This week’s guest blogger, Maria Rainier, writes about the importance of checking product ingredients on packaging labels…
It’s a simple idea to flip over a product to read the ingredients listed on the product label. It’s surprising how often this concept is neglected! Especially considering that the food additives and product ingredients added to processed food can make a big difference to your overall health – including weight loss and appetite.
Ingredients to Avoid
Most of the following ingredients are found very commonly in processed products. Be sure to keep a look out for these (and avoid or reduce your intake of them, if possible):
1. Soybean/Seed Oils
Hydrogenated or not, unsaturated oils can have some offensive properties, especially pertaining to your thyroid. The thyroid is a major gland which controls many functions, including controlling your metabolism (the speed at which your digestive system processes your food – obviously important for weight loss and overall health). These oils block the thyroid from properly functioning. In addition to this, soybeans specifically can raise estrogens in the body. All of this can have negative effects on the body’s blood sugar levels, causing a bigger appetite as a result – not good if you’re trying to lose weight!
2. Carrageenan/Soy Lecithin
These additives are highly allergenic, and have been shown in research to produce long-term and short-term effects of cancer. Common in whole foods like milk and cream, these are ones to be sure to look out for. Some products do not list carrageenan, despite having them in their product. Their disruption of the digestive tract has an impact on other bodily functions too, including interfering with your metabolism.
3. Artificial Sweeteners
There is conflicting research which argues that artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, can cause cancer in lab animals. One concern that is that all artificial sweeteners (including the natural ones) have an ability to raise insulin in the body as a result of the sweet taste, yet they fail to provide the fructose/glucose combination to properly support your body’s blood sugar levels. This causes persistent hunger and further complicates weight and diabetic conditions.
4. Modified Food/Corn Starch
Corn starch has the ability, as pure glucose, to enter the bloodstream and spike blood sugar levels. These effects trigger a lack of satisfaction with what you eat, making it more difficult to eat less.
Start Reading Labels!
One of the best places to begin your weight loss journey is by making sure to pay attention to not just the nutritional content of your food, but also the ingredients list on the product packaging labels. Reading contents and finding products that don’t include the truly unhealthy additives, as well as choosing to eat more whole and unprocessed foods, is a sure fire start to better health for you.
Blogger’s Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blogger for ‘First in Education’ where she’s recently written on architect careers along with a guide to mechanical engineering careers. In her spare time, she enjoys studying and writing on health topics, yoga, traveling, and working with origami.
Did you know that Forever Living Aloe Vera Gel drinks contain no preservatives and as few additives as possible? The main ingredient – the one that must always be listed first in the product ingredients list – is pure Aloe Vera, extracted carefully from the Aloe Vera plant to conserve its delicate natural chemical structure, so that you get the full nutritional benefit of the Aloe Vera, as nature intended. Read more about Forever Living Aloe Vera drinks here.
