Introduction

"Go Natural for Good Health"

In the decade between the 1980s and 1990s, Nancy Pidutti wrote many local health columns. Later, she wrote a two-and-a-half year, monthly health newsletter, called “Let’s Be Healthy.”

She will be sharing some updated versions from her newsletter on a wide variety of topics.

You might find her newest book, “How to Stay Healthy in a World Gone Mad: A Handbook for Kingdom Living,” an interesting addition to these columns.

Don’t Get Hi on Hi-Fructose Corn Syrup

After World War 2 people began to acquire a taste for something sweet. Sugar was the first sweetener to become popular. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was added in the 1950s. When it made its arrival, it quickly became a go-to in all kinds of foods and beverages. 

HFCS is made from corn starch. The chain of glucose molecules is broken down into single ones. The result is HFCS. (Can you recall pecan pies made with dark Karo syrup?)

Doctor Don Colbert, MD was one of the first to sound an alarm. In 2014. His concern was based on research studies done at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina. They found that some patients who had cirrhosis of the liver, especially non-drinkers with fatty liver disease were liberally consuming fructose in their foods.

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Danger Ahead.  Sucralose (Splenda) is Chlorinated Sugar!

Many people use artificial sweeteners assuming they will help them lose weight. However, the opposite is true for many. It increases appetite in animal research labs. What do you think that will do for you

The fact is that it messes with your body chemistry making you want to eat more food. That becomes a real problem for diabetics and others with blood sugar problems.

Here is one challenge: When Splenda is used in baking, it begins to break down and interact with an element in fat molecules called glycerol. This creates substances called chloropropanols. These may raise the risk of triggering cancer. Healthline.com “Sucralose (Splenda): Good or Bad?"

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Aspartame is Far From Being Tame

Your children may be in danger from consuming food dyes, but they and the adults who care for them are vulnerable where artificial sweeteners are concerned.

Saccharine was one of the first artificial sweeteners. It was made from coal tar. It had a bitter aftertaste which left people wanting something more pleasant for a sweetener.

Cyclamate came along but was later banned in 1970 because the Food and Drug Administration had suspicions that it might cause cancer. (Since then they have become much less stringent in banning food additives.)

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Yellow Isn't Very Mellow

Did you know that the state of California is considering banning some food dyes in school meals? The ones they are considering include blue 1 and 2, green 3, red 40, yellow 5 and ,6 and titanium dioxide. theguardian.com

What they are asking isn’t unreasonable since some of the manufacturers no longer use them when they ship their products to certain European countries. Many there are much more ready to protect their food supply than the FDA has been for our nation. 

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A Rainbow of Toxins in Our Children’s Foods

I’m going to change horses in mid-stream, so to say. There are many other helpful nutrients I could write about, including more vitamins and a large list of minerals and other goodies. However, I’ve become increasingly concerned about the chemicals put into our foods, especially those aimed at children. So, I’m going to begin a series to help you learn to be savvy and protective for the sake of your children and grands.

Food dyes have been with us for a long time. They started out being manufactured from coal tar. Sound tasty? Now they are made from petroleum. Yum? Many have other additives which is why they are classed as “artificial food dyes.”

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Beneficial Biotin, Vitamin B7

Biotin has been called by other names, such as Vitamin H, and B7. It does some of the same types of actions as other B family members do. It helps with digestion and utilization of carbs, proteins and fats.

It's very helpful to pregnant women as it can overcome extreme nausea and vomiting. If a woman is deficient, it may increase the possibility of a baby coming prematurely and may restrict its growth and proper development.

If a woman chooses to breastfeed her baby, it's suggested that she may need two or three times the amount of biotin that she would normally take during pregnancy. health.com. "Benefits of Biotin."

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The Paradox of Pyridoxine B 6)

Most people haven't heard that Vitamin B 6 exists. However, according to ods.od.nih.gov it's involved in over 100 enzyme processes in your body. They're mainly related to the way your body uses and metabolizes protein, as well as certain carbs and fats.

B 6 strengthens your immune system by helping produce white blood cells and hemoglobin in red blood cells. The particular WBC are those that remove viruses and bacteria. The hemoglobin in RBC, on the other hand, are the oxygen carriers to your cells. As hemoglobin passes into the cell, the cell releases carbon dioxide, which is then carried back to the lungs where it's expelled in your breath.

Remember, I've told you that it's best to take the B family together because they are interdependent? There are several Bs that help maintain proper heart function. Each has a specific action, and by working as a team, they are much more effective and efficient. B6 is one of the team.

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Put a B in Your Bonnet For Mental Clarity

We don't hear much about Vitamin B 5 or pantothenic acid. However, it's important to your health and wholeness in a wide variety of ways. Without it, you will have difficulty digesting and getting the good from protein, carbs or carbohydrates as well as fats. That touches all of the real food that you eat.

Every food or nutrient has a huge repertoire of things it does in and for the body. They all break down into natural chemicals. The body recognizes these but does not always know what to do with the synthetic ones in processed foods. It will try to detox them, but some get stored in fat. That can create toxic reactions down the road.

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