Now that we've looked at the 3 common poisons that find their way into our foods let’s look at some general tips given by Dr. Joe Mercola (a Natural health physician I highly look up to) to buying healthier foods and avoiding hidden dangers in foods (many in foods, that in their natural state, are good for us!).
Avoid These Potentially Dangerous Grocery Foods
You should be careful if you rely on your local grocery to provide you with your basic food items, because some foods you frequently buy may be detrimental to your health. So make note of them and change your habits now before there is any lasting damage.
These include-
- Canned tomatoes – An endocrinologist and expert on the topic of the synthetic oestrogen bisphenol-A (BPA), linked to heart disease and infertility, won’t go near canned tomatoes. Tin cans are lined with a resin containing BPA which is especially a problem with canning tomatoes, as the acid in tomato breaks this down in dangerous amounts. This is a serious health concern for everyone who loves a canned spaghetti bowl, especially children. Dr. Mercola’s advice: if you still want the convenience of stored, ready-to-cook tomatoes, opt for sauces and tomato puree in glass bottles.
- Conventional beef – Unlike grass-fed beef that has important vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory fats, conventional cattle are fed corn, grain, and soy that make them fat and unhealthy. This is what farmers do to increase profits. The end product is meat that is nutritionally inferior. Cows were meant to eat grass. Studies show that grass-fed beef (compared to corn-fed) is higher in important vitamins, minerals and the heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory fats. Then there’s also the issue of all the antibiotics used on those inappropriately-fed, sick cows. Dr. Mercola’s advice: Look for “grass-fed” or “pasture-fed” organic beef from strong healthy beasts.
- Microwave popcorn – Another poisonous packaging issue: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) lines the bags of those popcorn bags, and the heat in the microwave leaches this straight onto your movie munchies. The UCLA links this compound to infertility. Dr. Mercola’s advice: Corn kernels + sea salt + plus a big pot (with a lid!) Simple.
- Conventional potatoes – More than any other vegetable, non-organic potatoes are heavily sprayed with herbicides, pesticides and fungicides throughout every stage of their growth, harvesting and storage. So much so that potato growers never eat the potatoes they sell and grow their own separate plots without all the chemicals. Dr. Mercoa’s advice: Organic or Bio-dynamic potatoes only. Or grow your own.
- Farmed salmon – All farmed, this includes farmed “Atlantic” Salmon are crammed in pens and fed all manner of junk from soy and hydrolyzed chicken feathers and pellets. A scientific study on fish contamination showed high levels of DDT and PCB’s (carcinogens). So serious were the findings that the director for the Institute for Health warns that any more than one salmon meal every 5 months increases your cancer risk. Not to mention that fact that the levels of Omega 3 and Vitamin D are devoid in these poor factory-versions that their wild, up-stream-swimming ancestors contain. Dr. Mercola’s advice: For fresh fish, choose small & wild varieties wherever available. For salmon in Australia, your only wild option is out of a tin. Look for brands like Paramount Wild Alaskan Salmon, or other brands from Norway and Canada are often wild too. Even still, eat these only occasionally.
- Conventional milk – Dairy cows today are fed growth hormones to maximize milk production. Not only does this make for a potentially breast/prostate/colon cancer milk shake, but it also leads to increased incidence of udder infection for the poor cow, leading to pus in the milk. Dr. Mercola's advice: if you do drink cows’ milk, make sure it states clearly on the label that it is produced without artificial hormones, and ideally choose organic whole milk from pasture-fed cows.
- Conventional apples – There’s no coincidence that farm workers have higher rates of many cancers. Of all common fruits, apples are the most heavily and frequently doused with pesticides. Pesticide reside on conventional fruits is also linked to Parkinson’s. To limit exposure, be wary of apples especially. Dr. Mercola’s advice: Go Organic. Or at the very least wash, (I like to spray with Veggie Wash), rinse and peel before eating.
Dr. Joseph Mercola says that aside from these products, there are other grocery foods you should avoid. For example, many fruits and vegetables, like berries, are also highly-sprayed with pesticides. Unlike apples that can be peeled, berries are usually eaten with their chemical-laced skin still intact.
Why You Should Avoid Genetically Modified (GMO) Foods
Dr. Mercola says genetically modified (GM) foods are among the most dangerous foods in our supply today. They can put you at an increased risk of certain diseases, infertility, and birth defects. Popular GM crops today include:
· Corn
· Soy
· Canola
· Cottonseed
· Alfalfa
· Sugar from sugar beets
· Zucchini
· Crookneck squash
· Hawaiian papaya
If you want to avoid GMO foods effectively, don’t buy products with soy, corn, canola, and any of their derivatives as an ingredient, unless they’re labeled USDA 100% Organic.
The Dangers of Fructose and Artificial Sweeteners
Even though conventional health experts say that consuming fructose or sugar moderately is okay, Dr. Mercola disagrees. Excessive sugar, especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), is the primary factor that causes obesity and chronic and lethal diseases. Almost all processed foods sold today contain fructose. The number one source of calories in the U.S. today is HFCS in soda.
But once you decide to cut down on sugar and fructose, you should not replace it with artificially sweetened foods and beverages. Just like HFCS, artificial sweeteners are also found abundantly in processed foods. More than 6,000 products today contain aspartame.
They can also cause negative health effects like intestinal damage, diabetes, pre-term delivery, brain damage, and cancer. Acesulfame potassium or Acesulfame-K, another artificial sweetener, is linked to kidney tumors.
Diet Water: This Beverage is Slowly Poisoning You
Flavored water, zero-calorie water, and other “enhanced” water products may be marketed as healthy, but they’re not. For example, the latest water enhancement product found in the market, called MiO, contains three dyes, two artificial sweeteners, one preservative, and propylene glycol (PG). PG is a solvent that can potentially cause cell mutations and damage your liver, skin, and kidney damage if ingested in excessive amounts.
Enhanced water products also contain large amounts of sugar and fructose. Every 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola’s Glaceau VitaminWater contains 33 grams of sugar—that’s only six grams less than a can of Coke. Meanwhile, VitaminWater’s crystalline fructose may be the worst kind of fructose you can consume, and is likely more harmful than HFCS. Crystalline fructose is 99 percent fructose, while HFCS is only 55 percent fructose. (I was very sad to learn this!)
The Dangers of Processed Meat
Hotdogs, deli meats, bacon, and pepperoni have dangerous compounds like heterocyclic amines (HCAs), a potent carcinogen. Other harmful ingredients include sodium nitrite, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), and Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). AGEs can increase your risk of heart and kidney disease, and diabetes.
Processed meat can also increase your risk of cancer, especially bowel cancer. A previous analysis from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) reported that eating just one sausage a day increases your risk of bowel, bladder, stomach, and pancreatic cancer.
If you want to eat processed meat every once in a while, look for:
· “Uncured” varieties that have no nitrates
· Varieties that say 100% beef or 100% chicken. You’ll know that the meat comes from a single species and does not include byproducts (like chicken fat or chicken skin).
· Products that don’t have HFCS, preservatives, MSG, and artificial flavors or colors
· If possible, buy sausages and other processed meat from small, local farmers who will let you know exactly what’s in their products.
Next time you do your grocery shopping, watch out for these dangerous products. Your health depends on what you put in your shopping cart.
