What is your typical routine when you make a trip to the grocery store? Do you try to only purchase foods that work with your new diet? Or do you shop based on what sounds good to you while you’re browsing the store aisle by aisle? I’m only asking because I really want you to stop and consider exactly how big of a role the ingredient label on foods plays in your daily life.
Seven years ago, if someone asked me about the ingredient label I would have laughed and said, “What ingredient label???” I never stopped to consider the possibility that maybe not everything listed on the ingredient label of a food is necessarily “good” for me. Instead, I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to, and never stopped to consider the consequences. That is until my health took a turn for the worst…I was having seizures for unknown reasons, my hormones were severely imbalanced, and no neurologist seemed to have any solution for my problem outside the sphere of medication.
So, I tried the alternative route, I kept taking my medication, but I began looking at solutions outside of modern medicine. This led me to discover the very important role nutrition plays in every person’s overall state of health.
Which, also eventually lead to a drastic diet change for me. My grocery store routine went from grabbing anything that sounded good to reading every ingredient label before purchasing a product. It sounds time-consuming, but it is completely worth it! By eliminating ingredients like MSG, soy, and basically anything synthetic, my mental health greatly improved. I saw a decrease in the number of seizures I was having each month, something that seemed impossible at one time. In addition to avoiding poor quality ingredients, I also made the switch to organic foods.
I have found that specialty health-oriented grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s, Sprout’s Market, and Whole Foods Market (for those of you in the Southern California area) are always the better option for finding good quality, organic groceries free of synthetic ingredients.
What do I primarily look for in a food product? Simple and real ingredients. As long as the ingredient label contains only natural ingredients (sugar, salt, butter, flour, etc.) and is free of chemical and/or synthetic ingredients (Xanthan Gum, Soy Lecithin, Guar Gum, etc.), I know the product is okay!
To give you an example of what a good ingredient label and a bad ingredient label look like, I’m going to breakdown the ingredient label of a snack product commonly found in the pantry of many people’s kitchens…Ritz Crackers. I don’t know about you, but this is a product that most people I know consider to be a snacking favorite. If you look on the side of the box, you will find an ingredient label containing the following information…
Ingredients: Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid, Vegetable Oil (Soybean Oil and/or Canola and/or Palm and/or Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil), Sugar, Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda and/or Calcium Phosphate), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soy Lecithin, Malted Barley Flour, Natural Flavor.
Let’s just dive right in, shall we?
Unbleached Enriched Flour—“flour in which most of the natural vitamins and minerals have been extracted. This is done in order to give the bread a finer texture and increase shelf life. When the bran and germ (the parts of wheat that contain fiber and nutrients) are removed, your body absorbs wheat differently” (ahealthiermichigan.org). So, instead of acting as an energy source for your body, which is what flour should do, this ingredient causes your body to store it as fat (ahealthiermichigan.org)! This is exactly the reason why many people find that cutting bread from their diet can greatly facilitate weight loss! However, in order to lose weight, you don’t necessarily have to cut bread out of your diet completely. You simply need to find the right kind of bread that is made with ingredients meant to help energize you, rather than fatten you up like a Thanksgiving turkey! To learn more about Unbleached Enriched Flour and the role it plays in the food industry, What’s in Your Food? Enriched Flour Tops List of Unhealthy Ingredients by Jodi Davis, is a must-read.
Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}—“Thiamine Mononitrate is the synthetic form of Vitamin B1” (livestrong.com). So, an ingredient that gives the illusion of being healthy by pretending to be the true, blue natural version of Vitamin B1 is actually toxic to the human body! We see the term “Vitamin” and assume it must be healthy, but in actuality, it is furthest from the impression it gives and actually can cause a lot of negative side effects for our health. Not to mention, it is also very difficult for the body to digest due to its synthetic and chemical form. Read more about Thiamine Mononitrate, here: The Side Effects of Thiamine Mononitrate by Elizabeth Thatcher.
Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}—This synthetic ingredient acts in the same stealthy way as Thiamine Mononitrate! It sits there in the Ritz Crackers ingredient label pretending to be healthy and posing as a natural vitamin that will be beneficial to our health, but riddle me this…what is healthy about a chemical created to be a synthetic form of the real, whole-food version of an ingredient or, in this case, a vitamin??? Absolutely nothing! It’s fake! This means that just like the Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Mononitrate) also found in Ritz Crackers, it too is hard for the body to digest. Let’s think about this from the long-term perspective for a moment…if you consistently fill your stomach with lots of synthetic ingredients (a.k.a. hard-to-digest foods) you’re going to start experiencing problems with your digestive system. And guess what? Most processed foods are filled with these synthetic ingredients! An all-time low for the food industry, if you ask me.
Seeing as how synthetic Riboflavin {Vitamin B2} is a completely unnatural ingredient, it only makes sense for there to be more than one health issue! This brings us to problem #2 with this specific type of Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}…this ingredient required only by our bodies in small doses (in its real, whole food form), is found in the majority of our popular processed foods in its synthetic form. Please note that only the whole food form of Riboflavin is recommended as a healthy supplement for the human body. The synthetic form of Riboflavin should be avoided at ALL costs!
To make matters worse, thanks to synthetic Riboflavin, you might want to rethink the vitamin supplement you’re currently taking. Excessive amounts of Riboflavin can be found in commonly used dietary supplements. That’s right, not even the vitamin aisle is safe anymore! Gummy vitamins might be a fun concept (who doesn’t love for their vitamin to be in the shape of a tiny bear?), but I’m sorry to say that nothing is healthy about vitamins such as these.
Our bodies should only be getting about 2 milligrams (mg) of Riboflavin a day from dietary sources. If you’re taking a dietary vitamin supplement of some sort, check the ingredient label before taking it again because you just might be getting “10s or 100s of milligrams” (smart-publications.com) without even knowing it!
If we add both of these problems together, we get one gigantic health concern as a result: excessive Riboflavin. Because this ingredient is so prevalent in most of today’s staple food and dietary supplement products we basically get a double whammy when it comes to our Riboflavin intake. The result? An incredibly toxic combination. When the excessive Riboflavin spreads to our body tissue it mixes with our sunlight exposure and begins causing problems for our eyes, as well as our liver health. To read more about the toxic side effects of excessive Riboflavin, click here: Excessive Vitamin B2 – Riboflavin Can Be Toxic!
Folic Acid—“Oxidized synthetic compound used in dietary supplements and food fortification” (chriskresser.com). Here’s the biggest issue I have with Folic Acid: it’s an oxidized synthetic compound. Once again, Ritz has chosen to include a synthetic compound rather than using the whole food, nutrient-rich version of the ingredient. In this case, the well-known food company has chosen Folic Acid rather than Folate, which is “the general term for a group of water-soluble b-vitamins, and is also known as B9…” furthermore, as opposed to Folic Acid, Folate “…refers to the various tetrahydrofolate derivatives naturally found in food” (chriskresser.com).
If you examine Ritz’s ingredient choice from a logical standpoint, their decisions so far seem completely irrational. I mean, after examining only 4 ingredients, we have discovered that Ritz Crackers are only composed of synthetic ingredients. Hmm…not exactly something I want to be giving to my body in large doses. Read more about Folate and Folic Acid, here: The Little Known Difference Between Folate and Folic Acid by Chris Kresser. (Click here to read a brief, but thorough overview of the entire Ritz Cracker Ingredient Label)
So why do they do it? When an ingredient like “Folate” exists, why does the Ritz Company knowingly choose synthetic over naturally occurring? Because it’s cheaper and synthetic additives give the product an unnaturally long shelf life (Yuck!).
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the processed foods industry in a nutshell. When it comes to their choice of ingredients, the deciding factor for Big Wig food companies (like Ritz Crackers) clearly no longer includes the state of our health.
However, do not be discouraged by the extremely poor quality of ingredients found in Ritz Crackers because other companies (you know, the ones that are actually concerned about whether we live or die after eating their product) do exist and they have created products free of synthetics! Take, for example, the Late July Organic Classic Rich Crackers or as I like to call them the healthy version of Ritz. We picked apart the Ritz Cracker ingredient label, now let’s do the same to Late July’s ingredient label and see if we find any minor and/or major differences. For starters, let me just say that they print on the front of their packaging these important details (something the Ritz packaging and product appears to be lacking): Produced without Synthetic Pesticides, Non-GMO, No Artificial Flavors, Colors, or Preservatives. Although I would rather it said “Produced without any Pesticides,” the fact that they’re both acknowledging the presence of these characteristics in typical processed foods and choosing to exclude them is HUGE! All in all, I would say they’re off to a pretty good start. Now for the ingredient label…
Late July Organic Classic Rich Crackers Ingredients: Organic Wheat Flour, Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar, Organic Expeller Pressed Sunflower Oil and/or Organic Expeller Pressed Safflower Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Sea Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar).
