Worst Food Series 8: Microwave Popcorn

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Microwave Popcorn

Perfluoroalkyls, which include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), are chemicals used to keep grease from leaking through fast food wrappers, are being ingested by people through their food and showing up as contaminants in blood. Microwave popcorn bags are lined with PFOA, and when they are heated the compound leaches onto the popcorn.

These chemicals are part of an expanding group of chemicals commonly referred to as "gender-bending" chemicals, because they can disrupt your endocrine system and affect your sex hormones. The EPA has ruled PFCs as "likely carcinogens," and has stated that PFOA "poses developmental and reproductive risks to humans."

Researchers have also linked various PFCs to a range of other health dangers, such as:

1. Infertility -- A study published in the journal Human Reproduction found that both PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), dramatically increased the odds of infertility. PFOA was linked to a 60 to 154 percent increase in the chance of infertility.
2. Thyroid disease -- A 2010 study4 found that PFOA can damage your thyroid function. Individuals with the highest PFOA concentrations were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease, compared to those with the lowest PFOA concentrations. Your thyroid contains thyroglobulin protein, which binds to iodine to form hormones, which in turn influence essentially every organ, tissue and cell in your body. Thyroid hormones are also required for growth and development in children. Thyroid disease, if left untreated, can lead to heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, and osteoporosis.
3. Cancer -- PFOA has been associated with tumors in at least four different organs in animal tests (liver, pancreas, testicles and mammary glands in rats), and has been associated with increases in prostate cancer in PFOA plant workers.
4. Immune system problems -- Several studies by scientists in Sweden indicate that PFCs have an adverse effect on your immune system. As described in a report on PFCs by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), PFOA was found to decrease all immune cell subpopulations studied, in the thymus and spleen, and caused immunosupression.
5. Increased LDL cholesterol levels – A 2010 study in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that children and teens with higher PFOA levels had higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL or "bad" cholesterol, while PFOS was associated with increased total cholesterol, including both LDL cholesterol and HDL or "good" cholesterol.

I strongly recommend avoiding any product you know containing these toxic compounds, particularly non-stick cookware, but also foods sold in grease-proof food packaging, such as fast food and microwave popcorn. Clearly, if you're eating fast food or junk food, PFCs from the wrapper may be the least of your problems, but I think it's still important to realize that not only are you not getting proper nutrition from the food itself, the wrappers may also add to your toxic burden.

Worst Food Series 9: Soy Protein Isolate and Other Unfermented Soy Products Worst Food Series 7: Preservatives

Worst Food Series 7: Preservatives

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Preservatives

Preservatives lengthen the shelf-life of foods, increasing manufacturers’ profits – at your expense, since most

are linked to health problems such as cancer, allergic reactions and more. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are preservatives that affect the neurological system of your brain, alter behavior and have the potential to cause cancer. Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is a chemical preservative so deadly that just five grams can kill you.

The preservative sodium benzoate -- found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings – has been found to cause children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible. Sodium nitrite, a commonly used preservative in hot dogs, deli meats and bacon, has been linked to higher rates of colorectal, stomach and pancreatic cancers. And the list goes on and on…

Worst Food Series 8: Microwave Popcorn
Worst Food Series 6: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Worst Food Series 6: High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

High Fructose Corn Syrup

It’s often claimed that HFCS is no worse for you than sugar, but this is not the case. Because high-fructose corn syrup contains free-form monosaccharides of fructose and glucose, it cannot be considered biologically equivalent to sucrose (sugar), which has a glycosidic bond that links the fructose and glucose together, and which slows its break down in the body.

Fructose is primarily metabolized by your liver, because your liver is the only organ that has the transporter for it. Since all fructose gets shuttled to your liver, and, if you eat a typical Western-style diet, you consume high amounts of it, fructose ends up taxing and damaging your liver in the same way alcohol and other toxins do. And just like alcohol, fructose is metabolized directly into fat – it just gets stored in your fat cells, which leads to mitochondrial malfunction, obesity and obesity-related diseases.

The more fructose or HFCS a food contains, and the more total fructose you consume, the worse it is for your health. As a standard recommendation, I advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. For most people it would also be wise to limit your fructose from fruit to 15 grams or less, as you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" sources of fructose if you drink beverages other than water and eat processed food.

Fifteen grams of fructose is not much -- it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or two Medjool dates. Remember, the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, so one can of soda alone would exceed your daily allotment.

Worst Food Series 7: Preservatives
Worst Food Series 5: Artifical Colors

Worst Food Series 5: Artificial Colors

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Artificial Colors

Every year, food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into U.S. foods -- and that amount only factors in eight different varieties.6 As of July 2010, most foods in the European Union that contain artificial food dyes were labeled with warning labels stating the food "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." The British government also asked that food manufacturers remove most artificial colors from foods back in 2009 due to health concerns.

Nine of the food dyes currently approved for use in the US are linked to health issues ranging from cancer and hyperactivity to allergy-like reactions -- and these results were from studies conducted by the chemical industry itself. For instance, Red # 40, which is the most widely used dye, may accelerate the appearance of immune system tumors in mice, while also triggering hyperactivity in children.

Blue # 2, used in candies, beverages, pet foods and more, was linked to brain tumors. And Yellow 5, used in baked goods, candies, cereal and more, may not only be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals, but it's also linked to hyperactivity, hypersensitivity and other behavioral effects in children.

