Glaceau Vitamin Water-kiwi-strawberry flavour

Glaceau Vitamin Water- the first four(4) ingredients are water, fructose (i.e. high fructose corn syrup), sucrose (sugar) & flavour (another name for MSG).

The drink, which Coca-Cola claims is made by its Centre for Responsible Hydration, contains 6.5 teaspoons of sugar, a third of an average adult woman's recommended dietary intake.

A 375-millilitre can of Coca-Cola contains 10 teaspoons of sugar. The average consumer thinks it's so much better based purely on it's healthy sounding name!

 

There are added Vitamins (C, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, B6,  B12), lutein & a vegetable juice colour. However, the 2nd last ingredient is calcium lactate.The most common side effects caused by calcium lactate affect the digestive system. They include nausea, vomiting, constipation and decreased appetite. Other side effects of calcium lactate include dry mouth, increased urination and increased thirst. If these side effects continue or are bothersome, report them to a medical professional.

The 3rd last ingredient is magnesium lactate-the less serious side effects  include diarrhea, bloating, gas and an upset stomach. The side effects that indicate an allergic response include hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat. If any of the indications of an allergic response are present, emergency medical attention should be sought.

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

There are numerous magnesium supplements on the market but the one I highly recommend is Kruse's Fluid Magnesia (300ml, $8.95 approx). Most of us are lacking in this vital mineral & this therapeutic magnesium is not only rapidly absorbed & easily digested, but it can help relieve indigestion when due to acidity. May be given to infants, children as well as adults. I have my regular 25ml dose every morning with breakfast.

Enjoy! (available at chemists- you may have to ask them to order it in for you)

STAMINADE LEMON LIME FUSION

There is no doubt that the electrolyte powder which makes 9 litres of sports drink is a more economical choice than the pre-prepared drink I featured yesterday. But are there any coal tar dyes?
The answer is 'YES'. In the lemon lime infusion flavour there are 2- E133 (brilliant blue) & E102 (Tartrazine).
Both are suspected carcinogens & linked to hyperactivity.
Both are banned in Norway & Austria. Brilliant Blue is also banned in Germany, Sweden, Belgium & France. Why not Australia?

POWERADE

POWERADE (Gold Rush)-On a positive note it is pleasing to see that this drink does not contain any artificial sweeteners. However, 3rd on the ingredient list is 'maltodextrin' ( a form of MSG), 5th is 'flavour' (another form of MSG) & 9th are 2 coal tar dyes (E104, E110) which are suspected carcinogens as well as being linked to hyperactivity.

Both theses artificial colours are banned in Norway. When will our food authority (FSANZ) do the same?

Nature's Way Slim Right Fruit & Nut Bar

Since today's earlier post there have been numerous requests for me to name a protein bar that isn't full of MSG & artificial sweeteners. Sadly, this type of bar is a rarity. However, having said this I am yet to check out the health food shops (will do this tomorrow!).
On the supermarket shelves today I found  a vast array of protein bars but all were full of Protein Blends- all with  various forms of MSG- Whey Protein Isolate, Soya Protein Isolate, calcium caseinate!Some even had not 1, but 2 artificial sweeteners- maltitol or sorbitol & 955! Canola Oil and fructose corn syrup were even included!

The ingredient list on all these bars was hidden underneath a flap in very small print!
The Nature's Way bar, illustrated below still has Soya Protein & flavour listed in the ingredient list, but they are 14th & 19th respectively. Not 1st or 2nd as is the case with most bars sighted to date.

LO CARB choc-coated protein bar

Whilst emptying out a lunch box last week I found a wrapper from a LO CARB choc-coated protein bar which had been  purchased during a sport's carnival.

First on the ingredient list was an unusual name- 'Aussie Bodies' protein blend (32%). The first  3 components in this blend are Whey Protein Concentrate, isolated Soy Protein, & Whey Powder Isolate- ALL ARE FORMS OF MSG & sources of processed Glutamic Acid. I couldn't believe it.

There is also 'no added sugar' but instead they have used maltitol- an artificial sweetener which has been linked to intestinal discomfort & diarrhoea. Maltodextrin and flavours (both MSG ) appear near the end of the long ingredient list. Not the type of ingredients that go into helping create 'healthy Aussie Bodies' at all.

Needless to say none of my family will  be consuming this product again and hopefully, you and your friends have become more informed consumers on this type of product.

