Hey mamas & friends!
About 2 years ago I started paying close attention to nutrition labels. It's crazy that we live in a time where this is crucial to our health. There are so many preservatives and other additives where the product itself is far from it's original source. If we research products from the 1800s, I guarantee you won't find half the crap on the ingredient lists that you see now. I am talking about the ingredients from different labels found on boxes, bottles, cartons, literally everything. You should already know what I am talking about by now, but here is your evidence. Always check the footnotes. You'll see why so keep reading!
There are harsh chemicals hidden in labels of all different products that we buy off the shelves and online. A lot of these products have cancer causing agents in them which can affect you in the long run, but hey maybe it won't! There is a lot of crap in different types of drinks; especially energy drinks and other products like protein powders, amino acids, pre-workouts, post-recovery drinks, even hair and make up products.
Aside from this, obesity and autoimmune disease is on the rise. "The U.S. adult obesity rate stands at 42.4 percent, the first time the national rate has passed the 40 percent mark, and further evidence of the country's obesity crisis. The national adult obesity rate has increased by 26 percent since 2008." THIS RIGHT HERE SCARES ME. I refuse to even become overweight. "Autoimmune diseases are a family of more than 80 chronic, often debilitating and, in some cases, life-threatening illnesses. According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 23.5 million Americans (more than seven percent of the population) suffer from an autoimmune disease—and the prevalence is rising." Autoimmune diseases are man-made. They can occur from environmental factors like what we breathe, digest, and lather on our bodies, something we might even be allergic or sensitive to.
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2010 and thankfully have only had 1 huge flare in 2018. I was hospitalized for 1 month because I was constantly bleeding. After being dosed up on steroids and medication, it finally stopped. My "disease" can be cured through diet and exercise. I have to be careful about my labels these days. I swear I messed up my gut health from eating lunchables everyday LOL (90s baby). And then of course when I found out about energy drinks, I always had one in my hand. Red bulls every day in college, you know.
So, with all that, you just want to be mindful. Check your labels. Do your research because your health is so very important.
What should you try to avoid in your labels?
Try to ditch anything with SUGAR! Well...it's not going to be that easy because there is sugar in literally everything. Even when a product has a label that clearly says "NO SUGAR" check closely at the label because 9/10 there is sugar. BUT there is hope. We can start by avoiding these sugar additives. (Look up each one if ya really have to)
- high fructose corn syrup
- aspartame
- acesulfame-k (potassium)
- cyclamate
- saccharin
- sucralose (most common)
- anything labeled with just letters & number or coloring. Ex: FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
The sugars listed above are for FLAVOR. Most things taste good because there is sugar, we know this. I mean take candy and chocolate for example, ummmmm my taste buds go crazy. Cinnamon rolls, cakes, cookies, ice cream, shall I go on to make your mouth water even more? I won't. Is it okay to eat these things, YES. Is it okay to have an energy drink, YES. Is it okay to eat pancakes with syrup, YES. The point of this blog is to show you that labels LIE. Look at this photo for example labeled as NO SUGAR. Sucralose IS SUGAR. (I used to drink celsius all the time BTW)
This drink is telling you there is no sugar. Check out the footnotes, DUDE there is sugar right there. HIDDEN before your eyes. Labeled as "sucralose." Geesh, its no wonder we have obesity and autoimmune diseases.
Now, you're probably freaking out and thinking to yourself "What am I suppose to look for?" I will answer that for ya.
Try to look for anything with:
- erythritol
- xylitol
- yacon syrup
- stevia
- monk fruit sweetener
- coconut sugar
- maple syrup
- molasses
- honey
Here is a table for you to go off on: Bad products VS Good products
The bad always outweighs the good...Look products up yourself and you will see exactly what I am talking about. Half of these products are labeled as "no sugar" so go see for ya self.
NOT SO GOOD BETTER
|
Women's Best products |
Blessed Nutrition |
|
Alaninu drinks & products |
Twenty -two nutrition |
|
Bang drinks |
Amazing grass |
|
Celsius drinks |
Vital Proteins |
|
Coffee Over Cardio drinks & products |
Kill Cliff drinks |
|
VADE Nutrition products |
Guru drinks |
|
Ghost Nutrition products |
Sunshine drinks |
|
Red Bull drinks |
Sambazon Acai drinks |
|
Quest Nutrition products |
Annie's Organic brand |
|
Reign drinks |
Raw Generation drinks |
|
Cellucor drinks & products |
Thrive Market products |
|
GNC Nutrition & products |
|
|
Vitamin Shoppe & products |
|
|
Grocery store syrups |
|
|
Monster drinks |
|
|
Canned fruits |
|
|
Dairy products |
|
|
Chewing gum |
|
|
Condiments |
|
|
Gatorade & other drinks |
|
|
Protein bars |
|
Let's recap. CHECK your labels. DO your research. STAY healthy! You can switch to products that are more organically grown.