Show me the cheese.

I had a few people get their panties in a bunch when I posted this picture earlier today.

First, let me be clear that I am NOT hatin’ on people with dairy allergies, I’m not hatin’ on vegans, and I’m not judging your food choices if you eat this.

My point is simply this:

This isn’t cheese.

No, not even close.

Just take a look at these ingredients:

Do you even know what all these ingredients are?

First of all, the majority of this product is WATER. That’s almost as good as that “ham and water product” picture I posted.

Canola

The history of canola oil is chalk-full of thrill and intrigue. Canola is not actually a plant. The oil is derived from a the seed of the rape plant—rapeseed. A seed with less erucic acid was developed in Canada in the late 1970s, and “Canola” actually stands for “Canadian Oil, Low Acid.”

Rapeseed oil was originally an industrial oil, used for naval applications and to lubricate engines, since it has the unique property of sticking to wet metal. In 1995, Monsanto genetically engineered a Round-Up Ready rape plant, and now over 80% of the world’s Canola oil is GMO. The remaining 20% is subject to contamination due to cross-pollination, even if the crop starts out as organic or non-GMO. My point: It’s risky business consuming canola.

To quote Dawn Gifford from Small Footprint Family,

The bottom line is that Canola is an inflammatory oil in your body that contains foreign, genetically engineered DNA, trans fats, and toxic chemical residues. It is also an environmental scourge and a threat to organic farming, and it should be avoided at all costs.

You can read more about Canola Oil from Small Footprint Family HERE.

Natural flavor

“Natural flavor” is often just clever wording for MSG. In this case, the package specifies that the natural flavor is “Autolyzed Yeast,” which is MSG, plain and simple. Other hidden sources for MSG include Glutamic acid, Glutamate, Anything “hydrolyzed,” Gelatin, Textured protein, Whey protein, Soy protein, Maltodextrin, Carrageenan, Malt extract, Seasonings, and Barley malt—just to name a few. To see a full list, click HERE.

Why is MSG bad? MSG stands for Monosodium Glutamate, which is a chemical compound and excitotoxin. It is used as a flavor enhancer in many processed foods that you see on the grocery store shelves. The short version of this story is that MSG can cause cell death in the brain, lead to nervous disorders, adversely affect your hormone levels, cause migraines, ADD/ADHD, seizures, heart palpitations, and contribute to obesity.

For the long story of MSG, check out this article from Food Renegade HERE.

Soy

Soy is mentioned twice in this ingredient list as Soymilk powder and Soy Protein. Don’t be fooled. Soy is no health food, and it’s best avoided by men, women, children, and babies alike.

Today’s soy is not prepared like traditional and fermented soy. Today’s soy is processed processed processed—the result of industrial waste, repurposed, chemically changed, and marketed to the consumer as “healthy.”

Some effects of soy include:

Endocrine and hormone disruption due to phytoestrogens (estrogen mimickers)

Hypothyroidism, which causes weight gain, fatigue, mood swings, brain fog, & depression

Fertility problems

Blocked mineral absorption due to high levels of phytates (enzyme-inhibitors)

Impaired ovarian development in developing female fetuses

Lowered testosterone, libido, and sperm count in men

Various digestive issues

Premature puberty in young adults

Toxic amount of manganese that can harm an infant’s developing brain

Increased propensity for ADD/ADHD in young children

Bottom line? Stay away from soy that hasn’t been fermented. Read more from Dr. Kaayla Daniel HERE.

Carrageenan

Put simply, carrageenan is an emulsifier. Here, it’s used in conjunction with agar agar to thicken & stabilize the consistency of this colored/flavored water & oil product. It is derived from red seaweed and prevents separation, improves texture and mouthfeel. It is also responsible for causing massive amounts of inflammation, especially in the gut.

According to the Cornucopia Institute, carrageenan is responsible for a number of health problems, including irritable bowel syndrome/IBS, spastic colon, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic diarrhea.

More often than not, these health problems are mistakenly blamed on the foods to which carrageenan is added—not the carrageenan itself. And carrageenan is unfortunately very common in organic foods, as well as conventional foods. Be sure to read your labels!

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To reiterate:

The point of this post is not to bash vegans or people with dairy allergies. It’s simply to make you think about what’s REALLY in your food! This is NOT food!! And it’s certainly not CHEESE!

Be smart about what you put in your mouth.

It would be better to avoid this entirely than to settle for this toxic “cheese alternative.”

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Featured on Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.