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Hi !
First of all, I want to thank all of you for supporting my bid for the "Your OWN TV Show" contest. I had a great time making the video audition and plan to include new video clips in future newsletters. In case you missed it, you can still see my video audition on-line. Someone has to uncover the myths and roll back the deception shamelessly touted in food advertisements. I don't know when the final participants will be announced in this contest, but regardless, my mission remains to help millions of Americans take back their health - by eating on purpose.
Whole Foods Nutrition Tours are back (and still free!). These events are information-packed, practical, delicious and usually fill up quickly. One recent participant even said, "I expected good information, but this has actually been life-changing.", a comment that made my day. Several of you were on the waiting list for the last tour, and I appreciate your patience. Just call the stores directly to reserve a spot. Details are below. I hope to see you there!
 This month I continue to uncover toxins in our food... from MSG to pesticides to artificial colors. Do you really know what's in your food? Keep reading to learn more. Eat on purpose. Live on purpose.
Be well,
Tracy |
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In this Issue
- MSG: Toxic Masquerade
- Tell Me the Truth
- Fake Food of the Month - Quick Raw Berry Crisp
- Whole Foods Nutrition Tours
are Back
- Bad News Berries?
- Colorful Carcinogens
- Testimonial of the Month
- What I Find Inspiring
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MSG: Toxic Masquerade
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one of the most common food additives in American processed foods. It's ubiquitous in asian food restaurants. Even if you request "no MSG", you are almost always still going to get a dose from the component ingredients used in the kitchen. MSG today is unfortunately found in the majority of mainstream soups, broths, salad dressings, sauce mixes, frozen entrees, grocery store prepared foods, and chain restaurant foods you encounter. It's a misconception that MSG is a specific flavor or meat tenderizer. It actually has very little taste at all, but when you eat MSG, you think the food you're eating it in has more protein and tastes better. MSG does this by activating our fifth sense of taste on our tongues which is called umami, a Japanese term that loosely translates as savory "deliciousness". Why should you care? MSG is one of several glutamate-based "excitotoxins" in our food supply (the artificial sweetener  aspartame is another one, by the way). It is used to make food intensely and unnaturally flavorful, and it simultaneously stimulates your brain to provide a surge of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter. Consumers can become quickly addicted to foods containing MSG (not good for health but great for corporate profits). Over time, it can cause behavioral problems such as those seen in ADD/ADHD and kill brain cells through constant overstimulation. Children's brains are many times more vulnerable to this neurotoxicity. Many people have allergies to and can experience severe headaches and nausea from even tiny amounts of MSG. As if all that weren't a good enough reason to avoid it, studies show that MSG also promotes obesity (yes, even in China). This happens not only through the resulting food addictions mentioned above. MSG also apparently suppresses a hormone in the brain called leptin which regulates our sense of satiety from food and prompts us to stop eating when we've had enough. The resulting leptin resistance is also being increasingly tied to the current epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes in the US.
Buyer beware! Food manufacturers love MSG. It allows them artificially to beef up the flavor of cheap ingredients (e.g. white flour and refined vegetables oils) without investing in higher quality contents. Food manufacturers hide MSG on ingredient labels using a long list of seemingly benign names, even the phrase "natural flavors".  I recommend you avoid the following MSG sources: Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Yeast Extract, Autolyzed Yeast, Maltodextrin, Textured Protein, Plant Protein Extract, Textured Vegetable Protein, and Artificial Flavoring. Have a "pantry raid" in your own home. If you have children, teach them to look for harmful ingredients as well. They can enjoy some "where's waldo" sleuthing to help you find products you want to avoid. The easiest way to avoid MSG is to reduce your intake of processed, convenience foods. I teach clients how to read labels and also how to make delicious food quickly and simply. You can do it yourself! No neurotoxic powders required. |
Whole Foods Nutrition Tours are Back
(and still free!)
