6 Ingredients You May Not Want In Your Food!

Garden burgers. Power bars. Protein brownies. Bottled water that makes you thin, young and smart. And we used to wonder what they put in Pop Rocks…
These days it’s hard for even die-hard foodies to know what they’re eating or drinking. That’s because food has changed from something that didn’t need a modifier — if it walked, swam, flew or grew out of the ground, it was food — to something that stopped off at Mr. Burns’ nuclear plant on the way to your plate.
Let’s call it “foodiness.” Like Stephen Colbert’s truthiness, which wasn’t about truth, we’re not consuming food as much as we’re consuming an edible manufactured doppelganger designed to look and taste like food, but isn’t actually food: like veggie puffs with no vegetables; fruit bars with no fruit; like goldfish crackers with no goldfish.
And now, below, a look at some typical foodiness ingredients that are packaged, flavored and presented as food.
TBHQ, A.K.A: Butane
Turns out butane isn’t just for lighters anymore – it’s also an artificial antioxidant that they put it in chicken nuggets to keep them “fresh” tasting. So instead of your chicken nuggets being fresh, butane keeps them “fresh.” Eating butane probably wasn’t what you had in mind last time you lit up, got the munchies, and ordered those nuggets. Try these homemade chicken tenders instead, for fuel-free fuel. Found in: Frozen, packaged or pre-made processed foods with long shelf lives such as frozen meals, crackers, chips, cereal bars and fast food.
Estrogen
Regular milk is full of hormones used by the milk industry to keep the cows knocked up and lactating all year round. Sound gross? It is. So when you drink regular milk you take a shot of hormones with it. And all you wanted was a bowl of cereal. Found in: All non-organic dairy, so organic is recommended. But don’t jump straight to raw milk before you know the facts.
Spinach Dust
Think that green sheen on your veggie snacks is giving you your daily serving of vegetables? Think again. That’s just powdered spinach dust, which is spinach that has been dehydrated and sucked dry of its nutritional value. So the upshot is that green sheen is about as nutritious as actual dust. Found in: “Healthier” vegetable flavored snack foods.
Propylene Glycol, A.K.A antifreeze
Antifreeze is used in cars, pills, cosmetics, deodorant, moisturizer…and, in a way, food! It keeps your car from freezing over, your moisturizer moist, and your fat-free cookie dough ice cream creamy, smooth and juicy. If it’s good enough for your SUV it’s good enough to eat, right? Right?? Right??? Found in: Cake mix, salad dressings, low-fat ice creams and dog food.
Wood Pulp: Vanillin
Vanillin, which is a byproduct of the pulp industry, is used as an artificial vanilla flavor. Ester of wood rosin, which comes from pine stumps, is in citrus-flavored sodas to keep the citrus flavor evenly distributed through the can (try these natural ones if you’re cutting down on pine stumps). Found in: Artificially flavored yogurt, baked goods, candy and sodas.
Castoreum
Castoreum comes out of a beaver’s behind — it’s extracted from their anal glands — and is used to make artificial raspberry flavoring. Try not to think about that next time you order the diet raspberry tea. Found in: Artificially raspberry flavored products such as cheap ice cream, Jell-O, candy, fruit-flavored drinks, teas and yogurts.

Garden burgers. Power bars. Protein brownies. Bottled water that makes you thin, young and smart. And we used to wonder what they put in Pop Rocks…


These days it’s hard for even die-hard foodies to know what they’re eating or drinking. That’s because food has changed from something that didn’t need a modifier — if it walked, swam, flew or grew out of the ground, it was food — to something that stopped off at Mr. Burns’ nuclear plant on the way to your plate.

Let’s call it “foodiness.” Like Stephen Colbert’s truthiness, which wasn’t about truth, we’re not consuming food as much as we’re consuming an edible manufactured doppelganger designed to look and taste like food, but isn’t actually food: like veggie puffs with no vegetables; fruit bars with no fruit; like goldfish crackers with no goldfish.

And now, below, a look at some typical foodiness ingredients that are packaged, flavored and presented as food.


TBHQ, A.K.A: Butane

Turns out butane isn’t just for lighters anymore – it’s also an artificial antioxidant that they put it in chicken nuggets to keep them “fresh” tasting. So instead of your chicken nuggets being fresh, butane keeps them “fresh.” Eating butane probably wasn’t what you had in mind last time you lit up, got the munchies, and ordered those nuggets. Try these homemade chicken tenders instead, for fuel-free fuel. Found in: Frozen, packaged or pre-made processed foods with long shelf lives such as frozen meals, crackers, chips, cereal bars and fast food.

