For most of us artificial dyes have
been flying far below the radar for much too long! Unfortunately it isn’t our
generations that are going to be affected the most, it’s our children and our
children’s children. That’s a scary thought. We spend so much time trying to
protect our children and the honest truth is that we may be the very ones
harming them the most. This world needs so many things to keep it going round,
but our bodies need 3 main ingredients. They are oxygen, water, and the most
important FOOD. Not imitation unreal makeshift food, we need legit natural
delicious food.
It is easy to dismiss the effects of
artificial dyes since our parents nor ourselves have not had quite as much
exposure. We are not feeling or seeing the side affects that occur when exposed
to large amounts. It is quickly catching up with us though. Everyday we are
seeing more and more people that are losing quality of life due to the “food”
they are putting into their bodies.
Since our
food has dramatically changed in the last 30 years, we are going to start to see
more evidence of the negative effects of artificial dyes. That scares me. Food
that I grew up on is quickly being exposed as unhealthy and some have even been
found to be dangerous. Like I said though, we are not the ones that are going
to be affected the most. It’s going to be our poor, innocent, and uneducated
children. We have an obligation as parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents,
caregivers, teachers, and doctors to make sure that we teach our children how
to take care of themselves. The problem is though that we are not educated
enough to take care of our own bodies, let alone pass healthy habits onto our
children. Since they will be exposed to these products longer during their
lifetime, their risk increases dramatically. There is a VERY good chance they
will experience the negative side effects of artificial dyes.
Not only do
they have to worry about these artificial dyes, but they are also the ones that
most of these companies target. They use well-known cartoons and action figures
to promote their brands. This makes the battle for a caregiver ten times worse.
Not only do they have to battle the “delicious” taste of these products but
they also have to battle their “hero’s” being on the packaging. Ugh. The
unfortunate part is that we really can’t blame ourselves as caregivers, because
we are constantly being fed new information and its not always the correct
information.
Over the
years there have been 24 artificial dyes used in our food products. By the year
1978, 17 of these have been banned and labeled as “unsafe”. So what makes those
other 7 artificial dyes different? Not. A. Darn. Thing.
Still used
in our foods are the dyes; red 3, blue 1, blue 2, green 3, yellow 5, yellow 6
and red 40. They don’t sound bad or
dangerous, until I tell you that these dyes are made from petroleum and coal
tar. Now I hope I have your brain spinning and no that isn’t a typo. No wonder
we are getting sicker and sicker as a whole that’s just plain disgusting.
Not only
are these artificial dyes made from less than appealing chemicals, but they are
also known to cause some health risks. These risks include cancer, allergic
reactions, asthma, eczema, migraines, hyperactivity, and behavioral problems in
children. I hope you are all thinking what I was when I learned these facts;
what in the heck do we use them for then? Well we use them to make our food
more appealing although they provide absolutely NO nutritional value. Seems
kind of silly to me.
Our bodies
don’t need “attractive” food to survive they need REAL food to survive. We also
need real food to function properly and live an energetic lifestyle. Isn’t that
what every caregiver hopes to give their child? I know I wish that for every
child out there. Most parents think that it is too big of a hassle to worry
about this one thing. If it’s in our food then it must be okay, because our
government wouldn’t steer us in the wrong direction. Ha. I will leave my
comments on that topic to myself, but lets be serious we all know our
government often has ulterior motives. It is each of our individual jobs to
keep our children safe and if you don’t believe me do some research. The facts
are there. If you don’t act now, I have a feeling we will all regret it down
the road.
My tips to
you all are:
·
Read nutrition labels. If you can’t pronounce it
should you really be putting it into your or your child’s body?
·
Cook as much of your own REAL food as possible. That
way you know exactly what is going into your food and your family’s bodies.
·
If you must eat out with your family don’t be
afraid to ask exactly what is in the food you order. You are paying for it and
personally I think that gives you the right to know.
·
Provide fruits and vegetables as snacks for your
children. You can’t go wrong with fruits and vegetables. If you want to take it
a step farther grow your own garden.
·
If you have any questions or concerns it is
better to not put it into yours or your child’s body.
Artificial dyes are scary and
unhealthy no matter how you look at them. What’s even scarier is knowing that
we are putting these into our children on a daily, shoot hourly, basis. If you
still don’t understand or believe all the hype, then please do some of your own
research. You owe that to your children as well as yourself. I know most people
want to live to be able to meet their grandchildren. It can’t hurt right?
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