Just Add Good Stuff is launching the ‘QUOTE SERIES‘. We’ve designed these incredibly beautiful images with inspirational food and health quotes. We’ll release at least 1 a week.
Take good care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. ~ Jim Rohn
Experts from the World Health Organization and the Food Safety News have released their latest large scale tests and analysis on US supermarket honey and the figures are scary! According to the latest studies by the Food Safety News, approximately seventy five per cent (yes, that’s 3/4) of ALL HONEY sold at US Supermarkets isn’t real honey after all.
The official definition of ‘real honey’ from the World Health Organization is: real honey MUST contain true microscopic particles of pollen (of course), to be considered real, with an identifiable source. Honey that is void of pollen is therefore, ‘artificial’ or not real honey at all. This artificial honey that is being sold at US grocery stores is watered down and void of most nutrients. According to the Food Safety News study, about 75% of all honey sold in US Supermarkets is ‘artificial’ and is ridiculously over processed, devoid of any nutritional value and sometimes imported and laundered from China and overseas! In many of these cases, the natural and real honey is over heated to high temperatures and high pressure. The real pollen and nutrients are thereby completely forced out of the honey before it is bottled for export to US supermarkets. This technique has been used for decades and is now of great concern. In some cases, the Chinese artificial honey has dangerous amounts of chemicals, antibiotics, preservatives, heavy metals and artificial sweeteners to make it look and taste like honey. However, it’s all artificial honey. If you would like to read more about the Food Safety News study on artificial honey in US grocery stores, please continue reading.
Just Add Good Stuff is alarmed by the findings from The Food Safety news in regards to the artificial honey problem in US Supermarkets. The supply chain of honey has been contaminated forever, and it is up to us to make important and educated decisions on what types of honey are safe, and which are not for our families. The Food Safety News started investigating US grocery stores and ended up buying 60 different containers of honey from 10 US states. In addition, to further enlarge their scope of study, they also bought from a wide range of US supermarket chains. All of the containers of so called ‘natural honey’ were sent to Vaughn Bryant, a professor and melissopalynologist specialist at Texas A&M University.
The scary findings by Vaughn Bryant include these and many more:
Fact #1 > 100% (one hundred per cent) of Winnie the Pooh honey sold at Walmart stores had ALL POLLEN REMOVED. There was no trace of natural, nutrient pollen in this container of honey whatsoever. Be careful and eat at your own risk!
Fact #2 > 77% (seventy seven per cent) of various types of honey bought from Target, Sam’s Club and Costco (often referred to as ‘big box stores’) contained ZERO POLLEN. Again, just like the Walmart Winnie the Pooh honey, this product is ‘artificial’ and contains none of the natural nutrients that honey is known for.
Fact #3 > 100% (one hundred per cent) of McDonald’s and KFC honey packets contain NO POLLEN. Just like the above, these are all artificially manufactured honey, which means that the added chemicals, antibiotics and heavy metals are used to mimic what real honey should taste and look like. It’s not real honey whatsoever.
Fact #4 > 100% (one hundred per cent) of honey purchased from CVS Pharmacy and Walgreen’s (two trusted drug stores in the US) contained ZERO POLLEN yet again. All of the natural pollen had been filtered out and heated at extreme temperatures.
However, there was so glimpse of good news in the Vaughn Bryant/The Food Safety study:
Fact #5 > Local honey from Farmer’s Markets, Co-Ops and even Trader Joes contained the FULL AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL POLLEN. These were healthy, natural and organic honey that contained the full amount of nutritional value.
Add fuel to the fire, but we believe that the only reason why natural honey is filtered and heated is to hide where it came from. Both heating and filtering of natural honey costs a lot of money. Plus it diminishes the quality and nutrients of the honey.
Other interesting facts is that the United States as imported over 208 million pounds of honey from overseas in the past 18 months alone. The majority (over 60%) came from Asia… the most of that coming from China. However, the rest of the honey from Asia probably also came through China on its way to our shores and supermarkets. Further studies have shown that many of the imported honey is watered down and contains obscene levels of high fructose corn syrup in addition to lots of other heavy metals, chemicals and illegal sweeteners.
