Sports drinks like Powerade strawberry lemonade, are getting a bad rep because of the BVO researchers are finding.
Most people see success as an amount of money or power that one has, as do the business’ and corporations that feed us. Just like you and I, food product companies strive to make more and spend less. Regardless of the consequences, poisonous foods are being produced and advertised by strategic marketing allowed by the FDA- perhaps the most mysterious acronym of them all. XOXO, JAM This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Facebook: Body by JAM Twitter/ Instagram: @bodybyjam JAMtv: youtube.com/user/JamieAlexandraMurphy
The Food and Drug Administration prides itself on “protecting and promoting health”, yet it has failed to ban additives to food that have been proven to cause serious side effects to it’s consumers.
As consumers it is our job to investigate what we are putting into our body since we obviously cannot depend on the FDA to stop a company from selling something that could harm us. This journey is one that will continue over time as we become more open minded to educating ourselves and less likely to look the other way and fall into the traps that these companies set for us.
There are dozens of additives that we would cut out of our diet in a perfect world, but recently I’ve paid close attention to three of them that I fear you are overlooking. As I continue to learn about how to live the healthiest life possible I want to share my findings with you!
BVO; What is it? How to avoid it and why.
Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) is banned in food throughout Europe and Japan, first patented as a flame retardant. It’s properties consist of vegetable oil (derived from corn or soy) bonded with the element bromine- classified in the same
nfamily as chlorine.
Citrus flavored beverages are the primary contributors to the consumption of this poison; Mountain Dew, Squirt, Fanta Orange, Sunkist Pineapple, Gatorade Thirst Quencher Orange, Powerade strawberry lemonade and Fresca Original Citrus specifically. This is not a complete list as it is difficult to find out which products contain BVO since the FDA does not require it on the label.
What we do know is that BVO is used in soda that is sold in the US, so to be safe wean yourself off of this type of beverage completely. Switching to water could be the best thing that you have ever done for yourself and your family as the effects of BVO are serious.
Bromine displaces iodine when ingested or absorbed into your body. A deficiency in iodine can lead to an increased risk for cancer of the breast, thyroid gland, ovary and prostate. It is also known to act as a central nervous system depressant which can lead to a number of psychological problems. In a 40 year study, Dr. Jorge Flechas found that at least 20% of hospital admissions for “acute paranoid schizophrenia” were caused by ingesting products containing bromine.
Sickness from BVO is more common in children, seniors and pregnant women as it depletes the immune system as well as cause allergic reactions, organ failure and birth defects.
In addition to these life threatening diseases, bromine can cause skin rashes, severe acne, abdominal pain, fatigue, metallic taste and cardiac arrhythmias.
Other poisonous properties found in sodas are those that are artificially sweetened, contain sodium benzoate and yellow dye #5 aka tartrazine which has been banned in Norway, Austria and Germany due to it’s contribution to health problems.
MSG; What is it? How to avoid it and why.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a type of salt used in cooking to bring out strong flavors in the food which allows food producers to use less real flavor aka less cost. Processed foods are quick and easy but if you think about it, these conveniences cannot come without a downside.
Fast food joints are by far the biggest culprit of adding outrageous amounts of MSG but there are countless products served in regular restaurants and stores that are doused in this substance as well; (deep breath) chicken and sausage products, ranch dressing, parmesan items, gravy and dipping sauces, fries, flavored salty chips- especially Doritos and Cheetos (and any other items with cheese powder), ceasar dressing, croutons, sauce on fish, soy sauce!, Boars Head cold cuts and
beef
jerky.
There are items in your own kitchen that you should start to find healthier alternatives for as well; anything with a seasoning packet, anything with “Accent” in it, anything with a bouillon cube or meat extract, the Latino seasoning Goya Sazon, Lawry’s Seasoning salt, Gravy Master, anything with “hydrolyzed” or “autolyzed” on the label, chip dip, hamburger helper, canned soups-especially progresso, most canned tomato and mushroom soups, the “green bean casserole”, hot dogs, cup-o-noodles, ramen noodles, Planter’s nuts, bodybuilder drinks containing protein as well as dry milk and whey powder.
