MSG and You; Beware of the Sneak Attack

 

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note: I wrote this article during the summer for another one of my blogs. I thought it important enough to reprint here. MSG is everywhere. If you don’t know what to look for, you are most likely eating it.

This article was previously published in Aug. 08 under the title: MSG and Its Sneaky Cousins.
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I often pick up the Natural Awakening free magazine, either in the Austin, TX area or this summer, here in Boulder, CO. Reading through, I came up on this smal paragraph regarding MSG and was amazed at what I found out.

It mentions that the U.S. Department of Agriculture does require MSG to be labeled when added as a direct ingredient to any food, though not when it is present hidding under the often non-threatening name of one of its many cousins, a few being: hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed yeast or protein concentrate.

MSG is monosodium glutamate. It is a neutoxic flavor enhancer.

It’s multiple forms can also be identified by “term,” such as vegetable broth or chicken broth. Yes, broth! Vegetable broth contains hydrolyzed soy protein.

The following all contain synthetically produced glutamates*:

• canned tuna
• canned soup and stock
• frozen dinners
• frozen seafood
• most fast food
• low fat yogurts
• low fat ice creams
• chips
• nearly everything ranch ro cheese-flavored

(*list taken from Natural Awakening, Boulder)

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I got to be very curious about this and did a quick google search, to see what would come up.

Wikipedia defines it as:

Monosodium glutamate, also know as sodium glutamate and MSG, is a sodium salt of the non-essential amino acid glutamic acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavor enhancer.

In the truthinlabeling.org site, it states that MSG has been found to cause disorders in the following areas: cardiac, circulatory, gastrointestinal, muscular, neurological, visual, respiratory, urological/genital, skins.

Now I ask you, what’s left? That short list seem to include a good deal of the body’s various systems.

The site provides extensive information, research, and lists. I picked up a couple to show you below.

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These ALWAYS contain MSG:

• glutamate
• monosodium and monopotassium glutamate
• glutamic acid
• calcium and sodium caseinate
• gelatin
• textured protein
• yeast nutrient
• yeast extract
• yeast food
• autolyzed yeast
• hydrolyzed protein (any protein that is hydrolyzed)
• hydrolyzed corn gluten
• natrium glutamate (natrium is Latin/German for sodium)

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These OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing:

• Carrageenan
• maltodextrin
• natural pork, beef and chicken flavoring, bouillon and broth, stock
• flavor(s), flavoring(s), natural flavor(s) and flavoring(s), seasonings (the word “seasonings”)
• whey protein concentrate, whey protein, whey protein isolate
• citric acid
• ultra-pasterized
• barley malt, malt extract, malt flavoring
• pectin
• protease, protease enzymes, anything enzyme modified, enzymes anything
• soy protein isolate, soy sauce, soy sauce extract, soy protein, soy protein concentrate
• anything protein fortified
• anything fermented

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Ways to hide MSG: calling anything protein indicates that is has been hydrolyzed, at least in part, and that processed free glutamic acid (MSG) is present. It does not matter what word you see in front, it contains MSG. With the whole protein craze out there, MSG presence is actually spreading. Just look around, everywhere you look you see: soy protein, whey protein, corn protein, pea protein, etc. yep, all contain MSG.

Shampoos, hair conditioners and cosmetics with the words “hydrolyzed,” “amino acids,” and/or “protein” contain MSG.

ALL low fat and even no fat milk products contain MSG -yogurt, ice creams, cheeses, creams, etc.

Most, if not all, live virus vaccines contain MSG which cause brain lesions in laboratory animals and endocrine disturbances like obesity and reproductive disorders later in life.

and on and on… visit The Truth In Labeling for a more complete list.

It’s absolutely incredible how toxic we have become, and how the entire system of food manufacturing is feeding us known poisons for the sake of profit.

The lesson here? Opt for healthier choices of whole grains, and whole, fresh fruits and vegetables as much as you can. Stay away from all those hyped up protein powder. You want muscles? Do it the old fashion way, by eating healthy and working out.

And most of all, BE AWARE, and always, always get in the habit of READING LABELS.

This article is copyright 2008 Christine Pointeau and for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved. Pointeau is the artist, author of the book series A Cappella and Stray Tales, and a personal development published author. For articles and more information, go to http://www.ChristinePointeau.com

Rituals & Being Grateful 

During the holiday season, a very dear friend of mine and I get together and go over the year. It is a little ritual we have been sharing for the past few years, and I treasure the moment, sometimes with trepidation, always with excitement.

A Year In Review

We talk about our accomplishments and obstacles and how we handled both. We talk about how we have grown and learned. We acknowledge to ourselves and each other how far we’ve come. We say good bye to the things we no longer care to carry with us and create ourselves anew.

We do all this without judgment. Our hearts are open to receive and give, to support, love and hold each other in this sacred space that we have created.

Then it is time to turn our eyes to the coming year. New goals and aspirations are set. We can now speak to our hopes, to our heart’s desires, to the road we choose to take.

We renew our commitment to being and doing the things we stand for. We re-commit to our own integrity and to the people we love. We re-commit to cherish our differences and how they serve to support us. And most of all, we honor our commitment to each other, to support our growth as spiritual beings, to encourage the pursuit of our dreams, and to always hold an open space in our hearts for love.

Rituals Help Define Who We Are

Rituals are an important part of our lives as human beings. They help define who we are, to ourselves, our loved ones, our friends, and to the world at large.

In simpler times rituals seemed more defined. Children witnessed them as part of their daily existence and knew what to expect for their own lives. American Indians of certain nations would change names to better portray the person they now were, as opposed to whom they had been up to now, thus acknowledging their continuing growth.

Now days, rituals are a little more blurry. Our communities have expanded to such proportions that the intimacy of the village has disappeared. We now communicate on a daily basis with people all over the world. Some spend days without face to face conversation -their world exists in virtual space.

We must take care that we ourselves do not become “virtual” being.

We Create Our Own Villages & Tribes

Maybe as a reaction to this we recreate our own villages with its sub-tribes, clans, and rituals. We gravitate towards people with whom we can relate. They could match our core values, have similar interests, or share certain characteristics. We, in part, define ourselves through them.

As you get together with family and friends for celebrations, become aware of the rituals, big and small, that define your community, tribes (group) and more specific clans (sub-groups).

• What things do you cherish as you gather with this particular group?
• What familiar gestures do you perform as a group?
• What defines you as a specific tribe / clan and in turn defines you yourself as a member of that group?
• What place do you hold within this group? How does that define you within the larger community?

Be Grateful

Acknowledge these things as they are and be grateful for the people that share that moment -be they family, friend, or strangers.

If you feel so inspired, create your own rituals to mark particular events and steps in your life. Do this by yourself or with others. Hold that space of non-judgment. Acknowledge the person that you are at that very moment.

One last thing… a very important detail too often forgotten: remember to pause for a second and truly look at your own accomplishments. Give yourself credit for the road covered.

Have a joyful end of 2007, and I’ll see you next year.