Dyes

The recent salmonella recall for eggs probably has you questioning whether you should even eat the eggs in your refrigerator.  Once again it seems that one irresponsible chicken farmer has caused this situation; one bad apple spoils it for others.  Outraged?  Yes.  Please pay attention to this recall.  

The answer for safe eggs is to choose those laid by chickens that are well care for, not piled up in cages in a building.  Cage-free helps.  Organic is well regulated so its your best bet.  When it comes to cost, the nutrient value of one egg is so high that it is worth it. When you compare the price of a box of  sugar-filled, artificially colored and flavored, nutrient-empty cereal to a dozen of good eggs, it is easy to see where you should spend your money.  Buy the better eggs, make some French toast, and enjoy them.

… for the health of your family,
ellen and sally

 Think he nailed it.  Easy to remember. Easy to understand. Feed your kids fresh fruits and vegetables, grass-fed additive-free meats and fish, and whole grains.  Lean toward organic farming whenever possible as it  is natural farming minus the use of unnatural chemicals.  When you go to your local farmer’s markets or grocery store, remember Dr. Bob’s advice.  You’ll instinctively stay away from processed foods.  As you have heard before, shop the outer perimeter of the store and skip the inner isles as much as possible.  

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Sally and I have put together our official Family Food Experts 12 Worst Foods to feed your family, listed alphabetically:

Twelve Worst Foods
1. Candy artificially dyed, sweetened and flavored
(Examples: M&Ms, Smarties)
2. Candy Cereal
(Examples: Fruit Loops, Lucky Charms)
3. Doughnuts
4. Drinks: Artificially sweetened, artificially dyed, artificially flavored drinks
(Examples: Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, Gatorade, Powerade)
5. French Fries (all deep fried food)
6. Lunchables
7. Margarine
8. Pizza with extra cheese and pepperoni
9. Pop Tarts
10. Pork products (bacon, chops, tenderloin, hotdogs)
11. Soda – ALL
12. Sugars: Refined sugars and sugar substitutes
(Examples: high fructose corn syrup, Splenda, Nutri-Sweet)

Honorable Mentions … couldn’t help ourselves as these should be part of the twelve.
A. Bleached and bromated flours
(Examples: white flour, white breads/rolls, white pasta, cakes and pastries)
B. Lunch meats with nitrates
C. Milk, non-organic

For the health of your family, AVOID these foods.
ellen

Smarties have always been on our NO list – a combination of sugar, artificial dyes and flavors. The good news is that kids are wonderfully inventive. The bad news is that some invent bad ideas. Here is the latest one. First they smash Smarties in their wrapper. Then they suck the powder into their mouth, and exhale it out of their mouth and nose. The turn on – it looks like they are smoking. They love freaking everyone out by doing this. Needless to say, there have been no studies on how this may prove damaging to their nasal or respiratory passages. There are no studies saying this will lead to the habit of smoking of cigarettes. Do we need studies to prove this is not good for them? If you want to view this in action, kids have made You Tubes so you can learn how smoke Smarties. I can just see it now, Smarties Parties. Just not cool. I shudder to think what those artificial dyes and flavoring chemicals may do to the young as they pretend to smoke. Medical professionals warn against possible, coughing (lung irritation), infections and even the existence of maggots in the nose since they live on powdery sugar. Gross.

Parents, there is not one good reason to have Smarties in your house, your kids’ lunch boxes or pockets, as party or school favors. Take action now. Buy your kids Sun Drops (like M&Ms with naturally colored coatings) for treats instead. It is really hard to “smoke” real smooth chocolate.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that since 1997, 18 percent more kids have been diagnosed with allergies.  And, they say no one knows why?  I beg to differ with them.  There is lots of evidence pointing to why: consumption of artificial additives in processed products and the increase of farming chemicals found in foods (ie pesticides) are a couple.  There are enough warning signals for us to take note and focus on eating naturally sourced foods.  We recommend that everyone eats God-made foods for your God-made bodies – not lab-made foods.  This action would be a significant step in eliminating many causes of allergies.

… for the health of your family,
ellen