Subtract instead of add: get those extra chemicals out of your food

I recently listened to a lecture on food additives and although I was well aware of the fact that they shouldn't be in the foods we eat, I wasn't entirely sure of what they were or WHY they were so bad for us! Food additives are chemical concoctions that can make our food last longer in the fridge or on the shelf, enhance flavor, improve texture, or improve appearance.  Sounds great, right? Well, when you take into consideration that many of these additives are petroleum-based and designed in a lab versus by nature...AND they are banned in many other countries...then it may be enough to also make YOU start reading labels to see just what you've been ingesting over the years.  Food additives add ZERO nutrition to your food and can contribute to the development of cancer and behavioral issues like hyperactivity in children.

As of 2021, the United States has approved over 3,000 chemicals to be used as food additives (the majority of which are found in processed foods) vs. the European Union which has about 300 approved substances.

Are you also curious about what food additives the United States allows in our food supply, but other countries have deemed unsafe for consumption? Are Americans "immune" to the toxic effects of these substances? Absolutely not! I don't want to get up on a soapbox here, but our government is not protecting our best interests as citizens and it's making us sick.

There is a list of "Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)" substances that companies can use as additives in our food, as well as skin care products. Here are some common food additives: BHA, BHT, red dye #40, yellow #6, green #3, yellow #5, blue #1, and glyphosate. Do those sound safe to you? What's even crazier is that once a chemical is given GRAS, it is no longer regulated, and it is very difficult to remove it from the list.

How are foods approved for GRAS status?
​1) An expert in the field reviews the safety data, toxicology, biological function, etc. and he/she makes a determination on the substance. HOWEVER, a company can throw together its own panel of experts to review the data to determine if the chemical is safe--now that doesn't seem to protect the public properly, right? That just protects the self-interests of the food industry!
2) GRAS was created in the 1960 so any food additive that was used/created before this time and did not have any proven harm, like salt, sugar, MSG, sodium nitrite, citric acid, artificial colors, and artificial sweeteners (saccharin) was able to skate around additional testing and was given the "common use in food" status and is considered GRAS. Seems like our technology has advanced since 1960--so shouldn't these chemicals be subject to testing to make sure they are truly safe? Unfortunately, even the additives that were created after 1960 are still very questionable on safety and I won't be putting any faith in the industry to do honest testing. 

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This tasty, sweet treat was a favorite of mine growing up. Here are just the "natural and artificial" flavors and colors that are listed: Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 LAKE, Blue 2 LAKE, Yellow 6 LAKE, Titanium dioxide, Blue 1 LAKE, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1.
Besides cancer and hyperactivity, food additives may be the reason some people have headaches, brain fog, shortness of breath, joint pains, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, bloating, or skin irritations after eating certain foods. If you've had food allergy or sensitivity testing and couldn't pinpoint anything in particular that could be causing your symptoms or you eliminated the identified foods and had no improvement, but you still have a hunch that it's something you're eating, then coming to Balance Health for a food additive test through Vibrant Wellness may be very much worthwhile. This 57-result panel looks at emulsifiers, elements, flavor enhancers, fibrous additives, food dyes, gums and thickening agents, pesticides, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, latex, and BPA. 

There is NOTHING natural about "natural flavorings" in your food. Avoid products that list "natural flavorings" on the label. After all, mercury and feces are natural, but would you want to eat them??

If you are concerned about food additives (and you should be) and have noted some of the symptoms noted above in yourself or loved ones, you don't have to officially get tested before taking care of business. If your child is suffering from inattention or hyperactivity at home or in school, do a trial off foods with artificial food dyes and you may see a remarkable turnaround in his/her behavior. If you have chronic migraines and have "done all the things" and still can't catch a break, maybe it's a food additive causing your migraines.

​ can't emphasize enough that eliminating processed foods, unsafe skin care products, and even many over-the-counter medications (yup, read the labels--there are dyes in pills and liquids) is an easy solution to avoiding these questionable (at best) and dangerous chemicals. Eating real whole foods that are naturally vibrant in color and flavor are the way to go. Read labels. Do you research (I like ewg.org) on products before you buy them. Be an informed consumer!