Processed Food Malaise

Let me tell you where I am coming from to form my opinions before I share them. I am not an expert on nutrition. I just trust in what I know and have read a lot on the subject of our health, especially as it relates to food.

I have a love of periodicals...and, I am not a "skimmer". I read magazines and newspapers cover to cover. I have read "Readers Digest" at least since the age of 11 and "Self" magazine was a favorite as I got older; now, I am a big fan of "Real Simple", "body & soul" (and many more!) and I never miss reading the Sunday "Chicago Tribune". A lot has been written about the subject of food. Ah, yes...I have also read books on the subject.

I laughed when "experts" advised to eat margarine. And again when they said not to eat eggs. And again when they said they were wrong about eggs.

I hate margarine. Have never eaten it by choice. "New studies show" that hydrogenated anything is probably not good for our bodies. Eggs, however, require NO processing and are as close to nature as they come. I have never stopped eating eggs (and, I hope I never have to!)

I personally prefer to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible (i.e. fresh vegetables and fruit, especially those grown organically and foods made with little, if any, preservatives). I was raised on "homemade" recipes (thanks, mom and grandma!) and I love, love, love to make things from scratch with the freshest possible ingredients! My family does not eat a lot of fattening foods; but, I do use real butter and real cream when I cook...because these foods are closer to their natural state and have no additives and require less processing.

I would like to note that I respect and (sometimes) appreciate other people's choices regarding food. I am just sharing my own.

Honestly, I did not always pay attention to my food...I just ate what I liked...until I became more aware of my body in general (a bit healthier after the college years) and found out I was allergic to onions (causes a stomach ache and sometimes hives) and I have an intolerance for MSG (causes stomach ache and often, severe headaches) and mono and di-glycerides (something new they started adding to foods like bread and ice cream recently that causes stomach aches and a dizzy feeling). So, now I read ingredient labels...all the time! It is crazy what they put into food.

Did you know some cereals have Tri-Sodium Phosphate (TSP) in them? My dad owned a cleaning business and he used TSP to clean walls (still remember what the box looked like!).

Just one more thing for now... Processed food has the ability to TRICK our bodies...trick them into thinking they are not yet full...and lots of other interesting things...! I know for a fact that MSG (which is in a LOT of food, by the way...check your salad dressing, chips and crackers!) is a chemical salt that is intended to enhance the flavor of food but has the added benefit of making you want more! Ugh! Don't even get me started on the woes of High Fructose Corn Syrup (which I can't eat either, by the way).

The neat thing is, the less you eat processed food, the more you notice the difference when you do...hence, my intolerance of certain preservatives and additives. I want to feel great when I eat...because I LOVE food!