Is Your Diet All Natural?
You’ve heard all the hype about the many chemicals additives and preservatives in our food supply today, not to mention the fertilizers and pesticides that are used even before processing. Maybe you try to buy all “organic” foods to avoid these substances you presume to be harmful, but find them unaffordable. Maybe you just look on the front of the food label and you’re drawn to the comforting ”All Natural“ announcement you sometimes find.
Well, before you get too comforted, you might want to take a look at what “all natural” means. Sure, you won’t find chemical additives–the FDA governs what is put on labels and investigates often to uncover (and penalize) for any discrepancies. But all natural does not automatically mean that it’s all good!
Here are some examples of things that are all natural: tobacco, caffeine, cocaine, salt, and sugar to name a few! Now, I certainly don’t mean to imply that all these naturally-occuring compounds are equally harmful… certainly a couple of those listed are much more damaging to the body than others. But the point is, they are not manufactured chemicals–they occur naturally in plants. “All natural” does not equal ”all good for you”.
So take a look at the ingredient level and be aware that the front of the food label is what’s there to sell you on the product–the back of the label with the nutrition information is there for you to get the information you really want.
Some natural cereal you pick up may be loaded with sugar, in the form of cane sugar, honey, or other sweet ingredients. It’s not desirable compared to some of the other cereals that are only lacking an advertisement on the front of the package! A peanut butter boasting that is has all natural ingredients may contain extra salt and sugars–all naturally occuring substances, but not necessarily good for you in higher amounts. The key to what you want to know is found by reading the ingredients, and comparing the package you pick up to a couple of other similar products.
Don’t be fooled by some labels that try to get you to buy their product by playing to your fears of chemicals in foods. Read all the details so you can be sure that you really know what you’re getting in your food.
Written by Laurie Beebe
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About The Author: Laurie Beebe has been a registered dietitian for 25 years and is certified in adult weight management. Laurie currently serves as a Related posts:
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