What’s the deal with salt?

Processing is evil.

Salt as you know it isn’t really salt at all

Salt gets a bad rap for its links to health problems, and it is certainly dangerous if only because of its prevalence in our diet.  As my grandfather used to say, “salt is poison!”  But I’d like to argue that it’s not salt we ought to fear; its the processing. 

What’s the deal with vegetable oil?

Killing you.

Warning: be prepared to clean out your cabinet.

Out of all the conversations I have related to healthy eating, one of the most common subjects is vegetable oil.  Like processed carbs, vegetable oil is an incredibly destructive part of our diet that seems to be completely innocuous.  So here’s the deal.

Today’s rant is a little technical, but it’s potent stuff. There are two main parts.  One involves the unstable chemical structure of vegetable oils, and the other involves omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

Organic means healthy

You're eating what he's pouring.

Organic produce really does aid long term well being.

There’s a lot of skepticism about organic foods, and for good reason.  Why should you shell out extra cash for foods that are supposed to be healthy in the first place, especially when you’re not sure what organic means?  Let’s clear that up today.

Aren’t I artificially sweet?

The tastiest source for brain leisions.

Artificial sweeteners lead to real death.

You might have gathered by now that I’m not a fan of the added sugar in our processed foods, whether in fruit juice or whole wheat bread or sphaghetti sauce or whatever else.

Does that mean you should grab a bowl of splenda and a spoon?

Sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin are all cancer causing chemicals that should be avoided. The situation is like this: the corporate funded studies generally find no problems, while the privately funded studies generally find significant problems.  Who should you trust?  And who do you think the FDA sides with?

Lies about “the bad” fat

Saturated fat won't give you heart disease

Eating margarine instead of butter is stupid.

Saturated fat has been railed again and again, mainly for being linked to heart disease.  This fear of saturated fat–found in animal fats, butter and other dairy products, and coconut oil–has no solid research to back it up.  Let’s look at the history of saturated fat use, the garbage research that caused this myth, and the real fat facts.

What’s the deal with bread?

Killing you?

Stop eating processed garbage carbs.

I hate to be the one to tell you if you this, but bread is not a health food.

Back in the day, say 150 years ago, bread used to always be a great, healthy, nutrient-dense food. There wasn’t white and wheat bread; there was just bread.  It was unprocessed and made from whole grains.  More on our unprocessed past from Mark Bittman.

Why is processing stupid?