Biggest Nutritional Mistakes People Make (#2)

#2: Thinking Organic Always = Healthy

This is where many people go astray. Believing simply because a label has the word "organic" or "natural", that it must be healthy, will do two things: empty out your pocketbook quickly and give you permission to make some unhealthy food choices.

All one has to do is check and read food labels - read beyond the front of the label and through the list of ingredients. Many "organic" products are loaded with sugar, excessive sodium and fat (and not the healthy kind). If it reads "organic sugar", do you really think there is a difference between that and regular sugar in regards to nutritional properties and your body's reaction to the sugar?

The marketing folks in this country, have become real smart in regards to labeling and devaluing the word "organic". They have stooped to low levels to convince us that junk food is good for us.

Take a walk down the grocery isles at your local grocery store or even Costco and play a game of "hide-n-seek" - they are hiding the truth behind the label "organic" and "natural" and you are seeking the truth by reading the ingredient list. You will find things like:

"Organic" Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

"Organic" salad dressing (containing high fructose corn syrup!)

"Organic" Chocolate Cookies

"Natural" Doritos

"Natural" Cheetos

The list is sobering. "Organic" processed foods are still processed and they continue to make us unhealthy.

A product with a "Natural" label attached to it can yield shocking bits of information, for example:

Toxic synthetics, pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers are still allowed in "natural" dairy products.

Animals injected with growth and breeding hormones are allowed in "natural" products.

Animal feed may be grown with sewage sludge (gasp!) and GMO's (genetically modified organisms) containing animal by-products (i.e., parts of animal carcases!) are allowed in "natural" products.

I happen to believe that you are smarter than the marketing ploys and will rise above the misleading labels by getting informed, reading ingredient lists and making a lifelong commitment to improving your health.

!Salud!