Are you tired of your eating routine? Think healthy food has to be boring? Intimidated or confused by all the offerings at healthier food stores? Want to try a new food but aren't sure how to cook or prepare it? Join me for a fun and educational seminar and food sampling at Whole Foods Market.  Whole Foods, Framingham July 24th & August 14th, 9am To register, contact the store directly at (508) 628-9525 Whole Foods, Bellingham - August 21st, 9am To register, please contact the store directly at (508) 966-3331 I am happy to offer these events free of charge, but space is very limited! Bring all your questions. This is not a marketing event for any specific store. It's a rich introduction to eating on purpose with plenty of tips you can implement right away. These are rare and very popular opportunities, so don't miss out. Register now. Make 2010 your healthiest year yet!
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Bad News Berries
Ok, I confess: blueberries are one of my favorite foods. I can really get out of control at one of those "you pick" farms: one for me, one for the bucket, ten for me, one for the bucket... These sweet treats are bursting with flavor and also a special class of antioxidants called anthocyanins. These powerhouses neutralize free radical damage to the  collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer. Anthocyanins also improve the integrity of support structures in the veins and the entire vascular system. A handful of blueberries and a handful of almonds make a great snack. Enjoy them in smoothies, stirred into plain yogurt, sprinkled on salads, or in a sauce with sautéed onions and thyme for pork chops. Try this month's recipe for a delicious, simple berry dessert.
The good news is that blueberries are finally in season. Eat them regularly. The bad news is that for the first time they made the Top 10 list. The Top 10 Healthiest Foods list? Nope, they've been there a while. I'm talking about the "Top 10 Most Pesticide Laden Types of Produce in your Grocery Store" list. Definitely not an honor worth celebrating! This means blueberries should join celery, strawberries, and peaches as some of the foods you prioritize buying organic vs. conventional.
 When you shop in the produce section, do you know which foods are cleanest and dirtiest? Most of us don't
. Thankfully, we have the Environmental Working Group publishing an annual report ranking fruits and vegetables for residual pesticide content (given current conventional farming practices). The new 2010 Top 10 Dirtiest list included blueberries for the first time. I recommend you print it out and keep it in your wallet. Pesticides have been shown to cause a wide variety of damage in the body including nervous system toxicity like ADHD in children, estrogen spikes that can cause miserable PMS and menopause symptoms, and the inability to lose weight. I highly recommend buying organic produce whenever possible, but at least be sure to prioritize organic choices for the dirtiest produce.
Where possible, visit a local, pesticide-free, pick-your-own berry farm for the best in both health and flavor. Plus, it's a fun summer outing. I highly recommend Blue Meadow Farm in Sudbury and Patt's Blueberries in Holliston.
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Colorful Carcinogens
Food manufacturers have long used synthetic chemicals to color foods, especially those marketed to children. Unfortunately, it has been well-established that several colors cause hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in children.(e.g. Yellow #5, Red #40, and other synthetic, petroleum-based food dyes) As if that weren't discouragement enough, what about cancer?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recently published the Rainbow of Risk report which shows some pretty discouraging data tying artificial colors to cancer. The three most widely used dyes, Red #40, Yellow #5, and Yellow #6, are contaminated with known carcinogens.  The FDA even acknowledges directly that Red #3 is a carcinogen, yet it is still in our food supply. Food manufacturers use over 15 million pounds of chemical dyes in our food each year, many in kids' foods to hide the lack of real fruit in fruit-flavored products. CSPI estimates our consumption of dyes has increased five-fold since 1955.
High standards and legislative policy can make a powerful difference in food companies' behavior. In general in Europe, officials take the safety issues surrounding dyes more seriously and have more rigid requirements. That's why in the United Kingdom, a McDonald's Strawberry Sundae is colored with strawberries, but in the United States it contains Red #40. Likewise, the British version of Fanta orange soda gets its bright color from pumpkin and carrot extract, but in the United States the color comes from Red #40 and Yellow #6. Starburst Chews and Skittles contain synthetic dyes in the United States but not in Britain.
Be wise! Read labels and choose to eat on purpose. By helping them to connect what they eat and how they feel afterward, you can help your friends and family (especially kids) to do the same.
