by SixWise.com

Some people swear by the mantra "everything in moderation," but the truth is, some foods, no matter how good they taste, are better off left alone.

If you need a little motivation to stay away from these most unhealthy foods, consider that four of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States are related to diet (diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke). And if you're looking to improve yours, cutting back on these six foods is a great place to start.

1. Soda
An average can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, artificial food colors and sulphites. Diet sodas have the even-more-unhealthy artificial sweeteners. A major part of the problem is that sodas have become a staple in many people's diets. A study in the journal Pediatrics found that 56 percent to 85 percent of children consume at least one soft drink a day, and 20 percent of adolescent males drink four or more sodas a day.

"Parents and health officials need to recognize soft drinks for what they are -- liquid candy -- and do everything they can to return those beverages to their former role as an occasional treat," says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a U.S. consumer group. In fact, CSPI has recently petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling for cigarette-style warnings on soft drinks to warn people of their potential health risks (weight gain, diabetes, tooth decay and more).

2. Potato Chips and French Fries
These popular snack foods contain acrylamide, a known carcinogen and neurotoxin that are formed when foods are baked or fried at high temperatures. "I estimate that acrylamide causes several thousand cancers per year in Americans," said Clark University research Professor Dale Hattis.

When CSPI conducted tests on some popular brands of French fries and chips, they found that the acrylamide in a large order of fast food fries was at least 300 times the amount allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a glass of water.

"There has long been reason for Americans to eat less greasy French fries and snack chips," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Acrylamide is yet another reason to eat less of those foods."

But that's not all. These foods also contain trans fats, the artery-clogging fat that's been linked to raising bad cholesterol (and lowering the good kind), and increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer.

3. Doughnuts
Tasty, yes, but break a doughnut down and you'll find nothing more than refined sugar and flour, artificial flavors and partially hydrogenated oil that's loaded with trans fats. They have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

"When it comes to health, the only thing good about them is the hole," said Carla Wolper, nutritionist at the New York Obesity Research Center.

4. Coffee Cake and Other Baked Goods
This category actually includes all varieties of baked goods, including packaged cake and biscuit mixes. What makes these foods so bad is that they almost always contain high amounts of trans fats and a host of other unsavory additives including corn syrup, preservatives and artificial flavors and colors. In fact, commercial baked goods typically contain more trans fats than any other food because not only are they often made with hydrogenated oils; they're fried in them too.

If you are not ready to give up your morning treat just yet, opt for baked goods from your local bakery (which is less likely to use hydrogenated oil for a long shelf-life and is likely to use butter instead of margarine, which typically contains trans fat) or make them yourself.

5. Luncheon Meats/Hot Dogs
Processed meats like these (and others including sausages, bacon, pepperoni and other processed meats) contain a carcinogenic precursor ingredient known as sodium nitrite (sodium nitrate is closely related).

"Sodium nitrite is a dangerous, cancer-causing ingredient that has no place in the human food supply," says nutritionist Mike Adams, author of the Grocery Warning Manual.

And, according to a University of Hawaii study that followed nearly 200,000 people for seven years, people who consumed the most processed meats (hot dogs and sausage) showed a 67 percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer over those who consumed little or no meat products.

Here is some good news: you can find various varieties of nitrite/nitrate-free meats in any health food store.

6. Canned Soup
Here we are talking about the traditional, canned soups you find in your grocery store. This may come as a surprise, but most canned (and packaged) soups have high levels of trans fats, sodium and artificial preservatives like MSG. Just one cup of canned soup can have almost 1,000 milligrams of salt (and most people eat more than one cup), which is tons considering dietary guidelines recommend consuming no more than 2,400 milligrams for the entire day.

There are healthy options out there, particularly natural, organic brands, but be sure to read the label. The alternative is, of course, to make your own homemade variety.

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Why Soda Pop Drains You Dry

Soda pop is not good for you. Of course, you have probably suspected this, but perhaps you don't know the extent to which drinking carbonated, caffeinated, sugared, or artificially sweetened beverages destroys your body. If you look at the list of ingredients in most soda pops, you will likely see most or all of these listed: Caffeine, carbonated water, phosphoric acid, sugar, aspartame, acesulfame-k and sucralose.

Let us start with carbonated water. As you know, our bodies require oxygen to remain healthy. For every can of carbonated soda ingested, the amount of oxygen in the blood is decreased by 25% for up to three hours. If you are drinking several sodas per day, you are depriving yourself for a significant amount of oxygen.

Calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus must be maintained in the proper balance for bone health. When too much phosphorus is in the blood, calcium is leached from the bones, causing osteoporosis. Even in citrus sodas, which contain citric acid instead of phosphoric acid, calcium is needed to normalize blood pH. It has been said that the fastest growing group of people with osteoporosis in this country is teenagers, because of the huge number of sodas they consume.

As far as caffeine and sugar are concerned, they both cause dehydration, and the massive depletion of minerals. A study was done in which two groups of children aged 13-18 years of age were given one of two drinks, a caffeinated sugar-free drink, or a drink containing both caffeine and sugar. When caffeine was added, calcium excretion in the urine increased by 25%. When sugar was added, urinary calcium loss doubled (1). Both caffeine and sugar cause dehydration.

Sugar in particular is destructive because its ingestion lowers immune function by reducing the ability of white blood cells to ingest and destroy bacteria. This lowered immune function can last for five hours or more after the ingestions of sugar (2). Sucralose, also marketed as Splenda, breaks down into small amounts of 1,6 -dichlorofructose, a chemical similar to chlorinated pesticides.

There has not been adequate testing of this product before it was released for public use, and many of the post-approval studies are alarming. To read about it, go to Sucralose Toxicity Information Center. Aspartame, or Nutra Sweet, has an alarming health record. Read my article about Aspartame.

Even though this article is about how aspartame poisons the pregnant woman and her unborn child, you can see how it would do similar things in the bodies of others. Also, see the Aspartame (Nutra Sweet) Toxicity Info Center.

Acesulfame-k is a dangerous chemical. Read Sample Quotes from Cancer Experts' Letters on Acesulfame Testing.

I hope you will consider giving up the drinking of soda pop. It would contribute significantly to your level of wellness, and probably help reverse many existing health problems.

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Food Nutrition Labels: Five "Catches" You Should Know

Despite being regulated by the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food manufacturers get away with adding deceptive information to the labels. This is done with the specific intention of making you think the food is better for you than it actually is. Here are five nutrition label "catches" to watch for.

1. Serving Size
Many processed foods that are packaged as a “single serving” actually contain two or more servings. A food item in a relatively small container may be labeled as a single serving if the entire contents can "reasonably be expected to be consumed in a single-eating

2. Exempt Ingredients
Food labels list ingredients in descending order. The most prevalent ingredient is first, the least is last. However, ingredients that constitute less than 2 percent can be listed in any order after the heading "contains less than 2% of the following." Natural and artificial flavors are also often grouped together under one name, and manufacturers are not required to disclose what "artificial flavors" really means.

3. Free From
The FDA allows food manufacturers to round to zero any ingredient that accounts for less than 0.5 grams per serving. So while a product may claim to be "gluten-free" or "alcohol-free," it can legally contain up to 0.5 grams per serving. While this may seem like an insignificant amount, over time this small fraction adds up. Case in point, many food products that claim to have no dangerous trans fats list partially hydrogenated oil in their ingredients label. Partially hydrogenated oil creates trans fats, so these labels are taking advantage of the rounding down to zero option.

4. Unfamiliar Terms for Unsavory Ingredients
Food manufacturers are known to use "clean labels," in which they hide ingredients they know consumers would rather not have in their foods under names they will not recognize. For instance, if you are trying to avoid MSG, you need to look for all of the following terms, as they all contain MSG:

• Autolyzed yeast
• Calcium caseinate
• Gelatin
• Glutamate
• Glutamic acid
• Hydrolyzed protein
• Monopotassium glutamate
• Monosodium glutamate
• Sodium caseinate
• Textured protein
• Yeast extract
• Yeast food
• Yeast Nutrient

5. Misleading Ingredient Claims
Sometimes, foods that claim to include healthy ingredients actually do not contain them, or only contain them in miniscule amounts. Common offenders are blueberry waffles with no blueberries and strawberry yogurt with no strawberries. Kellogg's Eggo Nutri-Grain Pancakes label says they are made with whole wheat and whole grain, but they are made primarily of white flour and contain more high-fructose corn syrup than whole wheat or whole grain. Betty Crocker Super Moist Carrot Cake Mix contains only carrot powder as the 19th ingredient on the label. Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Fruit Juice Snacks primary ingredients are corn syrup and sugar.

"Food manufacturers are shamelessly tricking consumers who are trying to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains," said CSPI director of legal affairs Bruce Silverglade. "Too many processed foods contain only token amounts of the healthful ingredients highlighted on labels and are typically loaded with fats, refined sugars, refined flour, and salt, in various combinations."

