13 isn't always an unlucky number

Sometimes there are things that you would just rather not know. This slideshow - The 13 grossest things you're eating - may be one of those things, but I think you should REALLY read it. However, if you only want to skim, below are the 5 I find most disturbing and think you should read.

- Paint chemicals in salad dressing. 
My alternative: use lemon juice (from a lemon), olive oil, or balsamic vinegar (or a mixture of the three) instead. Matt's wife makes a great mustard / balsamic / olive oil mix. Get creative, don't buy the bottled shit. Real stuff tastes better anyway.

- Sex hormones in milk. 
My alternative: DON'T DRINK ANIMAL MILK. It's not good for you. Drink almond, rice, hemp, or cashew milk instead. Even better: make your own (someday I'll have a post about this).

- Human hair and feathers. Umm, what?????

- Brain-frying food dyes.
Basically, just stay away from crap that has dyes in it. This can be hard, but it's not if you are eating whole foods. Read labels.

- Disease promoting popcorn bags. 
My alternative: use a simple brown paper bag, 1/4 - 1/3 Cup of popcorn kernels, and microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes (make sure you fold the bag over 2-3 times, or else you'll have a mess).

Or, for a greener option, you can take 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil and heat it on Med. in a pot with a lid. Once the oil is hot, add your kernels. Put the lid on, allowing a little air to escape. Wait until the popping slows, and remove from heat. I add some lemon juice and Apple Cider Vinegar to dress mine up. A lot healthier than butter!

Rachel got me this great - and easy to use - popcorn maker / flavor mixer for Christmas. It works similarly to the stove top method, but mixes your toppings automagically! 

So, moral of the story (as many stories you'll see here) is eat natural, whole foods. Limit your processed stuff, and you'll limit the dyes, chemicals, and human hair consumption. (What?)

Here's the original story