They are cheap, attractive, convenient, and people eat them every single day. Ultra-processed foods are easy to come by and people find them delicious. Frozen meals, cereal, cookies, soda, and chips are just a few of the foods that can destroy your health. It’s not news that these foods are harmful to overall health, so there’s no use in telling people to avoid them. It is more feasible, however, for people to make healthier swaps for ultra-processed foods. 

According to a 2021 JAMA study, ultra-processed foods account for about 67% of calories in the average American child or teenager’s diet. Additionally, a different study concluded that  58% of an average American’s energy intake comes from white breads, cakes, diet sodas, and other unhealthy foods. Unfortunately, regularl consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods can lead to numerous health problems. More consumption of unhealthy ingredients increases the risk of depression, obesity, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and heart disease.  

The Difference Between Processed And Ultra-Processed Foods

By definition, processed foods are foods that have been altered from their original forms. Processing is a deliberate change to a food that occurs before you consume it. Canning, pasteurizing, heating, and drying are all forms of processing. Processing typically involves the addition of oil, sugar, salt, or other substances. Fruits in syrup, canned fish or vegetables, or pre-made breads contain several processed ingredients. Some processing is necessary and doesn’t mean that every food you eat is unhealthy, for example, frozen fruit or vegetables.

Ultra-processed foods have many added ingredients, including artificial colors and flavors, stabilizers, preservatives, salt, fat, and sugar. The problem with these foods is that they contain no nutritional value. Manufacturers make ultra-processed foods from substances extracted from other foods, for example, starches, fats, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. Frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs, processed meats, packaged cookies, cakes, fast food, and salty snacks are ultra-processed. 

The Spectrum Of Processed Foods

A bag of mixed frozen fruit that you add to a smoothie is not the same thing as eating Doritos. While both of those foods undergo processing, they are not the same thing. You can check out the following spectrum to gauge which foods to avoid and which ones to limit: 

Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods

As mentioned earlier, frozen foods, soft drinks, store bought cakes and cookies, cake mixes, and more contain added fats, starches, sugars, hydrogenated oils, and artificial ingredients. These are foods to avoid. 

Limit Processed Foods

It’s best to limit or rarely eat processed foods. These foods include store bought salad dressings, sausages, jarred pasta sauce, and whole-grain bread. Moderation is key with these foods, but you can also make your own versions. 

Minimally Processed Foods Are Better

Nut butters, plain yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed/free-range meats, and frozen vegetables and fruits fall into this category. You should still watch out for the ingredients on these foods, but they are better than the previous two categories. 

Unprocessed Foods Are Best

Fresh fruit, vegetables, and wild-caught fish belong to this category. They are full of nutrients and don’t go through processing. 

In order to avoid ultra-processed foods, there are dietary changes you have to make. Ultra-processed foods cannot be the primary source of your calories. One study monitored 20 healthy overweight adults at a medical facility. Each participant consumed an ultra-processed diet for two weeks, and then followed that with an unprocessed diet for two weeks. For both diets, subjects consumed three meals per day, eating as much or as little as they wanted. 

During the ultra-processed diet period, roughly 83.5% of calories came from ultra-processed foods. During the unprocessed diet period, about 83.3% of calories came from unprocessed foods. The subjects consumed an average of 500 additional calories per day while following the ultra-processed diet. Finally, the ultra-processed diet increased the intake of carbohydrates and fat, and the participants lost an average of two pounds during the unprocessed phase. The conclusion of the study was that limiting ultra-processed foods could help decrease the risk or even prevent obesity.

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On September 30th, 2020, California became the first state in the country to enact the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (AB 2762). Gavin Newsom signed the bill, which enforces a strict ban on 24 common, toxic ingredients in personal care and beauty products. The primary chemicals in this ban include mercury and formaldehyde, which are in beauty products that people use every day. 

Statistically, the average American woman uses 12 beauty products every day. From lipsticks and foundations to hair care products and lotions, those 12 products amount to over 200 chemicals. Personal care products and cosmetics in the United States are mostly self-regulated. The industry went under FDA purview in the 1930s and only nine chemicals have been banned since. To this day, 12,000 chemicals are in circulation, and many of them increase the risk of birth defects, certain cancers, and damage to reproductive health. The most problematic chemicals that you should always avoid include:

• Formaldehyde
• Lead
• Triclosan
• Some parabens and phytates
• Asbestos

The California Ban

As of January 2025, a person or manufacturer cannot offer, deliver, or sell any cosmetic products that contains the ingredients banned by the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act. This is a progressive move for California, making it the first state in the country to follow in the footsteps of over 40 other nations. Those 40 nations have stricter cosmetic safety laws than the United States does, and they’ve banned an estimated 1,400 chemicals that are commonly in beauty products in the United States. 

The Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act, which was largely supported by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), has banned the following chemicals:

• Dibutyl phthalate
• Diethylhexyl phthalate
• Formaldehyde
• Paraformaldehyde
• Methylene glycol
• Quaternium-15
• Mercury
• Isobutylparaben
• Isopropylparaben
• m-Phenylenediamine and its salts
• o-Phenylenediamine and its salts
• Several Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their salts

There Is One Exception To The Bill

There is one thing to clarify in regards to the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act. According to the bill, “If a cosmetic product made through manufacturing processes intended to comply with this chapter contains a technically unavoidable trace quantity of an ingredient listed in the subdivision and that trace quantity stems from impurities of natural or synthetic ingredients, the manufacturing process, storage, or migration from packaging, that trace quantity shall not cause the cosmetic product to be in violation of this section.”

The Point Of This Bill

The reason that people lobbied to pass this bill is to inform California consumers of the ingredients that are in beauty and personal care products. To often do manufacturers exclude ingredients, and the reason they can get away with this is due to loose FDA requirements. Most commercial beauty products contain fragrances, artificial colors, stabilizers, and preservatives, all of which can penetrate the skin. These chemicals can disrupt thyroid function, menstruation, and lead to diabetes, antibacterial resistance, infertility, and certain types of cancer. The FDA doesn’t require cosmetics or the ingredients in them to gain approval before they are available for purchase. This increases the risk of health problems for anyone who uses lotions, makeup, hair care products, and other beauty products. 

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It takes determination and work to maintain healthy eating habits. Sure, eating healthy is the ultimate goal, but things like sugar, chips, fast food, soda, caffeine, alcohol, and so many other foods can get in the way. All of those foods and many more packaged and processed foods are abundant in most grocery stores, and regularly consuming those foods may be more harmful to your health than you realize.

To avoid health complications down the line, it is recommended to refrain from eating anything that is unnatural and concentrated. The link between allergies/sensitivities and food additives/chemicals is strong, considering the average American household allots about 90% of their grocery budget for processed foods. Avoiding possible health complications can be as easy as consuming whole foods in their natural state. The bioavailability and nutritional profile in whole foods is more beneficial than any processed food that contains a small percentage of vitamin C, for example.

The 80/20 rule should be applied to clean eating. People will naturally indulge, and that’s acceptable, on occasion, but these indulgences should only comprise 20% of the diet. Let’s say that you eat a fruit and vegetable smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and quinoa and sweet potatoes with sautéed vegetables for dinner. That’s a perfectly balanced day, but then you decide to have a glass of red wine and a couple pieces of dark chocolate or some pita bread and chicken. That’s an acceptable 80/20 day. It doesn’t have to be an even 80/20 split all the time because some days you may get 87% of your calories from healthy foods and 13% from not-so-healthy foods. To help you make more educated food choices, here are ingredients to avoid at all times.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Known as HFCS, high fructose corn syrup is probably the number one source of calories consumed in the American diet. It is prevalent in a plethora of processed foods and it has been linked to weight gain, diabetes, high cholesterol, and tissue damage. It is important to be cautious when purchasing food because the food industry has noticed a decline in food purchasing with products containing HFCS. It has been renamed, so look out for fructose, fructose syrup, or fructose corn syrup on the ingredient lists.

Found In: Candy, flavored yogurt, salad dressings, most processed foods, cereals, canned vegetables, nutritional bars, and breads.

Artificial Colors

When you look at labels, common artificial food colorings include Red #40, Blue #1, Yellow #5, Red #2, caramel coloring, bixin, or Citrus red #1. There are many more, but these common food dyes can lead to eczema, asthma or behavior problems in children, reduce one’s IQ, and interrupt the brain-nerve transmission.

Found In: Fruit juices, salad dressings, sodas, processed cheese, candy, and macaroni and cheese.

