All soy milks are not created equal...

Carrageenan, is an emulsifier, stabilizer & thickener used to suspend & gel ingredients & keep them from separating. It is extracted from red seaweed using alkali solvents.  It’s used in drinks, food, cosmetics, pesticides, medications, cleaning products, hair products & toothpastes.  The non-food grade carrageenan is the main ingredient in plane de-icer.  The main food based use is as a substitute for fat, when combined with milk proteins it improves the texture & increased solubility.  Because it can be used as a fat substitute, it is widely used in soy milks, milk drinks, processed cheeses, non-dairy puddings, whipped creams, coffee creamers, yogurts, cottage cheese, ice cream, processed low-fat meats, prepared pie-fillings & frosting mixes.

Research has shown the when used in food, carrageenan coats the stomach like sticky honey, which in turn cause digestive problems & has been a suspected link to inflammatory bowel syndrome, colorectal malignancy, intestinal ulcers & growths.

Prior to 2004, carrageenan was used in infant formulas, but during the 26th session in Boon, Germany in November of 2004, the joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives decided, that “based on the information available, it is inadvisable to use carrageenan or processed eucheuma seaweed in infant formulas.” This is evidence from studies performed on rats, guinea pigs & monkeys that indicate that degraded carrageenan may cause ulcerations in the gastro-intestinal tract and gastro-intestinal cancers.

I think that if the World Health Organization (WHO) has an issue with carrageenan, then it seems to be a good idea to try & avoid it whenever possible.  With that in mind, let’s take a look as some products that contain carrageenan & some alternative products to try instead.

Let’s start with the largest selling soy milk in America- SILK® (all flavors) contains carrageenan.  Instead, try 8^th Continent® or VitaSoy® if you want a refrigerated soy milk, or Soy Dream®, Eden Soy® or Rice Dream® for a self-stable soy milk.



http://www.8thcontinent.com/

All regular flavors of Coffee Mate® liquid creamer contain carrageenan, but their new Bliss Naturals® do not.  So switch to these instead.

http://www.coffeemate.com/

Most yogurts on the grocery self contain carrageenan, read the labels before you buy, but Chobani® & Fage® are both good alternatives.

http://www.chobani.com/

Ice Cream- a lot of different brands & flavors contain carrageenan, but Breyers® All Natural is a tasty treat that has no carrageenan.



http://www.breyers.com/



As always, it’s best to read the ingredients before you buy. Just make note, that if you want to steer clear of carrageenan, then always read the ingredients in soy milks, rice milks, coconut milks, almond milks, milk drinks (Nesquik® & Hershey’s® Real Chocolate- not real), processed cheeses, ice creams, processed meats, yogurts, cottage cheeses & almost anything that is milk or dairy like.

Ultimately, the decision is yours.  Until the next post….

Why Cool Whip® really isn't cool...

Polysorbate 80, also known as polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate or Tween® 80, & it’s lesser studied sister Polysorbate 60 are used as an emulsifier (a binding agent to bind ingredients together & keep them from separating like oil & water) & a surfactant (reduces the surface tension of a liquid making it easier to spread) used in foods, cosmetics, vitamins, medicines & vaccines.  They are most commonly used in ice cream & frozen desserts to help them resist melting & in shortening, condiments like barbecue sauce, chewing gum, dietary foods & whipped dessert toppings.  They are also used as a solubilizer, which means it aids in dissolving ingredients that would not normally dissolve or that would not fully dissolve & can be found in pickled food, gelatin desserts, liquid soaps & bath gels.  It is also used in some cottage cheese & yeast based products as a defoamer.

The most common side effects from Polysorbate 80 in foods are allergic reactions, some leading to anaphylactic shock, as well as flu-like symptoms, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, fainting & persistent tiredness.  Polysorbate 80 is also found in vaccines like the flu vaccine & HPV (Gardasil®) vaccine & has been linked to severe allergic reactions after the vaccine has been administered.  The studies have linked these allergic reactions to Polysorbate 80.

The controversy over the potential health risks of the injection of Polysorbate 80 into the body revolves around a 1993 study that showed when the chemical was injected into baby female rats it resulted in malformed reproductive organs.  In the late 1990’s the University of Georgia Research Foundation submitted a patent application for a “fertility impairing vaccine” for animals with the “preferred” ingredient being Polysorbate 80.  Polysorbate 60, which has been studied less, has been proven to cause damage to reproductive organs.

