GRAND Magazine - April 2009 - (Page 43)

“sugarless” or “no sugar.” Lots of low-calorie snacks are marketed as such because they swap out the real thing for artificial sugars. Look for names such as NutraSweet, Sweet’N Low, Equal, Splenda, sucralose and aspartame. Problem: Artificial sweeten- ers are known hazards. Aspartame, considered a ticking time bomb by scientists, may actually stimulate appetite and bring on a craving for carbohydrates. In addition, aspartame contains methanol, which the body breaks down into formaldehyde, one of the main substances pumped into corpses during the embalming process! CliCk oN PlAY BuTToN iN CoNTrol PANel To view viDeo. obesity—a prime risk factor for type 2 diabetes, which is on the rise. 4. Do your beverages or food contain high-fructose corn syrup? Yes  No  Don’t know  Hint: Most brands of soda, even natural ones, are sweetened mainly with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the product of a complex industrial process in which starch is extracted from corn and converted into glucose and fructose. HFCS is also ubiquitous in condiments, snacks and “sugary” beverages, even if those drinks are not classified as “soda.” 5. Do you use Teflon-coated or other nonstick cookware? Yes  No  Don’t know  of nonstick cookware have a toxic coating. leach an artificial estrogen known as bisphenol A. This chemical is linked to increased risk of miscarriage and birth defects, as well as prostate cancer. Scratches in the plastic, harsh detergents and boiling liquids exacerbate the leaching. Hint: Almost all brands Problem: Most nonstick cookware gives off odorless, toxic fumes when used with high heat. The fumes are known to kill pet birds. 7. Do you store your food in plastic? Yes  No  Don’t know  Hint: Tupperware and other storage containers are commonly made with polycarbonate plastic or polyvinyl chloride. 6. Do you or your children drink from plastic bottles that leach BPA? Yes  No  Don’t know  Hint: Not all plastics are equal. Check the bottom of your bottles for the recycling number. Problem: Hard polycarbonate (#7 recycling number) bottles may Problem: Plastic containers leach Problem: Researchers agree that HFCS is a major contributor to Americans’ calorie intake and a significant cause of overweight and toxic chemicals into the food they store. The dangers increase when food is heated in these plastic containers, since the heat breaks down the plastic and destabilizes it, thus increasing the release of toxic chemicals into your food. APRIL 2009 GRAND 43

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - April 2009

GRAND Magazine - April 2009 GRAND View Contents GRAND Central Editor's Podcast Lettuce Love You Bewitched, Betwixt and Tween Ask Grand: The Toxic Mom The Breakfast Club Sibling Boosters Will They Be Misfits? A Return to Elegance What Makes Us Sick? A Quiz Resources GRAND Finale

GRAND Magazine - April 2009

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