Sodium Nitrites & Nitrates

These common food additives are used by food manufacturers to preserve, flavor, and add color to processed lunch meats, hotdogs, smoked fish, and bacon. Sodium nitrites and nitrates are highly carcinogenic upon entering the human body. They can wreak havoc on the bloodstream and damage internal organs.

Found In: Hotdogs, bacon, processed meat, corned beef, smoked fish, and luncheon meat.

Trans Fats

These are the fats that you never want to consume. You can identify trans fats in foods if you see hydrogenated oils in the ingredients. Trans fats are used to extend the shelf life of processed foods and are dangerous because of their cholesterol-raising nature. People who consume a lot of foods containing trans fats have a higher risk of developing strokes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and heart attacks.

Found In: Chips, baked goods, fast foods, margarine, and crackers.

Sulfur Dioxide

Sulfur additives are toxic and consuming them can lead to a variety of respiratory issues, hypotension (low blood pressure), and even anaphylactic shock. Sulfur dioxide kills vitamins B1 and E, and children are not recommended to consume it.

Found In: Dried fruit, juices, beer, vinegar, potato products, wine, and soft drinks.

BHA, BHT & TBHQ

These three preservatives are used to keep foods from changing color, becoming rancid, or changing flavor. BHA, BHT, and TBHQ are oxidants that can negatively affect the neurological system and may form cancer-causing compounds in the body.

Found In: Jello, shortening, candy, frozen sausages, gum, potato chips, cereal, microwave popcorn, margarine, cooking spray, fast foods including processed hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and fries.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

This amino acid is commonly used in Asian cuisine as a flavoring agent. MSG is an excitotoxin, which is a substance that overexcites cells to the point of serious damage or death. Regular consumption of MSG can lead to depression, eye damage, fatigue, obesity, and frequent headaches.

Found In: Frozen dinners, luncheon meats, cookies, seasonings, certain Asian restaurants, some canned soups, and many snacks.

Artificial Sweeteners

Regular sugar, though still not great for the body, is actually safer to consume than artificial sweeteners. These are commonly found in “diet” or “sugar free” foods. Aspartame, which is a known carcinogen and neurotoxin, is the most common artificial sweetener that can have adverse effects on the brain. Regular consumption of artificial sweeteners can lead to fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, emotional disorders, migraines, multiple sclerosis, or Alzheimer’s disease. Other artificial sweeteners you should stay away from or limit are sucralose, acesulfame K (ACE K), saccharin, and sugar alcohols.

Found In: Sugar free gum, sugar free sodas, pudding, breath mints, chewable vitamins, toothpaste, no-calorie waters and drinks, salad dressings, and drink mixes.

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People on social media and food blog writers continually promote the concept of meal prep to maintain healthier diets. Not only is meal prepping incredibly easy, but it also makes eating healthy convenient and fun. The problem that most people have, however, is that they don’t know how to prep healthy meals. They think it is a daunting task that involves hours and hours of prep. That’s a false notion and we are going to illustrate how to prep clean and healthy meals.

What Is Clean Eating?

If you don’t know how to eat cleanly, don’t beat yourself up. Put down the burger and lettuce explain (that was a little clean eating pun to start you off). It’s important to clarify that clean eating is more than looking at labels that say “heart-healthy” or “fat-free.” Major food manufacturers mislead consumers with these terms and people end up buying “healthy foods” that are not healthy at all. To eat healthily, follow the tips below.

Avoid Artificial Ingredients

Artificial means fake, and you shouldn’t eat fake food when so much real food is available. You can identify artificial ingredients by looking for terms like “artificial flavors” or “artificial colors” or artificial sweeteners. Don’t eat foods with artificial anything! They aren’t healthy!

Don’t Eat Processed Foods

Processed foods and artificial flavors go hand in hand because most processed foods contain artificial ingredients. Besides having little to no nutrition, processed foods contain an array of chemicals and preservatives that extend the shelf life. Do your best to avoid foods with shelf lives.

Don’t Forget Fruits And Veggies

Omitting fruits and vegetables from your diet is mistakes one, two, and three on your path to a healthier body. When it comes to meal prepping, you must include fruits and vegetables in your recipes. They should be your first priority! It is also imperative that you eat the rainbow to obtain different nutrients.