There was a class action lawsuit filed in 2003 regarding the drug E-Ferol®. E-Ferol® was used between 1983 & 1984 on premature infants as form of vitamin E to help combat RLF (a disease that affects to retina of the eye & can cause vision impairment & blindness in premature infants). The FDA recalled E-Ferol® in 1984 after it was found to cause liver and/or kidney failure, respiratory distress & cardiopulmonary deterioration in the infants. Expert’s labeled this “E-Ferol Syndrome”.  Following the recall, Dr. Robert Brown from Fort Worth Children’s Hospital undertook a study on E-Ferol® & determined that Polysorbate 80 caused the “E-Ferol Syndrome”. 

WOW! That’s some pretty profound “side-effects” to Polysorbate 80.  I only listed a few of the research cases that I found when researching these additives.  These two are disturbing enough that I can’t imagine anyone would need more information on this additive before removing it completely from their food choices.

Listed below are the most common food type items that Polysorbate 80 or 60 is added to. When you shop, if you want to avoid this ingredient, make sure you read the label & go for the product marked “natural” whenever possible.

·      Ice cream, frozen custards, fruit sherbert

·      Whipped dessert toppings

·      Shortenings

·      Milk/Cream based salad dressings

·      Coffee creamers

·      Cake mix & cake icings

·      Sugar & artificially sweetened gelatin & pudding desserts

·      Condiments (chocolate flavored syrups, barbecue sauce)

·      Canned & jarred pickles, sauerkraut & other pickled items

·      Yeast-leavened bakery products

·      Mixed into the protective wax coating on some fruits & vegetables

I hope that this gives you a starting point on what products you need to be vigilant about when reading the labels.  As always, the choice is ultimately yours, but I hope that this information has been informative for you.

Until the next post...

A tall frosty glass of carbonated side effects...

Brominated Vegetable Oil or BVO is used as an emulsifier in citrus-flavored drinks. It helps to keep the citrus oils suspended in the drink & gives the drink that cloudy look. You can find it in Mountain Dew®, Fresca®, Fanta®, some Gatorade's®, Powerade's® & some generic citrus sodas.  It is also used as an additive to gasoline & agricultural fumigants. The main ingredient in BVO is bromine. Up until 1978, bromine was used to make sedatives, but the FDA banned it's usage because it was found to trigger some psychiatric disorders.  Bromine vapors are considered both toxic & corrosive.

Possible side effects of over consumption include memory loss, fatigue, headaches, weight gain, diarrhea, dizziness, blurred vision, abdominal cramps, muscle cramps, slow pulse, sweating, tremors in the tongue & eyelids, growth defects, organ system damage & two named conditions called Bromism & Brominated thyroid. There have been several documented cases for both conditions.  One reported case for Bromism involved a man who consumed two to four liters of a soda containing BVO on a daily basis. He started to experience memory loss, tremors, fatigue, loss of muscle coordination. Before he was official diagnosed with Bromism, he lost the ability to walk.  The final treatment consisted of months of daily dialysis & iodine treatments to rid his body of the bromine.

Amazingly BVO is banned in almost 100 countries but not the USA.  The FDA states that when BVO is used within what they consider acceptable limits, which in soda is 15 parts per million in the finished products, then it can be deemed as "relatively" safe.  The FDA does warns about the possible side effects of over consumption, but what do they consider as over consumption? Well, I asked and they don't know!  They said more research needs to be done on the toxicity of BVO & at what levels the body reaches over consumption. Yet they have approved this for use in foods??? Studies have shown that long after consumption, traces of BVO will remain in the body in tissue & fat cells.

I know most people don't over indulge, but let's say you enjoy a 20oz bottle of Mountain Dew® 2 or 3 times a day, if traces of BVO remain in your body each time you drink a bottle, at what point do you reach over consumption?

source: http://www.sierramist.com/

Usually at this point in the blog post, I'll walk you through the virtual grocery store & show you better options.  If you really need to have a tall frosty glass of some kind of carbonated citrus- flavored beverage, then steer yourself towards Sierra Mist Natural® which is 100% natural & sweetened with sugar or Sprite Green® which is sweetened with Truvia® instead of sugar & high fructose corn syrup. I know that Sprite Green is not readily available in all markets. I can't recommend 7UP, because it has EDTA in it, which I have already covered in a previous blog post.



source: http://www.sprite.com/





source: http://www.simplyoragejuice.com/

Or an even better option is what we do at home for a nice, refreshing carbonated beverage. We take a glass of seltzer & add a dash or two of fruit juice or lemonade.  Super tasty!! Our favorite to make a citrus-flavored beverage is to use Simply Lemonade® or Limeade®.

