Monday, January 2, 2012

The Medifast diet decoded: Part 3

I am perplexed.


Perplexed as to how something that is toxic to the body can be called "healthy".


It doesn't make sense.

It's one thing to know you are eating something bad for you.
Many of you drink soda and you know it has negative impacts on your body.
But you don't claim that it is "healthy".
You know it's not.
You still make the choice to drink it.
That's your decision.
But you don't tell people it is healthy and you should drink more of it.

My  problem is with diet companies such as  Medifast who claim to offer a  "healthy" way to lose weight.
But they are so off the mark it's not even funny.


It's grievous, actually.

To call something healthy I would think that it would be well, good for you.

Right?

Am I way off here, folks?

As I learned from my research Medifast is anything but healthy.

It uses artificial sweeteners to sweeten.

Red flag right there.

We all know they are bad for you, right?

Just like soda.

Just like smoking.

Just like drinking alcohol.

 Medifast claims  to be "healthy"  yet almost all their packaged foods contain  toxic substances.

Another thing found in many of the Medifast products is MSG.

There is only one product that they claim to have MSG- the Cream of Tomato Soup.


But there are MANY hidden sources of MSG that most of us have no idea about. Many of these hidden sources are found right there on the labels.

MSG is known to cause serious health problems.

Am I missing the boat on something here?

The words "artificial" and "healthy" can not be used together!

They are opposites of each other.

You can not claim to be on a healthy diet and eat foods that have "artificial" 
anything and MSG.

You can't!

I find it so disheartening when people are educated about these products yet still continue to call them "healthy".

I got sucked into the Medifast lie.

I believed that it was so healthy with all those vitamins and minerals.

I believed that the soy protein used in their food was superior to any other.

I bought boxes of the stuff.

Spent hundreds of dollars on it.

Then I learned the truth.


Here are just a few things I learned.


Read along.


You need to know what you are putting in your body.


Really, you do.

1.  Soy is not healthy for you. (It's Medifast's primary source of protein.)  It's been genetically modified.  It messes with your hormones.  I have already written several posts on the dangers of soy so I will just let you read them so I don't have to repeat everything here.


If you are thinking to yourself, "I thought soy was good for you", then please look at the research.  

Click here for more info about the dangers of soy


2.  Acesulfamae potassium is not healthy for you.  (Medifast uses this in almost all it's products. ) 


Methylene chloride, a solvent used in the manufacture 


of acesulfame potassium, is the substance that may 


give the food additive its potential carcinogenic 


characteristics.

More info about artificial sweeteners 


3.  MSG is not healthy for you. (Medifast products contain or produce MSG.)It does not come right out and say MSG, but there are many products with hidden sources of it.
Find out what MSG does to your body:


Dangers of MSG


4.  Splenda was originally discovered while making an insecticide! (Medifast uses this to sweeten many of it's products.)
Educate yourself on Splenda since everyone seems to think it's healthier than aspartame!


Dangers of Splenda/Sucralose


5.  Corn contains fungus.  It has been universally contaminated with fungus which produces mycotoxins in your body.  There is NO corn kernel in the world that is safe to eat now.  (Medifast uses many corn derivatives in their products.)


I have spend a lot of time on this blog discussing the negative effects of corn on the body.  Here are a few previous posts in case you need to educate yourself on this.


Why you should not eat any corn products. Ever.




6.  Peanuts contain fungus and produce aflatoxins.  (Medifast uses peanut products in some of their "foods".)  


7.  Sugar is not good for you. (ok, I already knew this one but found out just how bad!) (Medifast uses sugar by many different names in all of their products.)


Doesn't matter whether it's organic, blessed, evaporated cane juice.....it's all sugar. Some sugars such as fructose are even worse than others.


Dangers of fructose


Read for yourself what sugar does to your immune function.


The power of sugar


What this sweet thing can really do


Medifast uses corn, soy, peanuts, artificial sweeteners, Sucralose, MSG, sugars of every form and many other additives in their products. 

Is convenience really worth this?

Is losing weight "quickly" really worth this?

You are really just getting a glorified candy bar processed with some vitamins to call it "healthy".


