Ingredients You Should Avoid:

• Trans Fats, a k a Partially Hydrogenated Oils: Trans fat means that hydrogen has been added to a liquid fatty acid to render it solid at room temperature, increasing its shelf life and improving texture or “mouth feel.” It’s found in margarine, shortening, fried foods, and all kinds of processed foods. Trans fats are incorporated into your cell walls, causing poor cell membrane and receptor function, and they also increase “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower “good” cholesterol (HDL). This contributes to a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Trans fats also lower immune system function and increase insulin resistance. Avoid them completely if at all possible.
  
  
• Artificial Sweeteners: as a general rule, even though excessive sugar is a bad idea (for more information see here: http://www.drlaurendeville.com/articles/get-healthy-for-the-new-year/), if you must sweeten your food it’s actually better idea to use real sugar than the stuff created in a lab. That’s because these are your main alternatives:
  
  
  • Saccharin: An artificial sweetener found in Sweet and Low, 30-500 times sweeter than sugar. It’s associated with bladder cancer when fed to rats in large quantities.
    
    
  • Aspartame: Found in Nutrasweet and Equal. It gets metabolized to excitatory amino acids which can lead to neuron cell death, and has been linked with various neurological diseases such as MS, ALS, and Alzheimer’s Disease. It has also been linked to a number of adverse food reactions including headaches, migraines, depression, seizures, weight gain, irritability, insomnia, joint pain, and memory loss.
    
    
  • Sucralose: Found in Splenda, which is 600 times sweeter than sugar. Its byproducts are in the same chemical category as certain pesticides (PCBs and DDT), and inconclusive studies suggest that it may cause genetic mutations. High doses have been linked with lower immune function.
    
    
• Preservatives: Common in processed foods to increase shelf life, these have been associated with allergic reactions and are stored in body fat (which means it’s hard to get rid of them). They include:
  
  
  • BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene). These are found in prepared and packaged foods.
    
    
  • Benzoates: Found in shrimp and fish
    
    
  • Sulfites: These are sprayed on fruit, veggies, and shrimp and associated with asthma.
    
    
  • Sodium nitrites and sodium nitrates: These are found on processed meats, and they are a known cause of stomach cancer. They are, however, counteracted by Vitamin C so if you have to have that cured bacon for breakfast, take your vitamins too.
    
    
• Monosodium glutamate: Especially common in Chinese food prepared in restaurants, this is added to increase the salty flavor of protein. It is a common cause of allergic reactions including chest tightness, diarrhea, headaches, and flushing. For those who are not allergic it’s not really a problem, other than the fact that foods with additives are probably not the healthiest options.
  
  
• Salicylates: These are chemically similar to aspirin, and so people with allergies to aspirin may not tolerate them well. They are found in cake mixes, sodas, dried fruits and berries, gum, pudding, and ice cream, and they are also used to enhance the flavor of certain spices.
  
  
• Artificial Dyes: Blue #2 is found in soda and has been associated with brain cancer. Green #3, found in lime drinks and popsicles, has been associated with thyroid cancer. Yellow #6, in soda and candy, has been associated with kidney cancer. Yellow #5 (also called tartrazine) is associated with allergies and ADD, and sensitivity is very common. It is found in orange drinks, cake mixes and icings, seasoning salt, macaroni and cheese, gelatin desserts, and Italian dressings.

The bottom line? Read labels. Avoid sugar, trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils, and any ingredients you don’t recognize. Choose foods that will spoil and eat them before they do. If you follow just these simple rules, you can forget the rest.

Eating healthy really isn’t that hard – most of our ancestors had it figured out. All it takes is a little common sense.

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. For more information, please see www.drlaurendeville.com.