As always, the choice is ultimately yours, but I hope this little nugget of information will guide you in making a better choice when it comes to citrus-flavored, carbonated beverages.

Until the next post...

Two more guest blogger reviews!

source: http://www.cascadianfarms.com/

Angie-  We won the Cascadian Farms Fruitful O’s®, which we found to be similar to Fruity Cheerios®, just a little less fruity.  My kids didn’t provide very elaborate comments, so I expanded my focus group to include my nephews, who are 5 & 8.  The comments ranged from “kind of like them” & “so-so” to “two thumbs up.” My daughter added that they taste like “dried up Cheerios®” (I’m pretty sure she meant that in a good way).  Both of my kids liked them best without milk as a snack.

I found Fruitful O’s® in only one store in our neighborhood, & it’s the fancy-pants gourmet market that we use only for emergencies or special treats. Since I’ve yet to have a cereal “emergency”, I probably won’t be buying any there, especially since they’re charging $6.99 for a box. The Target® in Jersey City didn’t have Fruitful O’s®, but they did have Cascadian Farms Chocolate O’s® (similar size box, about 11oz) for $4.04.  We will most likely try them again. Thanks for letting us try them!

(Note from Amber- Cascadian Farms has stated that the Fruitful O’s® are a fairly new product & they haven’t expanded the store base completely that carries them.  We buy ours at Fairway here in NYC & we pay $3.99 for the box. You just need to check your local grocers, Wal-Mart® & Target®, as Target has told me that they are trying to stock this in all their stores soon).



source: http://www.burtsbees.com/



Jessica- I had the pleasure of trying the Burt’s Bees Radiance Lotion®.  This lotion was fantastic! I’ve never used a shimmer lotion before so when I first used it I was a little skeptical.  Don’t be alarmed the first time you use it, because the mica does make it very, very sparkly, but it fades to a perfect “sun-kissed” shimmer in about 20 minutes.  It smells good, not to herbal.  It rubs in & doesn’t leave a greasy fell & it hydrates wonderfully.  I have sensitive skin & this didn’t irritate it at all.

I’ve been using it for about 2 weeks now & my usually Fall/Winter dry legs look & feel better.  I would recommend this lotion to everyone & I plan to give it as gifts to some friends & family this Christmas.  I can’t wait for the summer to see how the shimmer will look on tanned legs when I wear shorts & skirts.  Everywhere I checked, this averaged $8.99, which can be spendy, but I will buy it again & again!  Thanks so much for the giveaways & I’m so glad I won this!

Amber- Thanks to everyone who tried the products! Our next freebies give away will soon.  Stay tuned for a chance to win more great products to try!

Until the next post...

Our first two guest bloggers & reviews!

source: www.burtsbees.com

Alex- The lotion I won was the Burt’s Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey®.  I was able to use it a few times before my mom stole it. It had an ok smell & was non-greasy, that's why she took it. She doesn't use lotions because her skin doesn't "soak it up" & it leaves her feeling greasy all day but the Bert's Bees faded right into her skin & was smooth with no over powering smell. Thanks for letting me sample.  

From Alex’s Mom- I thought the lotion was great; soft skin no greasy feelings after you rub it in. I never wear lotion because I hate the way it sits on top of my skin.  Wal-Mart sells it for $7.97. It's good stuff... I am a little frugal, so I would rather go without then spend $8.00 on myself, for lotion.  I guess that's why I'll look like a prune when I am old.  But I would recommend it.



source: http://www.naturespath.com/



Kim- I won the toaster pastries… My 3 boys ate them & let me try one. They were not too bad, the flavor we had was blueberry.  The box we received only had 3 foil packs with 2 pastries in each & I thought if they were the regular price of Pop Tarts® it wouldn't be worth it, but after I went to Wal-Mart to see if I could get them there I was surprised by how cheap they were compared to the Wal-Mart brand & to Pop Tarts®.  For a box of 4 foil packs (2 in a pack) it's only $2.48.  It's something that I would consider buying & I would recommend them to others.