Count Your Nutrients, Not Calories

We aren’t saying that you should ignore your caloric intake; rather, we are saying that you should focus on getting your calories from nutritious foods. The calories you get from a hotdog are not equivalent to the calories and nutrients you get from a home-cooked meal that consists of vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

To set yourself up for meal prep success, it is integral to prepare you favorite healthy options in bulk. Don’t be intimidated by preparing a lot of food at once. It is actually a great way to save money, save time, and save yourself from eating unhealthy food!

You Don’t Have To Cook Everything

Most people overcook food, especially when it comes to vegetables. High heat kills a large percentage of the nutrients, which is why it can be beneficial to prepare a few raw meals like salads or smoothies. You can make smoothie bags or divide a large salad into several containers for a couple lunches during the week.

Knock It Out In One Day

It is best to meal prep for the week the same day that you head to the grocery store to buy all your food. Your ideas about meals are fresh in your mind, which makes the preparation aspect fun and exciting. Make sure to do this on the weekend, or whatever days you have off, because you’ll need free time.

Change Up The Standards

You don’t want to make the same salad more than twice. You have to alternate flavors in order to keep you interested in the food. Make a southwestern dressing and add chickpeas, which have been sautéed in taco spices, to the salad with pickled onions, cilantro, and salsa. Instead of doing fried rice, blend some cauliflower and use that as the rice base. Add diced vegetables, sesame oil, liquid aminos, and other seasonings to the pan and enjoy! Check our recipe section for more information.

Pick Your Meals

You can use recipes that you’ve created or find healthy recipes online. The important thing is to choose two or three recipes that have a healthy balance of vegetables, protein, whole grains, and healthy fats. If you want to dive in headfirst and wing it, include at least one item from each column of the following table.

Don’t forget that you need to get solid containers for your prepped meals. Glass containers are best! You can choose containers that have divided areas, but that is up to you. If you have any meal prep questions, let us know in the comments.

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The cochineal beetle is a small insect that lives on the prickly pear cactus plants in Central and South America. The female beetles feed off the red cactus berries and store the red color in their bodies. This dye is called carmine and it can be removed to color various products.

History

The Aztecs successfully cultivated cochineal insects for thousands of years. They managed to create larger species that produced brighter shades of red. It was initially used for medicine, pain, and cosmetics. The red dye became very desirable in the Middle East where it was used for textiles and carpets. Today, Peru is the world’s largest producer of cochineal but it can also be found in South Africa, Chile, Bolivia, and the Canary Islands.

In the 1970s, after research found that synthetic red dyes-especially red dye #2 and E123-were connected to cancer, ADD, asthma and hyperactivity, natural red dyes such as carmine gained popularity.

Uses

It has been added to many processed foods such as candy, ice cream, yogurt, puddings, cookies, cherries, fruit juice, and liquor due to its bright coloring.

Cosmetics that are colored primarily pink, red, or brown may contain traces of cochineal. Cochineal can be mixed with other natural colorings to produce a wide range of colors.

Beetle Juice is considered non-toxic and a safe alternative to synthetic dyes. The US Food and Drug Administration requires products using carmine to label appropriately, as some people are allergic to it.

Since it’s derived from a living being, products using cochineal or carmine are NOT vegan, vegetarian or Kosher. An friendly alternative is lycopene, the red pigment extracted from tomatoes.

Thank you for you reading!

This article is compliments of www.dherbs.com

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Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are relatively new conditions known in Western medicine, but they have quickly become the most commonly diagnosed childhood health issue. While many children grow out of ADD/ADHD, the condition can last through adolescence and young adulthood.

People with ADD/ADHD commonly experience:

• Difficulty staying focused
• Difficulty paying attention
• Difficulty controlling behavior
• Hyperactivity

ADD/ADHD presents differently in everyone it effects. Some are predominantly hyperactive, while others are predominantly inattentive. Still others can experience a combination of hyperactivity and inattentiveness.

Patients diagnosed with ADD/ADHD may also have other conditions or challenges such as learning disabilities, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or even Tourette’s syndrome.

Causes

Doctors and researchers don’t know exactly what causes ADD/ADHD, but they believe several factors can contribute to it:

• Genetics-a gene has been identified that causes tissue in the brain where ‘attention’ is tends to be thinner than normal. Usually, as the child grows, the brain tissue grows to normal thickness.
• Brain injury
• Sugar and sweetener intake
• Food additives-artificial colors and preservatives are linked to increases in ADD/ADHD
• Environmental factors-children exposed to cigarette smoke or alcohol while in utero, lead found in paint and plumbing and other environmental factors can contribute toe ADD/ADHD

Healing Options

The National Institute of Mental Health recommends a combination of prescription drugs and mental health therapy to treat ADD/ADHD.

