Opera Singer in the Kitchen

Artistry in Food, Music, and Life

Unjunk Your Junk Food {Book Review}

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I realized when I said I was not going to be able to post anymore this week or weekend due to a busy schedule I knew I had to be wrong. I knew I had a certain deadline to meet with a book review and I thought I would get it in at the tail end of my dessert and sweets-free 2 weeks.


Thanks to Naturally Savvy, I recently have become part of their blogger program or a “Naturally Savvy Approved Blogger.” The first assignment was to read UnJunk Your Junk Food,  written by the creators of this site, so I was really excited.


I am so glad I finished my 2 weeks of going sugar-free with completing this book. I highly recommend reading it because it will change your mind about the “danger” foods you might have in your pantry. Some might say they rather NOT read it because they would not want to get rid or stop eating certain foods but isn’t health more important?


There are 11 chapters in this attractive and colorful book. Here are the titles of each chapter:


Chapter 1: The Key to Unjunking
Chapter 2: Back-to-Basics Nutrition
Chapter 3: The Worst Ingredients
Chapter 4: Chips, Dips, & Party Foods
Chapter 5: Ice Cream & Other Frozen Treats
Chapter 6: Cookies
Chapter 7: Chocolate
Chapter 8: Cakes & Others Desserts
Chapter 9: Granola Bars & Other On-the-Go Snacks
Chapter 10: Candy
Chapter 11: Soda & Other Drinks


Are these not interesting chapters? It is wonderful that this book has been written in order to educate us on how to read labels so that the more we can help them to make better (and healthier) food choices when shopping for groceries. I certainly know I have been doing it a lot more than what I’ve been doing in the past.


The biggest focus of this book is to inform the reader about how important it is to not consume highly processed foods and to also inform how many packaged foods have certain dangerous additives and chemicals. Some of them have names that seem safe but in reality can harm he body over time. The book focuses on Seven DAngerous Additives called the “Scary Seven”

  • High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
  • Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
  • Partially Hydrogenated Oils (trans fats)
  • Artificial Colors
  • Artificial Sweeteners (including acesulfame potassium, or Ace-K; sucralose [Splenda], and aspartame)
  • Artificial Flavors
  • Preservatives (including: sodium benzoate, sulphites (sulphur dioxide), polysorbate 60, 65 or 80, nitrites, TBHQ, and BHT/BHA

Did you know that these were harmful? 

I was happy that I knew a lot of these facts in the book but there was SO much more information about smaller additive and preservative names that I was not aware of. 

My husband and I have been married almost 4 years. When we got married I had been vegetarian for 2 years before abandoning my healthy eating and started eating the way my husband had been eating. What kind of foods? These were the following foods I started consuming:
  • Diet sodas
  • Processed foods
  • Doritos
  • White flour tortillas
  • Fried foods
How did these affect me? I have to say that I loved being married, but my dietary choices caused a lot of harm to me emotionally, physically and mentally. I started suffering from horrendous and painful migraines. I gained A LOT of weight and I was very unhappy person.

Anyone else gone through something like this? I kept crying and moaning to my husband telling him that my choices were causing my pains. Even though my husband, at the time, did not believe me, I fooled myself and kept on eating the junk.

After we moved to MI almost 3 years ago I decided to follow a vegan lifestyle, cold turkey. I was adamant not wanting to be sad, depressed, unhappy, in pain, and overweight so I was glad I made the change.

It is very true that after removing the foods I had been eating stopped my migraines and I started losing weight and feeling great.

What surprises did I STILL find in my pantry after reading this book? Well, it was not actually in my pantry but on occasion I would eat it and even ate in a few months ago at a friend’s home. It IS vegan but NOT healthy.


Oreos

Yes, Oreos have high-fructose corn syrup and vanillin, which is an artificial flavor.


There are other food items in my pantry that at the time my husband is used to eating and cannot give up eating because he likes the flavor but hopefully some day he would choose other options. All I can do is choose the best foods for our family as best as I can the more I read about food labels.


I know that the biggest thing I can take-away form reading this book is to look even more closely to packaged foods and look for specific names that could be disguised as even healthy ingredients. This means it will affect EVEN more the way I shop. 


Why not make my life easier by eating more foods closer to their natural state, eh?


Another plus to the book is that the authors have a HUGE list of recommendations for healthier alternatives for the more processed foods in stores. Now I know I can stick to just buying Newman’s O’s, Creme-Filled Chocolate Cookies even if they do cost a little more, it just means I will prevent from having any artificial ingredients into my life and body.


I think that is the biggest factor for folks. The desire is present but the excuse is that organic and healthier options are way to expensive, so why CHOOSE to buy the cheaper, full-of-fake-ingredients products? Better not to purchase anything at all. Better yet, make it at home!


New incentive for sure. I hope this has been eye-opening to anyone reading this because there is a food industry that is sure interested in SELLING unhealthy foods causing people major health issues. 


Choose to be informed!  


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About Noelle

I’m an opera singer, full-time mom, pharmacy technician, food and mom blogger, recipe developer, and wife to a super talented choral director living in the awesome outskirts of Philly.