This may come as a shocking description of things like chocolate, crisps, milkshakes, fizzy drinks etc, but my aim isn’t to shock, rather inform people of what these things really are. Cigarette packets have clear warnings about their effects, as should most of the junk food and snacks that are consumed in this country at obscene rates a year. Not everyone can be versed in the intricacies of nutritional therapy, but is it asking too much to exercise caution and read the labels on the products we buy to feed ourselves and our children? The Concise Oxford Dictionary’s definition of Junk is “discarded articles, rubbish, anything regarded as little value, a slang term for narcotic drugs” a fitting description of the highly addictive, poisonous substances they are, why should we feed our children and ourselves these things.

Now lets see the effects of just 10 of the hundreds of additives that are in ourselves and our children’s snack foods, so you are better informed the next time you go to increase the profit margins of companies whose only concern is money and power, and never consider the sometimes irreversible damage they are doing to ourselves and our children. If it’s a suspected carcinogenic, it means there are definitely studies out there which confirm these suspicions and if it’s banned in baby food, it doesn’t make it safe for you.

Aspartame – This sugar substitute is 200 times sweeter than sugar, banned in babies food, it enhances the stimulatory effect of flavourings such as Monosodium Glutamate, adversely effects nervous system and is a suspected carcinogenic (cancer causing agent).

Xylitol – A sugar substitute (bulk sweetener) found in some chewing gums. It is toxic to the brain, liver, and urinary passages in high doses and can cause diarrhoea.

Monosodium Glutamate – This is an all purpose seasoning used to enhance the flavours of food – it is a well known neurotoxin (toxin affecting the brain) found in crisps, seasonings and many take away foods.

E100 Curcumin – A food colouring for creamy yellow colouring – Used in sweets, fish fingers and yoghurts and linked to possible gene damage.

E110 Sunset Yellow – A yellow food colouring – Used in jams, cakes, ice-creams and yoghurts to name a few and is a suspected carcinogen that can induce an allergy to sunlight, which would be detrimental to melanin dominant individuals who need sunlight.

E133 Brilliant Blue – A blue food colouring – Used in fruit and apple & black Current Drinks, can cause allergic reactions

E154 Kipper Brown – A brown food colouring – Used in sweets and sausages, now a branded carcinogen which has been banned in several countries. (Remember, shops stock food from many foreign countries)

E466 Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt – Used in orange and lemon drinks, ice cream and dessert toppings to name a few. Another suspected carcinogen which can cause stomach bloating and gas.

Extract of Quillaia – Used in fizzy drinking to help them froth up and can cause intestinal damage.

E422 Glycerol – Used as a sweetener in many sweets and chewing gum, can cause many side effects including nausea, headache, thirst and bowel disturbances.

What does all this mean for ourselves and our children? It means that from a young age, our mentality, fertility, hormone levels, concentration levels, behaviour, emotions, major organs of elimination, brain activity, ability to learn and ability to live holistically are all shot to pieces by mutated, irradiated, heavily denatured foods and snack food products, all in the name of self gratification and money.

If you think these drug foods don’t affect you think again, all of the following can be attributed to their consumption: irritability, depression, dental problems, dehydration, mucus, frequent colds, hyperactivity, Chrones disease, cravings, diabetes, high blood pressures, kidney and liver problems, constipation, diarrhoea, skin eruptions, foul smelling faeces and urine, thrush, tiredness and even harsh foot and body odour to name a few. Don’t our children deserve better than this? Are we going to be responsible for their heath problems later in life? Shouldn’t we try and give them the best chance possible to be healthy and holistic in this polluted world?

Our sickness is big business, so we can’t expect to get much help on our quest for health. Chemical producers sell their chemicals to food companies who produce junk food. Food companies sell their products to consumers and in the process, advertising, marketing and packaging companies all get rich. Even dentist benefit from half the population having decayed teeth, plaque build up and gum disease. This is not conspiracy theory or an exaggeration of our situation; these companies have absolutely no regard for your health.

For the most part, chemicals approved for use in our foods by the Food & Drug Administration have never really had their effects tested on humans, some countries even ban some of them. Scientist know the detrimental effects of the pesticides, fertilisers, preservatives and additives which are in our food, but once the foods have been irradiated (exposed to large amounts of radiation to kill germs and bacteria) and refined, they produce new mutant chemicals which all combine together and they have no real idea of the effects of these new substances.

Holistically, we now probably don’t know what certain foods taste like in their natural state. A banana milkshake, for example, used to consist of milk, bananas and sugar blended together. Now there are over 10 different ingredients in them, most of which are chemical additives. I wouldn’t advise drinking dairy milk and sugar ordinarily, but the original recipe is miles better than the artificial soup they have now. It is important that our children appreciate the natural tastes of fruits and vegetables, not just seasoning. The younger the child, the easier it is to feed them holistically, because for the most part they don’t know the difference between mashed carrots, brown rice and broccoli with or without seasoning, get them used to that, don’t get them hooked on addictive foods and an early age. Even older children can be persuaded. Be the example and show them the benefits. It really works, you can improve their diets, take it step by step, slowly replace foods if it makes it easier, find out which ones they like and let your children help you.

Try some of these simple alternatives, to make steps towards better health, especially for our children:

Before you feed them, are they just thirsty? Get your children drink plain water – hunger pangs can sometimes result from dehydration. So instead of them eating sweets or junk which will further rob their bodies of water and nutrients, let them drink water. Water will also increase their concentration and help their digestive system.

At their main meals, try to balance proteins with carbohydrates, not enough proteins may make them crave carbohydrates. Include a fibre as often as possible, as it is filling to them so they want need to snack as much.

Instead of fizzy or cordials – Honey water – 1 tbsp of honey to a glass of warm water, stir until dissolved then cool. Add lemon, ginger or stevia (herb) if required).

Ice Tea – Use 4 of your favourite herbal tea bags or loose herbsand a handful of raisins and stew in 1 litre of boiling water for 20 minutes then leave to cool. Add lemon or honey if required.

Instead of regular crisps : gluten free crisps, nuts & seeds (sources of minerals) and rice, oat and corn cakes (good sources of fibre). All can be eaten with humus.

Replace sweets with fresh fruit, if you buy dried, soak them first and only eat a few, they are also quite high in sugar.

Banana Milkshake – Blend 200mls of rice, oat or almond milk, 1 ripe banana, 1 tablespoon of honey, a bit of nutmeg and a few drops of vanilla essence, blend for 90 seconds. Lovely.