Not only are consumers misinformed about the origins of the artificial honey, but it is also detrimental to your health!
Therefore, in our conclusion, it is of utmost importance that you only purchase locally produced, non-GMO/organic honey. Natural honey in its unaltered, unheated and unfiltered state has many health benefits and is a great option to refined sugars.
Here are some of the sources for the facts and figures described in this article: The Food Safety News (www.foodsafetynews.com), Mother Earth News (www.motherearthnews.com) and Food Renegade (www.foodrenegade.com). Just Add Good Stuff originally learned about this honey problem through Natural News (www.naturalnews.com).
Need an ingredient change or addition to your juice routine? Getting tired of the same flavors? Not reaping the benefits of multiple superfoods in your juice? Here are 5 nutritious ingredients that will give your juice a boost! Click here for SET 2 JUICE BOOSTERS! Or our new SET 3 – SMOOTHIE BOOSTERS
Leafy greens have amazing health benefits but there is one leafy green that outshines the rest. You’ve guessed it…. KALE is the #1 superfood when it comes to greens as it contains zero fat, is low in calories and high in fiber. In addition, kale is extremely high in iron, Vitamins A, C and K, calcium and powerful antioxidants. These vitamins and minerals give kale the edge when it comes to anti-inflammatory foods. Not only that, but this juice booster also gives you cardiovascular support and is a great detox superfood as well.
Many people have heard of chia seeds, but not many people add it to their morning smoothie or juice. We recommend adding chia seeds as a juice booster to start your morning off on the right foot. Just a tablespoon of chia seeds will do the trick. Chia seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and anti-inflammatory agents. It’s fiber cleans out our digestive tract too. Chia seeds as a juice boost also features amazing amounts of phosphorous, calcium, magnesium and manganese in addition to being a gluten free addition to your morning smoothie.
Wild blueberries will give you a boost in essential anthocyanins, vitamin A, C, E & B complex in addition to several minerals that will boost your immunity and prevent infections. The high concentration of antioxidants will combat free radicals and lower your risk of heart disease through cardiovascular support. In addition, the blueberry juice booster will also help prevent cancers, improve brain function and aid in your urinary and digestive systems. Now this is a great juice boost for any morning juice or smoothie!
Not your average juice booster, spirulina is a cyanobacteria (algae) that is rich in health benefits. Incredibly high in protein and nutrients, spirulina is extremely rich in iron, B-12 content, gamma linolenic acid (GLA), omega-3 fatty acids, natural chlorophyll, potassium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, selenium, sodium and zinc just to name a few. As a juice boost spirulina will also give you great amounts of Vitamin B-1 (thiamine), B-2 (riboflavin), B-3 (nicotinamide), B-6 (pyridoxine), B-9 (folic acid), C, D, A and E! Not only that, but a spirulina juice boost will also help in preventing allergies and fat burning.
By using raw cacao powder or cacao nibs as a juice boost, you will be adding a healthy supply of potassium, calcium, Vitamin C, iron and copper into your daily diet. Also rich in magnesium and iron, cacao provides healthy doses of antioxidants to fight free radicals in addition to Vitamin E, copper and magnesium that help heart function. Cacao also balances serotonin levels which contribute to feelings of happiness and contentment.
Just Add Good Stuff recommends adding some or all of the above juice boost ingredients into your daily smoothie or juice. Please consult with a health professional to make sure you are not allergic to any of these juice boosters. The 5 juice boost ingredients recommended in this article are: kale, chia seeds, blueberries, spirulina and cacao.
Here’s your Sunday tip: Eat your veggies, because, simply put… nobody else cares!
Aches and pains, cracks or rashes, sleeping disorders and stress may be a result of many things. When you are not feeling 100%, your body is likely telling you that something is wrong. Sometimes, the signs are quite apparent right away and at other times, they just build up over time.
