Incredibly Disgusting Food

When we're hungry, we are often more concerned with quashing the hunger than the quality of what we're eating. This book looks at processed food, which might have started as whole, healthy foods, but are now milled, coated or mixed with salt and preservatives, and fried or cooked. Oftentimes this processed food is cleverly packed as wholesome, even when it isn't. Readers will learn how fake food ingredients can contribute to obesity, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Fake foods have also been linked to stomach and colon cancers, and to high blood sugar levels. The book provides suggestions for real food choices, creating a regime of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that are healthy and satisfying.

The hot dog is just one of the mystery meats that despite new nutritional label regulations remains a puzzler. This engaging book provides the disgusting story of the kinds of byproducts and fillers that are often used in mystery meats. Readers learn about harmful ingredients including fat, salt, chemical preservatives, and even bacteria. Readers find out about artery-clogging trans fats and cholesterol, and about the salt overload, preservatives, and food dyes that are common ingredients. While reading the truthful story, students also learn the health effects, including weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and increased risks for certain cancers. They'll come away with an understanding of why healthier food choices and eating habits are imperative when considering mystery meats.

The traditional meals of the day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, have a new partner: the sugary and salty snack. Our favorite junk foods are easier to find than ever before, and the snack industry is growing by leaps and bounds. As of 2003, the industry was taking in an estimated $66 billion annually. Increases in many serious diseases are on the rise due to this trend, and many are being seen in younger and younger people. While sugar and salt are both natural food substances, and something the human body requires, the body only requires them in limited quantities. This book teaches readers that what we put into our bodies can either help or hinder our weight, energy levels, mood, health, and lifestyle. Students will learn about all of the extreme health dangers hidden within seemingly innocuous snack foods. Fascinating sidebars and a thorough resource section support the narrative.

Whether you call it a soft drink, a soda pop, or just plain soda, carbonated beverages have been a favorite American drink since the 1800s. Since 1978, the consumption of carbonated beverages has tripled for boys 12 – 29, and doubled for girls in the same age group. According to the National Soft Drink Association, the average person now consumes 600 sodas per year, each at about 12 ounces per bottle. Boys ages 12 – 29 consume an average of 160 gallons per year-almost 2 quarts per day! In the United States, carbonated beverages are often less expensive than other drinks such as juices. Yet these "soft drinks" are far from benign. They are one of the major culprits in the obesity epidemic. This engaging, explorative book exposes the dangers of carbonated beverages and promotes healthy and flavorful alternatives.