Here are 5 top ingredients you want to avoid in a food:

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

• HFCS is much cheaper to produce than regular sugar, which is why you’ll find it in your soft drinks, processed food and “junk-food” type products.
• Consuming too much of products with HFCS can also to health problems including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and more.

2. Partially Hydrogenated Oils: Source of Trans Fats

Partially hydrogenated oils are the primary source of trans fats, which have been shown to be potentially more harmful to arteries than saturated fat. Foods can call themselves "trans-fat free" even if they contain up to half a gram of trans fats per serving. Look on the ingredients list. If you see “hydrogenated” anywhere on an ingredient list, try to avoid the product.

Most importantly is to be sure to look for balance. It doesn't help your health to choose foods loaded with saturated fat in order to avoid a tiny amount of trans fat. So find a balance and consume these product in small amounts.

3. MSG – Monosodium Glutamate

MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells and may cause brain damage to varying degrees — and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and more. It is also linked to headaches, migraines, obesity, eye damage, fatigue, depression, heart irregularities, seizures and more.

MSG makes food taste much better by very slightly cutting your tongue, so that you can taste the robust, salty flavors more densely.

It is a toxic substance containing processed glutamic acid that can kill brain cells.

So "MSG" is a slow poison which hides behind dozens of names such as natural flavoring, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, caseinate, textured protein, hydrolyzed pea protein and many others.

Currently, labeling standards do not require MSG to be listed in the ingredient list of thousands of foods, so do pay close attention to the ingredients listed.

- Autolyzed Yeast
- Calcium Caseinate
- Gelatin
- Glutamate
- Glutamic Acid
- Hydrolyzed Protein
- Monopotassium Glutamate
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Sodium Caseinate
- Textured Protein
- Yeast Extract
- Yeast Food
- Yeast Nutrient

4. Artificial Sweeteners Aspartame, Sucralose, Sorbitol

An artificial sweetener is 180 times sweeter than sugar and it is an excitotoxin that encourages free radical growth, which accelerates aging and health problems.

Some of the common reported symptoms from artificial sweeteners include: brain cancer, headaches, sleep problems, memory loss, dizziness, cramps, rash, fatigue, diarrhea, and more!

Artificial sweetener are mostly found in food and beverages marketed as “sugar-free” or “diet”, including soft drinks, chewing gum, jellies, baked goods, fruit juice and ice cream.

Artificial sweeteners are attractive alternatives to sugar because they add virtually no calories to your diet, but also means no nutrients, however they can still contribute to weight gain. This is because artificial sweeteners increases appetite and may lead you to eat more.

So if you are someone who drinks a lot of diet soda thinking that the zero calorie won’t lead to weight gain, this will also hinder your weight loss process plus many other health problems that might come with it.

It is better to switch to “Natural Sweetener” such as honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup as part of your weight loss routine because you may end up eating less if you use natural sugar. Plus, they are safer and offer added nutritional values to your diet.

5. Artificial Colourings

Artificial colorings are often found in cereals, candies, sodas, and snack foods, especially those marketed to children. They will be noted on the ingredients list by their color name, such as Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Red 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, and Orange B. These additives don't add nutrient value, and may pose health issues.

As of July 2010, most foods in the European Union that contain artificial food dyes are labeled with warning labels stating the food “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” They are mainly added to food for aesthetic purposes and are not necessary.

So to conclude, if you can’t pronounce the ingredients on a product, don’t eat it. If you can’t be bothered to check through the list of ingredients, you are better off eating REAL FOOD. Food in its purest form, which has not been processed, without side effects, with high nutritional values.