By Dr. Ramona Valentine
One of the reasons so many people are overweight and ill in this country is because of their high consumption of fast food. It’s cheap, highly processed, chemical laden foods that wreak havoc on the glands, brain, liver, heart and other organs.
Fast food is extremely processed and contains chemical additives such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), a flavor enhancer that is linked to multiple health issues including obesity, headaches and tumors. In addition, it is prepared with cancer-causing chemical preservatives, fillers, oils and other products. Not to mention the poisonous Styrofoam the food is placed in for take-out that is linked to health issues itself.
Have you ordered off the dollar menu? Super-sized those fries and drink? These items might be cheap, but these products are high in unhealthy oils, refined grains, refined white sugar, high fructose corn syrup and factory farmed and processed meats.
Our government actually supports a diet of foods containing high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, soybean and corn oil and grain-fed cattle due to the flawed farm subsidy program. Through the use of unhealthy filler ingredients and preservatives, junk food is made cheaper to consume than a healthy meal. The worse foods for you are cheaper to buy. Many people do not know what a healthy meal consists of.
There is a huge problem in U.S. schools with the processed meals the children are receiving, which is just about equivalent to a fast food meal. For instance, the turkey sandwiches the children are fed contains dozens, possibly more than a hundred ingredients, literally a cocktail of chemicals.
I advise any parent to start packing their child’s lunch immediately, using organic meats, whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruit and absolutely nothing processed. Also, stay away from the sugary, chemical-laden condiments. Try making your own salad dressings, ketchup and mayonnaise at home. Hundreds of recipes can be found online.
This cocktail of chemicals found in processed turkey and other processed meats is linked to behavioral problems, ADHD and cancer, as well as many other conditions. Instead of being taken off the offending food, the child instead is taken to their doctor and placed on ADHD drugs.
You know that McDonald’s McRib sandwich you wait all year for? It contains more than 70 ingredients including artificial and addictive flavors. With the pork consisting of restructured meat byproducts made from the pig products normally thrown away, it is stuffed full of MSG to trick your brain into thinking it’s delicious.
The same process goes into their beef and chicken products, and unfortunately, many parents do not realize they are feeding their children this poisonous, unhealthy food every time they buy a Happy Meal. Even the French fries are coated with MSG!
The National Dairy Council is working with fast food chains to push cheese sales on the American people, much of which is processed and contained in fast food items such as Pizza Hut’s Cheesy Bites Pizza, Burger King’s Cheesy Angus Bacon Cheeseburger and even Wendy’s Double Melt sandwich. Our government, instead of protecting us, is working alongside these fast food giants to keep providing these unhealthy meals.
Now let’s discuss sodas. Far too many Americans are drinking sodas and other sugary drinks. There’s no wonder why we have such a high rate of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. These sodas have highly addictive chemicals in them that make it hard to kick the habit once you start. I call it “liquid crack.”
And don’t think popping open a diet soda is any better. The chemicals found in diet sodas are terribly poisonous, linked to multiple diseases including lupus and multiple sclerosis and cause rebound weight gain.
You can’t deny that processed foods like Doritos, sodas and cookies will take a majority of grocery budget to keep stocked in your household cabinets. So why not commit to buying healthier foods and stay away from the Taco Bells, KFCs and McDonalds.
Here is a list of affordable healthy foods:
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Organic almond milk
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Raw nuts and seeds
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Cage-free organic eggs
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Avocados
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Broccoli
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Cabbage
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Collard greens
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Fermented foods you can make at home
Make your own burgers at home and fresh cut fries, but fry them in either organic unrefined coconut oil or avocado oil, which is very healthy. ALDI has organic grass-fed beef for about $5.99 per pound. Check out Sprouts, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market for sales on organic meat and poultry. When it’s on sale, stock up!
If you prepare your meals ahead of time, you will be less likely to run out for fast food. At the end of the day, fast food may be cheap, but the real cost is to your health, which can get very expensive in the way of missed time off work, early retirement and lots of health care costs.
I would like to see everyone healthy, and I know that change is hard, but make a pact with your family to live and eat healthier because you love one another and want everyone to live a long, healthy, happy life.
Dr. Ramona Valentine
