American Diet vs. Clinical Nutrition

Can eating processed meat lead to HEALTH? The quick and easy answer is NO. I can't recommend anyone eating a hot dog, even organic vegan kosher tofu dogs. Think of it this way, if you ate hot dogs for a year straight, your arm, heart and liver would be made of liquefied meat. If you need a little more convincing, check out the video on how they are made. 

Natural nutrition is important. Our bodies break food down into simple building blocks such as amino acids and glucose that are then used to repair, rebuild and replace existing tissue. The good nutrients are absorbed and the extra chemicals are either sequestered (stored in fat) or processed by the liver--this contributes to excess stress.  

 Check out this list of ingredients to see whats becoming your new body (be sure to read about the pork!). 

• Mechanically separated turkey
• Pork obtained by "advanced meat recovery (AMM) machinery" that separates the edibles from the inedibles .
• Water: Hot dogs must be less than 10 percent water, according to the USDA.
• Corn syrup: This common food ingredient—which is made differently from high-fructose corn syrup and has not been linked to the same health concerns—is often used to add texture and sweetness.
• Beef
• Salt: hot dogs contain about 20 percent (480 milligrams) of the recommended daily allotment.
• Potassium lactate: a common meat preservative because of its properties as an antimicrobial, capable of killing off harmful bacteria.
• Sodium phosphates: Any of three sodium salt of phosphoric acids that can be used as a food preservative or to add texture.
• Flavorings: Under current U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines, most combinations of flavoring agents are okay to just be listed as "flavor" rather spelled out individually.
• Beef stock: Meat stocks are usually made by boiling water with pieces of muscle, bones, joints, connective tissue and other parts of the carcass.
• Sodium diacetate: A combination of sodium acetate and acetic acid, it helps to fight fungus and bacterial growth and is often used as an artificial flavor for salt and vinegar chips—and in the sodium acetate form, it’s found in instant hand warmers.
• Sodium erythorbate: A sodium salt of erythorbic acid, it has replaced the use of sulfites in many foods and serves as a preservative and to help keep meat-based products pink. Some people report side effects, including dizziness, gastrointestinal issues, headaches and, if consumed in large quantities, kidney stones.
• Maltodextrin is a filler/thickening agent made from cooked starch.

Sodium nitrate: This common preservative helps meats retain their color and also keep foodborne illnesses, such as botulism, to a minimum. Animal studies have linked sodium nitrates to an increased risk of cancer. It’s also frequently found in fertilizers and, yes, fireworks.

Extractives of paprika: An oil-based extract from the paprika plant, it can give processed food color and increase shelf life.

If you need assistance with nutrition or weight loss, let us help. Call me for a free consultation at (304) 933-9355.

In Health,

Dr. Leonette

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