Clean Eating and Reading Labels

Clean Eating and Reading Labels

Eating organic is considered “clean eating”. Clean eating means eliminating highly processed-packaged foods w ingredients you can’t pronounce, cutting back on foods with added salt/sugar/fat, avoiding foods that are drastically altered from their natural form, & preparing and eating more foods at home.

     It’s super important to read the back label for the items your interested in purchasing, so you will know what you’re eating. For example on a conventional package of natural Jennie O turkey bacon these are the ingredients: Ingredients Mechanically Separated Turkey, Turkey, Water, Sugar, Contains 2% or Less Salt, Potassium Lactate , Natural Smoke Flavor, Flavor (Canola Oil,Natural Smoke, Natural Flavoring), Sodium Diacetate , Sodium Phosphate , Natural Flavoring, Sodium Erythorbate , Sodium Nitrite. I like to purchase sugar free paleo turkey bacon and these are the ingredients listed on my package: turkey, water, sea salt, cultured celery powder, paprika, white pepper, onion powder. There’s a huge difference between what I can pronounce between these 2 items, and the healthier package of bacon is the second one without all of the unhealthy added ingredients. 

        Nitrites can cause migraines, if you eat too many foods with sodium phosphate as an additive it can cause kidney problems, sodium diacetate is a preservative that can cause itching, burning, dry skin, rash & more! Sodium laurel sulfate is another ingredient best stayed away from but it’s a challenge because it is everywhere. Many additives and preservatives in our food and body care products are considered hormone disrupters, many can cause autoimmune diseases, & other issues. Our FDA in America are not as concerned about additives and preservatives as other countries. In other countries, for example they have banned many of these unhealthy ingredients. America has much to learn. For help on learning about any harmful side effects from your cleaning and beauty products I recommend the “think dirty” app where you can type in any products and see if they are healthy or not. For your foods, keep reading those labels and try to eat clean foods as close to their natural state as much as possible for lifelong health benefits.