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

Just looked in my pantry cupboard for this weeks 'Product of the Week' & found an Australian Certified Organic Basil & Garlic pasta sauce which is part of Aldi's just Organic fabulous range. The label states that the pasta sauce is made from tomatoes grown and processed without the use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides. ENJOY!

REAL CHICKEN NUGGETS

Here is a simple recipe for real chicken nuggets which I made for my family tonight.
Ingredients
4 organic or free range chicken breasts
3 Tb good quality mayonnaise
2C organic breadcrumbs

Method  (Oven 350 C)
1. Cut chicken into 3-4 cm nugget shapes.
2. Place mayonnaise in flat dish & use a metal spoon to coat each piece of chicken lightly with mayonnaise.
3. Transfer nuggets into breadcrumbs & coat evenly.
4. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Bake in a moderate oven for approximately 20 mins.
May be served with a salad or seasonal vegetables.

Enjoy!! Safe & so simple!

Chicken Nuggets

How are Chicken Nuggets made? Real pieces of chicken breast cut out in a uniform shape & bread crumbed? Watch this You Tube video by Jamie Oliver and see what you think!

LOOPHOLE IN LABELLING

Unfortunately, in Australia we still do not have full disclosure of all the ingredients in a manufactured food product. There is a 5% loophole & concerned consumers have been lobbying FSANZ (Food Standards Australia & New Zealand) for some time now. Still no change!

We all need to know ALL the ingredients in a food item. However, it's wise to remember that if a product has five or more ingredients listed, & your grandmother wouldn't recognise it then don't buy it! Another wise policy is to not buy products who have ingredient names you can't pronounce!

There are approximately 52 ingredients listed for Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Product of the Week - Organic Butter

If you havn't already visited an Aldi store it's worth a visit to view their Just Organic range of staple foods.
Aldi's Fairtrade organic coffee & organic green tea were featured as my Products of the Week some time ago.
I can guarantee that you will taste the difference when you taste their Just Organic Butter. Delicious!

Enjoy!

Macular Degeneration of the Eye

Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and severe vision impairment in Australia. It is predicted that the number of sufferers will triple in the next 25 years.
DR. PAUL BEAUMONT:  'People with too much vegetable oil in their diet get two or three times the amount of this disease, whereas people who eat fish get half the amount. So it seems to be closely related to the pattern of fats in your diet.'
He's seen a tenfold increase in the last 30 years. "I think we could halve the number of people going blind with macular degeneration if we could change their diet, cut out the vegetable oil," Dr. Beaumont said.
DR. PAUL BEAUMONT: 'Olive oil appears to be OK. Now, which vegetable oil is it? We don't know. There are some funny oils like canola, which has got a high percentage of erucic acid in it. There are other oils which we've extracted in an odd way and we've changed them from a cis to a trans form. Other ones we hydrogenate to make more creamy. Now, these are not normal oils and they're not going to be properly biodegraded. So they are the ones that we'd be highly suspicious are bad for us. Personally, I wouldn't touch them. I stick to olive oil and a bit of butter. '
The majority of margarine's on the market contain Sunflower oil, canola oil or an ingredient that is just described as 'vegetable oil'. But which oil/s is this? This is unclear from the labels!Logical, Flora & even Nuttalex I am afraid to say all list 'flavour' (i.e. MSG) as one of their ingredients.

Devondale Extra soft contains butter 44%, cream, water, salt, Canola Oil (22%), vegetable gum & flavour. I have stayed away from Canola Oil for many years now & remember you can find it listed in almost all commercial dips!



 

Historically, humans ate fat from organically raised animals in foods like butter, whole milk, cream, eggs and meat. It has only been since World War II that saturated animal fats have been shunned by the medical community as a factor of heart disease. Over the years some researchers have questioned the campaign against animal fat. The Framingham Heart Diet conducted by Dr. Mann found no conclusive evidence that dietary fat contributes to heart disease. Eating a variety of fats every day is important because saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids all provide different biological properties for the smooth operation of our metabolic processes.Fats transport fat-soluble vitamins A,D,E, and K in your system. Saturated fat, like coconut oil has been vilified as 'artery clogging', whereas polyunsaturated fats are easily oxidized and so we can say that they are indeed, 'artery-clogging'. (Dr. Eades) (Cont. tomorrow)

I was shocked the other day when I checked the ingredient label on the Devondale ExtraLight margarine- water was listed first, then came maltodextrin ( a form of MSG) & Vegetable Gums.

