9 out of 10 Parents fail to truly read nutrition labels

Just because a label says "whole grain"  "all natural" or "no sugar added" doesn't mean its good for our children.  Think about it when have you ever seen a label so "half-grain" instead of whole, or "sugar added" or "not natural". Even its labeled "Natural-sugar-free-whole-grain" it could still be loaded with " Trans fats, mono-sodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, and/or  high-fructose corn syrup". Get in the habit of reading labels and understanding them even on fresh fruit its important to understand what the label means. 

Reading the labels on Fruit:

Conventional Fruit Labels: Begin with the number 4, and never begin with the number 9.

Genetically Modified Fruit Labels: Begin with the number 8. Note that it begins with 8, not just contains the number 8. This is often a 5 digit number.

Organic Fruit Labels: These fruit labels always contain 5 digits, and begin with the number 9. Always check and make sure, as some “organic” products have been known to be deceptively labeled.

Read More about how to know if your food is "Conventional, Organic or Genetically Modified" 

From: Natural Society

A study conducted by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that nine out of ten mothers failed at reading nutrition labels, and did not understand the nutrition information on children’s foods. According to the BHF, 76% of mothers felt that “wholegrain” meant the product was likely to be healthy. In addition, they also thought that a product claiming it was “a source of calcium, iron and six vitamins” meant that the product was likely to be healthy.

The confusion in regard to food labels is not an issue that pertains only to parents, and despite this study occurring years ago, it is still very true today that the majority of people aren’t savvy in reading food labels. The research found many individuals are tricked by the deceptive labeling of sugary foods specifically. The BHF went on to say that Nestle’s Honey Shreddies, which claims to be “wholegrain” and will “keep your heart healthy and maintain a healthy body”, has 13.6g of sugar.This is more than a ring doughnut in an average serving size, which totals 9.2g of sugar. High levels of sugar consumption can be the culprit for a number of health defects and issues faced today, while the massive over-consumption of sugar has some people asking: Is sugar becoming the next tobacco?

With all the harmful ingredients added to our food supply today, it is critical to not only start reading nutrition labels, but also memorize which ingredients to avoid.

Reading Nutrition Labels | Learn of What You’re Eating

Sugar is not the only concern when investigating the real contents of a food product. Trans fats, monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, and high-fructose corn syrup are but a few toxic additives that are usually incognito unless you are actively searching for them within the ingredients. This alone highlights the importance of not only reading nutrition labels, but also knowing what each ingredient is. Researching the properties of each additive before ingesting it is indeed a wise decision, and one that will ultimately pay off with an improvement in overall health.

Ingredients to Avoid | Alpha-Dexionic-what?

If while reading nutrition labels you’re wondering whether certain ingredients are written in Greek or Hieroglyphics, then reconsideration of the purchase is probably necessary. Given the current process of food creation in the U.S. and other developed countries, chances are that this ingredient is some form of a synthetic chemical, and one of many ingredients to avoid. A general rule is that if you cannot pronounce it, you should not eat it. Research what your food is composed of before bringing it home and cooking it, or putting it into your body. What you find may surprise you.

Consumers Ingesting Mystery Meat Treated with Poisonous Gas

From: Natural Society

As a method of passing off decayed meat as fresh, meat industries in many countries are treating meat with highly toxic gas. In fact, 70 percent of all beef and chicken within the United States and Canada are subject to the treatment of the poisonous gas known as carbon monoxide. Add this knowledge to the recently exposed ammonia-tainted ‘pink slime’ used in meat being served to millions of people and schoolchildren, and you may be reluctant to ever eat meat again. 

 

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas which essentially replaces oxygen in the blood. When individuals are exposed to higher levels of CO, it begins to cause detrimental effects after binding to a molecule in the blood that normally carries oxygen, known as hemoglobin. Lower levels of exposure results in headaches, confusion, fatigue, and nausea, while higher levels of exposure could result in unconsciousness, death, or long-term negative neurological effects.

