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Friday, July 23, 2010

Scary Food News

Lately I've been reading more and more about obesegens, a recently proposed class of chemical compounds, foreign to the body, that are hypothesized to disrupt normal development or homeostasis of metabolism of lipids (fats) ultimately resulting in obesity. Obesegens are chemicals that are in the foods and drinks we consume that have been scientifically shown to increase the rate of obesity. They cause fats to stay in our bodies and make it harder for those fats to leave. in the case of obesegens, cutting calories may not be enough to keep off the weight. Obesegens could be one of the reasons why people can't seem to drop those last 5 or 10 pounds. Scary, huh?

Three major culprits have been identified. You'll want to pay attention to what you ingest at avoid being a victim as well. These nasty obesegens seem to be hiding just about everywhere.

One of the major culprits is BPA, a chemical found in plastics. Many scientists warn to stay away from plastics to avoid the obesegens leaching into your food in that way. Store your foods and drinks in stainless steel or glass.

Secondly, obesegens are also found in the pesticides that are used on fruits and vegetables. A list of the dirty dozen has been published which includes produce containing the highest levels of pesticides. These are the foods you definitely want to buy organic: celery, peaaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes, and importated grapes. There are some foods that you don't need to worry about spending the extra to buy organic, however. They are the clean 15 and they include onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mangos, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, cataloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potato, honeydew, melon. Be educated when you shop the produce aisle and get the foods that are safest for you and your family.

Thirdly, obesegens are found in the hormones given to farm animals. Buy hormone-free meat products whenever possible. Also avoid meat products that have used antibiotics. Don't let the term "all-natural" fool you, be sure to look for the words hormone-free. If you can find free-range, that's a bonus as well. I recently read that growth hormones are not allowed to be administered to turkeys, so I've been choosing turkey more often, and checking the label to be sure it's all natural as well, with no antibiotics or fillers added. Look for sales and stock up. I find that I save alot of money by purchasing whole chickens rather than just the breast meat. It also helps to buy in bulk. You may find you are more limited with what's available to you at the store, but your health is worth it.

Now I know this is alot to absorb and it can feel very overwhelming when you consider all of the changes you might have to make. Take it in stride and remember you can't go back and change the past but you can influence the future. It's not just about being thin, it's about living a healthy, vital life. I know it's more expensive to buy organic, but I am strongly convinced that it's worth the extra cost for your health's sake. If you have to, cut corners in a few other areas of your life to have more money at the grocery store. Be careful about what you buy. Your health is worth it.
Next time you go to the store to stock up with food to fuel those active muscles of yours, use your knowledge to make good choices. Your body and mind will thank you.

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