BK is Sabotaging Your Life!

Have you ever sat back and looked at yourself and your family? I mean got in there and really looked…are you a family with extra weight as an issue, or maybe on medications, gets sick a lot and always at hospital or doctor? Does your teenager suffer from acne? Your little ones from ADD/ADHD? Are you always tired, hurting, or just run down? Maybe you want to take the family somewhere on your day off but too tired and unmotivated to do it?

I know from time to time we all can feel slow but if your family and/or you suffer from the issues above, then maybe you need to do an assessment of your food lifestyle.

We think we do the best for our family but sometimes convenience is hard to pass over. We want something quick and easy and cheap. Right now, Burger King is offering a 5 piece “meal” for $4. It is a drink, burger, nuggets, fries and cookie. More than likely, you pass at least one if not more on your way home from work or ball practice or school each day. 

With this offer, who can refuse…let’s break down each item for its nutritional value.

The top picture is the one they use for the advertisement and the other photo (below) is the actual nutritional value that BK puts on their website. There are no ingredients on this page…just this information that should have you scratching your head.

Ingredients are harder to find. Here is the BK cheeseburger. All ingredients are from Foodfacts.com. The number in parenthesis is the number of ingredients. On Foodfacts.com, all had a failing score of an F (even the coke) except the French fries and it was a C+.

Cheeseburger ingredients (105)

Sesame Seeds Bun(Flour Enriched[Wheat Flour, Barley Malted Flour, Or, Alpha amylase, from, Aspergillus oryzae Enzyme, Niacin Vitamin B3, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate Vitamin B1, Riboflavin Vitamin B2, Ascorbic Acid, Folic Acid Vitamin B9], Water, Corn Syrup High Fructose, Or, Sucrose Granulated, Or, Liquid, Vegetables[Canola, and/or, Soy], and/or, Soybeans, and/or, Cottonseed Oil, Yeast, Contains 2% or less of the Following: (, Salt, Wheat Gluten Vital, Sesame Seeds, Yeast Food[May contain one or more of :,Calcium Sulphate, Ammonium Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate], Dough Conditioners[May contain one or more of :, Wheat Starch, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sorbitol, Sodium Chloride,Magnesium Stearate, Monoglyceride Distilled, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide, Mono And Diglycerides Ethoxylated, Calcium Peroxide, Calcium Stearoyl 2 Lactylate, Datem, L Cysteine],Enzymes, Mold Inhibitor[Calcium Propionate, and/or, Sorbic Acid], Vinegar, Turmeric Oleoresin, Blue 1, Soy Lecithin)Soy Flour, Corn Starch), Beef Patty(Beef Ground),Cheese American Pasteurized Process(Milk Cultured, Water, Cream, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Sorbic Acid, Preservative, Sodium Phosphate, Colors Artificial[May contain one or more of :, Annatto Extract, Beta APO 8 Carotenal, Beta Carotene, Canthaxanthin, Paprika Oleoresin, Tumeric Oleoresin], Enzymes, Acetic Acid, Lecithin), Ketchup(Tomatoes Concentrate, Made From, Tomatoes Ripe, Vinegar Distilled, Corn Syrup High Fructose, Corn Syrup, Salt, Spices, Onions Powder, Flavoring Natural[Plant Source]), Mustard(Water, Vinegar Distilled, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric),Pickles(Cucumbers, Water, Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Or, Contains less than 1/10 of 1% of, Sodium Benzoate, As Preservatives, Alum, and/or, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Flavors Natural[Plant Source],Yellow 5,

  

French Fries (salted) ingredients (15)

French Fries, :, Potatoes, Soybeans Oil, Or, Canola, and, Palm Oil, Potatoes Starch Modified, Rice Flour, Potatoes Dextrin, Salt, Leavening(Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Dextrose, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, To Protect Color

BK Nuggets

Boneless chicken breast with rib meat, water, isolated oat product, potato starch, seasoning (modified corn starch, salt, maltodextrin, yeast extract, chicken stock, flavors, wheat starch, dextrose, propylene glycol and citric acid), salt, sodium phosphates. BATTERED WITH: Water, yellow corn flour, wheat flour, wheat starch, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate), dextrose, spice. BREADED WITH: Wheat flour, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), spices, salt.  Breading set in vegetable oil.