Who ordered the side of migraine with their value meal?

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) also referred to as sodium glutamate, is a form of glutamic acid found in foods.  The most common foods are cream based soups & salad dressings, hot dogs, potato chips, salt substitutes, frozen entrees & many restaurant food items. It’s a member of a group of chemicals known as “excitotoxins”.  These compounds are known to interfere with brain chemistry & have been implicated in many neurological diseases, like brain cancers, MS, fibromyalgia, depression & hyperactivity (ADHD).  They overexcite brain cells to the point of cell damage.  Studies have also shown that MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing obesity.  Extensive studies have shown the link between MSG & migraine headaches.

In a book by Dr. Russell Blaylock titled “Excitotoxins” he reports that MSG can also cause severe disturbances in the endocrine system, affecting levels of hormones such as LH (Luteinizing hormone), GH (Growth hormone) & prolactin.   

The effect that MSG has on the brain was initially called “Chinese food syndrome” from a Korean doctor who documented his own reaction to eating Chinese food prepared with MSG.  Over the years, the FDA has received many reports of adverse reactions to MSG or glutamic acid containing foods. The FDA classifies these as “MSG symptom complex” & they include: headache, flushing, sweating, facial pressure or tightness, numbness, tingling or burning in the face, neck & other areas (allergic reactions), heart palpitations, chest pain, nausea, weakness & brain edema.  Starting in 1998, the FDA requires all food companies that use MSG to list it in the ingredient list as MSG with the exception of the term “natural flavor” which US law allows to consist of “protein hydrolysates” containing glutamic acid.  Due to the lack of FDA regulation on this term, it is impossible to determine what percentage of “natural flavor” is actually glutamic acid-MSG.

Usually I give you guys a list of grocery store items that contain the additive & then offer alternatives you can purchase instead.  This week, I wanted to give you the fast food items that contain MSG.  Most people don’t ask restaurants to see their nutrition & ingredient information, but there are numerous items on restaurant menus that contain MSG, so let’s get started…

McDonald’s®:

McDonald’s® adds MSG to their autolyzed yeast extract.  The following menu items contain autolyzed yeast.

- Angus Beef Burgers     

- Chicken Select Strips    

- Crispy Chicken Filet

- Sausage Scrambled Egg mix 

- Sausage Patty    

- Hot and Spicy Chicken Patty

Burger King®:

Burger King® actually lists monosodium glutamate on their ingredients list when it’s used.

- Original Chicken Patty

- Spicy Chick’N Crisp Patty

- Tendercrisp® Chicken Filet

- BK® Chicken Fries

- Breakfast Sausage

Kentucky Fried Chicken®:

KFC® uses MSG in all of their chicken seasoning. So any chicken item on the menu has MSG.  It is also in the following items:

- Colonel’s Sauce

- Creamy Ranch Dipping Sauce Cup

- Country Fried Steak

- Green Beans

- Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

- Potato Wedges

- Seasoned Rice

Chick-fil-A®:

I ♥ Chick-fil-A® & I was saddened to learn that they use MSG in the seasoning mix for all of their breaded chicken products. 

Wendy’s®:

Wendy’s® does not list MSG as an ingredient on any item; however the term “natural flavors” is used. Since MSG can be an ingredient in “natural flavor”, I e-mailed Wendy’s but didn’t get a reply when I asked them to clarify. The following items have “natural flavor”:

- Chili

- Crispy Chicken Nuggets

- Crispy Chicken Patty

- Spicy Chicken Filet

- Spicy Chicken Nuggets

- Heartland Ranch Dipping Sauce

- Ranch Sauce

- Ultimate Grilled Chicken Filet

Taco Bell®:

Taco Bell® is like Wendy’s®. They don’t list MSG as an ingredient, but many items have “natural flavor”. I also e-mailed Taco Bell & didn't receive a reply as of yet. The following items have “natural flavor”:

- Bacon Ranch Sauce

- Chili

- Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

- Potato Bites

- Rice

- Seasoned Ground Beef

- Marinated Grilled Steak

Arby’s®:

Again the same as Wendy’s® & Taco Bell®, “natural flavor” is used but I am still waiting to hear from them.