Organic Wheat Flour—Nutritional value alone is enough to give Red July a round of applause for choosing this flour ingredient over white flour. Although I do use white flour when baking, I never realized the great difference between the two types of flours. “White flour is made from heavily refined and processed wheat grains, while whole-wheat flour is made from grains that have not undergone heavy processing. Whole-wheat and white flour differ in their nutritional value” (healthyeating.sfgate.com). If you examine both flour’s fiber and vitamin contents, you will discover the drastic difference between each flour’s nutritional value. Read more about this difference here: Healthy Facts About Whole-Wheat Flour Vs. White by Sylvie Tremblay. Also, check out a variety of healthy flours here: 5 Healthy Flour Substitutes Vegans Need to Know About
Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar—Okay, so this type of sugar may not contain as many vitamins, minerals, or nutrients as the organic sugar cane in its natural form, but it’s most definitely a much better quality form of sugar compared to the typical “Sugar” ingredient found in many processed foods. For starters, it’s Organic and still contains a multitude of nutrients that haven’t been tainted by pesticides. Furthermore, it does not go through the same process as refined sugar, which means it will be easier to digest and healthy for your body to absorb. “Raw natural sugar has a balance of sucrose, glucose, and fructose, whereas refined sugars are almost exclusively sucrose (the fructose and glucose have been washed out). The more sucrose, the more it raises your blood sugar” (processedfreeamerica.org). It is very refreshing, for me, to see a company choose the healthier ingredient over the cheaper ingredient. As I continue to examine Red July’s ingredient label, you too will soon discover that not every processed food product falls under the stereotype of being “bad” for you.
Organic Expeller Pressed Sunflower and/or Safflower Oil —First, let me just point out that this ingredient (like the previous three) is Organic. So, right away you’re getting (or at least you should be getting) zero pesticides from the oil used in this product! Now, although Sunflower and Safflower aren’t typically known as “healthier” oils, I need to put a special emphasis on 2 extra details that set this oil apart from your everyday vegetable oils: Organic and Expeller Pressed. Expeller pressed is an old-fashioned process that uses a screw press to mechanically extract oil from the seed, nut, or grain. It is less common because it costs more and produces less oil than other known processes, but it is known to produce the best quality oil (foodbabe.com). This is mostly due to the fact that, unlike other processes, the oil is not extracted using methods involving toxic chemicals (such as Hexane) or unnecessary refinement. By the time companies have their finished product, it is so synthetic it honestly should not be considered edible nor should it be consumed! In essence, the extra money and time required for this process are most definitely worth it!
***Side Note: Where cooking oils are concerned ignorance is NOT bliss! It is best to be extra careful because every oil is different, therefore each is going to have its own unique characteristics. For example, did you know that olive oil can actually become unhealthy for you if it is cooked at too high of a temperature? It is best to arm yourself with knowledge about the ingredients you use whenever you cook. Because Olive Oil is such a popular cooking oil (I know it’s one of my favorites!), here is a fantastic article from Kitchen Ambition where the author, David Lewis, answers a simple, yet necessary question…“Does Olive Oil Go Bad?” Take it from me on this one when I say the information he provides is more than just food for thought!
Palm Oil (a.k.a. Palm Fruit Palm or Palm Kernel Oil)—Actually one of the few healthy oils used in foods. Although I prefer to use coconut oil whenever it comes to cooking, Palm oil is definitely my 2nd choice! It isn’t hydrogenated (a process involving turning a liquid unsaturated fat into a solid fat by adding hydrogen (healthline.com)), which is excellent for avoiding trans fats and poor heart health in the future. “Fortunately, there is a healthy fat that can be used in processed foods in place of those nasty polyunsaturated vegetable oils that meet the profit demands of food company shareholders and also satisfies the ever-growing consumer clamor for a healthy, traditional fat. That fat is palm oil” (thehealthyhomeeconomist.com). Once again, we see Red July choosing the healthier ingredient over the cheap ingredient. An action not many inorganic processed food companies are making just yet.
