The Ruining of My Life (An MSG Rant)!

There are two phrases that I can think of right now:

• Ignorance is bliss
• When you know better you do better

I am slowly ruining my life because I am beginning to know better. Over the years I periodically ruined my life with new-found information. Once I learned the new information I could no longer go back to business as usual.

Well, I really did it this time. I’m totally blowing my life up. Everything that I used to think was good is not necessarily so good.

When will it end?

Against my better judgment, I took the time to read the back of a seasoning packet I use in my daily cooking. I frequently use Goya seasoning packets when creating savory dishes. I use it in my rice and beans, I use it in my stews, I flavor meatloaf with it, I use it in just about everything.

Since ratcheting up my quest for health, I now read the ingredients on EVERYTHING before I add it to my food or put it in my mouth. I’ve read everything but the Goya seasoning packet (deep down I knew it wasn’t good for me, but I didn’t think it was this bad).

I reached deep and summoned up some courage. I pulled out my strongest pair of reading glasses and looked at the tiny print of ingredients on the side of the box. Here are three of the top five ingredients. Keep in mind that food manufacturers are required to list ingredients in the order of predominance.

• Ingredient # 2: Monosodium glutamate (aka MSG)
• Ingredient # 4: Hydrolyzed soy protein (another name for MSG)
• Ingredient # 5: Maltodextrin (may also contain or produce MSG)

Note for folks who aren’t aware:  MSG is considered a neurotoxin and may contribute to conditions such as Alzheimer’s, ADD, autism and more.  Check out this article:  The Truth About Aspartame, MSG and Excitotoxins.

When you consider the order of predominance requirement, it’s pretty scary when the first ingredient is salt followed by MSG, which is followed by sugar and then two different forms of MSG.

This is supposed to be a seasoning packet. Instead, it’s a concoction of chemicals sandwiched between salt and sugar. If you look further down the ingredient listing you’ll finally find seasonings such as dehydrated vegetables, onion, garlic, celery and a few other things followed by a few more chemicals.

Goya seasoning packets do add wonderful flavor to food but at what cost?

Getting Rid of the MSG Packets

Now with this startling revelation, I’ve thrown out all my of Goya packets. A tear escaped my eye and rolled down my cheek as I threw them in the trash. Goya packets were a staple in my food preparation process.

When you know better you do better

Now it’s time for me to get creative. There is no taste on earth that I cannot mimic given the right amount of time and testing. It’s up to me to find a healthy alternative to the chemical laden Goya concoction. It may take me a little time but I will enjoy the experimentation.

The one thing I know for sure is that no matter what concoction I come up with; it will be much healthier than the concoction I threw out.

Oh well, back to learning and ruining my life.