Monthly Archives: August 2013

What’s In Your Juice?

As you know, I'm all about reading the label. It's the most important skill you can learn when it comes to understanding what's really in your food. After many people responded via Facebook, twitter, and online to my blog post about ingredients in Ranch Dressing I thought I would share another post highlighting how your food isn't always what it seems to be.

Manufacturers spend enormous amounts of money trying to figure out how to misdirect and mislead you so that you will purchase their product. Leaving aside the issues of packaging inherent in plastic containers, here is a perfect example:

At first glance this seems to be exactly what a juice purchaser might be looking for. 100% in very big letters. 100% juice all together. The 100% directly above large print Wild Cherry. It even says “no sugar added” which more consumers are focusing on. Many people have learned that juice drink is not really juice. And they've learned that what they really want is a pure product. So manufacturers are shifting their labeling to try to take advantage of that.

Now for the ingredient panel:

So the first thing we notice is that while the item may be fruit juice it's mostly from apple, followed by pear. And these juices are from concentrate. The package also lists “natural flavors” which could be any number of things including MSG. Ascorbic acid, despite popular thinking, is not the same as vitamin C. It's a laboratory version and may not be as well absorbed. It's also frequently made from corn syrup making it highly likely that this ingredient is genetically modified. Ascorbic acid is often used instead of a more natural form of vitamin C as natural vitamin C tends to break down under the pasteurization process that most juices go through. Ascorbic acid doesn't, making it the vitamin C additive of choice for most manufacturers.

Obviously what the manufacturer wants to you to believe via the front-of-package labeling is not quite everything that you need to know. Read the label, learn to understand what's really in your food and become an educated consumer

Cool Food App – Ipiit

by Miraadditives, gmo, grocery, ingredients

I have written before about some of the great foodie apps I have on my phone that are food related. I've just recently discovered a new one that was so cool I had to tell you about it.* It's a free app called ipiit, available at the App Store and on Google Play.

Designed to make it easy for consumers to understand what's really in their food it has a scanner that you use on the bar code. Then depending on how you have configured your system it will tell you if you can eat that product or not.

When I downloaded the product I was able to go in and configure it for the things I wanted to avoid in food. They have a number of items and are increasing it all the time. In addition to covering major food allergies, they also cover a few additives. My current setup means that I can scan a food to avoid the following:

aspartame, cellulose, HFCS, gluten, milk protein, GMOs.

But the coolest thing, to me, was the ability to then go in to the Request New Preferences section. I'm hoping that they will add these as soon as possible as there are so many things in that section which I encourage people to avoid. Not only does this section lists artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners, it lists a wide variety of foods, health conditions and a good range of additives.

I couldn't wait to go grocery shopping the next day. At the grocery store I used the scanner to scan items and see what I got. Just on a whim I scanned a box of Hungry Jack pancake mix. I got a “Not for you!” warning that offered a number of alternatives that would meet my criteria. When I tapped the arrow next to the “Not for you!” I was taken to another page which explained why and listed all of the ingredients in the product which participated in that:

Corn Syrup HFCS – corn syrup solids
Gluten – enriched bleached flour, wheat flour, malted barley flour
MSG – sodium caseinate
Milk Protein – sodium caseinate
GMO – this is not a verified non-GMO product

It did list that the product was both aspartame and cellulose free.

Then when I scanned another product which was not listed I was taken to a page which allowed me to “be a helper” and take three pictures to send to them of the label, the ingredients list, and the nutrition panel. This is just great. They are trying to grow their database and allowing consumers to be active participants in understanding what they are eating. While there are a lot of things in our food that I believe need to be listed in this database, this is certainly a great and very promising start.

Of course having this app doesn't mean that you don't need to read the label. I believe you still really need to know what's in your food. To be able to read the label and make educated decisions. But if you're in a hurry or are unsure about something this may just be the tool you need.

I'm hoping that as more people use this app they'll be able to add more and more of the harmful ingredients found in our food and support people in eating well to be well.

*Disclaimer: I receive no compensation from ipiit for mentioning their product, I simply think it's a great product and want more people to use it.

Manuka Honey Health Benefits

by Mirahealth, sweeteners, Uncategorized

Long used by people as a source of sweetener, honey is added to foods and beverages, but can also be used for medical purposes. As a sweetener it is primarily composed of fructose and glucose. While mild and health supporting, honey does present a health hazard to children under one year of age due to the potential for naturally occurring botulism spores. For this reason children under one year of age should not be given honey.