Worst Food Series 6: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Worst Food Series 4: Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

Worst Food Series 4: Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk



Monosodium Glutamate

This flavor enhancer is most often associated with Chinese food, but it's actually in countless processed food products ranging from frozen dinners and salad dressing to snack chips and meats. MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain dysfunction and damage to varying degrees -- and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and more.

Part of the problem is that free glutamic acid (MSG is approximately 78 percent free glutamic acid) is the same neurotransmitter that your brain, nervous system, eyes, pancreas and other organs use to initiate certain processes in your body. Although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to claim that consuming MSG in food does not cause these ill effects, many other experts say otherwise.

Worst Food Series 5: Artifical Colors
Worst Food Series 3: Artificial Flavors

Worst Food Series 3: Artificial Flavors

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Artificial Flavors

What’s particularly alarming when you see a word like “artificial flavor” on an ingredients label is that there’s no way to know what it actually means. It could mean that one unnatural additive is included, or it could be a blend of hundreds of additives. 

Strawberry artificial flavor can contain nearly 50 chemical ingredients, for example.Or take the artificial flavoring called diacetyl, which is often used as a butter flavoring in microwave popcorn. Research shows diacetyl has several concerning properties for brain health and may trigger Alzheimer’s disease. Genetically engineered flavor enhancers can also be listed under the artificial flavor (or natural flavor) label.

Worst Food Series 4: Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Worst Food Series 2: Synthetic Trans Fats

Worst Food Series 2: Synthetic Trans Fats

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Trans-Fatty Acids

These are common in foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, such as crackers, chips, most store-bought baked goods, and any fried foods, just to name a few examples. Synthetic trans fats are known to promote inflammation, which is a hallmark of most chronic and/or serious diseases. For instance, in one 2010 study, post-menopausal women who consumed the most daily synthetic trans fat had a 30 percent higher incidence of ischemic strokes.

Synthetic trans fats have also been linked to:

• Cancer: They interfere with enzymes your body uses to fight cancer.
• Diabetes: They interfere with the insulin receptors in your cell membranes.
• Decreased immune function: They reduce your immune response.
• Problems with reproduction: They interfere with enzymes needed to produce sex hormones.
• Heart disease: Your intake of trans fats should be as low as possible; no “safe upper limit” has even been established because, quite simply, there is none.

Worst Food Series 3: Artificial Flavors
Worst Food Series 1: Artificial Sweeteners

Worst Food Series 1 - Artificial Sweeteners

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Experiments have found that sweet taste, regardless of its caloric content, enhances your appetite, and

Artifical Sweeteners

consuming artificial sweeteners has been shown to lead to even greater weight gain than consuming sugar. Aspartame has been found to have the most pronounced effect, but the same applies for other artificial sweeteners, such as acesulfame potassium, sucralose and saccharin.

Yet, weight gain is only the beginning of why artificial sweeteners should generally be avoided. Aspartame, for instance, is a sweet-tasting neurotoxin. As a result of its unnatural structure, your body processes the amino acids found in aspartame very differently from a steak or a piece of fish. The amino acids in aspartame literally attack your cells, even crossing the blood-brain barrier to attack your brain cells, creating a toxic cellular overstimulation, called excitotoxicity, similar to MSG.

Further, inflammatory bowel disease may be caused or exacerbated by the regular consumption of the popular artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose), as it inactivates digestive enzymes and alters gut barrier function. Previous research also found that sucralose can destroy up to 50 percent of your beneficial gut flora. While you certainly don’t want to overdo it on sugar, there's little doubt in my mind that artificial sweeteners can be even worse for your health than sugar and even fructose.

Worst Food Series 2 - Synthetic Trans Fats

Jun - A Fermented Beverage

By: Becky Koch

Ingredients:
SCOBY for Jun

Jun second fermented with huckleberries

Green Tea - 2 tsp or two tea bags for quart of tea **
Water - 1 cup
Raw Honey - 1/4th cup
Starter Tea - 1/4th cup (Reserved from last batch)

Method:

• Boil water, steep tea for 10 mins, cool to 115F and add honey.
• Add to jar, when cool add starter tea and fill with water.
• Add SCOBY.
• Ferment to taste.
• Add fruit for second ferment, if desired.
• Tea will carbonate in 1-2 days with the addition of sugar or fruit in an anaerobic environment.
• ENJOY!

 ** Make sure you use Green Tea ONLY. Do not use flavored Green Tea as that will potentially kill the SCOBY.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

By: Becky Koch

Ingredients:

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
(Note: Please use parchment paper!!!)

• 2 cups riced organic cauliflower (I use the blender), with as much moisture removed as possible
• 1 cups almond flour or fine meal, packed (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt (less depending on how salty your sea salt is)
• 1/2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoons granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or whatever herb you like…rosemary will pack a nice punch)
• 1/4 teaspoons red pepper flake (optional)
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, heaping (optional) — if you omit the yeast and find the crust too wet, add some more almond flour (this will depend on how wet your cauliflower is)
• 3 eggs (organic pastured if possible)

Method:

• Designed for a pizza stone heated 450F, combine ingredients, roll dough to 1/4 inch or less using parchment paper (divide if you wish) and slide, parchment paper and all onto the stone (using a little olive oil on the paper will make things move around easier). Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings. Put back in oven for 8-10 minutes, or until done to your liking.
• Of course the herbs/spices in this crust are subject to opinion, if you prefer to flavor your crust with something else, DO!
• The photo is on a silpat and I DO NOT recommend it. This works 100 times better with parchment paper!!!