A couple months ago a Yahoo news ad caught my eye. The title of it was “9 Ingredients to Avoid in Processed Foods”. The article was right up my alley because it listed ingredients to avoid, not necessarily foods to avoid.

I thought I would share the ingredients they found. I know with the seven ingredients I suggest you avoid and these nine, it seems like a lot (but notice the overlap — three items in italics below are on both lists), but don’t you wonder why the incidence of disease and cancers are rising? The article is interesting in that it goes on to explain why these ingredients are bad for you.

For example, high fructose corn syrup is not easily metabolized by the liver, may predispose the body to turn fructose into fat and increases the risk for Type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer. Artificial flavorings can be linked to allergic reactions, dermatitis, eczema, hyperactivity and asthma and can affect enzymes, RNA and thyroid.

I think the foods we put in our bodies affect our state of health, not only today, but in our future. Do something good for your body today. Eat pure, natural foods. Your body will thank you.

Lisa’s 7 Ingredients to Avoid:
1. Gluten: wheat, rye, oats, spelt, barley
2. Soy or soy lecithin
3. Artificial Sweeteners
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup
5. Partially Hydrogenated Oils
6. Chocolate
7. Caffeine

Yahoo’s 9 Ingredients to Avoid:
1. Artificial Colors
2. Artificial Flavorings
3. Artificial Sweeteners
4. Benzoate Preservatives
5. Brominated Vegetable Oil
6. High Fructose Corn Syrup
7. MSG
8. Olestra
9. Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Another food that always presents a challenge for our family is French Fries. There are no packaged French Fries in the grocery store that we can eat, since we avoid canola oil as well. When we go out to eat, usually on a vacation, I do call ahead and we will splurge on French Fries if they are fried in a separate fryer and if the oil they use is canola oil. But usually, we only eat French Fries at home. I found this yummy recipe in a magazine and modified it to make it gluten-free and kid-friendly. These fries are made from Polenta, which is just corn meal and water. They make a great side dish for chicken tenders, hamburgers or hotdogs.

Sweet and Spicy Polenta Fries

Ingredients:
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp pepper
8 oz cooked polenta, cut into sticks
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 T gluten free flour
¼ cup olive oil
1 T fresh basil

Directions:
In a bowl, combine sugar, salt, cumin and pepper. Set aside.
Baste polenta sticks in flour to coat. Shake off excess flour.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
Cook strips in hot oil, stirring occasionally until golden brown, around 7 minutes.
Drain and toss fries in sugar mixture.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and basil.
Serve immediately or keep warm in oven at 325 degrees up to 20 minutes.