Living & Eating Organic: Where to Start – It’s quite the challenge. Back when I started sharing my recipes, I had no idea the ingredients I was using were slowly becoming more and more laden with man-made chemicals that are detrimental to our health, such as dyes and preservatives. I will be updating my recipes on this site to reflect the organic brands I now use. Reading labels can be difficult and tedious, yet very necessary if we want to rid our bodies of these toxic additives and achieve better health. Not only are these chemicals in our foods, but also in our cooking, storage, kitchen tools, clothing, and linens. Knowing which chemicals are banned in the EU and other countries around the world, and which should be banned here in the USA, is the first step on the path to living as organically as possible.

The United States Has Become Very Toxic

Overwhelming evidence has come to light showing how our food, kitchenwares, small appliances, paper goods, health & beauty aids – almost everything not labeled non-toxic/organic/all-natural is slowly killing us. That may sound very alarmist because it is. Statistics show Americans are sicker than ever and dying from diseases and disorders that didn’t exist just 50 years ago. The FDA has approved numerous ingredients in food, medicine, health, and beauty aids as “Generally Recognized as Safe.” Turns out, the FDA is pretty much controlled by Big Pharma and Big Pharma needs sick people to buy their drugs.

Are “They” Really Out to Kill Us?

Or just make us so sick Big Pharma makes a literal killing off our illnesses? Commercially farmed food conglomerates are spraying crops with glyphosate and other toxic chemicals. In turn, mega farms owned by greedy shareholders of the giant investment firms feed animals toxic grains. And 27 states feed pigs literal garbage (including the plastic and metal containers the food waste comes in). 😡

Food manufacturers use those toxic grains, toxic animals, and throw in big doses of manmade addictive and dangerous chemicals that get us hooked. We eagerly rip into the toxic packaging and gobble up more and more and wonder why so many of us are afflicted with all manner of diseases and disorders and ballooning waistlines. They’re almost all owned by Vanguard, Blackrock, State Street, Berkshire-Hathaway, Stanley Morgan, et.al. Every one of these firms has each other as the top shareholders. If you can discover the top shareholders of one firm, you can bet they are the same people with the most shares in the others. You can read more about which big names own which big name brands, the food growers, and manufacturers on God & Freedom on Substack.

McDonald’s Warning Signs in California

This sign must be posted in all California McDonald’s on the door or window at an entrance:

WARNING: Certain foods and beverages sold or served here can expose you to chemicals including acrylamide in many fried or baked foods, and mercury in fish, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/restaurant.

Why isn’t this sign in every McDonald’s window in the USA and around the world? I would assume it must be in a majority of restaurant windows in California. McDonald’s certainly isn’t the only food establishment using toxic ingredients.

California’s Proposition 65 a.k.a. Prop65

At the same time the FDA has approved known carcinogenic food and deadly vaccine ingredients, they have made it nearly impossible for consumers to buy certain natural medications. Ones that have been proved safe and effective. For years I laughed at Proposition 65 (aka Prop65) warnings on a plethora of products from food to appliances to furniture. I thought they were just alarmist, and these products are not truly detrimental to our health. I now look for this warning on everything I’m about to buy. You won’t believe some of the things where I’ve found this warning, like parchment paper, tapioca flour, and even furniture!

Check these fact sheets from the Proposition 65 website. It’s a good place to familiarize yourself with some of what to look out for and why.

Hope for the Future

Finding products that are truly safe, natural, and wholesome has been extremely difficult. Manufacturers like to obfuscate the names of certain ingredients. They know if we knew exactly what it is, we’d never buy. I can’t even begin to list all the ingredients and products that are not safe and banned in countries like the European Union, Great Britain, Australia, etc., but NOT banned in the United States.

Our FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has been bought by lobbyists and therefore, we can’t trust them. Thankfully, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is the new Secretary of Health and Human Services, giving us hope for a future filled with non-toxic foods and medicines. The things we’re hearing they put in vaccines is the most insane. Mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, cadmium, lead, aborted fetal tissue (which means male children could be injected with female DNA and vice versa), monkey DNA, snake venom, graphene nano-particles…the list goes on and on. Make this make sense! 😖

Eating Organic

So many of the products we’ve grown up with and loved our whole lives have been altered in ways not conducive to good health. I will try to list the most common unnatural ingredients to avoid. And share links to more comprehensive lists so you can be armed with as much knowledge as possible.

When making any of my recipes that have not yet been updated, please substitute ingredients with as many USDA certified organic products. Or from your local farmers markets that you are positive are organically grown. The USDA label is not a 100% guarantee but is the best metric we have at the moment. Also, growing your own is the best guarantee. Shop online for products grown in countries you trust. Know for certain the local farmers’ at the markets are growing organic and feeding their laying hens, cows, and pigs a wholly organic diet. Pasture-raised is always best. When supplementing with feed, organic grains are a must.

