Since additives can affect your unborn child's health, you may need to pay special attention to your diet.
Additives to Avoid:
Artificial Colors that have been banned in at least one country or have been linked to cancer or tumors: Blue #1, Blue #2, Citrus Red #1, Citrus Red #2, Green #3, Red #3, Red #40 and Yellow #6. Note: Ingredient "FD&C" usually means it contains artificial coloring. (Found in soft drinks, jams, cereals, snack foods, fruit.)
Banned in at least one country?! Linked to cancer and/or tumors?! HELLO! That caught my attention!
As a mother I want to do everything I can to protect my child(ren) and so that is why I am slowly trying to switch over. It is a hard change for a variety of reasons...
Reason #1) Which food usually costs the most? Organic, Trans-Fat-Free, Natural.. So basically healthy food is expensive!
Reason #2) Carter is 2. Most 2 year olds (except Gracie and Lyndee) are super picky! I have a hard enough time getting him to eat regular food let alone super healthy food.
Reason #3) Red #40 is in everything!
Reason #4) Trans Fats are in about half of everything!
Reason #5) It takes a lot more effort. I don't like to cook. I will straight up tell anyone that. So in order to have healthier food around the house I will likely have to start cooking more...
I went to the grocery store tonight for the first time after finding out about Red #40. I have known about Trans Fats since my nutrition class in college and most people around me know that I do what I can to avoid them. So, as I was shopping I was looking at every ingredients listing to see if it contained Red #40. More than half of the time it did.
These were the items I was shocked to out contained Red #40: Cinnabon cereal (it's brown), All of the Nutri-Grain bars (except Apple Cinnamon), Go-Gurt Yogurt (except for a newer Go-Gurt called Simply Go-gurt), Carter's Flintstones Multivitamins! and My Prenatal Vitamins (Womens Daily)! Really?! So I threw the vitamins in the trash. I found out that the Disney Gummy Vitamins contain natural dyes (such as carrot juice) so I got Carter those. The natural health food store behind Sinclair in Harrisville also sells prenatals and childrens multivitamins without artificial dyes.
Next is Fruit Snacks... (one of Carter's staple foods)
Fruit snacks are colored and therefore (most) contain several artificial dyes. So, I went and looked at the Gerber Graduates fruit snacks... NO Red #40 But they contain Hydrogenated Coconut Oil! What the?! When oil is Hydrogenated it turns into Trans Fat! You can read a simple article on it here So now I am on the search for fruit snacks that contain NO Red #40 and NO Trans Fats. *Just did some research and found these ones... They usually have them at Costco. Yeah! They do exist.
Geez. It's late. There is so much more I could write about but I will have to hold off for tonight. Hopefully some of my research will spark an interest for you too. I have seen too many people around me lately dying from cancer and the rest of their families being affected by their loss. I want to keep my family around for as long as possible. It is so hard to lose someone you love (I know) so I want to do anything I can to prevent it. Hopefully our new eating habits will help.
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5 comments:
Thanks for the info. It sure helps. We are slowly getting off the red dye #40 too. Costco usually has all organic stuff that doesn't have artificial dye and things. That is were I usually do my shopping for snacks for the kids. Good luck. Let me what else you find, it is fun to have someone close to home doing the same.
Good to know! You keep doing the research and we'll benefit from your findings. Thanks for making it easy for us!
Now I am scared to eat anything! Keep us posted on the food we can eat :0) Thanks for doing the homework for us!
Just stay away from processed foods. It's really not that hard. I've been doing it for roughly 15 years. You don't have to go "health food" either. Just opt for fresh fruits instead of fruit roll ups. Plain yogurt with fresh fruit instead of "fruit" added yogurt. It'll be an adjustment because your taste buds are used to being satiated with chemicals, but your body will be grateful. You don't need to do all organic either. I use a fruit wash for all my fruits and veggies, and during pregnancy, try to buy foods that you eat the peel (apples, grapes, blueberries, tomatoes, etc...) organic, but opt for the chemical laden stuff (oranges, melons, etc...) with foods that have a cover, so to say. Because I've stayed away from processed and chemical foods for so long, I can literally taste the chemicals and non-natural flavors, like McDonald's fries (gross!). I could go on, but this is getting long. :)
Hey I learned about Trans Fat from you! Remember the Young Women's activity we had! I always try to avoid it now!
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