KDTime: Food Facts You May Not Know

 Episode 67

Fact number one. Do you like fruit? Well Frozen Fruit might be a little better for you. We are possibly programmed to believe that fresh is the only way to go when it comes to fruits and veggies but the truth is that if they are frozen they can sometimes be even better for you. There’s a thing called flash-frozen meaning right after the fruits and veggies are picked at their peak ripeness, once frozen they are so full of vitamins and minerals in comparison that may have degraded in their fresh version. As long as there isn’t any added sugar or salt in your frozen fruits and veggies you are good to go. Generally speaking, the nutrients are well retained when frozen which can improve your health.

Fact number two. Did you know that there is a huge possibility that there is sunscreen in your salad. You heard me correctly. Sunscreen in your salad. A key ingredient in many paints and sunscreens is titanium dioxide and it just so happens to also be in some salad dressings. I really like ranch dressing and I would hate to find out I've been ingesting an ingredient that prevents me from burning in the sun. That ingredient can also be in store icing and coffee creamers. Anyway, make sure you are reading the labels of anything you purchase nowadays. The things the FDA are allowing in the USA is actually pretty scary. Why was it approved to have such an ingredient to be in both dressing and paint? If you see titanium dioxide in your food products do not eat it. It may be considered safe to eat in general but listen the WHO, World Health Organization, says that it is a possible carcinogen meaning cancer. Proceed at your own risk. 

Fact number 3. Almond milk. Would you believe me if I told you that almond milk may not be healthy? I wouldn’t believe me if I said that either. It is generally considered a healthy drink, but may not be. After all, almonds making milk naturally come on let’s be for real. They are neither cows nor a goat or a biological woman. Yes I know there are other animals that can produce milk but that’s not the point. The point is that the truth about almond milk and their so-called mass production is not what you think. Almond milk needs to be heavily processed. Would you believe that a normal carton of almond milk only uses about 4 or 5 almonds to make, the rest is water and additives that make it look like milk! That’s not exactly the most natural thing you can buy. Almond milk does have sources of vitamin E, which helps with cell regeneration in the body and it’s full of omega 3 fats which are handy dandy helpers for balanced mental health and cholesterol levels but that’s kind of where it stops. Did you know that some brands only contain about 2 percent of almonds in it and the rest of it is the water and emulsifiers. There’s other “nutrients” like vitamin A and D that are artificially added. Wild right?? 

Ok last fact, speaking of processed foods. Not all of them are bad. You may be thinking whaaaaa? She’s crazy. All processed food is considered unhealthy but listen guys listen not all processed food is a bad thing. Let me explain. It really depends on the level of processing we’re talking about. A great example is a salad mix. It’s been processed, no one's gonna argue that a plain salad mix is bad for you. Same with tomato sauce, which is actually more nutritious than a plain tomato since the cooking process releases more of the cancer-fighting lycopene that makes them so good for you but of course as long as it doesn't have any added sugar or salt. The point is don’t cut them all out completely because some are good for you. Let’s name a  few that are good for you processed foods. Greek yogurt, canned beans, Cereal but of course i’m not talking about eh cereal we all flock too like frosted flakes or corn pops. Nope I'm talking super healthy and probably ridiculously pricey oh and frozen or canned fish.

Let me know your thoughts on this topic?

Should we be more careful about what we are actually eating??