I was standing in line at the local grocery store after working out at my local YMCA and taking a nice steam bath. I noticed the woman in front of me in the check-out line was also a member at the Y – I had seen her around the stationary bikes before. She was still in her workout clothes and we both smiled and nodded in recognition. Blonde, athletic and slim, this woman seems to be the picture of a healthy American. She just came from the gym!
But when I looked at the food she was buying, my mouth dropped open:
Equal, a plastic lemon, low-fat, non-organic milk, bacon, Pam Cooking Spray and Gatorade.
Does this look like your shopping cart?
The groceries this woman was buying might be shortening her life span and taking her quality of life down a notch. Here’s what I mean:
Equal: AKA Aspartame
In 1996, the FDA approved its use as a “general purpose sweetener,” and it can now be found in more than 6,000 foods. Serious complaints associated with this artificial sweetener:
Depression: In a study of the effect of aspartame on 40 patients with depression, the study was cut short due to the severity of reactions within the first 13 patients tested. The outcome showed that individuals with mood disorders were particularly sensitive to aspartame and recommended that it be avoided by them.
Headaches: Three randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with more than 200 adult migraine sufferers showed that headaches were more frequent and more severe in the aspartame-treated group.
Instead: Try Stevia or Brown Rice Syrup
PAM: Cooking Spray
The oil isn’t organic, meaning chemical solvents could be found in trace amounts in the fatty liquid. PAM also uses propellants, including isobutane and propane, for the spraying action.
Instead: Use your own high-quality cooking oils and buy a refillable pump sprayer
Low-Fat, Non-Organic Milk:
Non-organic dairy cows are given constant doses of antibiotics to ward off infection in their cramped, unclean living conditions, and growth hormones to increase their milk supply. Both antibiotics and growth hormones can be found in trace amounts in non-organic dairy products.
Dairy consumption has been linked with higher rates of prostate and breast cancers, heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes. Symptoms of milk-protein allergy include asthma, cough, runny nose, sinus infections and recurring ear infections.
Instead: Use any other plant milk like almond, hemp, rice or soy
PLASTIC LEMONS: pasteurized lemon juice
The Vitamin C or ascorbic acid levels are greatly reduced in this “convenience food,” so you’ll get more flavor and health benefits from a real lemon. Acidic foods like lemon juice can also degrade the plastic and leach chemicals into the juice.
Instead: Try real lemons and juice them.
GATORADE: electrolyte replacement sports drink
High fructose corn syrup, numerous other sugars, and food colorings added to enhance “flavor perception” are just a few of the ingredients in this drink. Skip the mind-bending excito-toxins and added sweeteners.
Instead: Try young coconut water or those little Emercen-C packets and water.
Instead of Gatorade, try milk. Milk has all the electrolytes needed after a workout and it has calcium in quantities to serve as 1 of your daily doses.
I was happy to see that I would never buy four of the five, but the spray oil was a teaching moment, so thank you, Alex.
A wooden citrus reamer (~$5) makes healthy juicing a breeze and cleans up with a quick rinse to air dry for the next use. Gets all the juice, too!
See examples at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wooden+citrus+reamer&x=0&y=0
Well like it has been said, if your grandmother wouldn’t recognize it – don’t eat it.
What do you think about Agave nectar as a sweetener?
I like Agave, though it should be used in small quantities. I prefer to use more brown rice syrup as it’s lower on the glycemic index and has less fructose.
Hi Brenda~
I feel that most humans can’t digest milk after the age of 4 because our bodies stop producing the necessary enzymes to deal with the lactose. Milk is also high in cholesterol and fat, and can have traces of antibiotics and growth hormones if it’s not organic.
Milk isn’t the best calcium source, although the dairy council has been telling us that for decades. The US and Northern European countries have the highest consumption rates of dairy in the world, and also the highest osteoporosis rates. Drinking more milk and eating more cheese has not improved our collective bones over the years. Some countries, like China and the Philippines, have very little dairy in their diet and very low osteoporosis rates. If you would like to know more about this conundrum, read my book Vegan Living for Dummies or The China Study.
If you would like something richer after a workout, try soy, rice, hemp or almond milk.
Oh dear. I have Pam Cooking Spray. I’m throwing it out today and sticking to my Olive Oil. Is it true that Coconut Oil is better for high-heat cooking?
Alex, do you find that Organic versions of PAM are ok, or do you find that they;re problematic as well. I know the ones I’ve seen have soy lectithin…is that safe to consume, or would you stick solely to “pure oils”? Thanks!
Autumn~
Hello Autumn,
I think it’s much better to buy a re-fillable oil spray bottle. You can get them at any kitchen store, and fill them with your own oil. This way you can be sure that there is ONLY oil coming out of the spray!
Be well,
Alex