Estrogen

Regular milk is full of hormones used by the milk industry to keep the cows knocked up and lactating all year round. Sound gross? It is. So when you drink regular milk you take a shot of hormones with it. And all you wanted was a bowl of cereal. Found in: All non-organic dairy, so organic is recommended. But don’t jump straight to raw milk before you know the facts.
Spinach Dust
Think that green sheen on your veggie snacks is giving you your daily serving of vegetables? Think again. That’s just powdered spinach dust, which is spinach that has been dehydrated and sucked dry of its nutritional value. So the upshot is that green sheen is about as nutritious as actual dust. Found in: “Healthier” vegetable flavored snack foods.



Propylene Glycol, A.K.A antifreeze



Antifreeze is used in cars, pills, cosmetics, deodorant, moisturizer…and, in a way, food! It keeps your car from freezing over, your moisturizer moist, and your fat-free cookie dough ice cream creamy, smooth and juicy. If it’s good enough for your SUV it’s good enough to eat, right? Right?? Right??? Found in: Cake mix, salad dressings, low-fat ice creams and dog food.



Wood Pulp: Vanillin



Vanillin, which is a byproduct of the pulp industry, is used as an artificial vanilla flavor. Ester of wood rosin, which comes from pine stumps, is in citrus-flavored sodas to keep the citrus flavor evenly distributed through the can (try these natural ones if you’re cutting down on pine stumps). Found in: Artificially flavored yogurt, baked goods, candy and sodas.



Castoreum



Castoreum comes out of a beaver’s behind — it’s extracted from their anal glands — and is used to make artificial raspberry flavoring. Try not to think about that next time you order the diet raspberry tea. Found in: Artificially raspberry flavored products such as cheap ice cream, Jell-O, candy, fruit-flavored drinks, teas and yogurts.

What's So Fattening About Fat Anyway?

Americans are clearly obsessed with low-fat and fat-free foods. A walk down the aisle of any grocery store will confirm this obsession. There have never been so many options. You can't get away from all the supposedly guilt-free foods: fat-free ice cream, hot dogs, salad dressing, cream cheese; low-fat chips, cookies, candy, cakes, deli meats, sour cream; the list goes on and on. Even pretzels are being touted as low-fat as if there was a time when they were not.
And while our modified-fat food choices continue to expand, so do our waistlines. Clearly, fat-free and low-fat foods haven't delivered on their lean, healthy promises. Despite what you may have heard, eating a low-fat diet isn't the simple answer to the battle of the bulge. And as a matter of fact, not eating enough can actually make weight loss more challenging.
There are nearly as many myths about this as there are facts. When it comes to weight loss and health in general, it's important to know the truth. Let me dispel some of those myths and give you the straight facts.
Myth: All fats are bad.
Fact: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are actually good for you. They can lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Some examples of these healthy fats are olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocado, and olives. Saturated and trans fats are the unhealthy types of fat. They can raise cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. Processed foods and fast foods tend to be particularly high in these unhealthy fats.
Myth: Eating low fat food is the key to weight loss.
Fact: The low-fat diet fad began about 20 years ago and it still lingers today. Interesting, the obesity rate for Americans has dramatically increased during this same period of time making it clear that there is more to weight management than simply eating low fat foods. In fact, eating too little can actually leave you feeling hungry and result in overeating. Since fats are filling, eating a healthy amount of fat every day is actually a good idea.
Myth: Foods labeled fat-free are healthy.
Fact: Foods that have been modified to be fat-free can actually be higher in sugar and calories than their fat-containing counterparts. Just because the label says "fat-free" doesn't mean you can eat all you want without the consequence of gaining weight. Lower fat versions of your favorite foods can be a helpful addition to your weight control eating plan; however it's best to be mindful and discriminating about your choices. Better yet, go for foods that are naturally fat-free foods like fruits, vegetables, and beans - and get the added benefit of natural fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Myth: There is no actual need for fat.
Fact: Fat is an essential nutrient and it is vital for health. In fact, not eating enough can have detrimental consequences. Fat supplies essential fatty acids for growth, healthy skin, vitamin absorption and regulation of important bodily functions such as immunity. Individual fat requirements depend on lifestyle, weight, age and most importantly the state of one's health. Generally speaking, however, aim to keep your total fat intake at about 20-30% of total calories. In other words, if you are consuming 1500 calorie/day, you should eat about 40 grams of fat. (Note: each 1 gram of fat = 9 calories).
Bottom line - What's so fattening about fat? Absolutely nothing. Fat can and should be part of a healthy weight loss eating plan. It tastes good and it's very satisfying. And not eating enough fat everyday can leave you feeling deprived - a sure fire way to set yourself up for failure. Choose healthy fats, enjoy them in moderation, and eat your way to permanent weight loss.