Cookie

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies 96g ingredients (35)Wheat Enriched Bleached Flour(Niacin Vitamin B3, Iron Reduced, Thiamine Mononitrate Vitamin B1, Riboflavin Vitamin B2, Folic Acid Vitamin B9), Chocolate Semisweet(Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin, Vanillin, Flavors Natural), Margarine(Soybeans Oil, Soybeans Oil Partially Hydrogenated, Water, Salt, Whey, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Mono and Diglycerides, Flavors Artificial, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Palmitate), Sugar Brown, Sugar, Eggs, Corn Syrup, Molasses, Baking Soda, Vanilla Extract, Salt

Original Formula ingredients (6)

Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Natural Flavors, Caffeine.

Now let us compare a chicken dinner put in a crock pot.

Here is the recipe for a chicken tortilla soup. I randomly chose a recipe on Allrecipe.com. I have not tried this but I want to show a comparison.

Ingredients

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (17)

8 servings

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken

1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed

1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

 1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

7 corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

Nutritional Information

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 Serving

Servings Per Recipe: 8

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 262

Calories from Fat: 97

% Daily Value *

Total Fat: 10.8

Saturated Fat: 2.5

Cholesterol: 45

Sodium: 893

Total Carbohydrates: 24.7

** Sugars: 4.4

Dietary Fiber: 3.8

Protein: 18

Vitamin A - IU: 586

Vitamin C: 20

Calcium: 63

Iron: 2

** Potassium: 472

** Thiamin: < 1

** Niacin Equivalents: 8

** Vitamin B6: < 1

** Magnesium: 51

** Folate: 28

So as you see, without even modifying the recipe, it is hands down much more valuable to your body than BK could ever be. So it may be easier to stop by BK or any other fast food place on the way home but in the long run it is not. 

Actually this recipe looks good. I am going to have to try it now! I challenge you to start a cleansing. Rid your body and your families’ bodies of things that are poisoning you. Stop killing yourself and others and be more energetic. Feel better inside and out. You will definitely look better too. 

New Year

I had something completely different planned for today but got inspired by the New Year. The beginning of a new year marks the time for many to make changes in their lives. This may be to lose a few pounds, stop smoking, or even resolutions like saving money. I hate resolutions and have never been able to keep them. I guess that is why I always seem to make changes on the spur of the moment.

As you know, my husband and I moved to Germany about two and a half years ago. At that time I was hefty (to say the least) and knew I needed to lose a few pounds. I tried dieting and exercise and no matter what, I could not lose a pound. In fact, I was gaining around a pound a week. It was out of control. Between the weight and the hurting I knew things had to change but I didn't think I was strong enough. 

First were the cigarettes. I could not breathe and was suffering from bronchitis every few months. I just quit them cold turkey. It was easier than I thought it would be. I was done with them. I kept a pack around so as not to feel deprived. After quitting smoking, however, I was gaining momentum on the weight gain. 

I decided my next step was the aspartame. I have shared my journey on the withdrawals. It was bad but I made it through. It took about three months in all to be totally free of the withdrawals of aspartame. I did switch my aspartame to organic sugar and stevia at the time.  The sugar and the no smoking was still pushing my weight upwards. However, my body was starting to feel better.

I then went off gluten, wheat, and sugar. It was well worth the hard work and suffering. I do not think I can preach enough about the dangers of refined sugars, flours, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods. Without this junk in your life, you change and for the better. I actually got stronger the more crap I quit. It seemed to fuel my drive when I would feel better each step I took. When I quit the sugar, the combination of feeling better and losing weight really excited me. 

For the New Year, I weighed. I have a terrible fear of the scales. It takes a long pep talk to get me on the scales. In the past two years, the scales kept climbing and it was terrifying and traumatizing. When I got up on that scale today, I nearly jumped for joy...down 26 pounds since I quit sugars in October.

Now I am not exercising at this moment. We walk our dog after dinner each evening and that is the extent of my exercise. I do plan on starting up. I used to jog and I miss it however, I tried it before quitting sugars and I could not handle the pain. I am much better now and think I can pick it up slowly. I would love to do a couch to 5k training. I am giving my body time to adjust and heal from the changes I have made. 