While this may work for some patients, the side effects of the prescriptions drugs-including cardiovascular (heart and blood) problems, psychiatric problems such as suicidal thoughts, becoming manic, paranoia and/or hallucinations, stroke, or sudden death.

There is no medical cure for ADD/ADHD. Pharmaceuticals may help to manage symptoms. Psychiatric therapy helps the patient develop coping skills.

People who suffer from ADD/ADHD have options in managing their condition. There are many recognized natural treatments that can help manage symptoms, which also helps the patient better cope with daily life:

• Diet – Minimize intake of processed sugars and processed carbs. Eliminate exposure to food additives such as artificial colors, artificial flavors and preservatives. Essentially, eliminate any processed food from the diet. Put the patient on a regular eating schedule. Three meals a day may not be enough. The diet may need to be supplemented with healthy snacks in between meals to prevent spikes in blood sugar and adrenaline levels. Add fiber to the diet through leafy greens, vegetables, steel-cut oatmeal, berries and whole grains.
• Behavioral Therapy – parents and children both benefit from participating in behavioral therapy such as Interactive Metronome Training for children, and parenting-skills classes for parents.
• Create a routine – children with ADD/ADHD benefit from a rigid schedule that let them know what’s expected of them and when. For instance, when they will be at school, when they will do homework, when they will do chores, when they can play with friends. Create a schedule and stick to it.
• Minimize exposure to television – The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television for children under 2 years old, and no more than 2 hours a day for children older than 2 years old. While the link between watching television and ADD/ADHD is unclear, it is known that helping children develop attention skills can be achieved through activities such as puzzles, games, reading out loud, or using building blocks.

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Protein bars may provide some nutrition, but it takes more to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Being a healthy individual has many variables including the mind, attitude, and body.

Protein is derived from 22 complete amino acid and these amino acids must be organic for the body to use them properly.

Convenience

Most Americans live a fast-paced lifestyle that requires them to always be “on-the-go”. Being able to rely on a bar or beverage to supply all the essential nutrients is very desirable but isn’t very effective. Some companies may advertise that they contain all-natural and organic ingredients but most of these food items are heavily processed and have many artificial ingredients. Don’t be fooled by the deceptive descriptions on the package. Look closely at the list of ingredients and make sure that you aren’t being fooled.

Artificial Ingredients

Most protein bars are filled with artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. When looking for protein health bars, it’s best to avoid these artificial ingredients.

One of the most prevalent protein sources in the protein bar industry is called “soy protein isolate”. Originally considered as a waste product, soy is processed in potentially harmful ways. Soy wasn’t used as a protein isolate until they discovered that it could turn into large profits.

Another primary ingredient that is found in protein bars is high fructose corn syrup. As the most common sweetener in processed foods and beverages, high-fructose corn syrup is a popular alternative to table sugar. High fructose corn syrup is a highly processed food that can cause adverse reactions to your body. Both high fructose corn syrup and table sugar should be avoided as much as possible.

Fractionated palm kernel oil is another main ingredient of protein bars that should be avoided. Unlike the natural product of plain palm oil, palm kernel oil cannot be produced organically. In fact, 80% of palm kernel oil is saturated fat. A high level of saturated fat can contribute to several cardio metabolic risk factors such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

Sugar alcohols come in many varieties but should all be avoided. The most popular versions are Maltitol Syrup, Sorbitol, Xylitol, Mannitol, Lactitol and Erythritol. Unlike regular sugar, sugar alcohols do not absorb well into the digestive tract. This may cause gas, bloating, and abdominal cramping. Some people believe this is a healthier alternative because it does not impact blood sugars as much as regular sugar. However, there are other risks involved when digesting sugar alcohols.

Another sugar substitute are called artificial sweeteners. Many people are convinced to use artificial sweeteners because they are calorie free. However, they are refined, processed, and synthetic substitutes that can cause a variety of potential health issues, including cancer.

