Archive for June, 2010

As a mom who examines every label, I thought I was informed.

But then I forgot that many packages don’t list the heavy metals that might be lurking inside.

The good folks at EnviroLaw tested juice boxes and packaged fruit for lead content and found a staggering 85% contained lead. What was truly surprising is that many organic brands are listed. Which leads me to wonder if the packaging itself may contain lead, or if it’s part of the manufacturing process that adds lead to the final product. This is similar to High Fructose Corn Syrup containing mercury or organic canned foods containing traces of BPA. Both instances result from the processing or packaging.

Here is the full list from www.envirolaw.org:

Apple Juice

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

Beech Nut 100% Apple Juice

Earth’s Best Organics Apple Juice

First Street 100% Apple Cider from concentrate

First Street Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice

Full Circle Organic Apple Juice

Gerber 100% Juice Apple Juice

Great Value 100% No Sugar Added Apple Juice

Hansen’s Natural Apple Juice

Kroger 100% Juice Apple Juice

Langers Apple Juice 100% Juice

Minute Maid Juice Apple – 100% Apple Juice

Motts 100% Apple Juice

O Organics Organic Unfiltered Apple Juice Not From Concentrate

Old Orchard 100% Apple Juice

Parade 100% Juice Apple

Raley’s Premium 100% Apple Juice not from Concentrate

Safeway 100% Juice Apple Cider

Safeway 100% Juice Apple Juice

Stater Bros. 100% Juice Apple Juice

Sunny Select 100% Apple Juice

Trader Joe’s Certified Organic Apple Juice, pasteurized

Tree Top 100% Juice Apple Cider

Walgreens Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice

Walnut Grove Market 100% Apple Juice

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Great Value 100% Apple Juice not from concentrate

Harvest Day 100% Apple Juice from Concentrate

Kirkland Fresh Pressed Apple Juice Pasteurized

Martinelli’s Gold Medal Apple Juice 100% pure from US grown fresh apples

R.W. Knudsen Organic Apple Juice unfiltered

Raley’s Everyday 100% Apple Juice

Sunny Select 100% Unfiltered Apple Juice

Trader Joe’s Fresh Pressed Apple Juice all natural pasteurized, 100% juice

Tree Top 100% Apple Juice

Tree Top Three Apple Blend 100% Fresh Pressed Juice

Grape Juice

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

365 Everyday Value Organic 100% Juice Concord Grapes

First Street Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice

Gerber 100% Juice – White Grape Juice

Great Value 100% Grape Juice

Kedem Concord Grape Juice 100% pure grape juice

Kroger Grape Juice 100% Juice

Langers Grape Juice (Concord)

Langers Red Grape Juice

O Organics Organic Grape Juice from concentrate

R.W. Knudsen Just Concord Grape Juice

R.W. Knudsen Organic Just Concord

Raley’s 100% Grape Juice

Safeway 100% Juice Grape Juice

Safeway Organic Grape Juice

Santa Cruz Organic Concord Grape Juice

Stater Bros. 100% Juice Grape Juice

Stater Bros. 100% Juice White Grape Juice

Sunny Select 100% Grape Juice

Trader Joe’s Concord Grape Juice made from fress pressed organic concord grapes

Tree Top 100% Juice, Grape

Valu Time Grape Drink from Concentrate

Walgreens Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice

Walnut Acres Organic Concord Grape

Walnut Grove Market Grape Juice

Welch’s 100% Grape Juice (from Welch’s Concord Grapes)

Welch’s 100% Red Grape Juice from Concentrate

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Old Orchard Healthy Balance Grape

Packaged Pears

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

Best Yet Bartlett Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup

Del Monte Diced Pears in Light Syrup

Del Monte Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup

Del Monte Pear Halves, Bartlett Pears in 100% real fruit juice from concentrate

Dole Pear Halves in Juice

First Street Diced Pears

First Street Sliced Bartlett

Full Circle Organic Bartlett Pear Slices

Gerber 3rd Foods Pears [Baby Food]

Great Value Bartlett Pear Halves in 100% Juice

Great Value Bartlett Sliced Pears in Heavy Syrup

Market Pantry Diced Pears in Light syrup

Maxx Value Pear Pieces in Light Syrup

Polar Pear Halves in light syrup

S&W Natural Style Pear Slices in Juice

S&W Sun Pears Premium

Safeway Lite Bartlett Pear Halves in Pear Juice

Safeway Pear Halves in Light Juice

Sunny Select Pear Halves in Pear Juice

Trader Joe’s Pear Halves in white grape juice

Truitt Brothers Pacific NorthWest Bartlett Pear Halves, in pear juice from concentrate

Valu Time Irregular Bartlett Pear Slices

Walnut Grove Market Natural Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Eating Right Kids Diced Pears Fruit Cups

Stater Bros. Diced Pears Snack Bowl

Packaged Peaches

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

Best Yet Yellow Cling Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup

Del Monte Freestone Peach Slices in 100 % Juice

Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in 100 % Juice

Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup

Dole Diced Peaches, Yellow Cling in light syrup

First Street Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup

Gerber 3rd Foods Peaches [Baby Food]

Golden Star Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup

Great Value Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches

Libby’s Yellow Cling Peach Slices No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)

