalanine which is an essential amino acid found in proteins. Researchers believe that when phenylalanine is combined with the other amino acids, it is beneficial to the body. However, when consumed in its isolated form, it causes side effects. In more extreme cases, the toxic effect of phenylalanine causes an alteration of brain's normal functions and thus behavioral changes. There are quite a few reports about serious side effects such as headaches, dizziness, menstrual problems, symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis or Fibromyalgia.
A good sugar substitute is stevia. This South American herb is 30 times sweeter than sugar and it does not have the negative properties of sugar.The sweet glycosides found in the leaves of the stevia plant cannot be metabolized by our digestive system. Thus the caloric intake is zero. The blood glucose levels of diabetics or pre-diabetics are not negatively affected.
Organic Foods
Begin your healthy lifestyle by gradually converting to eating organic produce. In Malaysia, there are more and more organic stores offering a wide range of fresh and packaged organic products. Reduce the risks of ingesting toxic chemicals which are found on conventionally grown vegetables and fruits. You must have read that Singapore, from time to time, rejects truckloads of vegetables from vegetable farms in Cameron Highlands or other areas. The reason is that the toxic levels of the chemicals found on the vegetable are outside the approved healthy standards.
Imagine, feeding your children with fruits and vegetables that are laced with poisonous toxins. These chemicals are harmful to the body and will cause nerve damage, cancer and Parkinson' disease. Pregnant ladies are known to suffer from miscarriage or have babies with birth defects when their bodies have high levels of food toxins.
The best option is to buy and eat organic. Malaysia has free-range chickens that live on grass and organic grains. These chickens can be accepted as organic meats. In other countries, there are free-range cattle, pigs, goats and sheep. Hormone-free food is the best. Buying meats that come from conventional sources can be harmful. A dangerous artificially created hormone known as diethylstilbestrol is found in almost 85% of all meats sold in USA. Chances are this hormone is also found in most meats sold in Malaysia. This hormone is responsible for cancer of the breasts and reproductive organs.
To keep your children and family members safe, start buying organic produce now. You should cook organic, grow organic garden and visit your local organic farms. Support the organic movement and tell someone about the benefits of consuming organics.Start having a really healthy life with organic now.
Written by Bert Kang
A good sugar substitute is stevia. This South American herb is 30 times sweeter than sugar and it does not have the negative properties of sugar.The sweet glycosides found in the leaves of the stevia plant cannot be metabolized by our digestive system. Thus the caloric intake is zero. The blood glucose levels of diabetics or pre-diabetics are not negatively affected.
Organic Foods
Begin your healthy lifestyle by gradually converting to eating organic produce. In Malaysia, there are more and more organic stores offering a wide range of fresh and packaged organic products. Reduce the risks of ingesting toxic chemicals which are found on conventionally grown vegetables and fruits. You must have read that Singapore, from time to time, rejects truckloads of vegetables from vegetable farms in Cameron Highlands or other areas. The reason is that the toxic levels of the chemicals found on the vegetable are outside the approved healthy standards.
Imagine, feeding your children with fruits and vegetables that are laced with poisonous toxins. These chemicals are harmful to the body and will cause nerve damage, cancer and Parkinson' disease. Pregnant ladies are known to suffer from miscarriage or have babies with birth defects when their bodies have high levels of food toxins.
The best option is to buy and eat organic. Malaysia has free-range chickens that live on grass and organic grains. These chickens can be accepted as organic meats. In other countries, there are free-range cattle, pigs, goats and sheep. Hormone-free food is the best. Buying meats that come from conventional sources can be harmful. A dangerous artificially created hormone known as diethylstilbestrol is found in almost 85% of all meats sold in USA. Chances are this hormone is also found in most meats sold in Malaysia. This hormone is responsible for cancer of the breasts and reproductive organs.
To keep your children and family members safe, start buying organic produce now. You should cook organic, grow organic garden and visit your local organic farms. Support the organic movement and tell someone about the benefits of consuming organics.Start having a really healthy life with organic now.
Written by Bert Kang