Whey Protein

While a few protein bars are made from soy, most of them are made from whey, a milk by- product. Whey protein is derived from whey, a watery substance that separates from the curds during the cheese making process. Commonly used as a food supplement, whey protein is known to improve athletic performance and help with weight loss. It is a popular nutritional supplement that can be used for multiple reasons including muscle gain, weight loss, and meal replacement. However, there are several health concerns of whey protein isolate.

When consumed in large quantities, whey protein can add stress to the kidneys and liver, increasing the possibility of developing kidney stones and calcium deposits. The kidneys and liver are responsible for breaking down the majority consumed protein.

Soy Protein

Soy protein is a source of lean vegetable protein and is potentially dangerous to human health. It has been known to raise estrogen levels, increasing the risk of breast cancer and cancer of the uterus.

Known as a lean protein, soy protein can cause weight gain if over-consumed. When the body digests more protein than needed, it becomes stored as fat. Consider the variables before consuming protein isolate on a regular basis.

Alternatives

Vegetable based protein is a healthier alternative to whey and soy protein. There are many vegetables that contain high sources of protein and are easily digested by the human body. Easily accessible and widely popular, these vegetables are rich in protein and are healthy alternatives:

• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Potato
• Celery
• Kale
• Celery
• Carrots

Eating whole foods in its natural state is most beneficial and nutritious for the body. The body will be able to absorb all of the nutrients that the natural, organic food has to offer. There are unique nutrients in certain vegetables that cannot be found anywhere else.

By consuming processed food with artificial ingredients, the body is not able to identify and use the nutrients that were once available.

Solutions

Protein health bars are processed foods that normally contain unnatural additives that are dangerous to one’s health.

If you have saturated your body with harmful protein products over the months or years, the Full Body Cleanse should be performed at least 2-4 times per year.

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Originally, chewing gum was made from tree sap but today’s commercial brands are loaded with harmful ingredients and chemicals.

The modern day chewing gums are made of four major ingredients including synthetic rubber, plastic, sugar, and coloring (dye). Modern day gums are produced from synthetic polymers such as styrene-butadiene rubbers and polyvinyl acetate. The final product is composed of 60% sugar, 20% corn syrup, and only 20% actual gum material.

If you’re chewing gum you are chewing rubber and plastic. Chewing gum is known as a harmless cultural tradition but it contains many properties that may be hazardous to our health.

Today’s chewing gums and bubble gums are predominantly sugar by volume. Seventy to eighty percent of most gums on the market today are sheer vehicles for sugar, the number one drug on the planet. Just as cigarettes are a conveyor for the addictive drug “nicotine”, so is gum for sugar.

There is great danger in chewing gum due to numerous toxic and poisonous chemicals used as ingredients. There are several common ingredients in gum that are harmful to human health.

Brief History of the Origin of Modern Gum

The first recorded history of mixing a gum with sugar can be traced to the Arab sugar traders who mixed the sugar with acacia, known as “gum Arabic.”

In 1850, modern commercial chewing gum originated in Bangor, Maine.

In 1859, Thomas Adams of New York used “chicle,” the dried latex material of the sapodilla tree in Central America, to make chewing gum. Adams received a patent in 1871 for “chicle gum.”

In 1885, William J. White of Cleveland, Ohio further refined and improved gum by adding corn syrup and flavoring the gum with peppermint, making it very successful.

In 1893, William Wrigley invented Juicy Fruit and Spearmint gums, greatly improving chewing gum.

In 1900, Frank Fleer of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania placed a hard shell on gum and called in Chiclets. In 1906 Fleer would also go on to invent Bubble Gum and an employee of the Frank H. Fleer Company, Walter Diemer, invented the pink colored Double Bubble, bubble gum.

Aspartame

Aspartame, a known carcinogen, is a neurotoxin. It converts into formaldehyde when exposed to heat above eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit. This means that aspartame converts into formaldehyde when inside the human body.

Aspartame is absorbed by the buccal mucosa of the mouth, gums, and the tongue-making it even more dangerous than if injected intravenously. By passing the spinal cord and the blood-brain barrier when absorbed in the mouth, the aspartame goes directly into the brain. The smallest amount of aspartame can be very dangerous and damaging.

When aspartame is ingested into the digestive tract, it breaks down into numerous other poisons. Most Americans are unaware that the candy, gum, and soft drinks that they consume, contain aspartame.

