Trans Fats... Saturated Fats... Refined Sugar... High Fructose Corn Syrup...

Refined Grains... Food Additives...Sodium... Aspartame... Saccharin...

Which of these “Nutritional Nightmares” are lurking in your pantry? Chances are, they are hiding in:

• Salad dressings
• Cereals
• Healthy Choice breads
• And many healthy-looking foods!
  

In small amounts, they cause little harm; however, they are so abundant in our food products that most Americans are eating hefty portions of them without even realizing it – creating real nightmares for our health! These are a few of the Nutritional Nightmares that Madam Nutrition will scour your pantry for when you sign up for your Pantry Makeover.

Trans Fats: Trans fats are formed by the hydrogenation of vegetable oils. Trans fats contribute to high cholesterol and may increase cancer risk. They are found in many products such as peanut butter, margarine, crackers, cookies, breads, baked products, cereals and many more common foods. DON'T BE FOOLED-Even many foods that claim to have no trans fats actually contain a small amount.  Just a few servings of these foods each day can easily add up to an unhealthy amount of trans fat. 

Saturated Fats: Saturated fats are found in animal products, mainly meat, cheese, butter, and high fat dairy products. They contribute to high cholesterol and have been linked with some cancers.

Refined Sugar: Refined sugar is most simply described as sugar, separated from the stalk of sugar cane or from the root of sugar beet. The sugar-containing juice is extracted and processed into dried sugar crystals. Refined sugar contributes calories with no nutritive value. It causes a quick rise in blood sugar, stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin, and contributes to obesity.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Fructose is found naturally in fruit, but it’s also added to many foods as crystalline fructose or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It is highly refined and is not recommended as part of a healthy diet.  HFCS is found in many common products such as cereals, breads, dressings, and many others.

Refined Grains: Refined grains are everywhere, and they are devoid of the nutrients you need to maximize your health. Although many nutrients are added back to refined grains, resulting in “enriched grains,” there is no beating the whole grain when comparing thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, protein, and fiber.

Food Additives: Food preservatives slow the process of spoiling of food, color additives restore foods’ original color or create an attractive appearance, and other chemicals such as MSG are added to enhance flavor. The FDA claims that these and other chemicals added to foods are safe to eat, although many fall into the category of “Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).” Despite their GRAS rating, many have been associated with sensitivities and intolerances.

Sodium: Up to 30% of Americans have blood pressure that is sodium-sensitive. For these individuals, too much sodium in their diets contributes to high blood pressure. There is no way to predict who may have blood pressure that is sodium sensitive, although family history and aging may both play a role.

Aspartame: Aspartame is a combination of mainly two amino acids – aspartic acid and phenylalanine. The combination of these two amino acids produces a taste that is 180 – 200 times sweeter than table sugar. Because it contains phenylalanine, people with PKU need to avoid aspartame, or risk severe mental retardation. While PKU is a rare genetic disorder affecting 1 in 15,000 people in the U.S., it is speculated that 1 in 50 people in the U.S. are carriers of the PKU gene, and may metabolize phenylalanine slower than they should. Phenylalanine is toxic to the brain, and when allowed to build up in the blood, it can cause mental retardation. Many researchers speculate that the phenylalanine in aspartame contributes to mild memory loss, headaches, and a host of other symptoms in otherwise healthy people.

Saccharin: Saccharin is produced from a substance that is found naturally in grapes, is 300 times sweeter than table sugar, and is used in soft drinks and artificial sweeteners such as Sweet ‘N Low and Sweet 10. In 1977 the FDA proposed a ban on saccharin based on studies that showed it caused cancer in lab animals. In 1991 however, the FDA removed the ban stating that it would be virtually impossible for people to eat as much saccharin from foods and beverages that would be needed to cause cancer. While the risk of cancer from saccharin is indeed very low, there are other sweeteners on the market today that are can provide that sweet taste without the calories or the worries.