Your body will go to any length to let you know when there is something wrong. With unhealthy diets, little nutrition knowledge and lack of fitness, many of us have become vitamin deficient or mineral deficient in multiple ways. The latest studies say that over 80% of all North Americans are either vitamin deficient and/or mineral deficient in at least 2 ways. You may not get a life threatening disease from vitamin deficiency, but you can end up with impaired body and mind function. This can cause many human disorders including stress, weight loss, weight gain, immune impairment, sleeping problems, cardiovascular and digestive problems.
Some of the disorders caused by mineral deficiency and vitamin deficiency are evident externally, while other deficiencies are undetectable as they affect the inside of our mind and body like a cancer. If left untreated, the deficiencies may lead to longer term problems. Both a healthy set of vitamins and minerals are essential in property function of our body and mind.
Vitamin/Mineral Deficiency: If you are suffering from painful cramping of the muscles in your toes, legs, feet or lower back, you are likely deficient in CALCIUM, POTASSIUM and/or MAGNESIUM. This can be caused by irregular or low intake of these minerals and vitamins through your diet and/or heaving sweating from fitness or hot weather.
How to Fix the Vitamin Deficiency: While exercising, make sure that you are eating more fruits and vegetables that are high in calcium, potassium and magnesium as your body tends to sweat these minerals and vitamins away, leaving you malnourished. The quick and easy fix is to eat more dark leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale and even dandelion. Other vegetables high in these minerals include bok choy (a Chinese vegetable) and broccoli. Fruits that are high in magnesium, potassium and calcium are bananas, squash, cherries, grapefruit (in moderation) and apples of all types. Whole foods that can also fix this vitamin deficiency include hazelnuts and almonds.
Mineral/Vitamin Deficiency: In many ways, this is one of the most worrying of the body clues because it involves blood. When you have more bleeding than usual and/or failure of your blood to clot (from injuries, nose bleeds or cuts), you may be deficient in CALCIUM, PHOSPHOLIPID, VITAMIN C and VITAMIN K. This is usually caused by a lower than recommended intake of these vitamins in your diet. If this is a regular occurrence, you may have one of many coagulation problems or diseases and you should consult your health physician as soon as possible.
How to Fix the Vitamin Deficiency: When you have problems with bleeding and clotting, you need to pay attention to this ASAP. Here are some foods that are rich in calcium and vitamins that will help your condition: pinto beans, red beans, white beans, tofu, bok choy, kale, spinach and broccoli. If you are not vegan, you can also try salmon and sardines which are high in calcium. Other foods that are rich in Vitamin C and K include oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet red peppers, potatoes and broccoli.
Mineral/Vitamin Deficiency: From the higher level, cold sores are actually caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 and it’s noted that most adults in North America have this virus. Usually, it is transferred via kissing or coming into close contact with someone who has an active outbreak. Certain things in our life and diet trigger the onset of cold and mouth sores, which can be prevented and treated in many ways including: flu/chest infections, exposure to sun, wind exposure, hormonal changes (like pregnancy) and emotional/physical stress. Therefore, cold sores are not directly linked to a vitamin deficiency or mineral deficiency.
How to Fix and Treat Cold Sores: although not directly caused by deficiencies in minerals or vitamins, cold sores can be treated and prevented by diet choices. Lysine is an essential amino acid that inhibits the spread of the herpes simplex virus. Foods that are rich in lysine include legumes (and for those we are not vegan, milk, fish, cheese and certain types of meat). In addition, lemon ointments, green tea, reishi, honey and zinc are all known to fight cold sores. Zinc is of particular note, because research studies have shown that zinc will make a cold sore go away faster.
Mineral/Vitamin Deficiency: This clue is different from the cold and mouth sores as this is just the cracking of the skin around your mouth. The vitamin and mineral deficiency when you have this condition is likely caused by a lack of IRON, INC, VITAMIN Bs like NIACIN (B3), RIBOFLAVIN (B2) and B12.
How to Fix Cracks Around Your Mouth: This is also an easy and quick fix. For vegans, look for legumes/lentils, peanuts, tahini, Swiss chard and sun dried tomatoes. In addition, for non-vegans, look to add poultry, certain seafoods (like oysters and clams), eggs and tuna into your diet. Vitamin C also enhances the absorption of iron, so pair the above iron rich foods with cauliflower, broccoli, kale and red bell peppers.
