I know it’s been a few days since I have posted but as always, life keeps me busy. I started a new job (exciting!), had a wonderful visit from my parents and have been training as much as I can!

I hope the previous post on selecting whole grain breads was helpful. I understand it can be overhwhelming reading ingredient labels and trying to decifer the mess of words, but hopefully today’s post can help.

An important issue that many people tend to overlook is what exactly is in our food. Are we eating real food or boxes of fake food? So let’s learn a little bit more about what food additivesare and how we can eliminate them from our diets.

Food Additives: ingredients used to enhance flavor and prevent spoilage of foods.

We can label food additives as preservatives, artificial flavorings, artificial colors and acidifiers. While many additives have been banned in the United States it is important that we realize that the ones still used are not always safe. These food additives are linked to asthma, allergies, depression, migraine headaches, ADHD and other learning disorders in children.

Interestingly enough, over 2,800 food additives have been approved by the FDA for use. In my research I came across an alarming statistic that in 1985 the per captia daily consumption of these additives was approximately 13 to 15 grams! If that was in 1985, imagine what the numbers could be now.  This brings up many questions… are food additives really that bad? Are they safe? Which should be avoided? Should all be avoided?

Extremists would insist that all additives are unsafe, but we should keep in mind that some additives play important roles in our modern food supply. Specific compounds are natural in origin and promote certain health benefits, but others are synthetically derived with known cancer causing effects. While I am going to discuss specific additives throughout this post  –  it is important to note at this point that the most sensible approach to avoiding a diet plagued with additives is to avoid highly processed foods and stick to whole, natural foods.

FOOD COLORING

Americans consume around 100 million pounds of food coloring a year! According to the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, “food additives are officially designated as either certified or exempt from certification. The food colorad additives that are exempt from certification are primarily natural in origin. This reflects popular belief that natural compounds are safer. This contention appears to hold up to scientific scrutiny.”

The most widely used food coloring agent is FD&C Yellow Dye #5 – also known as tartazine – 85% of Americans food additive consumption comes from this one coloring agent. Yellow #5 is a known inducer of hives, asthma and other allergic conditions – specifically in children.

Also steer clear of food colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; and Yellow 6

When possible opt for the non-colored options!

Here are  feel simple substitution ideas:

Kraft Mac n Cheese –> Annie’s Brands or make your own! Simply cook up noodles and sprinkle with olive oil or butter and your own shredded cheese.

Colored Goldfish –> Pretzel Goldfish

Colored Yogurts — > Non colored yogurts and your own fruit.

For even more ideas check out Robyn O’Brien’s book The Unhealthy Truth

This is tons of information to take in. Therefore for easy reading – I will be posting another segment tomorrow on Preservatives and Antioxidants!

If you’re like me, you probably love your grain servings during the day. I know I always look forward to a slice of toast, bowl of oatmeal or serving of pasta. Through my years of nutrition reading I have came across (and I can imagine you’ve heard) the importance of making sure you eat whole grains instead of refined options. It seems like it should be so simple and easy to accomplish, but in reality it is not easy to distinguish what bread truly is “good for you.”

I say this because nothing frustrates me more than the ridiculous selection of bread at your local grocer. Is it necessary for bread to be a challenge to pick out? Today’s post will focus on how to make healthy bread choices!

Whole grains have historically been very important to human survival and continue to be an essential part in our diets. Nutritionally, whole grains are major sources of complex carbohydrates, minerals and B-vitamins, phytochemicals, protein and fiber. The importance of having complex carbohydrates in your diet is to help sustain blood sugar levels and control appetite.

How?

Chemically, complex carbs are composed of long chains of simple carbohydrates or sugars. Because of this, the body has to break down these long chains into simpler sugars – which in turn enters the bloodstream at a slower rate than refined sugars. This then keeps blood sugar levels steady and helps control appetite.

Whole Grain vs. Refined

According to an article by Mayo Clinic staff…

“Whole grains haven’t had their bran and germ removed by milling, making them better sources of fiber — the part of plant-based foods that your body doesn’t digest. Among many health benefits, a high-fiber diet also tends to make a meal feel more filling and linger longer, so you stay full for a greater amount of time.”

“Refined grains, such as white rice or white flour, have both the bran and germ removed from the grain. Although vitamins and minerals are added back into refined grains after the milling process, they still don’t have as many nutrients as whole grains do, and they don’t provide as much fiber.”

Keywords to Finding Healthier Bread

When searching shelves for bread at the grocery store here are a few important terms and label tricks to look for:

ENRICHED or  BLEACHED  or  UNBLEACHED or SEMOLINA or DURUM = Bad Words! Opt on these ingredients because they have been stripped of  all their  “good stuff.”

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP: Is it really necessary to put sugar in our bread? NO. Avoid this!

MADE WITH…. wheat? It may only have a pinch of wheat in it… is it even whole? Lots of breads try to fool you with this. Make sure it is 100% whole wheat!

100% WHEAT: Once again, this could mean it  has a bit, a ton or no whole wheat at all.

MULTIGRAIN: What a great word to confuse consumers with. Multigrain does not say a thing about whether the grains are refined or whole. You could be getting 40 grains but it won’t help you as much if they are all refined.

WHOLE GRAIN: Read the label. Does it say 100% whole grain? If not, then it probably is a blend of the bad words.

BLENDS: Whole Grain Blends are not guaranteed to be 100% – let alone even have any whole grains in them!

It’s also good to check for chemical additives and preservatives. If you can’t pronounce it, you probably better not eat it!

Best words to look for:  100% Whole Grain or 100% Whole Wheat

Personally some of my favorite bread products are from these companies:

Ezekiel 4:9

Rudi’s Organic Bakery

I love the bread from Whole Foods Bakehouse. They are great about posting all ingredients and their staff are helpful to talk to if you have any allergy or ingredient concerns! But beware, some grocery store bakery bread can be just as bad the stuff on the shelves. Read the ingredient labels!

What are some of your favorite breads? If you still feel confused after this post let me know! So hopefully I can clarify in future posts.

Have a Terrific Tuesday!