Eating In, Not Out

We no longer eat the vast majority of foods we thought were okay. Many were not the healthiest as far as sugar and carbs go, but we had no idea they were toxic. Eating out is a rare event now that we know nothing served is organic at all these chain restaurants. Not even local mom and pop eateries. 😥

Banned in Other Countries but Not the USA – Check it out. It will boil your blood. 😡

Alarm bells should go off when these ingredients are found in food products:

This is by no means all-inclusive. See below this list for the link to the EU (European Union) database.

• Titanium dioxide
• Carrageenan
• Trisodium phosphate (TSP) (this was banned in laundry detergent in Indiana back in 1971 due to its hazardous impact to the environment. I remember my mom and aunt having family/friends traveling to Ohio and Kentucky pick up their favorite detergent because of this. Why is it in our food?
• BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) – chemical preservatives in packaged meats. Instead, look for natural alternatives, such as vitamin E (tocopherols) and rosemary extract for antioxidant benefits in packaged meat products. If it’s banned for use on the skin and in food in other countries, why isn’t it banned for use in food in the USA?
• Dyes: negative behavioral effects in children; Cancer-causing Red 3 & 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5 & 6. Caramel (Caramel coloring is generally considered safe(GRAS) by regulatory bodies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Food Safety Authority, and Health Canada. However, some studies have found that it may contain 4-MEI, which was classified as a possible human carcinogen by the WHO.)
• Natural flavors – we don’t know what these are, and manufacturers don’t have to tell us. They are developed by people called “Flavorists” from plants, animals, and chemicals. Always steer clear of Artificial Flavors.

Potassium Bromide – Banned in EU, Canada, China, and many other countries! Used in breads & baked goods.

• Calcium peroxide & Benzoyl peroxide are banned in the EU and China. It’s used to bleach flour.
• Maltodextrin – Because it’s added to many foods, it’s easy to consume too much which can lead to an unhealthy gut microbiome, glucose spikes, too much carbohydrate intake, and many other unwelcome side effects.
• Sodium benzoate  – if eating and drinking a number of foods that contain sodium benzoate on a daily basis, along with the use of medications, health, and beauty aids also containing this manmade preservative, the potential for it to become carcinogenic due to conversion into benzene is possible.
• Sodium propionate
• Artificial Flavor

EU Banned Ingredient Database

U.S. Right to Know is a great source for information on a wide range of topics from glyphosate effects on fertility to dangerous food additives.

Food additives that Aren’t Necessarily Toxic but Possibly Not good for You

Just because they can add it and it isn’t toxic in low doses doesn’t mean they should. When you find ingredients that may not make good sense to be in the product, steer clear. Opt for all natural ingredients and not produced through chemical processes.

This list is by no mean all-inclusive

• Dextrose
• Maltodextrose – effect the gut microbiome which can lead to adverse effects, glucose/insulin spikes
• Maltodextrin – alters gut microbiome, “consumption of the food additive maltodextrin, incorporated into many processed foods, leads to the promotion of intestinal inflammation. These findings suggest that this broadly used food additive could be a risk factor for chronic inflammatory diseases.”
• High fructose corn syrup – click through for 6 major reasons it’s bad for you.
• Saccharine – manmade and controversial
• Sucralose – not natural, though it’s made from sugar, chemicals are used to produce it.
• Aspartame – not natural, manmade. A 2015 study suggests that aspartame was the largest source of methanol in the American diet. Methanol is toxic in large quantities, yet smaller amounts may also be concerning when combined with free methanol because of enhanced absorption.
• Erythritol – Swerve, Stevia in the Raw, and Monk Fruit in the Raw, and other alternative sweeteners contain erythritol. Circulating levels of multiple polyol sweeteners, especially erythritol, were associated with incident (3 year) risk for major adverse cardiovascular events. (MACE; includes death or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke).
• Guar gum – can be good because it’s high in fiber, but too much can cause esophageal or intestinal obstructions

Aluminum, Plastic, and Teflon in Your Kitchen

We tossed out the Keurig when I discovered the plastic tubing and pods leach PFOs and PFOAs into the coffee when hot water flows through. Teflon pots, pans, and small appliances coated with these hormone-disrupting and cancer-causing chemicals were tossed. New reports have come in from multiple studies showing testes, ovaries, blood, tissues, and even the brains of deceased people have heavy metals, microplastics, glyphosate and other manmade toxins in them.

Plastic and Styrofoam food containers used for hot foods (even though the container may say it’s safe for microwave) are NOT safe at all. Plastic water bottles when sitting in warm cars, hot warehouses, and outside stores in the hot sun leach Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Products sold in grocery stores and nearly all restaurants are serving up mega doses of dangerous chemicals leached into the foods.

Convenience Food Dilemma

I don’t have an answer to this dilemma. We want the convenience of picking up fast food to take home, but the better option would be to eat inside restaurants that serve on aluminum-free and lead-free glass, stoneware, enamelware, ceramic, stainless steel, uncoated paper/parchment, etc. Be aware that the paper goods used to serve and wrap food is likely treated with plastics to make them liquid-proof. Toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, parchment paper, paper straws, etc. may also be coated with PFOs to strengthen them. Hot foods in contact with these coatings leach the toxic chemicals into the food.