- Crispy Chicken Filet

- Prime Cut Chicken Tenders

- Curly Fries

- Potato Cakes

- Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch Sauce

- Ranch Dipping Sauce

I tried to cover most of the fast food restaurants.  A few don’t make their ingredients available on the internet. Sonic® was one such restaurant that does not list the ingredients, only allergen information.  Also, I researched other restaurants like Chili’s®, TGIFriday’s® & Applebee’s®, but they only list allergen & nutrition information online & not ingredients.

Well, I hope this information is helpful for everyone. Remember, if in doubt, ask to see the ingredients list.

Until the next post…

What's stuffed inside your stuffing?...

Propyl Gallate is a man made antioxidant that has been added to food products since 1948.  These products include soup mixes, some frozen meals, some vegetable oils, mayonnaise, dried milk, spices, candy, snack goods & meat products. Because it has antioxidant properties it is used in many personal care products like perfume, soaps, lotions, lipstick & other make-up, hair care products, sunscreen, toothpaste & some vitamins. In the commercial industry, it is added to adhesives, lubricants & pesticides & is commonly added to pet foods. People tend to believe that this additive it harmless since it is an antioxidant, however studies show otherwise.

The National Toxicology Program, an agency in the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services has had reported case studies that show that propyl gallate can cause prostate inflammation, tumors of the thyroid, brain & pancreas. Other side effects may include stomach & skin irritability, allergic reactions that impact breathing & mimic asthmatic attacks, liver & kidney damage.  A 2009 study by Italian researchers that was published as “Chemical Research in Toxicology” showed that propyl gallate acts as an estrogen antagonist or a xenoestrogen.  Xenoestrogens are a group of hormone-like compounds that mimic the negative effects of estrogen. They have the potential to affect reproductive health, decrease the sperm count in men, affect developing fetuses & turn normal breast cells into cancer cells.  After this study was published, many groups asked the FDA to start testing food additives for estrogenic effects.  To date there are more than 3,000 food additive used in the US & none are tested for this by the FDA.

A 2005 study by the EPA on propyl gallate use in pesticides showed that although the chemical biodegrades quickly, when it first hits water sources it is “moderately toxic” to aquatic life.

Well, that’s some pretty profound side effects from a seemingly “harmless” antioxidant. Let’s take a trip to the grocery store & see where propyl gallate is hiding…

Stove Top Stuffing®; not only does Stove Top® have propyl gallate, but it also has BHT, BHA & MSG. There are other brands available on regular grocery shelves that don't have propyl gallate, but read the ingredients as most have high fructose corn syrup, msg & a host of other dubious ingredients. Instead, try Arrow Head Mills® stuffing mix or Google a recipe for homemade. I home make my stuffing & I find that it’s super easy & tastes better.



source: http://www.arrowheadmills.com/



Most varieties of Johnsonville Sausage® Links have propyl gallate, but they do offer their own all natural ground sausage that does not. 

source: http://www.johnsonville.com/

You can also try Al Fresco® chicken sausage or Applegate Farms® chicken & turkey sausage. We don’t eat pork in our house, so we’ve tried both brands of chicken sausage. Our favorite flavor is Applegate Farms® spinach & feta, yum!!

source: http://www.applegatefarms.com/

Any DiGiorgno® frozen pizza that has a sausage product on it has propyl gallate. California Pizza Kitchen® & Freschetta® don’t, but I can’t recommend them as an alternative because they have BHT, BHA & some have TBHQ. Instead try Newman’s Own® frozen pizzas, or Target’s Market Pantry® which are fairly tasty. 

source: http://www.newmansown.com/

Or an even better idea is to make your own. You can buy readymade crust like Mama Mary’s®, or try your hand at making your own dough with this great recipe;

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/detail.aspx



source: http://www.mamamarys.com/



And the last item I’ll mention is Peanut butter M&M’s®. No other version of M&M’s® have propyl gallate except this one, so if you want something peanuttie, grab a bag of Peanut M&M’s® instead or Reese’s Pieces® (but they do have artificial color).   

Well, as always, I hope this blog post was helpful & informative for you. I know it can be hard to read the ingredients on every label. As an example, the DiGiorgno® Supreme pizza has over 40 ingredients listed on the box & it took some time to come across propyl gallate, but in the long run, the health of your family will benefit from the extra time it takes…

Until the next post…