Saccharin

Saccharin is another known carcinogen. Government studies have linked the use of saccharin to bladder cancer since 1971, which led to forcing manufacturers to place warnings on any product that contained saccharin. Unfortunately, in 2000, the government decided that the link to cancer was less of a concern to humans than to rats, so the label warning requirement was repealed.

Regardless of the legislation, saccharin should also be avoided at all costs.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is prominent in highly processed foods and is a toxic food ingredient. The commercial food industry promotes the use of high fructose corn syrup because it is cheap to produce.

It can be found in everything soda, bread, candy, gum, commercial fruit juices, and even meat. Introduced into the American food supply as a cheap alternative to sugar, high fructose corn syrup is a booming business.

It has become increasing more difficult to find a processed food product without high fructose corn syrup. After carbonated water, it is the leading ingredient in soda beverages. It has been found that drinking soda may increase Type 2 diabetes and is also responsible for tooth decay.

High fructose corn syrup is also found in most chocolate drinks, condiments, ice cream, bakery goods, yogurt, and cereal.

High fructose corn syrup masquerades under the name of crystalline fructose in flavored waters and energy drinks.

The human body does not metabolize high fructose corn syrup. In fact, it disables the body’s ability to recognize when its full and instead, increases a person’s appetite. By digesting high fructose corn syrup, you are increasing your risk for metabolic syndrome, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It increases your risk of developing a serious disease and it not recommended.

When fructose is consumed, the uric acid in the bloodstream rises and blocks insulin. Insulin regulates how the both will use and store sugar for energy. If uric acid levels are high, serious health risks may develop over time including high blood pressure, obesity, and elevated blood cholesterol levels.

Other Sweeteners

Gums will also contain other sugars denoted with the suffix “-ose” and/or “-ol”. These harmful sugars include gluc(ose), sucr(ose), dextr(ose), fruct(ose), mannit(ol), sorbit(ol), malit(ol), and xylit(ol). All of these sugars are suspect. Your ‘-ose’ ending sugars are derived from fruits and your ‘-ol’ ending sugars are derived from grains or even wood.

Color Lake Dyes

The various ‘color lake’ dyes such as blue lake, green lake, red lake, and yellow lake are all derived from petroleum and are known to be dangerous due to its carcinogenic properties. Normally used for textile dying, lake dyes are industrial agents.

Petroleum is derived from rocks or stones. Even though rocks are not typically considered a food product, they become one when you use petroleum to make gum. Believe it or not, the federal government actually defines chewing gum as food.

Gum is made from synthetic rubber and plastic and therefore cannot be assimilated by the human body nor do they provide essential nutrients. Therefore this food product cannot repair the body, promote growth of the body, or maintain the human body. Therefore, gum should not be considered a food product.

Also, the artificial sweeteners used in most commercial gums are 200-300 times sweeter than regular sugar. The petroleum-based lake dyes are derived from rocks and should not be considered food. The body cannot digest gum and even if it could, gum does not provide any essential nutrients that the body can benefit from. It does not repair, nourish, or sustain the human body.

BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene)

The chemical BHT is used as a preservative in gum. It is also found in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, rubber, petroleum fluid, jet fuel, and embalming fluid. In some cases, gum will contain two embalming fluids, aspartame and BHT.

Habitual Chewing

Due to the constant chewing and grinding of the teeth, chewing gum destroys the teeth. Some people believe that chewing gum strengthens your teeth but this is certainly not the case. Some brands may provide less harmful products with minimal sugar, but all of them are harmful to the teeth.

Most Americans don’t have a clue that they are habitually chewing gum due to tension. They have been trained that something must always go into the mouth, that they must always be chewing or chomping down on something. Many people have an oral fixation but are totally oblivious and unconscious of this fact.

Chewing gum promotes the desire to continuously eat. Gum causes the body to produce digestive juices (hydrochloric acid) in preparation of eating solid food, which can lead to digestive problems.

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot whiten teeth by chewing gum. All those brands that purport to whiten teeth while chewing gum are simply exploiting people with stained teeth whose teeth most likely became stained from drinking soda pop, drinking coffee, and/or smoking cigarettes.

Solutions

If you must chew gum, you should purchase the product from a health food store with moderately safe ingredients, brands such as:

• Peelu
• Glee Gum
• Spry, and
• Xylichew

They are made with far better and safer ingredients than the common commercial brand gums.

