Is That What We're All Eating?

I bought some appetizing looking shrimp ceviche the other day in a national chain store. My husband and I had it for dinner and I will admit it was absolutely delicious. My husband has no food issues such as allergies or intolerances to anything; I on the other hand, am lactose, gluten, and msg intolerant. I woke up in the middle of the night with a brutal migraine headache.

Now I should have known better because I always read labels before I buy any foods, and especially considering my food allergies. In fact I suspect there are many many people out there who walk around on a daily basis suffering with headaches, depression, aches and pains, constipation, lethargy, stomach aches - I could go on and on. They can't seem to figure out why they don't feel better. I would assume most of these people have a problem with the foods they are eating and in most cases are completely unaware of their tendencies toward these kind of problems.

Because I am so interested in how food affects us, I googled every single ingredient on the label. What I found should wake us all up! In addition to the shrimp, lime, salt and pepper, the following were listed on the label:

Natural flavors - an alias for MSG. Generally a combination of gases and/or chemicals which are used to enhance the flavoring of a food to make it more palatable.

Sodium benzoate - a preservative, an antiseptic used in the dye industry.

Sodium sulfite - chemical used as a preservative especially in dried fruits and wines. Also used in the dye and oil industries. This is an extremely high allergen and can cause headaches in those who have an intolerance for this additive.

Sodium metabisulfite - a chemical preservative some of whose side effects include developmental/reproductive toxicity, some cancers, inability of organs to metabolize it so it builds up in your body causing untold damage after many years. Also a lung irritant.

Corn syrup - used as a preservative in many foods and can lead to gastrointestinal disorders, body cannot metabolize it so it turns into fat. High fructose corn syrup has been banned in many European countries because of its dangers to your system. It is generally made from genetically modified corn.

Potassium sorbate - a salt used to increase and preserve shelf life. Also used to prevent mold and microbes.

Sodium erythorbate - a food additive used to stabilize color and to improve flavor stability.

The above ingredients should give all of us an idea of the detrimental additives in the foods we choose to eat and what they can do our systems if we continue along this unhealthy eating path. Keep in mind these toxins are not metabolized in our bodies, which means they build up over a period of time causing untold damage to all of our major organs. This could be one of the reasons why 75% of Americans will have one or more degenerative diseases by the time they reach the age of 65!

Let's stop this slow build up of all these poisons in our systems and make the choice to live a healthier lifestyle.