Nutrition

In his book What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, Rex Russell, M.D. states the following:

Scripture and medical research agree that modern lifestyles lived without reference to God’s laws and design shorten life and hasten death. It has been reported that in the early twentieth century, a people in the Himalayas called the Hunzas had an average life span of 90 years, and often over 120 years. When a medical team led by Dr. Robert Garrison studied the Hunzas in the 1940s, the physicians did not find a single case of cancer, ulcers, appendicitis or colitis. Heart disease and hypertension were unknown among them. The medical experts also found that the Hunza people ate nuts, grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes. The team could only conclude that the Hunza’s life expectancy was based on clean water and exercise—and to their adherence to a diet very much like the one described in Genesis 1:29.” In 1949, the Hunzas were incorporated into Pakistan, and their life span has since been shortened because of changes in diet.

The bottom line is this: What you eat makes a difference in your health.

We are all so busy these days. There is so little margin in our days for anything  to be added. Perhaps this trend towards busy-ness has led most of us into a downward spiral with our health, because we are very often eating ‘on the go.’

It’s no big secret that many fast food restaurants have the lowest quality food imaginable…containing hydrogenated oils (trans fats), hormones, antibiotics, MSG, sodium, and many other chemicals and preservatives. These foods are highly processed and virtually give you no nutritients, but a lot of calories. This has made many of us gain unwanted fat and weight. However, there are some great Fast Food Chains that are hearing your cry for ‘Help!’

Here’s our Top 3 Fast Food Chains:

Chipotle- The hallmarks of Chipotle include things like unprocessed, seasonal, family-farmed, sustainable, nutritious, naturally raised, added hormone free, organic, and artisanal. ’Fine Fast Food. Chipotle took a fork in the road that changed everthing.  

Jason’s Deli- Jason\’s Deli - They boast about eliminating high-fructose corn syrup from their menu. Also, they have a top notch salad bar that features organic selections of lettuce, spinach, carrots, and other nutritient dense foods.

Panera Bread- Panera Bread uses whole grain breads and also uses antibiotic-free chicken among its menu items.

While other Fast Food chains seemingly carry some of the same items, we have found that these 3 chains stand head above the rest when it comes to quality.

Remember, you are what you eat.

In my last post I warned you of the dangers of consuming large amounts of Acesulfame K, artificial colorings, Aspertame, Equal and NutraSweet. In this post I will give you three additional ingredients to look for and avoid when reading food labels.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil/Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil: Although this oil decreases production cost by increasing shelf life and flavor stability, it also creates trans fats. Trans fats have been shown to increase the risk of coronary heart disease by increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowering HDL (good) cholesterol. Manufacturers are allowed to advertise as trans fat free as long as there is less than a half a gram of trans fat per serving, but by reading the label and seeing this oil in the ingredient list, you can catch any trace of trans fat.

Monosodium Glutamate/MSG: Most people think that MSG is only found in Chinese food, but this flavor enhancer is found in packaged food, canned goods, packaged meats, salad dressing and chips. Although considered “generally safe” by the FDA, recent studies have linked MSG consumption with increased rates of obesity. Unfortunately MSG is often disguised on food labels under different names. MSG can also be listed as the following: Glutamate, Monopotassium glutamate, yeast extract, glutamic acid, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, gelatin, textured protein, yeast nutrient or autolyzed yeast. Once armed with the knowledge that MSG is often disguised as other ingredients on food labels, it is truly astonishing to find out how many products contain MSG.

Sodium Nitrate/Sodium Nitrite: Found in bacon, lunchmeat, hot dogs and other packaged meats, this additive has been linked to cancer. Sodium nitrate reacts with stomach acid and other chemicals in the stomach to produce nitrosamines. When consumed in large quantities, nitrosamines have been shown to cause cancer in animals.