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Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 3:38 pm
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When we give workshops and do healthy-home consultations, we emphasize the importance of adding nutrient-dense greens and good oils to your family's diet. We also encourage moms to cut steer clear of sugar - especially artificial sweeteners. But there's a whole other food subject that needs to be addressed. Perhaps the biggest no-no's of all are artificial food dyes.
Post soccer game, moms - perhaps begrudgingly - dole out the much-anticipated treats to assuage a hungry mass of youngsters. It's pretty easy to justify: "the other moms do it", "we have to give in every once in a while", "they can't be that bad if it's allowed on the shelves..."
But have you ever wondered exactly how Skittles, Red Velvet cupcakes, Gatorade and Rainbow Gold Fish get their color? Hint: it's not from naturally-derived sources. No, it's chemical-laden food dyes that can be found in the ingredient list under names like Blue 2 Lake, Red 40, FD&C Orange No. 1 and so forth.
Allow me to share a snippet of Jennifer Taylor's recent guest post on the Healthy Child Healthy World blog:
Popsicles, cookies, candy, soda, chips. My kids love after game snacks. Those treats are almost the reason they play sports. It starts off as a nice congratulatory snack and usually ends in tears. For me! They are bouncing off the walls. Don’t yell at your sister. Do not hit your brother! Why are you both crying? Go to your rooms!...What kid doesn’t like a brilliant red colored beverage after a game? Red #40 is a dye that is linked to aggressive, irrational behavior. A few days before my son’s meltdown, I got to witness his normally calm, sweet friend go into a rage about 30 minutes after swigging a can of crap with Red 40, Blue 1, caramel color, sodium benzoate on their list of ingredients. Oh yeah, there was also vitamin C added to this drink. I suppose it was a nice gesture from the manufacturer to add some vitamins , except that vitamin c and sodium benzoate when mixed together create benzene, a known carcinogen. Not exactly what I had in mind for hydration.
According to Taylor, "Yellow #5 and Red #40...are both azo dyes and they are made from coal tar. A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives describes coal tar as a “thick liquid or semisolid tar obtained from bituminous coal, it contains many constituents including benzene, xylenes, naphthalene, pyridine, quinonlineoline, phenol, and cresol”(Winter, 2009, P. 166). What the heck are those? They cause cancer."
Enough said.
Taylor notes that the Los Angeles Unified School District has recently banned sulfites, artificial red dye #40, and yellow dye #5. Let's not wait until our schools take action for our own children's health.

So go ahead, be the mom who's known for passing out real food. And, look on the bright side: the choices are ever-growing as companies like Annie's, Sharkies, Late July, and Earth's Best that don't use preservatives, hydrogenated oils or artificial colorings. You can also purchase natural food dyes like these to bake those special b-day treats. But let's not forget that God-given foods like Beets can be a wonderfully colorful alternative to those nasty chemicals! Found out how to use them here.
Posted in healthy home By TB Admin | Comments
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