Mind/Body Weight Loss – Day 10
Mind/Body Weight Loss- Day 10
Week 2 Building Awareness– Just Say NO!
“This is your brain; this is your brain on processed foods”.
Many of us remember that commercial from our youth, the graphic portrayal of the brain as an egg being fried in a frying pan. Most people would agree that drugs can be harmful to the brain and nervous system, but how many think twice before eating a bag of MSG laden chips or a brand of their favorite diet soda? For example, MSG or Monosodium Glutamate is often dubbed as the additive in Chinese food, but MSG is found in most processed foods. Even if the label doesn’t specifically say MSG, it is often cleverly disguise by other names such as yeast extract, autolyzed yeast or hydrolyzed protein, among many others.
MSG is a powerful excitotoxin that is added to processed foods to enhance flavor. Glutamate is a naturally occurring substance in many foods; however the glutamate in question is a man-made, manufactured product that is potentially dangerous for everyone. MSG has no nutritional value, but that isn’t to say that it is an inert substance. It has been accused of causing many issues from mild GI disturbances to brain damage and neurodegenerative effects. In addition to being a flavor enhancer, it also alters the color and odor of the product. Some experts say that it even provides an addiction like response in the brain, which keeps consumers coming back for more. This same addictive process can be seen with another excitotoxin, aspartame. Aspartame is another additive which causes a wide range of effects on the body and may actually cause people to over eat when they think they are make the better choice.
