Monday, February 2, 2015

Did You Know?





Did you know that there are certain foods that can cause cancer? Below are 10 culprits, some of which you might have assumed innocent until now. Take a look and see which ones you might need to cut back on or cut out from your diet altogether. But remember, balance and moderation are key. Just because you decide to banish one of these doesn't mean you're home free. Many factors go into a healthy lifestyle. But we know you know that already!


1. Microwave Popcorn
Say it ain't so! Often cited in health magazines as a healthy snack alternative, popcorn may be convenient but it has a few hidden flaws: conventional microwave popcorn bags are lined with a chemical called perfluoroctanoic acid, which was linked to infertility in women in a study from the University of California. Exposure to this toxin has also shown to increase the risk of kidney, bladder, liver, pancrase and testicular cancer. Also, applied to the popcorn itself, is a chemical called diacetyl. Use of this chemical caused Conagra Foods to remove it from their brand of popcorn, ACT, because it was causing lung diseases in the workers at their factory.

2. Non-organic fruits
Now we know to eat our fruits and veggies, which may be hard enough for some as it is, but organic is really the way to go. Non-organic fruits are contaminated with dangerous pesticides and fertilizers.
Unfortunately, in the U.S., farms use sewage from cities as a form of fertilizer. Many fruits are treated with hormones to make them grow larger, apples being the biggest offender. Fruits with a 90 per cent positive rate of pesticide residue included oranges, strawberries and grapes.

3. Canned Tomatoes
A lot of canned food causes a concern here because they are lined with a chemical called BPA, however, tomatoes are being called out because of their acidity which causes the chemical to leak into the fruit itself. Because there are no FDA laws for standardizing labeling for BPA, a can might be lined with the chemical even if it doesn't say it is. The best option is to stay clear of canned foods and opt to cooking organics and buying glass bottles instead.

4. Processed Meats
Meat can get a bad wrap often but here we are talking processed meats, including sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and most lunch meats. The excess salt and chemicals used in the process are dangerous to living a long life. Smoked meats are worse, however, because of the tar that is picked up from the smoking process.

5. Farmed Salmon
Yes, you read right. Salmon. We all know the fats from fish are good for you but try to stay away from farmed salmon which are raised on unnatural diets full of chemicals, antibiotics, pesticides and other carcinogens. This in turn reduces the amount of that healthy omega-3 we want.


6. Foods that are highly salted, pickled, or smoked
Just like with the processed meats, this type of food is not the best for your health.


7. Highly processed white flours
White flour, if you're not sure, is a refined grain. Refining grains ultimately destroys the good, natural nutrients. This is now usually done by using a chemical called chlorine gas, which the EPA declared as unsafe to inhale and lethal in large quantities. Sounds tasty, right? White processed flour also has a high glycemic rate which raises blood sugar and insulin levels, a cause of diabetes, as well as, you guessed it, the risk of cancer.


8. GMO’s

GMO's are genetically modified organisms, which means the food has been modified or grown by chemicals. Almost all grains, soybeans, wheat, corn and potatoes are grown by GMO's. There are no testing procedures for GMOs foods by the FDA (yes, you read that correctly), but this does not mean that the FDA has approved these types of food. Also, GMO does not need to be included on any label, therefore, look for labels that say "GMO free."


9. Refined Sugars

If you're starting to freak out a bit, don't worry we're almost done. Now we all know that eating a lot of sugar can lead to weight gain, but sugar is also a promoter for cancer cells. It is known that cancer cells use sugar to "feed on." Refined sugars, like high fructose corn syrup, are not only known to spike insulin levels, but also to be the most preferable food. Everything from pies, cookies, sodas, juice, sauces, cereals and other processed foods are full of it.


10. Artificial Sweeteners

If you're not ready to go clean out your pantry and refrigerator and buy the entire harvest from your local farm just yet, here's one more. Artificial sweeteners, they look nice from the outside because what's sweeter than an alternative to evil, fat and cancer-causing sugar? Well, turns out looks can be deceiving. Contrary to popular belief, those who ingest artificial sweeteners on a daily basis actually gain weight (think about that morning coffee or Diet Coke). They actually make it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar levels and even contain aspartame, which causes convulsions, and when broken down by the body produces chemicals that can cause brain tumors. Sweet.