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As an adult, Drugs are technically designed to treat, cure or prevent disease. The challenge is that drugs aren’t laser beams. They’re more like shot guns.

Instead of exclusively targeting of the disease or condition, drugs can have residual impact that are commonly referred to as “side-effects” or “contraindications.” Because each individual is unique, there’s no way to know how a drug will affect someone until they actually take it. Side effects can be so severe that they actually create a bigger problem than the one you want to treat.

Children are especially at risk of side effects, not just physically, but developmentally as well. In the case of ADD/ADHD, the drugs don’t cure the condition; they simply treat the symptoms.

As a parent, you need to ask yourself if giving your ADD/ADHD child drugs is the appropriate solution.

Drugs commonly prescribed to treat ADD or ADHD

ADD/ADHD drugs are stimulants. They are generally assigned to one of these three classes:

• Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Metadate, Concerta, Daytrana)
• Amphetamine (Adderall)
• Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Dextrostat)

There is a non-stimulate drug called atomoxetine (Strattera), however it is reported to have more severe side effects than its stimulant-based cousins.

Known Side Effects of ADD/AHDH Drugs

Side effects generally appear as:

• Decreased appetite
• Sleeplessness
• Stomachaches
• Headaches
• Emotional ‘flatness’ or lacking emotion
• Hyper-focus
• Muscle tics (sudden, repetitive, uncontrollable movements)

In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an order that all pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and market drugs for the treatment of ADD/ADHD prepare a “Patient Medication Guide” to alert patients to possible heart and psychiatric problems as a result of taking ADD/ADHD drugs. In extreme situations, some children and teens taking Add/ADHD drugs report feelings of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts.

The Addictive Nature of ADD/ADHD Drugs

The medical and psychiatric communities are currently at odds about whether children who take ADD/ADHD drugs over extended periods of time are at risk of becoming addicted to these and other drugs.

It’s believed that if the drug is taken under the careful supervision of a doctor that abuse and addiction are less likely. However it is also known that stimulants are highly addictive because of their basic action: releasing more dopamine (the pleasure neurotransmitter).

Whether used to enhance performance (such as studying for final exams) or for recreational purposes (to get high), excessive use of stimulants can lead to:

• Increased blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Increased body temperature
• Decreased appetite
• Insomnia or sleeplessness
• Feelings of hostility or paranoia
• Cardiovascular complications
• Stroke

Healing Options

People who suffer from ADD/ADHD have options in managing their condition. There are many recognized natural treatments that can help manage symptoms, which also helps the patient better cope with daily life:

• Behavioral Therapy-parents and children both benefit from participating in behavioral therapy such as Interactive Metronome Training for children, and parenting-skills classes for parents.
• Create a routine-children with ADD/ADHD benefit from a rigid schedule that let them know what’s expected of them and when. For instance, when they will be at school, when they will do homework, when they will do chores, when they can play with friends. Create a schedule and stick to it.
• Minimize exposure to television-The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television for children under 2 years old, and no more than 2 hours a day for children older than 2 years old. While the link between watching television and ADD/ADHD is unclear, it is known that helping children develop attention skills can be achieved through activities such as puzzles, games, reading out loud, or using building blocks.

Other alternatives include:

• Mental stimulation
• Yoga
• Listening to or participating in music
• Swimming
• Time outdoors

Dietary Intervention

Minimize intake of processed sugars and processed carbs. Eliminate exposure to food additives such as artificial colors, artificial flavors and preservatives. Essentially, eliminate any processed food from the diet.

Put your child on a regular eating schedule. Three meals a day may not be enough. The diet may need to be supplemented with healthy snacks in between meals to prevent spikes in blood sugar and adrenaline levels.

Add fiber to the diet through leafy greens, vegetables, steel-cut oatmeal, berries and whole grains.

Feed them good, live, high frequency, and nutritious foods and beverages and you will see a difference in their health and behavior. Spend that extra money for your children.

So don’t be so strict on them pertaining to sweets. Simply purchase the better candies (found at health food stores) and let them know it’s not the average candy that everybody else consumes, but made with better ingredients.

Purchase plant-based ice creams made from rice, almonds, coconut, or soy (last resort choice) instead ice-cream. These too (non-dairy frozen desserts) are found at health food stores.

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