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Tell Me the Truth
Dear Tracy: I am LOVING the coconut oil I tried at your last cooking demo. Delicious stuff. I can't believe I'm indulging in it and still losing weight. Who knew!? Thanks for turning me on to healthy fats. My question is about Omega-3 essential fats. I know I need them, and I know I don't get enough in my food. Is flax oil or fish oil a better supplement choice?
Signed, Loving Fat and Losing Weight Dear Loving Fat and Losing Weight, I am so glad you are enjoying healthy fats! In general, flax and fish are both excellent sources of Omega-3. Flax has an abundance of ALA, a type of Omega-3 which has been shown to reduce triglycerides, blood sugar, potentially harmful LDL cholesterol (it's in walnuts too). Fish (especially fattier varieties like salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, and anchovies) has an abundance of EPA and DHA, a type of Omega-3 which suppresses inflammation throughout the body, especially for your heart, arteries, and brain (including depression). In a healthy body, we convert excess ALA to EPA and DHA. The problem is that not everyone makes this conversion efficiently, especially those who are sick and the elderly. As a result, I do recommend fish (or krill) oil over flax oil. Oxidized (or rancid) fats will cause inflammation vs. prevent it, and flax oil is particularly vulnerable to oxidation from heat, light, and air. I think it's best to get your ALA Omega-3s from flax by eating freshly ground flaxseed. Fish oil is loaded with EPA and DHA and, in my opinion, the safer and healthier supplement choice. Be sure to choose a brand that is molecularly distilled to be free of heavy metals and other toxins. Supplements are not a place to bargain shop for the cheapest brand you can find. Choose wisely and let me know if you need some suggestions.
Enjoy the journey! Tracy |
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Fake Food of the Month
Unfortunately, our world is flooded with well-marketed, "pseudo food" masquerading as acceptable meals, especially in restaurants. Plus, most entrees are sized to provide 2 to 3 meal portions of food. We often pack on unnecessary calories in a restaurant (especially at dinner time!) that will just be stored as fat when we go to bed. Having said all that, I occasionally run across a new restaurant offering that is so above-and-beyond as to be completely ridiculous.
This is Friendly's Grilled Cheese Burger Melt. Yes, folks, this is a burger sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches. I call it a 1500-calorie, three-sandwiches-in-one, make-you-fat, fake food fiesta! And don't forget it comes with free fries (330 calories) and a free sundae if you dine-in (you-don't-want-to-know calories). As my clients well know, I am all for indulging in occasional treats; they are key to life-long persistence in staying healthy. But this "meal" of "food" is a day's worth of calories, two days worth of salt, and untold numbers of chemical preservatives and artificial colors and flavorings. My friendly opinion? Just say No.
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Quick Raw Berry Crisp
Thanks to my client Nancy and Whole Foods Market (a great recipe resource) for this simple, delicious summer treat idea. Rich nuts and sweet dates make a tasty topping for this no-cook version of berry crisp.
6 cups mixed organic berries (e.g. blackberries, blueberries, raspberries sliced strawberries)
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup pitted dates, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
In a glass casserole dish, toss berries with maple syrup. Put pecans, walnuts, dates and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Scatter nut mixture over berries and serve immediately. If desired, top with freshly whipped cream.
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Real Results
Testimonial
I am so pleased that my acid reflux has improved to the point that I do not need to take the drugs I had been taking for several years. I have also begun to lose the additional weight I was unable to do before I met you. Thank you and God bless you!
Judy Brown
Westborough, MA
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What I Find Inspiring
"Real health is simple. Eat food. Not edible food-like substances."
- Michael Pollan, author In Defense of Food, a great read
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My name is Tracy Harrison. I am a
health and wellness counselor and the
founder of Purpose LLC. I work with
individuals and groups to help them
make step-by-step changes
to become healthier and happier.
Unlike most health fads and
gimmicks, my clients make life-long
habit changes. It's easy and fun,
so it sticks. Permanent results are
possible!
You don't have to be sick.
You don't have to feel exhausted
and depressed. You don't have to
feel old and creaky.
You can change your reality.
You can rediscover real joy
in your life.
To learn more, please visit
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