Vitamin/Mineral Deficiency: both tingling and numbness of the feet and/or hands is usually caused by a lack or deficiency in B VITAMINS. This lack of vitamins often causes anemia (destruction or slow development of red blood cells). This in turn results in hormonal imbalances, fatigue, depression and even anxiety. The deficiency in B Vitamins such as folate (B9), B12 and B6 can lead to more serious mental and body issues.
How to Fix this Vitamin Deficiency: Eat more organic vegetables that contain folate and other B Vitamins. These include beets, asparagus and spinach. Whole foods containing essential B Vitamins include black beans, lima beans, kidney beans and black beans. For non-vegans, add eggs, poultry, bi-valve seafood and octopus into your diet.
Mineral/Vitamin Deficiency: Most likely, you are deficient in multiple vitamins and minerals including: VITAMIN A, VITAMIN D and essential fatty acids. Sometimes it runs even deeper, as the red or white acne like bumps all over your body and face can be a result of a deficiency of beta carotene which the body uses to make Vitamin A. Untreated deficiencies of this type can lead to dry mucous membranes around the eyes, slow wound healing, cracked skin, dry and rough skin as well as reduced senses, so it can be serious!
How to Fix the White/Red Acne Like Bumps: Increase your daily intake of healthy fats (and reduce your intake of trans fats and saturated fats). This can be accomplished by eating more chia, hemp and flax seeds, walnuts and almonds and for non-vegans, sardines and salmon. For Vitamin A deficiencies, you can also add more dark leafy greens into your diet (including spinach and kale) in addition to vegetables like red bell peppers, sweet potatoes and of course, carrots.
The Vitamin Deficiency: If you are experiencing problems with your digestion, stomach aches and upset stomach after eating, you are likely deficient in VITAMIN B1 also called THIAMIN. The vitamin deficiency causes poor appetite, unintended weight loss, gastric upset, bloating, vomiting, and nausea. More serious forms of the Thiamin deficiency can even cause mental depression and an inability to concentrate.
The Fix for An Unhealthy Digestive System: There are many thiamin rich foods that you can add to your diet to fix the problems associated with stomach aches. These foods include: marmite (yeast extract), sesame butter/tahini, sunflower seeds, dried herbs (like coriander, poppy seeds and sage), pine nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, and pecans. Other non-vegan sources of thiamin include fish and pork chops. You can also try incorporating pro-biotics into your diet for better digestive system function.
Vitamin Deficiencies: Many people attribute both hair loss and a scaly red rash on the face to stress and lack of sleep. However, it can be a sign of a more serious vitamin deficiency that includes the lack of proper amounts of Biotin (Vitamin B7). This can cause not only pale, dry and scaly skin, both also emotional depression, upset stomach, loss of appetite, and hair loss. Unfortunately, our bodies are not designed to store most B vitamins, so we need to replenish them through diet and nutrition daily. In addition, weight lifters who eat raw eggs are particular vulnerable to a lack of Biotin (B7) because raw eggs are rich in avidin which decreases the absorption of Biotin in our system.
How to Fix the Face Rash and Hair Loss: For vegans, getting Biotin B7 vitamins into our system is as easy as eating more avocados, mushrooms, cauliflower, soy beans, nuts, bananas and raspberries. For non-vegans, you can eat for COOKED eggs (rather than raw eggs).
Do you have other weird body signs that you would like us at Just Add Good Stuff to research? Let us know and let’s continue this discussion!
The Just Add Good Stuff INFOGRAPHIC SERIES continues with our Goji Berry Infographic. The original infographics (or infograms) that we are designing provide you with interesting facts and things about the best fruits, whole foods and vegetables in addition to general health details. From weird and wacky facts to nutrition information per serving, these infographics is a starting point to help you kick start a more happy and healthy lifestyle. We hope you enjoy them!
