Page 215 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

thickening agent, like in soups and frozen foods. Remember
that safe does not equal healthy.
4 Cellulose. A plant fiber found in abundance in nature and
used to prevent caking (though some Parmesan cheese
makers used it fraudulently as filler in products that were
supposedly 100 percent Parmesan). It boosts the fiber con-
tent in processed foods but in ways that aren’t as beneficial
as fiber in whole foods.

5 Tocopherol. Also known as vitamin E, it prevents foods like
vegetable oils and breakfast cereals from going rancid.

SOUND SAFE, ACTUALLY SCARY
1 Agave nectar. Same basic effect on your body as other forms
of added sugar. (Meaning, best in moderation.)
2 Sea salt. Same basic effect on your body as other forms of
added salt. (Meaning, best in moderation.)
3 Natural flavors. Also known as whatever the manufac-
turer wants it to mean. A common one that skates by under
this more friendly-sounding name is the synthetic emulsi-
fier called “propylene glycol.” Not the first thing that comes
to mind when you hear “natural.” More concerningly, some
people are allergic to it and should avoid it.

4 Aloe vera. Fine for putting on your sunburn, not great to
eat. A host of digestive and blood sugar issues have been
associated with oral intake.

5 Caramel coloring. If the sugar content weren’t enough, the
coloring—which is best known in soda but is also used to
darken other food products like beer, chocolate-flavored
baked goods, and meats—is created by heating with ammo-
nium compounds, the result of which has been deemed a
probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

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