What it really has is all wrapped up in a pretty package is:
fungus
mycotoxins
exocitoxins
sugar
additives
more sugar
MSG
preservatives
aflatoxins
even more sugar
toxins
poison
soy
processed ingredients




And this is healthy?


I am perplexed.

It's breakfast time.  You are in a hurry.  Gotta get out the door with the kids, or dogs or cats...whatever you have.  

You are on the Medifast program so no problem here!

All you have to do is whip out that package of "eggs" and cook them up.

Eggs are a great source of protein and a great way to start your day.

But here is what is in the Medifast eggs:

Eggs
Egg whites, whey protein concentrate, dextrin, chicory root extract (inulin), natural flavor, salt, guar gum, soy lecithin, xanthan gum, annatto (color)

What?  


Here is what my egg container says:

Egg

Here are the directions for cooking the "eggs" from Medifast:
  1. Add contents of package to a microwave safe container.
  2. Add 1/2 cup (4 oz) water and mix thoroughly.
  3. Microwave on high for 60 seconds; remove and stir.
  4. Cover and microwave again for 15-30 seconds.


So, in just a matter of 1 1/2 minutes you can have a 


bowl full of.......what was all that stuff listed? guar 


gum? xanthan gum? inulin(which is fiber from a tree 


root)? soy lecithin? annatto?  


Really?  





Here are the directions for cooking the eggs in my 


container:

Beat eggs and cook.



So, in a matter of about 1 1/2 minutes you can have a 

bowl full of.....eggs........



This is just the first meal of the day and look what you 

have put in your body already if you are on Medifast!


Convenience is killing us.

It is killing you.

Medifast is about convenience.

it is NOT about health.

Health is something that is good for you.

Processed chemicals, foods, toxins, fungus, sugar,

MSG, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, food 


dyes........and 

all the other ingredients in Medifast.... are not good 

for you.


You can't have it both ways.


You can't eat poison and be healthy.


You just can't.






2 comments:

Cristen Susong said...

Karen,
Matt Pittman recommended your blog to me. My husband and I are starting a similar journey. I love the recipes you have posted and the layout of your blog is awesome. I am new at this stuff. Can't wait to read more when I am awake in the morning. what an incredible journey. we are doing a no sugar, no gluten, no corn syrup program as well. We are using supplements that contain no preservatives, sugar etc.. so some of them nasty. Lots of the superfruits. We are taking it very seriously. Thanks for your inspiration.

Karen Bundy Barlow said...

Hi, Cristen!
I had to ask my husband if he knew who Matt Pittman was! He knew him from the college days. So glad he passed my blog along to you.

It's been quite a journey! If you read the "start here- my story" tab you know everything I went through. I am so thankful that God lead me to Deborah Kirby who educated me about diet/fungus/health. It literally saved my life.

I learn more and more every day about foods and what we put into our bodies. Even things that I thought were ok back when I started this, I would not touch now! It's a learning process that just takes time.

I need to blog some more- I have so many more things to write about! It's just hard with 3 kids and homeschooling to get it done. I am glad you like the layout...my goal was to keep it very simple. I have friends who wanted me to use the advertising stuff on here but I feel like that just clutters everything up. The blogs that I like to read the most are the ones with just the blog...nothing else!

I also have several more recipes to post. Just have to do it! I am not a cook, so I keep things very simple.

I think I was most amazed at corn and what has been done to it. Not only that it is GMO but that it has been universally altered so the the DNA has changed and there is the fungus inside that can't be killed. As you will find out....corn of some kind is in just about everything! At this point I try to use the "least offensive" rule. If I buy the kids potato chips, I buy a brand with only 3 ingredients:potatoes, olive or sunflower oil, salt. I don't really want them to have chips, but on special occasions or when they have friends over...or camping trips...I will buy the "least offensive" that I can find.

20 months now with no sick visits to the doc! For a family of 5...that is almost unheard of. It's all from diet changes.

Please free to contact me if you have any questions or just want to chat or need encouragement. It's very hard at first to give up so much that we are used to putting in our bodies. You can email me at :kebarlow@bellsouth.net

You can do this! And you are so fortunate that your hubby is on board as well! That can make all the difference in the world!

Blessings,
Karen