Margarine Vs Butter

This is a long topic for discussion so I will post up information throughout the week.
Although conventional wisdom is stuck on the belief that saturated fats are as unhealthy as trans fats, saturated fats and trans fats do not belong in the same sentence. Organically raised animal fat is a natural occurring, historically eaten fatty acid with health giving properties. Factory animal fat is almost as deadly as trans fats, but for different reasons- because toxins are fat-soluble, they permeate and are stored indefinitely in fat cells.When you eat factory produced animal products, you are eating all the toxins that an animal consumed or was exposed to. Most trans fatty acids are manmade detestable molecules that destroy life.
Cont. tomorrow

Sanitarium Up & Go

Sanitarium Up & Go drinks are available in four flavours- choc ice, vanilla, banana & strawberry. It's 98.5% fat free but when you take the fat out of a product some form/s of sugar need to be added to achieve a reasonable taste. This product is no exception. It has 2 forms of sugar listed on the label- corn syrup & fructose. Both of these are essentially the same thing but they create the type of fat which is very hard to get rid of! To further enhance the taste the drinks also contain 2 forms of MSG- Maltodextrin & Soy Protein.

Ingredients are listed on the side of the box- all in very small print.

This is far from a nutritious start to any day & just by eating a piece of fruit you would be far better off! (& cheaper too!)

Yoplait for me yogurt

The dairy section at your local supermarket is full of a variety of 'No fat, diet yogurts' in a variety of flavours sweetened not by sugar, but with artificial sweeteners E951, 950. As well as 4 thickeners & 3 mineral salts Yoplait yogurt contains FRUCTOSE, COLOUR 120, & THAT POPULAR WORD 'FLAVOUR' (i.e. a form of MSG!). 
The only way to avoid these harmful artificial sweeteners is to choose full cream yogurts.

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

 Stevia  a naturally sweet plant that is much sweeter than sugar. It is also completely calorie-free, all-natural, and has a zero glycemic index (GI). Stevia is ideal for baking, in coffee and tea,  and great for desserts.

Just 2-3 drops of SweetLeaf Stevia liquid are as sweet as 1 teaspoon of  sugar. But it's zero calories, zero chemicals and all-natural. Just drop this pure Stevia extract into your coffee or tea for an instant no-calorie experience.

Convenient and economical to use:
- Zero calories zero carbs
- Absolutely no chemicals alcohol or glycerin
- Safe for diabetics
- Can be used in cooking, baking, hot or cold beverages and many more uses.

What happens to Aspartame (E951) in your body.

One of Aspartame's amino acids is menthol. This breaks down to FORMALDEHYDE!- a recognised neurotoxin. Another of it's amino acids interferes with melatonin ( a sleep transmitter) & tryptophan (which makes serotonin). A lack of serotonin is linked to depression.

All of these are very good reasons why you should not consume any product with this artificial sweetener.

ASPARTAME (E951)

This week I am going to focus on artificial sweeteners. They are considered by some researchers to be the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods. Artifical sweeteners are implicated in over 92 health problems including brain tumours & blindness.
They are commonly found in diet drinks, chewing gum, diet yogurts, cordials, confectionary, desserts and even vitamins and medicines.

Watch this informative video and come to your own conclusion!

Disguised names for MSG

Take 13 mins out of your day to listen to Dr.Russell Blaylock, M.D. talk about the disguised sources of MSG & what happens to a nerve cell when there is too much glutamate. In this video he also discusses the primary cause of numerous diseases. BECOME AN INFORMED CONSUMER. Enjoy!

Children's snacks

One of the quickest, cheapest & best snacks for children is to give them a piece of seasonal, spray-free fruit (available from your local market).
Manufactured snack foods are not only less nutritious but also contain preservatives (hence the long use-by date), as well as a number of excitotoxins.
Cheezels which I have seen numerous students eating as part of their lunch have E621,627 & 631 (all excitotoxins) plus yeast extract, vegetable extract and flavours (all forms of MSG). In total, the children are getting 6 hits of MSG which is why they appear to be very tasty!

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

FREEDOM Potato chips: free from gluten with no added salt & no MSG. Enjoy!

I was planning on featuring VEGE CHIPS but was unable to find a packet to double check the current ingredient list! I will keep looking!