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Additives

Additives are not only in food, but also in cosmetics and medications. Throughout the years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of adverse reactions to certain food and product additives. Often associated with adverse reactions to food additives are hyperactivity in children, allergies, asthma, and migraine headaches. In early 1985, the FDA set up the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS) to better monitor the effects of additives and deal with consumer complaints. ARMS has received many complaints since it opened, the majority of the complaints are for aspartame and sulfites.

Aspartame:
Commonly known as Nutrasweet or Equal, aspartame, is an artificial sweetener that replaces sugar in many products. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals. It is a mixture of 40 percent aspartic acid, 50 percent of *phenylalanine, and 10 percent of methanol. Although being approved as safe, the FDA continues to review complaints. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives that are reported. Some of the reactions include itching without a rash, hives, respiratory allergies, headaches, dizziness, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, breathing difficulties, memory loss, heart palpitations, angioedema or swelling of the eyelids, lips, hands or feet, and anxiety attacks.

BHA & BHT:
These are antioxidants that retard rancidity in fats, oils, and oil-containing foods. Used in cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, and vegetable oil, they prevent the color, flavor, or texture changes that occur when foods are exposed to air. They are also used as fillers in the cheaper vitamin and mineral supplements. (When it comes to supplements, you truly do get what you pay for.) The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers BHA and BHT carcinogenic. Repeated studies agree that BHA and BHT increase the risk of cancer, accumulate in body tissue, cause liver enlargement, and retard cell development. These antioxidants can also cause hives, other skin reactions and dangerous anaphylaxis.

Cochineal Extract:
This is a color additive. It is extracted from dried cochineal bugs and has been used for centuries to give foods, drinks, cosmetics, the red, orange, pink, and purple color. It is commonly used in fruit drinks, popsicles, candy, yogurt, processed foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Cochineal extract is not often listed on product labels because it is considered a natural additive instead of a synthetic dye since it is an animal product. Some product labels identify it as an ingredient, but others simply say "color added," "artificial color," or "artificial color added." The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), petitioned the FDA to either revoke approval of these colorings or require that they be clearly labeled by name. A University of Michigan allergist, James Baldwin, M.D, has confirmed that Cochineal extract is a known cause of life-threatening anaphylactic shock.

Monosodium Glutamate:
MSG is a flavor enhancing additive that does not have a distinct taste of its own, but can draw out the natural flavorings of other foods. Typical symptoms can be: headache, a burning sensation along the back of the neck, forearms or chest, stiff neck, tingling in the limbs, face, or head, chest tightness or pain, rapid heartbeat, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, and a sensation of facial pressure. Scientists believe that it may even contribute to neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. If MSG is added to food, under current FDA regulations, it must be identified as monosodium glutamate on the product label. Glutamate - containing food ingredients, such as hydrolyzed protein and autolyzed yeast extract, also must be listed on food labels.

Nitrates/Nitrites:
These preservatives prevent botulism in and enhance flavor and color of red meat, poultry, fish products and meat products such as, processed turkey, ham, hot dogs, bologna, and bacon. They can cause headaches and possibly hives.

Parabens:
These (methyl-, propyl-, and butyl-) are the most common preservatives used in foods, drugs, and cosmetics. In foods their purpose is to prevent the growth of molds and yeast. They can be found in mayonnaise, salad dressings, spiced sauces, mustard, processed vegetables, frozen dairy products, some baked goods, jellies and jams, soft drinks, fruit juices, syrups, and candies. The medications where parabens can be found are many dermatologic creams; eye, ear, and nose drops; rectal and vaginal medications; bandages; and local anesthetics. Cosmetics containing parabens include foundations, powders, cover-up sticks, bronzers, makeup removers, blushes, highlighters, lip sticks, quick-dry nail products, mascaras, eye shadows, and eye liners. Parabens can cause severe contact dermatitis or redness, swelling, itching, and pain of the skin. They can also cause anaphylactic shock.

Sulfites:
Of all the food additives for which the FDA has received adverse reaction reports, the ones that most closely resemble true allergens are sulfur-based preservatives. Difficulty in breathing, wheezing, hives, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dizziness are all reactions that can result from exposure to sulfites. But, even the FDA still limits the use of sulphites in products.

Tartrazine:
Also known as FD&C Yellow No. 5, is a color additive. It is used in prepared breakfast cereals, imitation strawberry jelly, bottled soft drinks, ice creams, gelatin desserts, candy, bakery products, puddings, and spaghetti. It is also used in many over-the-counter and prescription drugs, bath salts, hair rinses, and permanents. It can prompt hives or itching, especially those who are aspirin sensitive. Aspirin sensitive people have reported to have life-threatening asthmatic symptoms upon ingestion of this color additive.

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