Most of us with type 2 diabetes have
been warned about consuming fast food because of the added sugars and
high carbohydrate content. Now we have an even more important reason- new research suggests that the packaging it comes in might be
harmful as well. The study, which took place at the Silent Spring
Institute in Newton, Massachusetts, found that the wrappers and boxes
in which fast food is typically served are often sources of dangerous
chemicals that can leach into your food.
For the study, more than 400 packaging
samples were obtained from restaurants across the United States. An
analysis of the material showed that 46 percent of the paper wrappers
and 20 percent of the paperboard boxes contained fluorine. Fluorine
- the most reactive nonmetallic element, a pale-yellow, corrosive,
toxic gas that occurs combined, especially in fluorite, cryolite,
phosphate rock, and other minerals.
Fluorine is a compound used in a number
of chemicals including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane
sulfonic acid (PFOS), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which were
added to fabrics, carpeting, furniture, and more for many years to
increase their stain resistance, and cookware to make it non-stick.
While American manufacturers began to phase them out as of 2011, some
countries have not. And clearly, from the results of this study,
they are still being used in fast food packaging due to their ability
to limit the spread of the grease from the food.
People think it is great that the
chicken nuggets and French fries will not leave a grease stain on the
seat of the car or on your clothes, but the problem is that these
chemicals are absorbed into our bodies. We are exposed to them
regularly, as we breathe them in our air and drink them in our water.
They also leach into our food through contact with these wrappings
and boxes.
Fluorinated chemicals have been
detected in blood samples of approximately 98 percent of adults and
children, and even in umbilical cords. They have been linked to such
conditions as kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease,
fertility problems, arthritis, and immune system disorders. Plus,
these toxins are known to remain in our bodies for several years.
Needless to say, it seems pretty obvious that we now have one more
excellent reason for eliminating fast food from our diets, as well as
one more excellent reason for regularly detoxing.
Don't let yourself fall into the trap
of saying you’ll only have fast food every once in a while. After
all, it’s so convenient, with drive-throughs practically on every
corner and pizza places that deliver dinner to your doorstep. But
you just have to think ahead so you won’t have to fight the urge to
give in.
If your issue is a certain night or two
of the week that you’re extra busy and don’t have time to cook,
make a plan. You can cook a double batch of food the evening before
and have leftovers ready. Or buy easy-to-prepare items you can throw
together for a quick meal that’s still nutritious such as a salad
with veggies, nuts, and hard-boiled eggs or wraps with strips of
vegetables and chicken. For those nights when you think you’ll be
too hungry to wait until you get home, keep a baggie of homemade
trail mix in your car to get you over the hump.
If, on the other hand, you opt for fast
food sometimes because you just love the taste of it, try to make
healthier versions of your favorites at home. You can make pizza
with a whole-grain dough or cauliflower crust, fresh veggies as tasty
toppings, and keep the mozzarella to a minimum. If it’s a burger
and fries you crave, make a turkey or chicken burger using organic
meat. It may not offer the same greasy consistency as a fast food
beef burger, but if you top it off with onion slices, lettuce, and
tomato, you’ll still enjoy plenty of flavor. And you can slice up
sweet potatoes, season them with paprika or a little cayenne pepper,
and bake them for a lower-calorie, more nutritious side dish.
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