Just Add Goji Berries! Goji berries (or goji berry) have been used in Asian herbal medicine for over 5,000 years. The goji berry is one of the most nutrient rich foods in the world. It is a vegetarian form of protein and is packed with essential amino acids, vitamins A, C, B2 and E. They also contain over 20 trace minerals and beta-carotene. Goji berries are ‘superfoods’. Here is our Goji Berry Infographic that outlines the Top 10 health benefits of goji berry, goji nutrition information, goji berry recipes and some interesting facts about goji berries in general. Here is the Just Add Good Stuff Goji Berries Infographic:
* All of our recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan! Click here for more recipes!
The Just Add Good Stuff goji berry infographic (we also call it our goji infograph) talks about general goji berry facts and nutrient information. For more details about the health benefits and nutritional information, please contact us and we will find out more from licensed dieticians and medical science professionals. It is our goal to provide the best information possible and to help inspire you to become more healthy through diet, nutrition and fitness. The goji berries infographic will be updated whenever necessary, as studies and clinical research provides us with more insight into the health benefits of wheat grass which would affect our Top 10 goji berry health benefits. In addition, we constantly experiment with uses of goji (fresh and dried) in various dishes, so our recipes will also reflect that. Lastly, if we find any more interesting facts and figures about these berries in general, we will also update the ‘Did You Know?’ section of our Just Add Good Stuff Goji Infographic.
The information on this infographic is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended to nor should it be a substitute for advice, consultation or visits to your health care provider.
‘Nutrition Facts’ provided by FatSecret.com and verified by Just Add Good Stuff.
Google nutritional info cards for food searches are now available for more than 1,000 of the most popular foods and meals in the United States! Released on Thursday, May 30, 2013, the updated Google Search app and online search results will provide users with a user friendly nutrition and calorie info in response to food and nutrition related queries.
Rolling out in the next 2 weeks, Google Search results now include USDA nutrition info on popular meals and foods. So if you are curious as to how many calories there are in an avocado or banana … or if you’re interested in calories in full meals such as chow mein or burritos, Google Search will give you USDA nutritional details at the top of their results page. As part of the new Google question-and-answer interface for search results, internet users can easily get information for some basic nutrition information in a visual way. Earlier in May 2013, Google launched it’s new Google I/O feature which allows mobile device and computer users to click on a microphone icon to say and hear their queries and answers.
The Google USDA Nutrition Info on popular foods is generated through Google Knowledge Graph (a database that catalogues and brings in verified information from the web). Between Google I/O and the new Google question-and-answer interface, users can find information faster and easier than before. Not only that but the USDA Nutrition Information in Google Search results will also be ‘smart’. The smart features include ‘related’ search results … For example, if you searched ‘apples nutrition info’, The Google Search results will give you a drop down list of USDA nutrition information on various types of apples like ‘granny smith apples nutrition’ and ‘red delicious apples nutrition’. This way, you can also find and search for related topics very easily and quickly.
The USDA nutritional information is displayed in Google’s very well known and easier to read ‘card interface’. The Google nutrition info is displayed at the top of your search results in both mobile and desktop search results pages. The initial roll-out will include various fruits, vegetables, whole foods, meats and even complete meals. The Google info card interface is very attractive and clean. You’ll be able to get nutritional information very quickly and from anywhere in the world (although the audible search is only available in English during this initial roll-out).
The drawbacks that we see here is that not all complete meals are the same. For example, a home made burger is completely different in terms of composition and nutritional information when compared to a burger from a fast food chain. Or, a chocolate bar that is 50% cacao has different nutrients when compared against one that is 80% cacao and contains nuts and fruits. In addition, what is the accuracy of the Google Knowledge Graph at this point in time? And what if it returns inaccurate nutrition info? Probably best to use with caution during this initial launch as Google Nutrition Info from the USDA and Knowledge Graph will certainly be scrutinized by all users in the coming months.
As of the end of May 2013, USDA nutrition info for over 1,000 popular foods has been added to the Google Search results through Google Knowledge Graph. It also works with the new audible question-and-answer interface for both desktop and mobile food related searches. Google Nutritional information results will appear throughout the US over the next 10 days. The audible question and answer interface for Google nutrition info is only available in English but other languages will be added very soon.