In order for meat to stay fresh, it must be below a certain temperature before being consumed. Even a few degrees above the recommended temperature can result in bacterial growth and hastened spoilage. In addition, grocery retailers face a challenge in knowing the actual temperature of the meat since UV radiation from the display case penetrates the packaging. As a solution, the meat industry decided to use utilize carbon monoxide for atmospheric packaging to extend shelf life. It is also for this reason that meat exhibits a bright red color, even when it has spoiled.

Image provided by PreventDisease

“C. perfringens bacteria, the third-most-common cause of food-borne illness, has been proven to grow on what is considered fresh meat … about half of the fresh meat products [tested for these bacteria] are positive despite them being within the expiry period.  100% of … these cases come from packagers who adopted atmospheric packaging methods such as the use of carbon monoxide gas”.

Although meat itself has many beneficial properties, the processes in which most meat goes through is cause for alarm. Along with poisoning carbon monoxide being used to treat our meat, conventionally raised animals are injected with growth hormones, fed antibiotics, and given genetically modified grain – all of which are being passed along in the food chain to the consumers of these animals — humans. The use of antibiotics are creating drug-resistant superbugs, while growth hormones are causing various health problems due to hormone balance disruption. All the while, these animals are consuming life-threatening GM grain, which they would never naturally consume in the wild.

Being able to know of the many processes, treatments, and toxic ingredients added to meat and food as a whole is more important than ever. The labeling of genetically modified foods is an absolute must, as is the disclosure of the ingredients and processes food goes through before ending up in the hands of the consumer. However, until these changes come to pass, eating a well balanced organic variety of foods will cause avoidance of the numerous challenges which come with the consumption of conventional food.

Foods rich in antioxidants proven to reduce stroke risk levels in women

"I knew there was a reason that women crave chocolate, its because it is SOOOOOOO
good for us!!"


From: NaturalNews
Health related to heart disease continues to be at the forefront of women's issues, and some studies reveal that prevention is a measure that is not necessarily guided by the pharmaceutical industry, but rather by what can be found in the fridge.

An expansive Swedish survey that was coordinated among women at Karolinska Institute led to a conclusion that diets that are comprised with foods rich in antioxidants result in lower risk levels of stroke. Women who have been diagnosed with heart disease and are known to have higher risks associated with stroke were also included in these findings. The medical journal produced by the American Heart Association, Stroke, published findings that concentrated on elderly and middle-aged women's diets. Those women that did not suffer from heart disease experienced a 17% risk reduction, while those with some form of heart disease reduced their risk of stroke by 57% when they adopted a diet loaded in antioxidants.

HOPE study supports the Swedish findings

The HOPE study (Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation) is another study that was conducted in recent years that supported the findings of the Swedish study. The HOPE study specifically followed 10,000 patients at risk for stroke in excess of four years and these patientsalso experienced lower risks through increased intakes of vitamin E.

Foods that are rich in antioxidants

In the human body, free radicals damage cells. Foods that are rich in antioxidants seem to neutralize free radicals in order to better preserve cells. In addition, foods that are rich in antioxidants also result in blood clot reduction and lower blood pressure. The array of foods that are rich in antioxidants include blueberries, artichokes and Russet potatoes, as well as dark beans. As a matter of fact, all black foods are typically rich in antioxidants simply because of their pigment levels. Black beans and black rice are great examples of abundantsources of antioxidants. Another study conducted at Louisiana State University evenfound that black rice contains more antioxidants than the fruit that is commonly perceived to be the richest source of antioxidants: blueberries.

It is easy to find such studies being conducted in the world of health and medicine and most commonly, they attempt to identify relationships between certain food items and some or other health issue. After perusing numerous studies, it becomes common sense that a generally healthy diet will result in positive health, and similarly, a bad diet filled with fatty foods and high cholesterol will affect health negatively. A university-led study is not necessary to arrive at that conclusion. Although it is very easy to prove that foods rich in antioxidants are certainly going to result in lower risks of stroke and heart disease, it is also equally important to consider that a diet that ishealthy overallwill result in better health.

Sources for this article include:

http://articles.nydailynews.com

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamine/

http://www.hearthealthywomen.org/am-i-at-risk/featured/diet.html