what’s in it? do ingredients really matter?

i read food labels.  well, not that often as i usually buy fruits and lots of vegetables which do not have ingredients!  but when i do pick up something with a label, i tend to avoid certain ingredients.  the ones i tend to avoid are: – hydrogenated fats
– hydrolyzed anything
– sodium benzoate and nitrate, potassium sorbate and other preservatives
– corn syrup, high fructose and maltose syrup and
– artificial sweeteners including aspartame, erythritol, acesulfame K and sucralose.

but every fall, pumpkin spice creamer comes out and although i know the ingredients are with corn syrup and hydrogenated fats, i like to buy a container or two as a treat.  well, this fall, after being soo good with my nutrition this summer – vegetable juicing almost daily, flatbreads made with raw nuts and pulp from juicing, no grains, tons of veggies, and high quality proteins, i decided to have  a treat.  well, 2 containers later which is about one per week, i have noticed that i have a belly and the weight is creeping back up……HELP!  what is happening!  yes, this is NOT what i want.  so i had to recall what was it that i have changed?  OK, i have not juiced as often but i am still eating plenty of veggies.  that couldn’t be it.

OK, i am not workout as much with the recent rains and schedule.  that explains a bit of it.   but then i remembered, i added the Pumpkin Spice creamer!  and you know what?  that is the only unhealthy ingredient (hydrogenated fat) i have included into my diet and i am really noticing a difference!  just that little bit of hydrogenated fat is creating inflammation in my body!  and my aching hip – well it is also aching a lot more now, too!  so as of yesterday, NO more artificially flavored creamer for me!  and i will let you know if the pain subsides in my injured hip and if i go back down that 3-4 pounds and lose the extra belly i seem to have grown.

so a little bit of bad is not so bad, but a week or two is no longer a little bit and i am totally noticing how the artificial ingredients are wreaking havoc with my weight, how i look and how i feel!   is it worth it???  not for me.  Will use pumpkin spice powder instead of the nasty creamer – lesson learned!

check below the the ingredients list.  hmmm