Market Pantry Diced Peaches in light syrup

Polar Peach Slices

Raley’s Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in Heavy Syrup

S&W Natural Style Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Lightly Sweetened Juice

S&W Premium Peach Halves Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup

Safeway Diced Peaches in Light Syrup

Safeway Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Pear Juice

Simple Value Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup

Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Peach Halves

Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in heavy syrup

Sunny Select Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in Pear Juice

Trader Joe’s Yellow Cling Peach Halves in while grape juice

Valu Time Yellow Cling Peach Slices

Walnut Grove Market Natural Peaches Sliced Yellow Cling in Light Syrup

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Dole Diced Peaches, Cling in Light Syrup

Dole Diced Peaches, Freestone in Light Syrup

Dole Sliced Peaches

Eating Right Kids Diced Peaches in Extra Light Syrup

Stater Bros. Diced Peaches Snack Bowl

Fruit Cocktail

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

Best Yet Chunky Mixed Fruit in Pear Juice

Chef’s Review Fruit Cocktail

Del Monte 100% Juice Fruit Cocktail

Del Monte Chunky Mixed Fruit in 100 % Juice (peach, pear, grape, etc.)

Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peach, pear, grapes)

Del Monte Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added

Del Monte Lite Fruit Cocktail in Extra Light Syrup

Dole Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup

Eating Right Fruit Cocktail packed in Sucralose

Eating Right No Sugar Fruit Cocktail

First Street Fruit Cocktail in heavy syrup

Golden Star Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup (peach, pineapple, pears)

Great Value No Sugar Added Fruit Cocktail

Kroger Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup

Kroger Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice

Kroger Value Fruit Mix (Peaches, pears, grapes)

Libby’s Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)

Market Pantry Mixed Fruit in light syrup

Maxx Value Fruit Mix in Light Syrup (peach, pear, grape)

Mrs. Brown’s Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peaches, pears, grapes)

Polar Mixed Fruit

Raley’s Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup

S&W Natural Style Fruit Cocktail in Lightly Sweetened Juice

Safeway Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup

Safeway Light Sugar Fruit Cocktail

Safeway Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice

Stater Bros. Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup

Sunny Select Fruit Cocktail in Juice

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Del Monte Mixed Fruit

Check out this killer list of healthy foods that cost pennies!

(And yes! They’re mostly plant-based foods!)

It’s like my Mom and Dad always said – you’ll save money and your health if you cook at home.

In her article titled “13 Diet Foods Worth Buying” Elaine Magee, MPH, RD offers her topsuggestions for low calorie foods to use for weight loss.  As I read the WebMD expert’s list and saw that, as she described,  “all [the foods] are lower in calories, and all are pretty tasty,” I was curious about the actual ingredients in some of these foods. I was dismayed at what I saw.

The products that food expert Magee recommended contain hidden MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and aspartame. These ingredients can cause health problems over time and should be avoided.

Here’s what I saw:

Boca Original Meatless Chick’n Patties – contain non-organic (therefore it’s GMO) soy, as well as yeast extract which most likely is hiding MSG.

Coca-Cola Zero (regular or cherry flavor) – which contains phosphoric acid, aspartame, and potassium benzoate. Phosphoric acid is believed by many health experts to leach calcium out of bones.

Low Calorie G2 Electrolyte Beverage (by Gatorade), Fruit Punch flavor – contains high fructose corn syrup

Let’s tackle the aspartame first, shall we? This artificial sweetener floods your nervous system and can cause excessive firing of brain neurons leading to headaches, mental confusion, dizziness and seizures. Aspects of aspartame also break down into formaldehyde, which causes cancer in humans.

Aspartame is found in over 6,000 food, supplement, and beverage products in the United States. You can find it branded as NutraSweet and Equal. I encourage you to remove any products from your house or diet that contain this dangerous ingredient.

Several of the products on the WebMD list also contained non-organic dairy products, which are likely from cows fed antibiotics and growth hormones. The quality of these “diet foods” is very poor. They’re mostly packaged, processed, and refined foods.

A few contain “natural and artificial flavors,” which can contain tar and preservatives that act as neurotoxins. The label “natural and artificial flavors” should bring up a red flag. MSG may be legally labelled “natural flavors” in order to hide it. Healthy natural flavors exist, but some are excitotoxins or neurotoxins. A common ingredient you’ll see in this category is “hydrolyzed soy protein.” This “natural flavor” is just like MSG, or monosodium glutamate. MSG has been proven to break down the blood-brain barrier and over-stimulates, or “excite” the neurons of a brain to a dangerous degree. Frequent consumption in mammals has shown the development of tumors, memory loss, and a whole host of neurodegenerative diseases as the end result of excess excitotoxin intake, including Alzhiemer’s, Parkenson’s, Lou Gerhig’s etc.

For more information on MSG and other excitotoxins that may be lurking in your food (and on Elaine Magee’s recommended food lists), get yourself a copy of Russell Blaylock’s book:

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

Also, MSG is suspected of causing compulsive eating, leading people to want more and more food. You wonder where that old joke about getting hungry an hour after eating Chinese take-out came from? It’s the MSG, baby.

To wrap this all up, please avoid any foods that contain MSG, high fructose corn syrup, or aspartame. Be good to your body, feed it fresh food that it can understand, and don’t poison it with these “diet foods.”

Be well,

Alexandra