It is little things you notice when you quit toxins. Like my skin. It is soft and clearer looking. I used to think it looked grayish and sallow but now it is more of a pink color. The oil on my face, chest and back are now under control. I used to chronically itch because of gluten but that has stopped. I could not even stand the smell of coconut. I thought maybe I was allergic to it but it must have been a sensitivity and now I have no problems with it in fact I use it all the time. I use coconut oil to clean my face, brush my teeth, on my legs and under my arms. It is so versatile and I love it.

I try to keep chemicals and toxins down to a minimal. You can start slowly and phase out small chemicals and toxins at first. I will tell you this from my experience, when changing hygiene products out for natural products, it is best to start with detoxing sugar from your body. Sugar will make you stink and will make it harder for detoxing. I started with my deodorant a couple of years ago and it was a smelly process. It took me over a month to get the “body odor” smell under control. I realized later it was the sugars and other chemicals that I eat that made me smell so badly.

I know the subject of toxins, chemicals, GMOs, refined sugars, and added sugars can seem overwhelming but it really is simple…if the ingredients have words that you cannot understand then it is no good for you. You should not be using boxed or canned foods as often. I know our cupboard barely has canned food in it because I make everything from scratch.

I do not count points or diet. I make lifestyle changes. I think differently about foods and therefore my attitude towards clean eating is healthier. I even have my husband cook with me so he too can look differently at what he eats. I do not force anything upon him and he still has his moments. Recently he brought home a pint of ice cream. Normally I would have my own or just eat half of his but I did not even think about it. I just added up the grams of sugar he was consuming and put it up on the refrigerator. I do not crave sweets like I used to anymore. If I want something sweet, I eat some of the homemade granola bars. I know what is in them because I make them every week and they are so tasty.

If you are ready to change your lifestyle and put your body on the natural track, then stick around. I also have a Facebook page and Twitter account where I post tips. You can look on my Google account and get recipes. Shoot me an email or comment and let me know what you think.

 Next post will be about pot bellies… not the pig. 

Sweet Poison

After finishing the first part of this series, I had a major headache. It was probably my "holes" barking!  But I think it was all the technical terms and trying to simplify the best I could. I made it through and now I am powering on.

Aspartame is made up of 50% Phenylalanine, 40% Aspartic Acid, and 10% Methanol. We have explored what happens with phenylalanine and aspartic acid once they become isolates. They are launched into the blood stream in a matter of a few minutes as opposed to 12-20 hours as an amino acid. Once in the blood stream they bombard the brain as excitotoxins. Once the cells has been exposed to the isolate, they start a chain reaction that results in the death of the cell which leaves holes in the brain. Because of the increase of calcium, these holes are filled with excess calcium. The calcium then leads to such things as memory loss and seizures.

But what about the formaldehyde?

Phenylalanine and methanol have a bond called methyl ester and it is very weak. This is what produces the sweet taste of aspartame however, heating it up can cause the bond to break, the drink not to be sweet and the drink to be straight poisonous methanol.

When methanol enters the body, it enters small structures in a cell called peroxisomes. The peroxisomes then turns the methanol into formaldehyde which in some animals, not humans, is then tuned in to harmless formic acid. The formaldehyde is stored in the mitochondrial DNA and the nucleic DNA poisoning them. These storage cells are in certain areas of the body that avoid being filtered through the liver. The damage that is done to the DNA can cause the cell to function inadequately or having an unbalanced homeostasis which can cause diseases. Methanol and formaldehyde are carcinogenic and mutagenic.

So we see that the isolates and the methanol have a way of hurting our brains within hours of consumption, but what about over time? What if you have been drinking aspartame for 10, 15 or even 20 years?

Well folks I am here to tell you what happens in 15 years…you feel like death is knocking on your door. Your doctors think that you are a hypochondriac. Your husband feels the same way and you begin to wonder if there is really anything wrong with you at all.

I had been to a couple of neurologists, had two MRI's of the brain, been on a few medications, and was told I had fibromyalgia (basically they could not figure out what was wrong with me). Yes I hurt and I still do but not like I used to.

