I am not a doctor.  I have not done any lab research on this topic, but I have witnessed the effects of preservatives and other chemicals in foods first hand.  We as consumers blindly trust the foods that we purchase at our grocers, because we trust the FDA and other government agencies to ensure food safety.  The reality is they cannot guarantee that the ridiculous cocktails of chemicals now found in many processed foods are safe.  They may test the safety of a single chemical, but it would be impossible to test the exponential combinations of these chemicals within a food or within a combination of different processed foods eaten at one sitting.

My first-hand experience with this issue occurred about two years ago.  It involved my wife, Claudia, collapsing in a parking lot while on vacation in Florida.  I rushed her to the hospital, where numerous tests were performed.  Nothing was discovered after $30,000 in tests.  She was told perhaps it was dehydration or perhaps a food allergy.  This did not seem even the least bit feasible, so when we got home, she went to see an Allergist.  More tests were performed to determine if she had allergies, yet still nothing.  But, this doctor thought that it could be an intolerance to preservatives instead of an allergy.

An intolerance can be the result of a buildup of certain chemicals in the body and can cause many of my wife’s symptoms: nausea, heartburn, vomiting, itchy skin, mysterious bruising, vertigo and even fainting/blacking out.  The only way to determine if it is in fact an intolerance to preservatives is to partake in an elimination diet.  This means completely removing foods that are known to be high in certain preservatives.  It also includes the removal of some natural foods that may contain some of the chemical compounds of these preservatives naturally.  This “no fun guarantee” diet was brutal for her.  It eliminated a lot of what she ate on a normal basis.  She fell off and on the diet wagon several times and would immediately have issues.  She finally stuck to it, and the results have been nothing short of amazing.

She feels great and looks great!  She has lost over 20 pounds.  It has also rubbed off on myself and my daughter.  We are not nearly as strict with our diets, but try our best.  I feel like just doing what I have; I have much more energy and feel better than when I was eating fast food and processed junk.

I was a skeptic before I witnessed this transformation with my own eyes.  I never felt any ill effects from the foods I ate, but I think I was lucky.  These chemicals cannot be good for our health.  You would never add these chemicals to your food in your own kitchen.  Next time you buy a box of cookies or cereal, take a look at the ingredients label.  Can you pronounce everything?  If not, you may want to start looking for some alternatives.  I have seen the changes this simple act can make.