Adventures in Gluten (and Sugar) Freedom from a southern blogger chick!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

News items of note to the Gluten Free (and others)

The morning news today was filled with health information. If you didn't see it, I thought it was interesting and want to alert you to the media.

1. Beware of sodium-infused chicken. A new report points out that just because chicken is labeled "all natural" doesn't mean that it is free of additives. Many/most chicker purveyors (like Perdue, which was shown many times) add a solution of salt water (brine) to the chicken to make it moister and plumper (and, this will also preserve it better).

The report said that a four ounce chicken breast has more sodium than a large order of McDonald's fries. Holy crap!

And, this additive is not labeled, so you might not know it.

Add this to shocking tales of chicken abuse (I watched Chicken Run the other night -- gotta love a movie with a lead character named "Ginger") and the fact that chicken parts can come from diseased chickens (ewwwww) and it makes me wonder if any chicken breast is safe.

You can tell if a chicken has been injected with this solution. It is tender and very uniform when cooked. It won't get dry and stringy. Natural, organic, hormone free chicken can be decidedly UNtasty stuff.

Solution? Read the labels, friend, and question everything. I have started buying organic chicken, or at least whole chickens that are not packaged in flashy packages.

2. Beware of carbon-dioxide treated beef -- especially ground beef. I've talked about this before (See "A trip to the Abattoir") but a senate committee will be discussing this today. Beef produces you CO2 to enhance the color of beef, making it shelf-stable (and red) longer than it probably should be. This is an issue especially with ground meat, but it applies to any meat that is cut.
Solution: A lot of people have already given up beef, but it can still be safe. READ the labels and buy organic when you can. It is not more expensive (contrary to popular opinion) and it is healthier for you. Buy it and freeze it for optimal use.



3. Women with hourglass shapes (big hips and small waists) are healthier and now, apparently, smarter too. I am so SOL. of course, whom did they use for their example? J-Lo and Shakira. Please.






Of course, I am shaped more like this, i.e. straight up and down (but much thicker):











Much love, and I hope you have a great day, and watch that chicken and beef!
Ging

4 comments:

Bill said...

And here I was thinking I was eating healthy by having chicken every night. Now I can justify McDonald's! :-)

Thanks for passing along the info.

Carrie said...

Thanks!! I just discovered that this huge can of chicken broth I was going to use for soup tonight is chock full of gluten! it's actually an ingredient... wheat gluten!!! Who ever heard of such a thing! I was so mad!!! Thanks for this informative article!!

By the way, I LOVED your post on your wedding anniversary! That is so wonderful!! I hope you will be able to be with you husband 24/7 soon!! Congratulations!!! Michael and I celebrated 3 years this year!!

Melanie said...

Very informative. I love your blog and the two of you are adorable!

Melanie said...

Ok, double post here, but I've been poking around your site a bit deeper. I love your Sunday Blessing posts. Really neat idea! None of us count our blessing enough!

And, I noticed you just went through quite a worry with having surgery. I related so much to reading through your posts. I had a fibroid removed about two years ago that was huge. I was scared out of my mind. Having already had cancer before there was a worry that it might not be a fibroid but a cancerous tumor. Everything was find though, but I know just what you were feeling like the days leading up to surgery. I'm so glad everything turned out fine for you as it did for me too!