by Steven Gordon
With summer around the corner, ice-cream manufacturers around America are plotting their next season of success.
You’d think that a company who provided every child’s favorite treat would have their priorities in order, but think again. The well being of children is not even on the radar of these money-hungry corporations.
Well this summer, I say you protect yourself against the harmful products that these corporations are selling to you as family friendly treats. Don’t worry, you don’t have to build a laboratory in your house to examine every scoop of ice-cream you give to your family! You can actually find out a lot about the quality of your ice-cream just by looking at it!
Melting time – Keep an eye on how fast your ice cream melts! Many ice creams available at ice cream store chains and grocery stores are packed full of emulsifiers, which prevent melting. If your ice-cream melts quickly, that generally means that it has a low overrun percentage and contains less toxic emulsifiers. There is no way to keep ice-cream from melting in a natural way, so this is a full-proof indication of quality!
Ingredient Watch – Keep an eye on certain trigger ingredients that are extremely harmful. Keep a special eye out for polysorbate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Artificial Colors/Flavors, and Soy Lecithin or Soya Lecithin (I’ll go into these in more detail in a minute).
Make your own – Baskin-Robbins, Dairy Queen, Haagen Dazs, and Ben and Jerry’s are among the many ice cream companies that use the above ingredients in their ice cream, so one of the best alternatives is to simply make your own!
- 3 egg yolks - ½ cup organic maple syrup - 1 tablespoon arrowroot - 1 tablespoon vanilla extracted - 3 cups heavy cream, preferably raw and not pasteurized - ice cream maker
- Beat the yolks, and blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into ice cream maker and follow instructions. Such a simple recipe really highlights the unnecessary additives and chemicals that go into store bought ice cream!
Polysorbate 80 – Negatively affects the immune system and is a common anaphylactic trigger. Has also been shown to cause infertility, hormonal changes and ovary deformities.
Mono- and Diglycerides – The most popular emulsifier used in food production. They are harmful saturated fats made from hydrogenated oils. They are in ice cream to improve texture and volume.
Potassium Sorbate – A popular preservative used in food production. It is a known carcinogen and has been shown to mutate the cells of mammals in laboratory studies.
Sodium Benzoate – This chemical turns into a harmful carcinogen when it’s combined with ascorbic acid and has been known to damage DNA cells. This chemical is currently banned in most children’s food and is currently being removed the the Coca-Cola recipes. (If Coca-Cola is listening… it must be bad!)
Artificial Colors/Flavors – The term artificial is tell all…there is nothing natural about the color of an ice cream with artificial colors. They’re proven to increase hyperactivity in children, trigger asthma, and thyroid disease. Remember, some of the most colorful ice creams are made specifically for children!
Soy Lecithin or Soya Lecithin – This product is almost always a genetically modified product. It has been linked to digestive issues, immune system disorders, reproductive problems, allergies, ADD, ADHD and cancer.
http://www.naturalnews.com/023849_ice_cream_chemicals_health.html
http://www.superhealthymeals.com/how-bad-is-ice-cream/
http://preventdisease.com/home/tips101.shtml
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