Food Additives

Have you ever wondered what is in the food we eat? More than 14,000 laboratory-made chemicals are added to our foods to improve quality, shelf life, flavor, and appearance. Many of these synthetic additives and preservatives were developed decades ago.

Many years ago, our family doctor told me that, unless I absolutely could not make it myself, I should avoid processed foods. I generally try to stay away from foods with long lists of additives with hard-to-pronounce names. And, while you may not be able to avoid all products containing food additives, by steering clear of the chemicals listed below, your body will thank you.

Among the most common additives is artificial flavoring -- chemicals made in labs to mimic natural flavors in food. Because so many chemicals can be used to flavor foods, it can be very difficult to determine the cause of allergic reactions.

BHA and BHT are petroleum-derived chemical preservatives added to foods to prevent rancidity. They are commonly found in sausages, dried meats, crackers, cereals, and foods with added fats. The World Health Organization and the Department of Health & Human Services both consider BHA a possible human carcinogen. BHT has also been suspected of causing cancer.

Many artificial colors were developed in the early 1900s from petrochemicals and coal-tar dyes (Yum!).

MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a flavor-enhancing additive commonly used in Chinese cooking as well as in condiments, dressings, snack chips, seasonings and bouillon. MSG has been linked to a variety of unpleasant physical symptoms.

The above additives are only the most common in a very long list. I really notice a difference in the way I feel when I do not avoid processed foods with all their additives.

Dr. Seuss Quotes

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go."

"Think lft and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!"

"How did it get so late so soon?"

Environmental Responsbility

The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think. Gregory Bateson

Environmental Responsibility

To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival. Wendell Berry

Environmental Responsbility

If we are to go on living together on this earth, we must all be responsible for it. Kofi Annan

Your Child's World

There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all. Jacqueline Kenndy

Apology

Sorry to have had so little to post lately. Since August I have had clients in hospital/rehab/respite -- this has tripled my workload, leaving me little time for doing anything else including posting.

Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife, are in fact plans to protect man. Stewart Udall

I go to nature t be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. John Burroughs

It is our collective and individual responsibility ... to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live. Dalai Lama

The Ultimate Test of a Moral Society

The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children. Dietric Bonhoeffer

Hunger

The world produces enough food to feed the entire population. It's a travesty that anyone should go hungry anywhere. Donnie Osmond

The Best Inheritance

The best inheritance a parent can give his children is a few minutes of his time each day. Orlando A. Battista

What You Do Makes a Difference

What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

Jane Goodall

A True Conservationist

A true conservationist is a man who know that the world is not given by his fathers but borrowed from his children.

John James Audubon

The Greatest Gifts

The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.

Dennis Waitley

Diplomacy

The art of telling someoneto go to hell, and having them look forward to the trip.

Never be afraid to try something new.

Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.