Google adds USDA nutrition info to popular food and calorie search terms | Click Here
Google Inserts Nutrition Info Into Search, Can Report How Many Calories Are In Full Meals | Click Here
Google introduces nutritional info cards for food searches | Click Here
Google Search brings nutrition data to more than 1,000 foods | Click Here
Google wants you to make ‘smart choices’ when it comes to food | Click Here
Looking to impress your friends and family with a healthy raw dessert? Are you vegan and want to learn more about nutritious dessert possibilities? Here is our first raw dessert ball recipe that is completely organic, raw, unprocessed and delicious! Welcome to clean eating at its best!
When it comes to dessert, it’s tough to find recipes that don’t contain a high level of refined sugars, processed ingredients, gluten and other foods detrimental to our health and well-being. However, our Just Add Good Stuff raw mango coconut dessert ball recipe is a dish that is completely vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free. This nutritious and addictive treat is great for dinner parties and also serves as a healthy snack for kids. The raw mango coconut dessert ball recipe is easy to follow and quick to prepare. Plus, there’s no cooking involved, so all of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other good stuff stay 100% intact! Below is the recipe and preparation details for our Mango Coconut Dessert Balls.
Please share with your friends and family!
Servings: 10-12 dessert balls
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Freezing Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Step 1: Plug in your food processor
Step 2: Place all ingredients (except for shredded coconut used for rolling) into food processor
Step 3: Process until it becomes a sticky wet dough
Step 4: Form into balls and roll in remaining shredded coconut (or lay the entire mixture into a baking pan and sprinkle the remaining shredded coconut on top)
Step 5: Place into fridge for at least 2 hours (or the freezer for 30 minutes)
Step 6: Enjoy and Share with friends
* Leave the mango coconut dessert balls in the fridge if not eaten straight away. You can leave the dessert balls refrigerated for at least 5 days. Or you can put them in the freezer to keep them longer. Thaw at room temperature before serving if this is the case.
I love McDonald’s French Fries. Their crispy, salty and so easy to eat. Like many of you, I grew up eating McDonald’s fries as a kid. I have so many childhood memories that are directly linked to having McDonald’s fries with friends and family. From ‘super-sizing’ to ‘value meals’ McDonald’s has always done a great job marketing their fries as a great snack, appetizer, main meal and dessert.
So our question to you is: Do you know what’s really inside McDonald’s French Fries? Do you know the ingredients and the nutritional value (or lack of) of these tasty treats? Well, we’ll try to break down what’s really inside McDonald’s fries in this article and we’ll leave you with some frightening and some less scary thoughts and conclusions about our findings.
Plus, McDonald’s French Fries are actually NOT VEGETARIAN food. You’ll see why…
Here’s a quick rundown of the actual listed ingredients on McDonald’s Fries so that everyone is aware of what’s really inside them:
Potatoes
Vegetable Oil (natural beef flavor*, hydrogenated soybean oil, canola oil)
Citric Acid**
Dextrose
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate***
Salt
Dimethylpolysiloxane
In addition, the oil used in the frying technique contains tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ).
* The ‘natural beef flavor’ in the vegetable oil ingredient contains both hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as its starting ingredients.
** Citric acid is the preservative for McDonald’s fries
*** Sodium acid pyrophosphate maintains the beautiful color of the French fries
Here’s a breakdown of the nutritional value of McDonald’s French Fries:
Calories: 500
Fat: 25 grams
Carbohydrates: 63 grams
Sodium: 350 mg
Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 6 grams
In order to get that yummy, crispy, greasy, and addictive taste, McDonald’s fries are double fried before they get onto your plate. These otherwise healthy and starchy potatoes are cut, boiled and fried once before they are even shipped to the restaurants. And then, they are fried once again before they make it into your Happy Meal. By then, they don’t really even resemble potatoes any more.
So what’s really inside McDonald’s fries? Well, the deep frying process gives us a taste of what’s actually in them in order to make them so delicious and addictive.
