Andrea Donsky

A great reference guide for anyone wanting to eat healthier.

This book is a great reference guide for anyone looking to recognize food ingredients that are bad or harmful while also wanting to learn about healthy food options and alternatives. In Unjunk Your Junk Food the first chapter helps you recognize and identify ingredients on food labels. These ingredients include fat, sugar, calories, fiber, enriched, fat-free, lite and light, low cholesterol, low fat, no added sugar, no salt, and many others including organic terms. Chapter two goes into more details on fats, protein, fiber and vitamins and minerals found in foods. Chapter three concentrates on the worst ingredients in food, which include sugar, sodium, food additives, artificial flavors and more. In the book, you are also presented with a chart listing red ingredients, those which should be avoided and yellow ingredients, those one should use with caution.

The main part of the book has comparisons regarding specific food items. With unhealthy products on the left side of the page, compared to a similar healthy alternative on the right side of the page. For easy reference each comparison contains a bad choice seal, naturally savvy seal of approval, ingredients, thumbs-down, thumbs-up, thumbs neutral, savvy pick and an honorable mention. At the end of the book you can find a glossary and a list of naturally savvy approved brands.

I found the product comparisons very interesting and I gave a search through my own pantry and fridge looking for unhealthy ingredients on labels. What I did find was pretty surprising. One item I took a look at closer was Miracle Whip, which at first does not look to bad considering its list of ingredients is short. However I found it contain the preservative potassium sorbate which is used by many food companies to extend the shelf life of products. Potassium sorbate is another one of those ingredients the FDA lists as safe yet for those who are sensitive sorbates have been linked to asthma, skin rashes and diarrhea.

This book makes it easy to spot-identify food ingredients at a moments notice. One highlight for me is how calorie counting is not as important as being aware of ingredients listed. I found that some food and drinks, although they contain more calories, are actually healthier options than others that may be lower in calories. This left me wondering why companies place the calories at the top of the list to begin with.… (plus d'informations)