I know exactly the way you feel. I have found myself addicted to
processed and prepared foods even the ones that were labeled to be a healthier choice. It's like my taste buds and appetite could be satisfied with no other choice. I thought, "How will I ever begin to crave the foods that won't harm my body and not the ones that do?"
Then throughout my personal study and research on foods and nutrition I discovered a truth that literally set me free from the vicious cycles of food addictions. I began to learn about food additives and what impact that had on my food. There are many additives that are in most processed or prepared foods but the one additive that I became most aware of is MSG(monosodium glutamate).
Until recently, within the last couple of years, many people would associate MSG with only Asian foods. I thought the same thing. But the truth is that MSG can be found in 80% of prepared and processed foods, even foods that are labeled to be health foods.
Food manufacturers add MSG to their foods as a "flavor enhancer." You will find it in cookies, crackers, baked goods, infant formula, baby food, soups, sauces, spices mixes and virtually anything else processed or prepared.
Many people may not recognize this by reading the labels of the food because MSG has been disguised by many different names. Here are a few (not limited to these)
- Autolyzed Yeast
- Yeast Extract
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
- Malted Barley
- Rice Syrup or Brown Rice Syrup
- Gelatin
MSG is an excitotoxin, which means that it overexcites yours cells to the point of damage, thus acting as a poison. It also overexcites your taste buds leading to a damaging affect on your sense of taste. That is why when you have been eating foods with MSG over a period of time your taste buds mostly crave foods that are unhealthy. Your body is really craving whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds but your taste buds want the "flavor enhanced food."
The dangers of eating foods with MSG are that they cause you to crave more of them. Thus, you begin to overeat unhealthy foods which can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and blood sugar imbalances.
The dangers of MSG are most concerning in regards to children. Most all of the foods that are marketed to children contain MSG. A child that is fed a diet laden with MSG may possibly be more susceptible to child obesity, adult diabetes, eating disorders and such.
To learn more about the dangers of MSG check out http://www.msgmyth.com/ or check out this link below from mercola.com
The Shocking Dangers of MSG You Don’t Know You probably already knew that MSG could damage your brain cells, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.It's hard to imagine that so many of the foods that your family and children are used to buying and eating are laden with toxic chemicals. I encourage you to start reading the labels and if in doubt don't buy it. Stick with the foods that nature intended. The foods that are whole and natural, not processed. You will be amazed at how your cravings change and the way you feel as you begin to eliminate these unhealthy convienence foods.
Blessings!
-Barbara