Dr. Ochner, a respected New York Obesity Nutrition Research Centre research associate, has studied health and nutrition for many years. In the case of the questions: what’s really inside McDonald’s fries, he summarizes the ‘Canola Oil’ ingredient has low grade corn oil or soybean oil. Although ‘healthier’ then some other oils, Dr. Ochner mentions that the canola oil is used in deep frying the McDonald’s fries, which in any circumstance is NOT good for your health. In addition, canola oil (both corn and soybean oils) are very high in calories and if you consume too many McDonald’s fries, you will end up GAINING WEIGHT just from the oil intake itself.
Secondly, the Hydrogenated Soybean Oil comes about through the ‘saturation’ of regular soybean oil. Through a complex and clearly unnatural process called HYDROGENATION, soybean oil changes from unsaturated to saturated fats. Now why is HYDROGENATED Soybean Oil used in McDonald’s French Fries preparation? Well, saturated fats like hydrogenated soybean oil is easier to cook/fry with and in addition, boosts the PRESERVATION time of the fries. What most consumers don’t realize is that saturated fats become TRANS FATS. These unhealthy fats also lead to all sorts of health problems, most notably, heart diseases, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Although the FDA requires ‘zero trans fat per serving’, it really isn’t ZERO. It’s LESS THAN 1 GRAM PER TABLESPOON and through this glaring loophole, McDonald’s is able to serve these unhealthy French Fries without changing the preparation or ingredients.
Thirdly, Citric Acid is used as the preservative for these fries. So when you look at what’s inside McDonald’s fries, it’s actually quite scary. Although citric acid is deemed ‘safe’ for consumption, you can clearly see its effects on preserving McDonald’s French Fries for longer than 2 months as seen in Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock’s amazing 2004 documentary about the Fast Food industry.
Fourthly, Natural Beef Flavor is an ingredient used in the preparation of those yummy McDonald’s French Fries. The name itself is actually quite disturbing to us … what do you think? The history surrounding the ‘natural beef flavour’ is that McDonald’s French Fries used to be cooked in beef fat. That was until beef fat became too expensive and hard to come by. That’s when McDonald’s decided to change to canola oil and hydrogenated soybean oil. In order to keep the delicious ‘beef flavor’, McDonald’s had to concoct a natural beef flavor to RESEMBLE the real thing. The flavoring contains both hydrolyzed milk and hydrolyzed wheat products.
So what are the big ramifications for this switch to ‘natural beef flavor’? Well, McDonald’s fries are actually NOT CONSIDERED VEGETARIAN FOOD anymore! Because of the hydrolyzed wheat and milk products in the natural beef flavoring, McDonald’s was sued in 2002 when members of a Hindu community filed claims that McDonald’s did not disclose how the French Fries were prepared. And guess what? They won a $10 million payout.
Lastly, Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is a scary and very effective preservative used in the preparation of McDonald’s French Fries. Remember what Kris Carr always says …. If the food lasts longer than we do, just don’t eat it! Not only that, but recent studies have linked TBHQ to DNA damage through generations as well as stomach ulcers.
Now that we’ve covered the preparation/frying ingredients used in our most beloved fries, here are some details about the other ingredients used in them.
Firstly, Dimethylpolysiloxane is a SILICON product used as an ANTI-FOAMING AGENT before the cut potatoes are shipped. This is used possibly for fewer ‘spill’s and therefore, less clean up. We need to do more research to see if dimethylpolysiloxane is harmful if consumed.
Secondly, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate is another preservative used in McDonald’s fries. This time, it’s used to keep the beautiful golden color. It’s also used in many muffin/pancake mixes, waffles, puddings and cakes and also canned fish, cured meats and flavored milk. Yuk! And remember, if sodium acid pyrophosphate is not used on McDonald’s French Fries, they would turn BLACK within days.
Thirdly, Dextrose is the 3rd ingredient listed, which means that in terms of quantity of ingredients, dextrose comes just after potatoes and oil. As we all know, dextrose is sugar which obviously is used to make us addicted to the fries.
None of the ingredients in McDonald’s French Fries would fit in the Just Add Good Stuff recommendation list. As you know, we are all about raw organic foods that are gluten and dairy free. Having said that, we can also conclude that most of these ingredients in McDonald’s Fries and what’s actually inside them is very UNHEALTHY for ANYONE to consume. These hidden ingredients are actually what makes them so delicious and addictive at the same time.
