Did you realize most health problems are a direct result of our lifestyle choices? One third of all cancers in the United States are due to improper nutrition -- too much fat, too little fiber and not enough fruits and vegetables. By simply integrating more of these (healthy) foods into your daily diet, and by cutting back on the most harmful food choices you'll be one (huge) step closer to a healthier, disease-free life. Of course, one should always keep in mind that good nutrition doesn't necessarily lead directly to great health. Be sure to integrate exercise into your lifestyle and keep stress to a minimum.

The “Fake” Stuff!

1. Sugar
The foods from which sugar was originally derived (sugar cane and sugar beets) contain all of the nutrients (chromium, zinc, B vitamins, fiber, etc.) required for the body to properly metabolize the final isolated chemical we know as sugar (sucrose). Without these nutrients which are eliminated in processing, the body is greatly stressed. Sugar consumption is associated with weight gain, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, immune depression and much more.

2. Hydrogenated Fats
These “fake” fats (such as margarine, Crisco and anything referred to as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) are made by altering the natural chemical structure of a vegetable oil (liquid at room temperature) to act more like a saturated fat (solid at room temperature). In the process, the natural “cis” chemical configuration changes to a nasty unnatural “trans” configuration. This is very difficult for the body to process and it ends up getting stuck in our arteries and veins, even to a greater extent than a cholesterol molecule would. Cholesterol is natural and the body knows how to metabolize it in small amounts. Studies now show that these non-cholesterol containing hydrogenated products actually increase cholesterol levels in individuals more so than if the person would have eaten the butter!

3. Pop and other man-made “non-foods”
Just 12 oz. of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, plus phosphoric acid to rob your body of minerals contributing to an acidic system and osteoporosis.

4. Aspartame and other man-made artificial sweeteners
Upon ingestion, aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal and Spoonful) is metabolized to two amino acids (phenylalanine and aspartic acid) and methanol. (Trefz) When the temperature of aspartame or aspartame containing products exceeds 86 degrees F, the methanol (which is wood alcohol) converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. (Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants.) Methanol qualifies as an exceptionally toxic substance, even at very low doses. (Roe) child). (Kavet) Methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis; thus, it seems many people are being diagnosed with having multiple sclerosis in error. The multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, where methanol toxicity is. It is a slow silent killer. The EPA recently announced that there was an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus (for unknown reasons) across the United States.

The US Congressional record states, "Aspartame makes you crave carbohydrates and will make you FAT." Dr. H. J. Roberts, diabetic specialist, stated that when he got patients off aspartame, their average weight loss was 19 pounds per person. It is NOT A DIET PRODUCT!

5. Fried foods
These are loaded with trans fatty acids to damage your arteries, spike your blood sugar and cause weight gain.

6. White flour and other refined grains
The processing of whole wheat to white flour removes up to 90% of at least 22 different nutrients including B vitamins (especially B-1,B-2, B-3, B-5 and B-6), vitamin E, iron, calcium, magnesium, chromium, zinc, copper, amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Stick to WHOLE grains that contain everything that God intended them to provide us. (Also avoid foods made with white flour such as most store-bought pasta, crackers, etc.)

7. Processed meats
Added chemicals and trans fatty acids they contain actually increase your blood sugar, cholesterol decrease your ability to regulate your blood sugar and increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, etc. In addition, most are also high in fat - Gwaltney Great Dogs Chicken Franks contain 10 or 11 grams of fat per frank.

8. Ready-to-eat breakfast cereal
These popular refined convenience foods are high in sugar, low in fiber, low in nutrients and offer very little besides calories. Whole grains (from which these cereals were originally made from) may easily contain 40-50 different nutrients, although many of them may be in trace amounts, they are none-the-less of critical importance for us to metabolize these grains. Up to 90% of these are lost in processing, and enrichment of 9 to 11 or even 17 of these does little to make up for what what removed. The fiber removed from these carbohydrate foods, causes our blood sugar to jump sky high, which when dropping an hour or so later, leaves us feeling more hungry than we were before we ate.. and sleepy as well. A much better choice should be steel-cut oats provides soluble fiber (such as beta glucans) that helps lower bad cholesterol while improving good cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels, however, the mainstay of our breakfast should be protein (such as soft or hard boiled eggs or fish) to help stabilize our blood sugar for the day. (Note: Read John 21:12 and see that Jesus recommended eating fish for breakfast!)

9. White rice
Brown rice and wild rice are much better choices as they have many nutrients that can't be found in white rice. They also have a lower glycemic index meaning brown and wild rice have less of an impact upon increasing our blood sugar after eating them compared to white rice. This is most likely due to the fiber content differences. One serving of white rice has approximately 1 gram of fiber. Brown rice has 2 grams and wild rice has 3-4 grams per serving.

10. Be wary of “Fat Free”
Many foods naturally contain some fat. Removing the fat also removes some of the flavor so in order to make these foods palatable, companies often add sugar, salt and artificial flavors. Check and compare the labels yourself. Because fat provides a natural satiation response, without it, we often eat MORE! and can end up consuming more calories that we would have if we would have eaten the natural stuff!