I had numbness, tingling, heart palpitations, aches, pains, muscle twitches, and the list goes on. Each time I went in to the see the doctor, the list either grew larger or it included a new area. Everything was random. They checked me for MS, Lyme disease, VD, strokes, you name it. And each time there was nothing they could find.

I was so sick of being old before my time. One day I was talking with our real estate guy and he told me that a colleague had the same issues and realized it was diet sodas. I was like, no way could this be caused by aspartame. I had researched it many times and finally over four years later, I realized I had no choice but to see if it was the aspartame.

I think if only the doctors would have been more concerned and asked me about whether or not I consumed aspartame that I could have been over this years ago but it did not happen. It was just take this and you will be better. I do not believe the doctors know about the dangers of aspartame. They are not taught and unless they do the research themselves they do not know what it looks like or how it affects a patient.

But I am done blaming others and only blame myself. After nearly 15 years of drinking the poison, I quit it cold turkey. It was not easy.

 Aspartame toxicity/poison is real. You can find a lot of answers online. I am including a link to others who have fought the good fight with aspartame. I am a smarter person because of my past addictions. I now want to know what I put in my body. The FDA, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, commercials, et cetera do not care about you and only want to make a buck or two. You are the only person that can stand up and fight for what goes in your body. I just wish I had known this years ago instead of just following the sheep.

I may not have all the correct “science” down for what happens when you ingest aspartame but I do know this…it will hurt you. It will cause dain bramage. Been there, got the holes to prove it!

Here is a testimonial website online about aspartame users and their stories. http://www.aspartametestimonials.com

The Breakdown

It is important to know what goes on in your body when you drink a diet soda. The combination of the two amino acids and wood alcohol result in major bodily harm. I will try to explain the makeup of aspartame and the effects it has on your body.

Proteins are made up of a chain of amino acids. Aspartic acid is a nonessential amino acid, meaning that it is produced by the body whereas phenylalanine is an essential amino acid. When ingested, the protein is broken down slowly by your gut and the amino acids are absorbed into the blood system. The amino acids are then picked up by enzymes that carry the amino acid to where it belongs in your body.  However, aspartic acid and phenylalanine are isolates when used in aspartame and do not absorb the same way as a regular amino acid.

An isolate is when an amino acid has been artificially separated from the rest of the protein chain. Once the isolate enters the body it acts as a neurotoxin instead amino acid.

Neurotoxins are poisonous and destructive to nerve tissue. When the isolate aspartic acid and phenylalanine are ingested into the body, they are launched straight into the blood system where they are distributed as excitotoxins. An excitotoxin overstimulates neurotransmitter receptors (the brain’s communication) causing them to become exhausted.

There are three main excitotoxins: aspartate, glutamate, and cysteine which are added to the foods we eat. Most know glutamate as a monosodium glutamate or MSG.

The Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) and the Cervical Spinal Fluid (CSF) are the two ways in which excitotoxins reach the unprotected part of the brain, the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus job is to keep the body in balance (homeostasis).  It is linked with the nervous system and the endocrine system through the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus stimulates or inhibits your crucial body processes such as:

• Heart rate and blood pressure
• Body temperature
• Fluid and electrolyte balance, including thirst
• Appetite and body weight
• Glandular secretions of the stomach and intestines
• Production of substances that influence the pituitary gland to release hormones
• Sleep cycles

The transportation of the excitotoxins across the BBB and CSF cause several reactions to take place.

1. They trigger the nerves to fire excessively.
2. Normal enzyme actions are negated due to phenylalanine and aspartic acid.  
3. The energy system becomes compromised from
4. Depleted intercellular ATP stores and from
5. The presence of formaldehyde also from
6. Changed intracellular calcium uptake and
7. Damage to cellular mitochondria and
8. Destruction of the cellular wall and the
9. Release of free radicals (unstable molecules looking to steal an electron from a stable molecule causing a chain reaction and disruption of the living cell).
10. All potentially causing oxidative stress and neurodegeneration and
11. Promotion of DNA structural defects.

Within the next 1-12 hours, cellular death occurs. The dead cells leave behind lesions or holes in the brain. 

However, this is only the short-term effect of the amino acids found in aspartame and does not include cumulative or long-term nor formaldehyde damage. I will explain more of the damage of aspartame in the next post.