There are various kinds of honey available, all made from different nectar sources. These different types of honey have a number of properties which can help treat a range of health problems. A few types include avocado, clover, fireweed, buckwheat, blueberry, alfalfa, eucalyptus, but there are many more. Honey also comes in a number of different forms, crystalized, raw, on the comb, creamed, and dry among them.

Honey is produced in all over the globe; in United states alone there are over 300 different kinds. When it comes to taste, darker honey has a stronger taste while the lighter honey is milder in flavor.

When it comes to health benefits, Manuka honey is at the top of the list. It is produced mainly in New Zealand where the bees feed off of the Manuka plant (which is native to New Zealand). What sets Manuka honey apart from other varieties is it's anti-bacterial properties.

Normally used to treat minor burns and wounds, it can also be used for a wide variety of health issues. Not only does it have extraordinary antibacterial properties, it also boasts great antiviral, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties as well. There is even emerging evidence that manuka honey may fight MRSA and possibly prevent antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Below is a list of common ailments helped by the use of manuka honey?

Hair Problems: Many people believe it can prevent common hair problems like split ends, hair loss, hair thinning, dry scalp, and more. simply mix a tablespoon of the honey, a tablespoon of mayo, and an egg together and then apply it directly to your hair.

This will also help moisturize your hair in the process to help give your hair a good shine. Make sure you massage the mixture into your head and leave it there for at least 10 minutes before rinsing out.

Stomach Problems: Manuka honey is thought to help calm your stomach for certain issues such as indigestion, stomach ulcers, and acid reflux. Suggested usage is to eat 1 to 2 tablespoons of the honey thirty minutes prior to consuming a meal. The beneficial properties of the Manuka will quickly go to work to calm your stomach.

Colds and Coughs: The antibacterial properties can coat your throat and stop the coughing. Some suggest that is may also fight off bacteria. Suggested usage is 1 tablespoon of raw Manuka honey to help fight a cold when you feel it coming on.

Gum Disease: Another antibacterial use for Manuka is it's use as a mouthwash to help eliminate bacteria responsible for gum disease, bad breath, and tooth decay.

Cuts & Burns: Manuka honey is also used for treating minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. Once the wound is cleaned thoroughly apply the honey directly to it and make sure you cover the surrounding area of the cut as well.

Found in most health food stores, more grocery stores are beginning to stock it as well. To make sure you are getting 100% raw Manuka honey with all its health benefits you have to check the UMF of the brand. If you notice a brand of Manuka honey doesn't have the certified UMF trademark on it don't buy it.

John Maddox writes articles for a variety of sites. He also runs the website How To Get Rid Of Cellulite promoting natural ways to get rid of cellulite.

photo: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

Factory Farming And Gmo

by Mirabig-ag, farming, gmo, Uncategorized

Over the years farming has changed dramatically. Shifting from smaller, generational, family farms, that were often handed down and grew a number of different crops to corporate behemoths which grow only one crop, and that is often a commodity crop. Sadly one of the losses suffered from this shift in the agricultural system is that of a connection to our food.

Most people don't know who their farmer is anymore. And there is no accountability for the overuse of chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, and genetic modification. Corporate farming relies on these chemicals and other additives to increase their profits.

Even more disturbing is the challenges that face those farmers who want to produce organic or sustainable crops. The subsidies currently paid by the government are for commodity crops and tend to favor the large agribusiness corporations. These subsidies also make it more profitable as larger operations that focus on subsidy crops receive more funds. This makes the concept of the family farm more difficult as many small farmers appear to no longer be able to support themselves simply through farming.

It is a sad and startling thought (and I am far from the first person to say this) that organic food production used to be the ONLY form of farming. As chemical fertilizers, pesticides, larger scale operations, and mono-cropping have been developed they have become the norm. There is an unfortunate side effect of this with regard to our health and the health of future generations.

The time has come to educate ourselves about where our food really comes from. And to develop a relationship with those who produce it (to the best of our ability — admittedly this is not always possible in all areas for all types of food). Most of us are fortunate enough to be able to eat multiple meals in one day. Doesn't it make sense to feed ourselves well and support those who grow our food so that we can have the best food possible?

Farm to Fork: Our Toxic Food System infographic