Avoid These!
FOOD
We all know to avoid high fructose corn syrup, refined sugars, and enriched and bleached flour. Besides those, this is a list of fairly common ingredients found in the foods you eat. A lot of them have been approved by the FDA, but are still incredibly harmful to you.MSG - Monosodium glutamate is a food additive often found in Chinese food, sauces, and snacks. Many people have allergic reactions to MSG like sleepiness, bloating, itchy tingly skin, rash, headache, numbness, chest pain, and tension in the head neck and shoulders. MSG has been linked to neurological diseases like MS and Alzheimer’s.
Some food products that have unexpected MSG are Japanese rice crackers, nori, and nutritional yeast or anything with yeast extract, autolyzed vegetable protein or hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
Sodium Nitrate - Sodium nitrate is often found as a coloring to meats and deli products to make them look fresher and more appetizing. Sodium nitrate is a carcinogen and has been linked to brain tumors, cancer, and digestive problems.
If you’re buying meats that have coloring in them, maybe you should start questioning the freshness of your meat and where it came from.BHA and BHT - These are preservatives that prevent oils from going bad. It’s been linked to cancer and should not be used.
Try using whole oils (canola, olive, coconut, etc) instead of blends and other sprays that have preservatives and other things you can’t pronounce.Aspartame and Saccharin - Aspartame and saccharin are both artificial sweeteners often found in diet foods, sodas, and your toothpaste. They’re both linked to cancer and other neurological diseases.
Both these sweeteners are so highly controversial, why bother messing with it?Carrageenan - Carrageenan is not often thought of as the others in this list, however it’s quite dangerous and can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and problems. It’s often found in soy, rice, and almond milks, and is a binder made of seaweed. Most people who have reactions to these milks, are usually having reactions to carrageenan. It’s been linked to gastrointestinal ulcerations and diseases.
Instead of buying the boxed stuff, try making your own.Sulfur Dioxide - Sulfur dioxide’s often found in dried fruits as a preservative and antimicrobal. It’s a neurotoxin, gastrointestinal toxin, cardiovascular toxin, and respiratory toxin. It also makes the fruits taste distinctly chemical.
You can either make your own dried fruit if you have a dehydrator, or find some at your local farmer’s market or health food store.BEAUTY
Your skin is the largest organ you have. It drinks up everything that’s put on it and breathes everything around it. So think about what you slather on it, the next time you buy a new soap or perfume.SLS and SLES - Sodium Laurel Sulfates and Sodium Laureth Sulfates are often found in body washes, shampoos and toothpaste. They’re the ingredients that make your suds, sud. They can form incredibly harsh nitrates and dioxins once mixed with the other ingredients in your soaps, which can be drying and irritating to your hair and skin.
Some brands I like, that carry soaps and toothpastes without SLS or SLES are Jason, Alaffia, and Dr. Bronner’s All in One.Aluminum - Often found in antipersperant/deodorant, sunscreens and sometimes chapstick, Aluminum’s been linked to neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, and reproductive toxicity.
I like using crystal deodorants that work like giant salt rocks to keep the smells at bay. For sun skin care, I like Kiss My Face and Alba. You can find a good review of different brands here.Parabens - Parabens (often listed as polyparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and methylparaben) are found in mostly anything emollient- lubricants, lotions, soaps, and face washes. Parabens mimic the hormone estrogen, which, in overload, can be linked to breast cancer. Breast cancer runs in my family, so I avoid these.
For face wash, I like Origins’ Clean Energy, which uses natural oils, instead of parabens, to moisturize. Alba, Aveda, Jason, Weleda and J.R. Watkins also makes products without parabens, but check the labels, not ALL products are paraben free. If you want to go completely natural, try using jojoba oil, coconut oil, or shea butter to moisturize your skin. Or even try the oil cleansing method for your face.For more information on beauty products and makeup, check out the Cosmetic Database.
For some good homemade beauty recipes, visit the Bare Beauty recipes on Wordpress.To Good Health,
Joyce
