You Can Totally Trust What Food Advertisements are Telling You – April Fools!!
In honor of April Fools’ Day, I wanted to talk about something that is a complete joke. Only it’s not in the least bit funny. And that is that we are constantly being lied to by marketers who trick us into believing numerous popular name brand foods are a healthy choice, when in actuality they are loaded with things that are causing dis-eases.
We are bombarded with buzzwords and phrases like gluten-free, organic, natural, reduced fat, whole grain and these words entice shoppers and get them to believe they are making healthier buying decisions for their families. But, we are way too quick to believe these advertising claims. Let’s not forget what the companies’ main objective is – it’s to make money. Period. They don’t care if we get diabetes or high blood pressure – or worse – they care about their bottom lines.
We need only look at the news lately to see there have been more and more lawsuits and protests regarding these deceptive marketing tactics to have our eyes opened to the fact that the information that is being pushed on us as “honest and accurate” is anything but.
This is brilliantly done…I’m saying nothing. You have to watch it to see what I mean!
Here are a few common marketing strategies you need to be aware of:
Ah, Those Healthy Whole Grains
This is, perhaps, one of the biggest manipulations going today, the claim that certain processed breads and cereals are made with healthy whole grains. So, a mother who is beyond busy sees the main label on the front of the bag or box and she thinks she’s making a healthy choice for her family, but that’s because she didn’t turn the bag or box over and read the actual ingredients.
The sad truth is, most of the breads on the market today that are advertised as having the “goodness of whole grains in every serving” are actually made with refined flour. In order for you to really be getting a bread or cereal that is made from whole grains they need to be the first (or hopefully only) ingredient on the list – otherwise, you’re not eating what you think you’re eating. And if we really want to get down to business, let’s quickly discuss the fact that whole grains can spike blood sugar just like refined sugars and flours, so are they really that healthy or are they merely the slightly lesser of two evils?
Fresh and All-Natural
The FDA really doesn’t have a stance on companies suing “fresh” and “all-natural” on their labeling as long as the product doesn’t contain synthetic ingredients, artificial flavors and added colors. That’s it. So practically any manufacturer can slap on one of these stickers, even though their product is highly-processed and anything but fresh or natural and get away with it. If you read labels carefully you’ll see that many products that claim to be fresh and natural actually contain high fructose corn syrup and GMOs. There’s nothing natural or healthy about that!
Hiding Harmful Ingredients
Remember when it was discovered that Subway’s bread contained a chemical called Azodicarbonamide which is used in the production of rubber and plastic products? This is a highly toxic chemical that is actually banned in other countries but not in the good ol’ U.S. of A. The chemical is used in numerous products that we eat but you’ll never know it because not all ingredients are necessarily listed. “Subway eat fresh?” Give me a break. And this is only one example. Our food is loaded with harmful chemicals that have been banned in other countries but these food manufacturers continue to get away with using them right here in this country. Do a search for Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and you’ll see that one of the ingredients is… are you sitting down… ANTIFREEZE! Disgusting.
What Can We Do?
It would be nice if we could trust companies and brands to be 100% honest and transparent but, sadly, we can’t. Consumers in this country have been misled for decades and it’s highly unlikely that will change anytime soon. What we all have to do is become more and more educated on the topic. Read those food labels and research companies and products before giving anyone our hard-earned money.
4 Things That Can Save Your Life. We are not fooling around here.
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With love & gratitude,
Prue
www.prue’splace.com
