It is important to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies. Today, foods are being prepared with different chemicals and additives that replace nutrition with disease. Food now is nutritionally low compared to even 50 years ago. Here are some common foods that are consumed everyday that are harmful to your body, and what you should be eating instead.
12 Food Swaps
Microwave Popcorn
These convenient little bags are more harmful than you think. The bag itself is lined with a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid, which is known to cause infertility and cancer in lab animals. Most popcorn companies also use soybean oil which is a GMO product, and various preservatives like propyl gallate which can cause stomach issues and skin rashes.
Instead, buy whole popcorn kernels and cook them in a pot with a little bit of coconut oil and some pink Himalayan salt for a delicious treat. Or you could use an air popper that pops the kernels with hot air instead of oil.
Canned Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes are dangerous because of the acidity of tomatoes. The acid in the tomatoes can can leech the BPA from the lining of the can. The FDA does not require labels on cans, so just because the can doesn’t say it contains BPA doesn’t mean the chemical isn’t lining the can,There are companies that sell crushed or diced tomatoes in glass jars which is infinitely safer, but your best bet is to always shop fresh, organic produce and make your own sauce at home.
“Dirty” Produce
Conventional produce is exposed to different chemicals and practice that make them harmful for humans to eat. They are sprayed with pesticides and pumped with hormones to make them bigger, faster. Farms in America also use sewage from cities (labelled bio-soils) to fertilize their fields.
Simply washing these foods are not enough. The best thing for you and your family is to buy organic produce, and local as often as you can to ensure that you aren’t ingesting any of the harmful practices conventional farmers use.
Processed Meats
All processed meats contain preservatives and chemicals to make them look appealing and fresh. Most of them contain sodium nitrate, a preservative but also a known carcinogen. Even smoking meats is bad as they can pick up cancer-causing tar from the process.
A little forethought is all you need to make great lunches during the week. Prepare chicken or fish on the weekend, and use the leftovers for sandwiches.
Farmed Salmon
Farmed salmon are fed chicken litter, and because of this they’re flesh isn’t the bright pink color it should be. To combat this they are also fed chemicals to dye their flesh. Due to their diet, farmed salmon don’t have nearly the same amount of omega-3s as wild salmon. They also contain higher levels of mercury, PCB’s, and cancer causing dioxins.
When it comes to salmon, wild is the best way to go. Wild salmon will be marked as such, and look for a label saying Alaskan instead of North Western.
Potato Chips or French Fries
Potato chips are filled with artificial flavors and preservatives that are harmful to our bodies. They are also fried at high temperatures which produces a material called acrylamide, which is a carcinogen also found in cigarettes.
A simple alternative is making your own potato chips at home. Thinly slice potatoes or sweet potatoes and bake them in the oven with a little raw organic olive oil. This also works for french fry substitutes as well.
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils
Hydrogenated oils are used to preserve processed foods and keep them looking appealing for a long as possible. Hydrogenated oils influence our cell membranes’ structure and flexibility, which can lead to cancer.
Instead, use raw organic olive oil as it is less processed than other olive oils. You can also choose coconut oil as it’s medium chain are much easier for our bodies to digest.
Soda
Sodas are an empty source of calories that cause weight gain and contribute to America’s nationwide epidemic of obesity. Drinking large amounts of the rapidly digested sugar causes your blood sugar to spike which can lead to both inflammation and insulin resistance. They also contain artificial colors that have been linked to cancer.
There are many different substitutes for soda. We should be consuming more water, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Add slices of your favorite organic fruits to a pitcher of water, like cucumbers, mint, oranges, watermelon, peaches, or limes. Great taste with very little calories.
White Flour
Processed white flour is high on the glycemic index and can spike blood sugar and insulin levels, which can cause diabetes. It also helps spread cancer cells by feeding the cells directly. Cancerous tumors feed on the sugar in our bloodstream, so the more sugar in it, the more they have.
Substitutes for white flour are numerous. Almond flour is grain free yet still contains proteins and healthy fats, and quinoa flour is another good choice. This flour gives you complete protein and all the essential amino acids.
GMO’s
The American public is the guinea pig in the experiment that is GMO foods. The FDA has no testing procedures for it, and the only human study ever taken showed that those foreign genes that are present in GM food transfer to the DNA in the bacteria in our digestive systems. GMO foods and crops are everywhere.
To avoid these franken-foods, make sure that the products you buy are made from organic ingredients and say they contain no GMOs. If it doesn’t, think twice about picking it up off the shelf.
Sugar or Artificial Sweeteners
In order to proliferate, cancer cells seem to prefer feeding on fructose-rich sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The reason is that HFCS is being metabolized by cancer cells most quickly and easily. It’s clear to see why cancer rates in the country are growing as more and more foods use HFCS in their manufacturing.
There are multiple ways to avoid sugar or artificial sweeteners. You can use raw, organic honey which is natural and loaded with health benefits. Molasses is sweet and packed with vitamins. Organic maple syrup is also a natural sugar substitute, or for a low calorie option you can use stevia which comes from a plant grown in South America.
“Diet” Foods
These are the foods that are labelled as low-calorie, low-fat, or ‘diet’ foods. But what they should say is how they are filled with artificial sweeteners, chemicals, high sodium, and preservatives to make them taste good.
The only real diet food is organic, whole foods that don’t come with a list of ingredients you can’t pronounce. That is the diet Mother Nature intended for us.
Remember these swaps on your next trip to the grocery store to ensure that what you put in your body is whole, healthy food.
SOURCE: http://naturalon.com/12-cancer-causing-food-substitutes/12/
