Yeah! We made it to the end of the week! The information that I have for today, is a little muddled in my mind. There is sooooo much information and this is something I definitely urge everyone to research further on there own. The topic of my choice for today it MSG, monosodium glutamate. I am more than willing to admit to my own ignorance, thinking that this is something that is sometimes in Chinese food, but most restaurants have a sign that says no MSG so I thought I was fine. I thought the only thing that MSG did was give you diarrhea, and help the food taste better, because it was like a spice of some sort. I was alarmed when Danny came home from school having learned more about it, and started reading labels. First I didn't realize that MSG was short for monosodium glutamate. It was draw dropping to see just how many of the foods in my pantry had it in them. Once I knew the long name, I decided it was time to research it. I believe Danny when he comes home and tells me what he has learned but I always do my own research, so that when I tell someone why I am doing something, I know all the reasons first hand. The research that I did initially was enough to make me get rid of some of the easy things, or find replacements for others. But it is literally in so many food items that it is difficult to eliminate it completely. I would be lying if I said that it was 100% out of my house. There are so many different aspects of why MSG is dangerous so I am sure I will revisit this on another Friday. However, I urge everyone to do some serious looking of there own onto the dangers of MSG. Instead of posting a portion of an article I am including some great links, as well as some general information.
MSG's job is to trick the brain about the food that you are eating. Making you sense more protein, and nutrition benefit than is actually there. Causing you to eat more, and enable the the food company to put less of real ingredients in the food. This is why MSG is labeled as a culprit in causing weight gain. It makes you eat more. At first I thought seriously, can an ingredient really trick you into thinking these things and eating more? But then, a few months ago I read an article in Forbes about the company who makes MSG pushing to put it in all food in nursing homes to help the elderly who have failure to thrive eat more. The left out the part about it working on the brain and not the stomach or taste buds, but non the less admitted that it would/could make you eat more.
I grew up thinking MSG would give you diarrhea. I was right, it is estimated that some 60% of the population has a sensitivity to MSG, and the result is diarrhea. Okay now is the moment for a possible amount of TMI (to much information). After eating certain foods I would always have to make a run for the toilet, and often times felt like I would certainly die while there. My mother, and sister suffer from this as well. It could hit at the worst times, driving in the car, on a date, on the phone just to name a few. We are very familiar with all of the gas station between Salt Lake and San Diego, and not because we had a small gas tank. In our family it is affectionately called a "gas attack". After reading up on MSG I realized that we all suffer in some degree from MSG sensitivity. As we have changed our diet in the past few years my "attacks" have become virtually non existent. I daresay this is from eliminating the vast amounts of vast food that I was eating, because again I was shocked at how many things in my home contained it. Small example almost ALL ketchup contains MSG, under the title "natural flavor."
It's in cream of chicken soup, bad new for mormon funeral potatoes... (I have struggled with this one since that soup is in a lot of good recipes...)
There are so many other ways MSG can affect you and I again urge all of you to look into this as some point in time. Even if it isn't right now. I know that with aspartame, it took me about 6 months until I got informed. The reason I waited wasn't because I didn't want to know but I wasn't ready to embrace the information I received and make a change. Again I am still trying to wrap my head around MSG and eliminating it from out diet ( this is complicated by the fact that it goes by several names). But I am starting the elimination process, and I am aware that to be 100% free of it is most likely not possible. But I want to get rid of as much of is as I can!
What is MSG?
http://msgmyth.com/
These ALWAYS contain MSG:
Glutamate
Glutamic acid
Gelatin
Monosodium glutamate
Calcium caseinate
Textured protein
Monopotassium glutamate
Sodium caseinate
Yeast nutrient
Yeast extract
Yeast food A
Autolyzed yeast
Hydrolyzed protein
(any protein that is hydrolyzed) Hydrolyzed corn gluten Natrium glutamate (natrium is Latin/German for sodium
YIKES!For more sources of MSG
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