Children are shown to be more affected by high
levels
of MSG than anyone and
Chinese food has been shown to have the most amounts of MSG along with Mcdonald’s, Burger King, Chick-a-filet, Umami Burger, KFC and Taco Bell. Other brands that have been proven to contain high amounts of MSG are Nestle, Frito Lay and Campbells.
The best way to avoid MSG is to eat whole natural foods which are unprocessed like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Since MSG is pretty much everywhere else, you can start by just noticing it and eventually decreasing your consumption. You don’t have to memorize this list to know if MSG is in food, this isn’t even a full list anyways! What you can do is keep these key points in mind;
- The more salty a processed food is,
the more
likely it contains MSG.
-The more ingredients in a processed food, the more likely it is that there is MSG present.
- If it has more than five ingredients on the label, put it back on the shelf.
- Check the labels of boxes that say “low sodium” or “healthy” as these are red flags for MSG filled products. (Thanks to the FDA :/ )
If you often get headaches between lunch and dinner time it may be because you
are consuming
a high level of MSG, as
headaches are one of the most recognized symptoms associated with this additive. Other known reactions include sweating, drowsiness, fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, nausea and nerve damage. Pretty much food with MSG makes you feel like shit, hopefully that’s a good enough reason to start paying close attention to what you’re eating (and not eating!)
GMO’s, what are they? How to avoid them and why.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) sounds like science fiction but it is real and such a new problem that the FDA doesn’t even test for it. Now that health activists are starting to recognize the fatal side
effects, it’s
likely that testing is in
the near future. Just like any other additive, creative marketing and loopholes will be found so that the food industry can continue to make more money. It’s in your best interest that you get educated now so that you are ahead of the game.
Everything from cotton to meat, even our produce is being genetically modified. Meaning their natural DNA is altered to produce more. Roughly 75% of the processed food on shelves in the grocery store contain these GMO’s including 94% of soy and 75% of all corn products.
The first and best step to avoiding GMO’s are to look for items labeled 100% organic, this includes soy and corn products. According to the USDA
Organic Program
Standards, 100% organic foods
cannot contain any genetically modified organisms. Definitely worth the few extra bucks right?!
Brands that have been categorized as ones that use GMO’s are (but NOT limited to); Nestle, PepsiCo, General Mills, Coco Cola, Bertoli, Heinz products and Pepperidge Farms.
Listed below are foods that are most likely to contain GMO’s, therefore they are the foods that you should be buying 100% organic; fresh corn, fresh papaya, cornbread mix, corn meal, soy flour, veggie sausages, tortilla chips, processed foods and those with high-fructose corn syrup, puffed corn snacks, meatballs and burgers with soy protein as well as soy-based protein drinks and powders.
Now, foods that are least likely to contain GMO’s; anything labeled GMO-free, 100% organic anything, if corn try blue corn or sweet corn, roma tomatoes, potatoes and popcorn.
As if the name itself is not enough to make you cautious of GMO’s, low immunity, food allergies and higher cancer levels should. As mentioned, this is a new problem so the health risks are not even known yet. Stay away whenever possible.
Spend, Spend, Spend!!!
The bottom line is that no
one is responsible for protecting you except yourself. Make your health a priority, get informed and get involved. Do not rely on other people to tell you what is right or to make excuses for you.
Spend the extra money that it costs to buy whole foods, organic foods and ingredients to make meals from scratch.
Spend the extra time that it takes to become educated, ask questions and investigate what is going into the ONE body that you have.
Spend your life with loved ones by cherishing each moment and knowing
that you are doing
everything possible to fight cancer, live
long and be strong against the blood sucking, money hungry CEO’s in charge of these BVO, MSG and GMO contaminated foods that are so readily available to us.
Measure success not in the amount of money that you make or power you hold, but in the effort you put forth to live the longest, healthiest life possible. NOTHING is more valuable than our health and NO ONE can argue to that!
