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what are goji berriesFood Colourings and What You Should Know About Them!

Hi Folks,

OK so I know that I am always encouraging you to make fresh healthy food yourselves, but let�s face it, sometimes there isn�t enough time in the day. I want to talk about things that you will commonly find in your ready made food; what they are, and what they means to your health; this way you can make an informed choice about what to pick up and more importantly what to put down.

So what is an additive? It is something added to your food to make it last longer, taste better, look palatable, make it easier to manufacture, or cheaper to produce. Within the European Union additives are labeled with an E number which means that the additive has been accepted by the European Community. Many of these officially sanctioned products are still banned in some EU countries, and also in Scandinavia, Russia and Australia. If a number appears without an E then it has not been cleared for use by the European Community, but may be used in the UK. In the US a different system is used which includes numbers instead, although the additives are the same. The food and governmental bodies have said for years that the range of additives are safe for human consumption, however, as you can see many countries cannot agree about what is and isn�t safe.

Over the years some additives have been withdrawn due to health scares; 28 food additives (including the infamous Sudan 1) have been banned, mostly because they carry a cancer risk, or contribute to organ damage. 15 of the 28 banned were food colorings. Out of 45 current E-numbered colourings, 23 are banned in one or more countries, and yet available in the UK. A further 21 colourings are recommended to be avoided by the Hyperactive Children�s Support Group, along with 49 other E-numbered food additives (including sweeteners) linked with behavioral problems in children- and also commonly found in children�s foods.

We will start this week with food colourings; these are added to make our food look more interesting and palatable. Often these are added in large amounts to children�s food, as they make the food look more exciting. Unfortunately, many colours are linked to hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children as well as a host of other problems such as eczema and asthma. E Numbers 100-181 are all colours. Often they will be given their number and name, which can make is easier for you to identify them. Some of these are made from natural plant products, for example E162 or Betanin is made from beetroot and has no known side-effects. Being vegetable in origin does not always make an additive safe; E123 (Amaranth) a red colour is derived from a small plant, and is banned in USA, Russia, Austria, Norway and other countries and found in jellies, sweets, cake mixes, and fruit fillings. It is known to provoke asthma, eczema, and hyperactivity, possibly to increase risk of certain cancers, and in animal experiments caused birth defects, and foetal deaths.

Others have names which sound natural but are not, for example E150 or Caramel; the most commonly used group of colours, found in a wide range of foods,; beer, sauces, puddings, sweets, kids food, chocolate, buns. This group comprises E150a, b, c, and d also named, plain caramel, Caustic Sulphite caramel, Ammonia Caramel and Sulphite Ammonia Caramel-( I am not sure I like the sound of �caustic� or �ammonia� in my food). The UK food guide and the Hyperactive Children�s Support Group recommend that these colours are not given to children, but you will find them in many kids� foods and drinks.

Some of the numbers have names which make them sound rather harmless; E155 or Chocolate Brown HT, sounds almost delicious until you discover that this colour, often found in chocolate cake, and chocolate cake mix, is derived from coal tar, is not recommended for consumption by children, and is banned in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. It is thought to cause allergic or intolerance problems, particularly in asthmatics; somehow it doesn�t sound so harmless when you know the details.

Several colours are of animal origin, and vegetarians may wish to avoid them, such as E170 Calcium Carbonate, found in toothpaste, canned fruit, vegetables and wines, which can be sourced from animal bones (or rock minerals), or E120 Cochineal which rather charmingly is made from insects- yummy.

Out of the 45 E numbered colourings, only six have no reported side effects. Many of the side effects are anecdotal, although the sheer number of people reporting them is surely an indication that something is wrong. Many studies have linked colourings to health problems, particularly in children, although the findings are often rejected by the Food Agencies. One British study found that a quarter of toddlers suffered adverse effects after consuming foods containing 3 food colourings. Although these additives have been tested for �safety�, it is curious that many countries still do not think them safe enough to use in their food. The additives have also never been tested for safety in combination with other additives although they are rarely used alone.

Just for fun, here is the low-down on the colours inside a packet of a popular multi-coloured chocolate bean; a favorite children�s treat;

� E110 (sunset Yellow), banned in Norway and widely found in sweets, pies, cakes, sauces, puddings, canned fish, ice cream, jelly, cheese sauce etc; urticaria (hives), runny nose, nasal congestion, allergies, hyperactivity, kidney tumors, chromosomal damage, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, increased incidence of tumors in animals.

� E171 Titanium dioxide a white colouring known to pollute waterways, but with no reported effects in humans.

