Hidden Ingredients You Need To Look For, And Avoid
One of the best things that you can do for your total health is to improve your dietary plan and your meals. To accomplish this, there are a few key things about your food’s nutrition and nutritional value that you should definitely understand and know about. You may have a few different reasons why you want to start eating healthy. Whether your ultimate goal is to lose weight, improve your mood, increase your energy levels, or to just start living a healthier life in general, there are certain things you should be doing in order to achieve your personal goals. One important aspect of getting healthier and creating a healthier diet for yourself is to cut out some of your bad eating habits (there may be more than you realize!) while replacing them with healthy eating habits.
Regardless of your own personal health goals, you probably know that it is best to stay away from candy, soda, pizza, and any other foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar content but pretty low in nutritional value. However, there is one particular food ingredient that has been scientifically shown to absolutely wreak havoc on our bodies and our overall physical and mental health, that you may not have even realized you were consuming on a regular basis. Many processed foods contain additives, which are artificial ingredients that are used to improve the shelf life or flavor of a particular food product. According to this informative article by Thrive Market, here are some of the worst additives that may be lurking in your favorite foods - and how you can replace them.
Nitrites and nitrates are known carcinogens that have been linked to stomach cancer in humans, and yet they are used all the time in jerky and other preserved meat products. Stick to nitrate-free jerky instead, which you can determine by looking on the label. If you are more of a bread and crackers fan, be on the lookout for potassium bromate. Don't be fooled by the fact that the word "potassium" is in the title of this additive, since this ingredient has caused tumors in animals.
Just be sure to look for bread and crackers that have no additives in the nutritional facts label and you'll be on your way to a healthier diet soon. Remember this for a quick tip: if you can't pronounce an ingredient, it is more than likely an artificial additive.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Kyle Brammer