Living & Eating Organically: Where to Start

Waxed paper goods should also be avoided. I just discovered the paraffin wax I’ve been using in my The Original Buckeyes Recipe a.k.a. Peanut Butter Balls recipe for 40 years is derived from petroleum! Seriously. Organic food grade cocoa butter is the only safe option to use in chocolate or other coatings for candies (that I know of). We’ll get to the ingredients in some of our favorite recipes in another post. It’s mindboggling just how much has to change and how long it will take to update all of my recipes.

Not only do we have to be very concerned with food ingredients, but what has been used in the manufacturing of everyday tools like our kitchen appliances, dishware, utensils, storage, and cooking vessels. Aluminum pans and foil should be avoided for cooking/baking. Do not use it for wrapping any food products – especially anything that will be heated or acidic foods. Every restaurant and most households use aluminum foil, disposable aluminum pans, and many have a few aluminum pots and pans.

Link to Alzheimer’s

Did you know Alzheimer’s did NOT exist until 1978? Autopsies have shown the brains of those who died with Alzheimer’s have high levels of aluminum in them. Think about all the areas of our lives where aluminum is used. It’s even in your antiperspirant! A better option is organic deodorant in conjunction with organic washable pit pads to absorb moisture. I have another theory about Alzheimer’s and Dementia I’ll save for another post.

Teflon and Toxic Plastics in Countertop Appliances

Be aware of Teflon, PFOs, PFOAs, and BPA found in appliances, plastic storage containers, and canned food liners. These chemicals leach into food and beverages. Some plastic containers are okay for use with cold foods only. Never microwave plastic or put hot foods in plastic. Let the food cool first. When plastic is heated, the chemicals used to make it are ingested. Think about every single time you heated food in the microwave in a plastic container that is labeled “microwave safe.” And how many times did you use whipped topping bowl? Plastic is not and it never was safe though we didn’t know it.

It’s best to buy pickled food products in glass containers – and those that are highly acidic such as condiments. And fruits and veg in non-toxic lined cans.

We now know Teflon is very toxic and the chemical compounds used to create it leach into our foods. Use cast iron, stainless steel, lead-free unpainted glass, ceramic-coated, high heat silicone (not above 400°F), stoneware, non-aluminized carbon steel.

Switching Out Toxic Kitchenwares

I’ve switched to a French press made of stainless steel and glass for coffee making. But switching out all of the toxic plastics, Teflon, and aluminum in your kitchen is only the beginning of all the changes that have to happen if you want to live as organic/non-toxic as possible. Reports are now coming out about how much microplastics are in our bodies – in the testes of males and ovaries of females! And the glyphosate sprayed on crops is now detectable in the tissues of US citizens.

Restoring Good Health

The entirety of my 2023 was filled with deep depression and feelings of hopelessness, relieved only by canning and preserving every vegetable I could get my hands on. That brought so much joy! I survived those dark days and determined to get off of the SSRIs I’d been on for many, many years. In 2024, I was finally free of the drugs that altered my mind and body in unhealthy ways. I then spent countless hours reading labels, researching ingredients, throwing out cooking utensils, appliances, pots, pans, storage, and all prep items that are toxic. I follow Dr. Mercola and this article arrived in my inbox a couple of months ago on The Dark Side of Antidepressants. Somehow I knew they were making me worse, not better.

For the first time in almost 25 years, I feel good internally. And I’m on an even keel mentally. Some days are better than others, but I also know it’s impossible to live 100% organically and those toxic ingredients are still in some of the foods we eat. We can’t get every single ingredient organically grown and processed so as new studies are released, I try to use the suggestions for supplementing and detoxing to mitigate the damage. I am down from 9 prescription drugs to 3 and those stem from the adrenal gland disorder with an unknown cause. I have no doubt it’s from years of toxic living.

Reading Reviews and Reviewing Products

I have to bring this article to a close. There is entirely too much to cover in one long post. Over the next months, I’ll try to share as much of my findings in single cohesive sheets that can be downloaded or printed. Shopping for safe foods and products is time-consuming with reading reviews and trying different products. I hope to make it easier to find the best available at affordable prices so we can all be informed and find our way back to naturally good health!

Also, I will be sharing in future recipe posts on how to make copycats for our favorite store-bought condiments like Heinz 57 and Miracle Whip. And fast-food sauces such as Chick-fil-a sauce and Arby’s Horsey Sauce. And I’ll be sharing reviews for products, ingredients, and supplements to mitigate and detoxify, with affiliate links to where they can be purchased. Any time you purchase a product from one of these links, Culinary Craftiness will earn a small percentage. Any monies will then be used to help pay for this website and keep the research going into how best to restore us to great health. Thank you!

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Peace & love! 💗