Monday 11 February 2013

A Health Nutty Epic Fail: Volume 2

What up Volume 2! Yes fellow health nuts, there has yet been another mighty fail. And there will be plenty more to come.

Here we go, the second round of A Health Nutty Epic Fail.

What's the topic of discussion?

Bottled salad dressings.

Most of us know that eating dark leafy greens can be refreshing, delicious, and super good for you. The part where many of us go wrong is buying the convenience of a pre-made dressing. So what's the downfall?

MSG (monosodium glutamate), trans fats, added sugars, and corn syrup. And hey, you don't get the delicious freshness and health benefits of a homemade dressing. In my healthnutty opinion, store bought and homemade aren't even comparable.

For starters, MSG is a preservative and "flavour enhancer" that is in most processed foods. Many studies show it is a neurotoxin. Sadly, there is no "limit" on it's use in Canada.
In my research, I came across an American Food Scientist named Carol Hoernlein who ended her career as she learned the secrets and major health risks in the consumption of MSG. Pretty powerful stuff. 

Weston A Price's article on MSG states,
  "MSG has now been implicated in a number of the neurogenerative diseases, including Lou Gerhig's disease, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and Huntington's disease......In general, the natural glutamic acid found in food does not cause problems but the synthetic free glutamic acid formed during industrial processing is a toxin. In addition, when MSG is formed using hydrochloric acid the final product includes carcinogens" (westonaprice.org). 

Read more about the effects of MSG from Weston A Price, HERE.
I have discussed corn syrup before, and trust me, it's a major no-no, too. See more on that on the 1st Epic fail, HERE.

We often make our salad dressings with Apple Cider Vinegar. It has natural healing properties, and it has a wonderful tangy flave. If you get the cold pressed organic kind, Globalhealingcenter.com lists the wonderful things it contains as so:
  • Potassium – helps to prevent brittle teeth, hair loss and runny noses.
  • Pectin – helps to regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol.
  • Malic Acid – gives the properties of being resistant to viruses, bacteria, and fungus.
  • Calcium – supports strong bones and teeth.
  • Ash – gives its alkaline property which aids your body in maintaining proper pH levels for a healthy alkaline state.
  • Acetic Acid – It appears that this acid slows the digestion of starch which can help to lower the rise in glucose that commonly occurs after meals.
Overall, it's amazing because it goes through two fermentation processes. As the Global Healing Center mentions that it, "produces enzymes and life giving nutrients" (globalhealingcenter.com).

So, next time you want the convenience of a bottled dressing, remember it's actually fast and easy (AND a ba jillion times more delicious) to make your own! Try this one! Werd!

HealthNutty Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing Recipe

3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cold pressed apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
salt & pepper
1 tbsp mustard
pinch of oregano leaves

It's best if you make it and eat it that same day. Although, it will keep in the fridge for a day or so.
Enjoy!





"Jazz up" your leafy greens and check out TLC's 10 Homemade and Healthy Salad Dressings or Yummly.com for more amazing homemade salad dressing ideas.


References

http://www.wellsphere.com/healthy-eating-article/dr-oz-s-creamy-balsamic-salad-dressing/875627

.http://hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/addit/msg_qa-qr-eng.php

http://msgtruth.org/contents.htm

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/the-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/the-dangers-of-monosodium-glutamate.htm

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/5-homemade-and-healthy-salad-dressings.htm

No comments:

Post a Comment