The processed, non-organic potatoes used in McDonald’s French Fries should already cause alarm bells ringing. Add to it the many preservatives and saturated fats (through highly refined oils) and you have a visit to the hospital. Then, add a dash of sugar and it will keep you coming back for more. Remember that McDonald’s Fries are full of empty calories which means that they won’t fill you up with much nutrients. On the contrary, they will make you crave even more unhealthy saturated, salty and sweet foods.
Having done a study on what’s inside McDonald’s French Fries, we can also conclude that McDonald’s nor it’s fries are the only or worst culprit. There are many other fast food products served that are much worse. These include:
KFC’s Chicken Pot Pie = 790 calories and 45 grams of fat
McDonald’s Angus Bacon & Cheese Burger = 820 calories and 41 grams of fat
Burger King’s Double Whopper = 830 calories and 50 grams of fat
Other ‘healthy alternatives’ are also not very healthy. Take for instance the Hardee’s Gluten Sensitive Low Car Breakfast Bowl which contains 740 calories and 61 grams of fat.
Our recommendation is to gradually take out the bad stuff in your diet and replace them with true whole foods, plant based nutritional foods.
RESOURCES
The New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center
Hardee’s: Gluten Sensitive – Low Carb Breakfast Bowl
Burger King: Nutrition Facts
KFC: KFC’s Nutrition Guide
60 Minutes: Is Sugar Toxic?
Morgan Spurlock: Super Size Me
SciVerse: Toxicology of Tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)
McDonald’s: McDonald’s History
McDonald’s: McDonald’s Nutrition Facts
Luz Plaza: What’s Really Inside Those McDonald’s French Fries
If you are looking for a great training superfood, look no further than a common ingredient in smoothies and healthy dishes. GINGER is a great superfood for exercise and training, whether you are in the quest for a winning triathlon or increasing your strength. Often, ginger is the forgotten superfood but here is why you should add ginger to your nutritional diet when embarking on any cardio or weight training routine.
The ginger root is actually native to South Asia, but it’s a popular flavor in drinks and foods all across the world. No doubt, ginger is a superfood. But, as an athlete or a fitness addict, you may wonder what the true benefits of ginger are to your health and exercise routine. The ginger root contains many powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that are commonly referred to as gingerols. These anti-inflammatory gingerols in the ginger superfood have been proven to reduce the formation of free radicals including nitric oxide during training and rest periods. So what does that mean to you? The evidence supports that gingerols and other anti-inflammatory agents actually not only prevent inflammation, but also inhibit the production of inflammatory compounds in your body.
As a result of the gingerol ginger superfood properties, athletes and trainers feel less pain when working out. Therefore, the ginger root actually serves as a natural pain reliever through it’s anti-inflammatory agents. This is especially good when considering traditional pain relievers such as Aspirin and Tylenol come with a host of negative side effects. According to Jim White, R.D. and the Journal of Pain, the ginger superfood also delays the onset of muscle soreness during a training period as well as at rest state, thereby promoting better health and results. The latest studies also show that the maximum effect of these gingerols in the ginger superfood occurs about 24 hours AFTER ginger consumption, which is very interesting.
In 2012, the Metabolism Journal which is published at Columbia University also discovered that the ginger superfood can help in weight loss or weight maintenance too. During this study by notable research scientists, people who consumed 2 grams of powdered ginger reported that they felt MORE FULL 3 hours later than those that did not consumer the ginger root. By feeling fuller, those who consumed this amount of ginger superfood were able to maintain their weight better and in some cases, even lose weight during the process.
As mentioned above, ginger is native to South Asia (which many people don’t know). However, luckily for all of us, ginger root is available year round throughout the world. Most ginger varieties have a brown skin and yellow flesh, but you can also buy local ginger root with white or red meat. Whatever you choose, the best option is non-GMO organic ginger superfood. This will give you the best and most nutrients. The recommended daily intake is 2-4 grams per day. According to the USDA, one serving of ginger contains only 5 calories and no fat.