What Can I Eat?

Navigating toxic ingredients.

I want cream in my coffee. I don’t want it to have the shelf life of Henry Kissinger. I just want unadulterated cow juice. I bought some real cream last week from a store called The Co-op in Boise. Heavy cream from Cloverleaf Creamery in Buhl, Idaho. The ingredient list said MILK. I drank that all week in my coffee and could feel some inflammation decreasing in a problem area of my body. Finally.

Due to traveling, I was forced to pick up some heavy cream from a conveniently located grocery store on the way home. It was ultra-pasturized, but I figured what they hey? Might as well have some for the weekend at home. After all, it won’t kill me, right? Think again. I read the label of the ‘cream’. Well crap.

Dairy Pure Heavy Cream

Taking apart the ingredients of this franken-cream is truly sickening, in every sense of the word.

*Non-fat Dry Milk:(UltraProcessed)

Nonfat Dry Milk (NDM) is obtained by the removal of water from pasteurized skim milk.  Nonfat Dry Milk contains not more than 1.50% fat and not more than 5.0% total moisture.

*Stabilizer: (Ultra Processed)

Stabilizers are used customarily to improve thickening, mouthfeel, product structure stability, water-binding capacity, creaminess and viscosity (Bhattarai et al., 2016; Saha & Bhattacharya, 2010). Incorporation of stabilizer into dairy products help to reduce the reliance on fats and thus enabling the development of low-fat and low-calorie products (Tasneem et al., 2014). Stabilisers are also added into ice creams to enhance smoothness in body and texture, as well as slow the melting rate (Abbas Syed, 2016).

*Mono & Diglycerides: (Ultra Processed)

Monoglycerides and diglycerides in food are typically in those that are processed and packaged, some of which are the least healthy food products on the market. This includes baked goods, soft drinks, candy, gum, whipped cream, ice cream, margarine and shortening. In fact, a 2017 study published in the Journal of Experimental Food Chemistry noted that monoglycerides and diglycerides are around 70 percent of emulsifiers used in the U.S. food industry.

*Carrageenan: (Natural processed into ultra processed)

a common food additive with no nutritional value. It is extracted from a red seaweed, Chondrus crispus, popularly known as Irish moss, and is used as a thickener and emulsifier to improve the texture of ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk, and other processed foods.

Some animal studies have linked “degraded” forms of carrageenan (the type not used in food) to ulcerations and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. More worrisome, undegraded carrageenan – the type that is widely used in foods – has now also been associated with malignancies and stomach problems. And it appears that acid digestion, heating, bacterial action and mechanical processing can all accelerate degradation of food-grade carrageenan.

Joanne K. Tobacman, MD, who has published multiple peer-reviewed studies on the biological effects of carrageenan, believes that all forms of it are harmful. She has found that exposure to it, in the amounts contained in processed foods, causes inflammation in the body. That’s concerning, since chronic inflammation is a root cause of many serious diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, coronary artery disease, and cancer.

*Polysorbate 80: (Ultra-Processed)

• Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier used widely in food, cosmetics, and medicine. Known for making oil and water mix, it’s common but has raised health concerns.

• Research suggests it may cause inflammation, affect gut health, and lead to other health issues. 

• There’s debate over its safety, with some studies linking it to adverse effects, but regulatory bodies still consider it safe and within limits.

• Natural and synthetic alternatives are available for those looking to avoid Polysorbate 80.

*Standardized with Dextrose:

Standardized means that dextrose has been added in a standardized way and amount.

*Dextrose: (Ultra Processed)

‌Dextrose is a type of sugar that is very similar to blood sugar. It is often used in processed and prepackaged foods.

It is a type of sugar that usually comes from corn or wheat. It is almost identical to glucose, which is the sugar found in the bloodstream. For that reason, it can be quickly used as a source of energy by the human body. Dextrose is often used in foods as an artificial sweetener or a preservative.

_________________________

Why can’t the co-opted USA leave our food alone?

On my journey to health, I have learned to read labels. If I can’t pronounce the ingredient, my body probably can’t process it and it turns into toxins that cause inflammation and ill health. But, hey, that cream will last until labor day! Awesome! Isn’t that so weird that the more ingredients in our food, the less it costs? You would think it would be the other way around. Somebody has to pay for the polysorbate-80 or the diglycerides. And pay we do…food additives are a bad bad thing and they keep big pharma in business. I found this disturbing website when looking for the definition of polysorbate-80. And there is a 100% chance that the UPF added to our food has come from another country. I may never eat again.

About the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)

USP is an independent, scientific nonprofit organization focused on building trust in the supply of safe, quality medicines. We are working to strengthen the global supply chain so that the medicines people rely on for health are available when needed and work as expected.

For over 200 years, USP has worked to build trust where it matters most: in the world's medicines, dietary supplements and foods. Through our rigorous science and the public quality standards we set, USP helps protect patient safety and improve the health of people around the world.

For over 200 Years?

Pharmacopoeia

A pharmacopoeia, pharmacopeia, or pharmacopoea, in its modern technical sense, is a book containing directions for the identification of compound medicines, and published by the authority of a government or a medical or pharmaceutical society. Descriptions of preparations are called monographs. In a broader sense it is a reference work for pharmaceutical drug specifications.

I am always looking for better ways to feed myself.

I have started making my own ranch dressing. It tastes better just knowing there is no MSG in it. I am reading labels and learning as I go, and I have lost 65 lbs as of August 2020. All by staying away from processed food, or ultra processed food. (UPF) But…I have noticed some creeping weight gain, and as there have been no major changes in my eating habits, I can only surmise that the sneaky additives in our seemingly healthy food have changed dramatically. I think they are making us even fatter. Healthy eating should be enough to make a healthy human.

Take the Pharma out of our Farms!

You can buy me a coffee on ko-fi.