� E104 Quinoline Yellow, can cause dermatitis; banned in USA and Norway. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

� E124 Ponceau a synthetic red colour derived from coal tar; carcinogenic (cancer-causing) in animals, also can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; banned in USA & Norway. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

� E122 Azorubine, Carmoisine a red colour derived from coal tar; can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; banned in Sweden, USA, Austria and Norway. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

� E133 Brilliant blue an aluminium or ammonium salt; banned in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Norway. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

� E120 Cochineal, a red colour; made from insects; the hyperactive children�s support group recommends that this colour is avoided. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

The chances are that when you are buying sweets, cakes- any manner of ready made food, you will be buying products which contain colourings. You may decide that the evidence is unconvincing, or you may decide that it is not worth risking the harmful effects, especially with your family. There is little doubt now that many children are adversely affected by food colourings, and several Local Education Authorities in the UK are attempting to ban food colourings from their school meals and machines. The good news is that you can avoid them by selecting products marked �no artificial colours,� by buying organic products, or by getting the raw ingredients and making things yourselves.

I do hope that this will encourage you to look on the backs of food packaging, and check what lies within. Even if you cannot avoid these nasties all of the time, it may be a good idea to steer clear of them where possible, especially in what you feed to children and teenagers.

For a full list of additives, colourings, sweeteners and flavourings write to:- Hyperactive Children�s Support Group at 71 Whyke Lane, Chichester PO19 7PD or Telephone 01243 551313.

Stay healthy,

Vikki

Do you have any friends and family who could benefit from getting fitter and feeling better? If you do, then treat them to free copy of this newsletter, forward it to them, and get them to e-mail me with a request. E-mail getfitter@yahoo.co.uk subject: newsletter request. Would you like to bring health into the workplace? Get fitter now offers a corporate package, including yoga classes. Please visit http://www.corporatechill.com

Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters.

Use Food Instinct for Better Health

Diets do not work. Among the people who do them, 98% of the people gain the weight back. Also the stress of not eating as much as you want, makes your system more acid. This causes you to crave more sugar, salt and fat. Then eating these things you crave, causes you to hate yourself and you feel more stress making losing weight even harder. There is a strong connection between obesity and depression.

Here is how it works. Animals are not taught what foods are good to eat. Animals know what is good to eat by using their instinct. Humans also have the same instinct. All you have to do is eat whatever tastes good and that will be non-fattening and healthy for you. That is why a baby tastes everything. So again whatever tastes good, is good for you. This is why you will spit out spoiled milk. This instinct can help you lose weight.

I love eating Cabbage Crunch from the salad bar at Whole Foods. It is the largest natural foods chain of supermarkets in America. Cabbage Crunch contains grated red and green cabbage, sliced almonds, poppy seeds, scallions (green onions), olive oil and apple cider vinegar. One of the healthiest foods for cancer and colon health is cabbage. The red cabbage is considered a black food. Like other black foods (black grapes, black beans and eggplant) it contains the antioxidant, anthocyandin, that is good for the cardiovascular system.

One time I got some. As soon as I put it in my mouth, I spit it out. It was spoiled. But I got my money back and they had someone go there to remove it. Salt can dull your sense of taste. Also salt causes you to eat more thereby making it harder to lose weight.

Butter can be kept unrefrigerated for days without going bad. Without ever tasting it, you know it is bad from the rancid (bad) smell. You will smell that it is rancid, meaning having a bad smell or taste. But do not be a person who believes. Be someone who knows. Leave a piece of butter out for days and smell it everyday. Did you ever smell what it smells like being behind a garbage truck? The horrible smell is giving you the message to not eat it.

Fasting experts and Mark Twain say that you can get over the flu or a cold in the quickest way by fasting. This is why you lose your appetite. If someone's sinuses are very congested, maybe he could eat a rancid meal and not know there is anything wrong with it.

But wait! Man has the technology to create rat poison. This food tastes good to the rat, like healthy food, but it kills the rat. So man has done that to you. Note that any food unaltered by man (uncooked) that tastes good, is good for you. So if you are stranded in the woods, that is how you would know what to eat. Just taste everything raw and you will spit out the toxic plants since they will taste terrible.

There are poisonous mushrooms called toadstool mushrooms. If you put some raw ones in your mouth, you will spit them out since they taste horrible. But cook them and add salt and you can eat enough of them to kill you. Carnivorous animals love the taste of blood and raw meat since that is what they are supposed to eat.

So man has created fake fruit. It tastes like fruit that exists in nature, but it is addictive, fattening and terrible for health. It is called sweets. So it is natural to like real sweets called fruit, like a baby does. But they have fooled your sense of taste, just like the rat was fooled. But they do not want to kill you. They just want you to become obese so you will buy more of their foods.

This is called good business. You can re-acquire your taste in food and re-learn how to eat. Then you can eat all the great tasting foods you want and be thin, healthy and fit for life.

Chuck Bluestein is the author and knows a lot about fasting, herbology and nutrition. His website has free information about natural cures, wellness, finding happiness, weight loss, advice for teenage girls, fasting, anxiety and drinking pure water.