5 Practical Ways to Reduce Food Additives in Your Diet
Many everyday convenience foods are filled with synthetic additives—preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and colorings that can negatively affect your health. These additives have been linked to various issues, including headaches, digestive problems, and even long-term conditions like cancer. If you’re aiming to reduce your exposure to these chemicals, here are five practical ways to help clean up your diet and improve your overall health.
1. Make Your Own Stock and Seasoning Mixes
Store-bought broths, bouillons, and seasoning packets often contain additives like MSG and maltodextrin, which have been associated with headaches, nausea, and overstimulation of the brain’s reward centers, leading to overeating. Instead, make your own stock using fresh vegetables, herbs, and bones. Not only will you avoid harmful additives, but homemade stock is also richer in flavor and nutrients.
Health Impact: Reducing MSG and similar additives can help decrease symptoms like headaches and migraines while promoting better control over appetite.
2. Swap Store-Bought Snacks for DIY Energy Bites
Packaged snacks such as protein bars and granola are often packed with preservatives like sodium benzoate, artificial sweeteners, and high-fructose corn syrup, all of which have been linked to metabolic issues, including insulin resistance and weight gain. By making your own snacks like energy bites using natural ingredients—such as oats, nut butter, honey, and seeds—you can avoid these harmful additives.
Here’s a fool proof No-Bake Energy Bites recipe from AllRecipes that anyone can make in a pinch: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/239969/no-bake-energy-bites/
Health Impact: This swap not only reduces your intake of chemicals linked to metabolic disorders but also helps control sugar intake, stabilizing energy levels and promoting heart health.
3. Replace Microwave Popcorn with Homemade
Microwave popcorn bags often contain harmful chemicals, including perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which can leach into the food when heated. These chemicals have been linked to cancer and other health problems. Making popcorn at home, either using an air popper or the stovetop method, helps you avoid these risks while also giving you control over the amount of oil and salt you add.
Health Impact: By avoiding PFCs, you reduce your exposure to chemicals that disrupt endocrine function and pose cancer risks.
4. Shop the Perimeter of the Grocery Store
The center aisles of most grocery stores are filled with processed foods loaded with preservatives, colorings, and artificial sweeteners. Shopping the perimeter, where you find fresh produce, meats, and dairy, helps you avoid many of these hidden additives. Stick to whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins that are naturally free from preservatives and additives.
Health Impact: Reducing your intake of highly processed foods lowers the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
5. Go for Glass, Not Plastic
Many foods packaged in plastic containers, especially acidic foods like tomato sauce, can leach harmful chemicals such as BPA and phthalates into your food. These chemicals have been linked to hormone disruption, developmental problems, and even cancer. Whenever possible, opt for foods stored in glass jars or buy in bulk using your own containers to limit exposure.
Health Impact: Reducing exposure to BPA and other plastic-related chemicals can lower your risk of hormone-related health issues, including fertility problems and certain cancers.