One of my main tenants is to read labels. For sure, that will get you quite far. The basic rules of 5 ingredients or less, understanding the actual ingredients and being able to feed them to a baby are key. But you know what? That might not be enough to help you stop being Frustrated with Foods.
We need to use our common sense too! There is so much that goes into food labeling. For some it is an actual career. Words such as “natural” “healthy” “low fat” and others are meant to be sexy and draw you in. The job of the label is to sell the food. Your job is to stay healthy. Those goals usually conflict! Does that make sense?
The words on labels might not have the same meaning that you give them. Did you know that “natural” or “naturally occurring” could mean just about anything. Manufacturers are not making food from things in outer space, right? They can only make foods that come from ingredients on this earth that are “natural.”
So when a label says “naturally occurring,” it can do so because the ORIGINAL ingredients were found in nature. “Naturally occurring” does not mean that the food is actually natural or “close to the ground” It only means that the ingredient started with something found in nature.
Here are some great examples…The FDA classifies the ingredient “mono sodium glutamate” (MSG) as natural. They also classify hydrochloric acid and arsenic as natural. This doesn’t mean that the FDA or food industry is necessarily “evil” but does mean that as a population, we are gullible. It is our responsibility to override what is enticing and use our heads.
“Natural” doesn’t always mean it is fit for human consumption, safe or “close to the ground.” If you use common sense rather then the pretty words on packaging, you will go far in attaining your wellness goals. We hope that this article helped give you relief from being Frustrated with Foods. Contact us today if you have questions.