Arsenic - in Baby, Organic and Energy Foods!

It's been all over the news this past year but last week Brian Williams of the NBC Nightly News shared Arsenic findings in Baby and Organic Foods, Energy Gels and Bars.  Just when you think you're eating healthy this airs on television and the world wide web.  The culprit is Brown Rice Syrup.


After scanning ingredient labels on packages in my pantry I found far too many containing Brown Rice Syrup.

How does the Arsenic get into the Brown Rice Syrup?

Back in the 1940s farmers used arsenic as a pesticide to treat soil, ward off moths, caterpillars, as a preservative for pressure treated wood, animal hides, in some glass manufacturing, and as an additive to harden lead and copper.   It was also used to ward off diseases such as syphilis and psoriasis from the 1800s to early 1900s, while some arsenic is still used to treat an uncommon blood cancer known as acute promyelocytic leukemia .  Although many years have come and gone it wasn't until 2009 that the EPA banned it from being used as a pesticide.

However, our soil has absorbed the arsenic and remains contaminated to this day. How is arsenic getting into Brown Rice Syrup, which claims to be a healthier substitute for sugar? 

Rice is grown on farms where soil has previously been sprayed with arsenic to protect plants from insects.  High levels of arsenic still present in the soil are then absorbed into our plants, grains, etc.  later to be harvested. 

Arsenic occurs in several forms, some thought to be more dangerous than others. Organic forms of arsenic can be found naturally in the soil, along with arsenic-based pesticides used before the EPA banned them in 2009. Rice, takes up more arsenic than all the other grains.

Inorganic arsenic is considered much more toxic than organic arsenic, causing cancer, skin lesions, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity and diabetes. 

Brown rice is produced when the outermost layer of a grain of rice (the husk) is removed. To produce white rice, the next layers underneath the husk (the bran layer and the germ) are removed, leaving mostly the starchy endosperm. Brown rice has a larger concentration in total arsenic and inorganic arsenic than white rice because the outer layer that's removed in white rice contains the inorganic arsenic. However, another form of arsenic can be found inside the grain of both white and brown rice.

Brown rice syrup, or rice syrup, is then made by culturing cooked rice with enzymes (to break down the starches), then straining off the liquid and reducing it by cooking until the desired consistency is reached. The final product is 45% maltose, 3% glucose, and 52% maltotriose. Even still, the arsenic in the brown rice remains after being converted to brown rice syrup.

Arsenic is found from baby foods to our water supply.  The EPA sets standards for levels of arsenic allowed in water but there are no standards set for our foods - that needs to change!  The question is, knowing that arsenic exists in these foods - will you continue to purchase them or eliminate them from your diet? With so many products and foods on the market it's hard to know what's safe anymore, even after reading the labels, and what to eliminate in my opinion.  People still smoke, eat and drink foods known to have health risks. In the end, it's your decision what to do once informed.

What are your thoughts? What will you do, if anything?

I've only touched on one issue while there are so many out there.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Healthier Eating in 2011!

We all know that eating an abundance of fresh fish, fruit and vegetables plus daily exercise is the best way to live a healthy lifestyle. However, for many it's a hard thing to do. We're well aware that fruits and vegetables contain disease-fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants, but most people do not realize whole grains are often an even better source of these key nutrients.

Whole grains have some valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables, as well as B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber.

The medical evidence is clear that whole grains reduces the risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Few foods can offer such diverse benefits.

People who eat whole grains regularly have a lower risk of obesity, in addition to lower cholesterol levels.

Because of the phytochemicals and antioxidants, people who eat three daily servings of whole grains have been shown to reduce their risk of heart disease by 25-36%, stroke by 37%, Type II diabetes by 21-27%, digestive system cancers by 21-43%, and hormone-related cancers by 10-40%.

Not a fan of whole grains? Well guess what? Most of us weren't years ago either but my family switched a long time ago. At first my kids were like why does the rice taste different, why is the pasta brown? Although we try to limit the amount of carbs that we eat, when we do it's in whole grain form.

Honestly, it's simple to make the switch. Switching to whole grains and other foods can give you more nutrition, more whole grain fiber and overall better health.

Here's a few easy tips to make that change over. I know you can do it. Think of it as the new and healthier you in 2011!









EAT HEALTHY WITH THESE EASY SWITCHING TIPS

Switch your breakfast cereal - Choose a whole-grain cereal: oatmeal , Cheerios, etc.










Switch white rice for brown rice - White rice has little nutrition. The action is all in the germ and kernel, which are removed from brown rice to make it white.
















Switch out rice for barley - Select whole or hull barley (with the bran intact) rather than the prettier pearled or hull-less barley. Why? Barley is even more nutritious than brown rice. It has even more dietary fiber and protein, and is rich in copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and selenium and zinc; plus vitamin B6, folate, niacin, riboflavin.

Switch white potatoes for sweet potatoes - Use sweet potatoes in all of your potato recipes: baked, French fried (try baked sweet potato fries), potato salad, etc. Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse, filled with dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Substitute mashed sweet potatoes or mashed cauliflower for mash white potatoes.

Switch your pasta to whole wheat - Given how much pasta Americans eat, this is one of the easiest ways to get more whole grain into our diet.

Switch your bread, bagels and crackers to whole wheat/whole grain varieties - If you can’t find whole grain crackers in your supermarket, you’ll find them at Whole Foods and other natural food markets—where you’ll also find whole grain hot dog and burger buns. Another very simple and healthy switch.

Make a bean dish at least once a week.













Make quinoa (one of the healthiest foods in the world) twice a week: as a side, in a salad, etc.

Try farro (spelt), another delicious whole grain.

Serve bean dip or hummus instead of mayonnaise and sour cream based dips. If you want a creamy dip, switch mayo and sour cream for fat-free Greek yogurt.

Snack on popcorn (a whole grain), tortilla chips (whole grain) and whole wheat pretzels instead of white-flour pretzels and potato chips.

Switch conventional potato chips for sweet potato chips.

Serve corn chips (whole grain) and whole-grain pretzels instead of potato chips.

Cook more of these whole grains: amaranth, barley, black/brown/red rice, buckwheat (kasha), bulgur (cracked wheat used to make tabbouleh), corn or cornmeal (including polenta), farro (spelt), kamut (khorasan wheat), millet, oats (oatmeal, whole or rolled oats), popcorn, quinoa, rye (whole), teff, whole wheat and wild rice.

It's really quite simple!

Of course, when snacking it's always best to make healthy choices. It's better to have fresh veggies and a healthy dip instead of chips. But if chips is the snack of choice make it whole grain.

Most of all do yourself a favor in 2011. By making healthier food choices you'll have an abundance of energy that you never knew you had and your body will be thanking you for how incredibly wonderful it feels.

If you'd like to learn some healthy recipes for the New Year contact me to sign up for my Mediterrean Feast in-home culinary class or for one or more of my Light and Fit class menus.

I Wish You a Happy and Healthy New Year!