The Skinny on the Skinny Cow Controversy

You may have seen a recent blog post making the rounds on the web which features the list of ingredients in a “Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich”, a so-called healthy treat.  With 33 ingredients listed, several of which most people cannot even pronounce, we thought it was high time we took a closer look at the Food Additive debate. At Reboot Your Life, we believe whole foods make for some of the best choices when it comes to what we eat and drink.  The closer a food is to its natural state, the better it will be for you!

Reboot Nutritionist Stacy Kennedy explains, “Food additives are prevalent in the American food supply with at least 3,000 known to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  These man-made ingredients are being linked to a variety of serious health issues as new research is emerging.  Despite the fact that much of the research is still in animals, certain additives are concerning enough for human health that some states require them to be labeled as potentially carcinogenic (causing cancer).  Available human data suggests that certain additives may be linked to ADD/ADHD in children or depression and insulin resistance in adults.”

There are a good deal of online resources that explain the dangers of certain additives in detail. This blog post from Men’s Health Editor David Zinczenko breaks down the Top 10 Scariest food additives.  By the way, two of these scary additives can be found on the Skinny Cow ingredient list in question.

Stacy Kennedy adds, “It’s important to take charge of your shopping cart and read food labels carefully for any packaged products that you buy.  Go straight to the ingredient list and scan for items that sound chemical in nature or unfamiliar so you can make an informed choice.  The concerns over food additives highlight the importance of eating a minimally processed diet made up of whole foods in their most natural state.  Challenging yourself to cook quick, easy meals as often as possible can help avoid exposure to potentially harmful compounds.  I recommend my clients shop for what we call ‘ingredients’ like spinach, brown rice and lentils, as opposed to ‘foods’ like frozen dinners.”