I come from a very traditional down home southern soul food background. Food has always been heavy in sugar, unhealthy fats and grain products such as rice, breads, and so many refined flour products. I’d say it’s what a typical African-American diet consists of. Add to that our fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyle and we’ve got a whole new set of nutritional battles to deal with.

Nevertheless, as I continue to learn more about nutrition during my adulthood, I’ve begun to promote healthier, nutritional choices to all of my family. I’ve been met with a lot of resistance, especially from my siblings who can’t bear to give up their fast food and processed snacks, but my parents have become more open to my guidance. Still, the question my mom always asks is, “So, what am I supposed to eat?” It’s a pretty hefty question considering the 50+ years that she’s been used to eating a certain way. So, I decided to start her off with a few simple things to stay away from.

As luck would have it, I found the perfect guide for my parents to follow in an article on Yahoo! Health, “7 Ingredients Nutritionists Always Avoid.”¹ I have already stressed to my family that they should try to cook with real foods and avoid processed foods as much as possible, however, I understand that it’s a lot to ask of my parents who still run a business, take care of grandkids, and continue to stay very active in their church groups and events. So this list was the perfect guide.

When looking at a food label you want to avoid the following ingredients:

1. Artificial Sweeteners– have been linked to increasing your risk for type 2 diabetes and increasing your calorie intake throughout the day.
2. Carrageenan– a thickener found in dairy and milk products, whose safety is still unknown.
3. Caramel Color– has been found as a carcinogen in animal testing.
4. Trans Fats– artificial saturated fats that may increase your risk for heart disease.
5. Sugar– known to increase your risk for several diseases, including obesity and heart disease.
6. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)– known to be very high in sodium and may cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, chest pain and many other healthy concerns.
7. High-Fructose Corn Syrup– this sugar replacement, used in many processed foods, has been linked to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and several other diseases.

The biggest thing when beginning to eat healthy and trying to remove foods from your diet is to read nutrition labels; which is something I stress to my parents. If sugar is one of the top ingredients on a food label, you probably shouldn’t eat it. I actually grabbed a Gatorade bottle and pointed out to my mom that sugar was the 2nd ingredient on the label, and this would not be a good drink to give to kids or even for themselves; I also handed her a Rebound Fx– Citrus Punch canister and compared the labels. It takes time, but going through the ingredients list on a food label is essential if you want to make sure you’re eating healthy, wholesome foods.