Diet Mind Spirit

Yeah, breakfast cereals are easy and hassle-free in the mornings and well, you like them! I know! Just pour them out of the box and into the bowl, pour some milk and voila! Breakfast in a bowl. You’re right to say they’re easy; I won’t argue. You might think they’re a healthy way to start the day. But you’d be very WRONG to think they’re healthy. Besides, they are a true rip-off for what you pay.

Those popular breakfast cereals are industrially processed and have high levels of salt, sugar, preservatives, dyes and fat - which can dramatically increase a person’s risk of developing serious health problems in later life. Processed cereal, cereal bars, bread and cookies contain large amounts of salt, sugar and hydrogenated fats. Oftentimes people are unaware of the amounts they are actually eating, which can be very dangerous for their health.

Let’s see. What are some potential problems with eating these breakfast cereals. Shall I count the ways?

1. Strokes - Consuming large amounts of salt, sugar and hydrogenated fats increases the risk of having a stroke.

2. Teeth Problems - All that sugar can lead to serious dental issues, and we know what that means. Do you want yourself and your kids to have false teeth for the rest of your/their lives?

3. Preservatives - BHT, BHA, and TBHQ are common preservatives found in in beverages, ice cream, candy, baked goods, soup bases, potatoes, breakfast cereals, dry mixes, enriched rice, animal fats and shortenings containing animal fats. They may also be listed as “anti-oxidants” because they prevent the fats in food from oxidizing or spoiling. These preservatives cause allergic reactions and are known to affect kidney and liver functions, brain function and may also convert other ingredients into cancer-causing substances.

4. MSG is not a good message to the body - MSG, also known as monosodium glutamate, is linked to infertility and brain damage lab animals and people who’ve eaten MSG complain of headaches, chest pains and numbness.

5. Sugars, (high-fructose) Corn Syrup , refined starches and sweeteners (NutraSweet, Equal, Sweet’n Low, Sucralose, Acesulfame-K) rob your children of their health, and artificial sweeteners have been linked to brain damage, MS, Lupus and other central nervous disorders.

6. Pesticides - pesticides, hormones and synthetic food additives have been known to affect brain development, behavior and learning abilities in kids.

So, what SHOULD you eat? Stay tuned. I’ll write about that in another blog post…

This entry was posted on Friday, February 8th, 2008 at 7:48 am and is filed under body, dangerous / warnings, diet, general, health, healthy recipes, organic, real food, recommendations and favorites. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.