Eating Clean Doesn’t Have To Be Hard

Eating "clean" doesn't have to be difficult.
Image: Shutterstock

One of my favorite parts of more people wanting to eat and be healthy is that “clean” food has become much more mainstream and “cool.” I don’t care much about being considered cool, but I do care about being time efficient. Sometimes we all work long days and the last thing we have time for is making sure that we eat a healthy and balanced meal. One of the hardest parts of eating healthy is that it can take up so much extra time—and one of the best parts of not eating healthy is the convenience.

Luckily, some brands have struck a nice balance between convenience and healthfulness. Women’s Health Magazine has put together a great list: the 125 Best Packaged Foods For Women. I think I might be in love!

The list starts out with “Sweets & Treats,” which is great because it gives dessert lovers a chance to see which desserts they don’t have to feel quite so bad about munching on. On the list are two of my favorites: Edy’s Fruit Bars and Skinny Cow Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches. Yum!

Next up is “Condiments,” which can truly be health killers if you’re not careful. From salsa to hummus to dressing to jam, there are a lot of great options there. The same can be said for the “Soups” section, where a few more of my favorite go-to meals are. Pacific Natural Foods’ Organic Butternut Squash Bisque is on the list, as is Healhy Choice’s Chicken Tortilla Soup.

As far as “Meats & Seafoods” go, I tend to just go without if I’m in a rush—substituting tofu or beans for the meat I didn’t have time to cook. But for those who want to get meat in, the list includes a selection of meatballs, sandwich meats, turkey bacon, and more.

It can be hard to strike a balance between
convenience and healthfulness.
Image: Shutterstock

The “Fruits & Veggies” section mostly consists of salad mixes, frozen vegetables (including edamame and butternut squash), and fruit cups. It’s nice to have a few easy options that can be kept at work or in the cupboard when you don’t have fresh produce available.

“Dairy” gets in a good selection as well, including greek yogurts, coffee creamers, cream cheese, and other healthy cheese options. Next up comes “Breads & Cereals,” which is great for people who have a hard time knowing what their best carb options are. And “Frozen Meals” offers some lifesavers for those days you just don’t have time to pack a lunch.

The list finishes up with “Drinks,” “Pasta & Rice,” and “Snacks, Crackers & Chips.” While, of course, not all of the foods on the list are 100% clean or as good as making your own meal at home, they do offer some great alternatives for when you’re short on time—and that’s something I can really appreciate!

Be sure to check out the full list from Women’s Health Magazine—it’s free to download and print!

Cosmetic Chemicals: Yet Another Reason to Avoid Fast Food

Do YOU know what you're eating? Hint: It's not always food!
Image from fitbodylife.com

If I needed another reason to avoid fast food (other than all the reasons I already know about), I just found it: fast food often contains chemicals found in cosmetics. If you’re thinking, “Wait, what?!” you’re on the same page as me. And yes, I’m totally serious. Here are some cosmetics chemicals you can also find in fast food:

Ammonium Glycyrrhizin—

• Ingredient in facial masks

  

  Ammonium Glycyrrhizin is found in facial masks--
  and in fast food.
  Image: Shutterstock

• Flavor enhancer, flavoring agent, and sweetener 

Benzoyl Peroxide (banned in China)—

• Active ingredient in acne creams
• Used in fast food to bleach wheat flour white (e.g. buns and breads) 

Calcium Disodium EDTA—

• Used as a stabilizer in skin products and hair conditioner
• A “flavor protectant” in fast food sauces, dips and dressings 

The active ingredient in Proactiv is Benozyl Peroxide.
It's also used to bleach flour white.
Image from clearclinic.com

Disodium Phosphate—

• Used in mascara and mouthwash
• Food preservative

Propylene Glycol—

• Found in shampoo, mouthwash and hand sanitizers
• Used in sodas, salad dressings, and spice concentrates

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate—

• Used in shampoo and soap
• Widely used in baked goods, cereals, pastas, instant rice, desserts, icings… and more

OK, first of all, you should know that all of these are FDA approved additives. That means the FDA has studied them and determined that in specified quantities they are “relatively safe” to eat. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have negative impacts on our health. Propylene Glycol, for example, is a toxin at any level of ingestion. Though it would be extremely difficult to reach serious toxicity levels, it is nonetheless still a toxin.

They may be FDA approved, but I don't want these chemicals
in MY food. Do you?
Image from blog.fooducate.com

Ammonium Glycyrrhizin can also cause hypertension and edema (water retention) since it inhibits our cortisol metabolism. Benzoyl Peroxide is a whitener and researchers have long argued over the safety of its use in food.

Perhaps I’m too big a fan of natural living and eating (can one be too big of a fan?), but I don’t think I want to put any unnecessary chemicals in my body. There is so much we still don’t know, and I for one don’t want to wake up and find out one day that the chemical the FDA said was safe really isn’t. Call me paranoid if you’d like to, but I think there’s no harm in being safe.

Besides, what “flavor” are they protecting? The processed, bleached, over salted and sweetened flavor? Because I think I can go without that.

More Bananas, Less Salt

Chocolate (death) cake--at least for my dad.

Image: Shutterstock

When I was in junior high, my dad was diagnosed with a rare inner ear disease called Meniere’s. He would get terrible bouts of nausea and vertigo, and in the early days of his diagnosis we had to rush him to the emergency room after he had fallen down and literally couldn’t get back up. We found out that what he ate had the potential to set him off at any moment, and absolute no-nos included chocolate, sweets, caffeine, and salt.

Miniscule amounts of those foods and others were usually all right to eat—except chocolate, which made him sicker than a dog—but after a few trips to the hospital and more than a few bouts of sickness at home, those foods were simply no longer appealing. His diet changed, and largely so did mine.

We stopped buying frozen meals and prepared food and started cooking meats and vegetables fresh. Everything that went into the cart was first checked for sodium content, caffeine, chocolate, or high amounts of sugar. We bought more fresh fruit and vegetables, and fewer muffins and pastries. I knew my diet had changed, but I really noticed when I went off to college and would take a bite of food and find that all I could taste was salt—or get a slice of cake and only be able to eat half of it before I was overloaded with sugar.

Salt is another no-no. Most Americans consume far too much of it.

Image: Shutterstock

Those shopping and cooking habits have stuck with me into adulthood, and even now I only use salt and sugar sparingly. I never realized until I grew older and more interested in health that the reason my dad couldn’t have salt, caffeine, or sugar was because it increased his blood pressure and fluid retention—both of which worsened the effects of his Meniere’s disease.

My dad’s experiences with Meniere’s have been hard on him and on our family—repeated doctor’s visits, frequent nausea and vertigo, lifestyle changes, and more have become regular occurrences in our lives. But one thing I’m grateful for is the fact that it taught me early to eat healthy. Consuming less sodium can reduce blood pressure in adults. And eating bananas, which is my dad’s favorite fruit to buy, may also reduce blood pressure because of its high potassium content.

Bananas are some of Dad's favorites. Mine, too!

Image: Shutterstock

High blood pressure has been linked to stroke and other seriouscardiovascular problems, yet most people in the U.S. and the U.K. exceed the recommended maximum intake every single day. But just a small dietary change—less salt intake and more potassium intake—can make a huge difference in the long-term.

So I’m saying thank you to my dad for passing those habits on to me at an early age, even though it wasn’t exactly his choice. And now I’m trying to do that same favor to others—so pass it on: more bananas, less salt.