Sea Salt—It’s all-natural, the flavor is 10x better than iodized salt, and it has a much more beneficial mineral/nutrient content. Common table salt is typically stripped of most of its nutrients while it goes through the commercial process that takes it from its place of origin to your kitchen table. “Sea salt is obtained directly through the evaporation of seawater. It is usually not processed, or undergoes minimal processing, and therefore retains trace levels of minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, and other nutrients. Table salt, on the other hand, is mined from salt deposits and then processed to give it a fine texture so it’s easier to mix and use in recipes. Processing strips table salt of any minerals it may have contained, and additives are also usually added to prevent clumping or caking” (sodiumbreakup.heart.org). Many people and health experts constantly say that there “are no real health advantages of most sea salts” (sodiumbreakup.heart.org).
HA! (<– This is Me scoffing at that statement!) How can there be no health advantages when sea salt is an unprocessed, mineral-filled product as opposed to table salt, which is intensely processed and altered by synthetic additives? Let me answer this question with a question…which salt would you rather feed to your family?
The last and final ingredient found in Late July Crackers is Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Bicarbonate, and Cream of Tartar)—When it comes to the leavening agent typically used in most processed food products, it is composed of Baking Soda and Sodium Phosphate. In other words (a.k.a. the truth), the leavening agent is probably 30% baking soda and 70% chemical phosphates. The recurring problem with too large amounts of synthetic ingredients does NOT strike again with these Red July Crackers! On the all too rare occasion, we find that instead of phosphates these crackers have Sodium Bicarbonate, which is “…commonly called baking soda, is a natural substance used in the human body within the bloodstream to regulate pH as a counterbalance to acid build-up, which is critical to life. It affects the pH of cells and tissues, balances cell voltage, and increases CO2 which helps with oxygenation” (drsircus.com). Let’s emphasize the HUGE difference between these two components: one is natural (Sodium Bicarbonate) and one is chemical (Sodium Phosphate). Although these two ingredients begin with the same word in their name, they are about as different as night and day! Lastly, we have Cream of Tartar; a better alternative to the chemical leavening agent as far as the stabilizing job is concerned. It is a naturally occurring substance produced during the process of fermenting wine. It is then sent through a purification process and Voilà! You get the white powdery substance commonly used in numerous baked goods (thekitchn.com).
At face value, the only difference between these two products seems to be the brand name printed quite distinctly on each of the cracker’s packaging. Amazing, isn’t it, the striking difference that actually exists, causing these products to be, in reality, polar opposites? Now that you’ve seen firsthand the types of ingredients commonly used in the majority of processed foods, are you motivated to investigate that ingredient label a little more closely the next time you’re in the grocery store? I certainly hope so!
Trust me when I say that the truth about some ingredients can be a tad frightening to discover. It is shocking what the FDA has approved as “suitable” sources for ingredients. Let’s just say, this administration no longer gives me comfort about the quality of foods being sold in grocery stores or restaurants. But, please do NOT let this stop you from getting the better of those food companies! You deserve the right to know exactly what you’re feeding your body! So, Seize the Day for your knowledge because ignorance is not bliss when it comes to nutrition. Take advantage of technology and the vast amount of knowledge available through the Internet! You’d be amazed at what you will find!
Sources:
- https://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/2011/07/26/whats-in-your-food-enriched-flour-tops-list-of-unhealthy-ingredients/
- www.livestrong.com/article/313249-the-side-effects-of-thiamine-mononitrate/
- www.smart-publications.com/articles/excess-vitamin-B2-riboflavin-can-be-toxic
- www.chriskresser.com/folate-vs-folic-acid/
- www.healthyeating.sfgate.com/healthy-wholewheat-flour-vs-white-3305.html
- www.processedfreeamerica.org/resources/health-news/405-the-truth-about-evaporated-cane-juice/
- www.foodbabe.com/2015/02/04/cooking-oils/
- http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/ways-to-avoid-hydrogenated-oil
- http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-many-shades-of-palm-oil/
- sodiumbreakup.heart.org/sodium-411/sea-salt-vs-table-salt/
- http://www.thekitchn.com/food-science-what-is-cream-of-72125
- drsircus.com/medicine/sodium-bicarbonate-baking-soda/
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