Food
The open road offers many indulgences, and often the most sought of them is food. When you see that neon sign glimmer in the distance at the end of a long day of driving, it calls to you like an oasis on the highway. You exit, park, and grab your grub.
I’ll bet many of you were envisioning a gas station, truck stop or convenience store. This is the most common place where road weary travelers tend to find their eats. This is also a trap.
“But I can just buy my pop tarts at the gas station—why do I have to go to the grocery store when I can fold food into a fuel stop?”
Well dear friend,
that’s because you shouldn’t be eating pop tarts in the first
place. When you’re at a grocery store, you should be shopping the
edges; that means the outer edges of the store where the produce is
kept. Buy fruits, nuts, and nitrate/nitrite-free jerky products.
Double points for Non-GMO.
Also buy distilled water and sprinkle in some pink Himalayan salt for minerals; a small pinch per serving is all you need, you shouldn’t taste it. Alternatively, buy juice products with 100% juice and cut two to four ounces in a 20 ounces with distilled water.
Commonly Used Ingredients to Avoid:
Artificial Flavors; sucralose (Splenda), aspartame, monosoduium glutamate (MSG)
Preservatives; Sodium Nitrate/Nitrite, Sulfites, BHA/BHT
Fillers: Maltodextrin, all food coloring.
Refer to a more comprehensive list at the bottom of the page.
I know it’s a lot of information, but start with the few that I’ve listed above, and expand on your vocabulary gradually. I will provide a small list of brands that won’t do you dirty.
Basically, buy
organic, but always check the labels, because this world is filled
with charlatans that would rather see you sick and profit from your
ailments; and unfortunately, they are some of the same people who run
large companies that peddle “health food”.
Look at it this way, you’re going to consume the food you eat on the road before it spoils anyway. Just get a cooler, toss in a bag of ice, and keep your food cool that way. Rather than snacking along the road on junk food, a bit of effort and advance planning will keep you feeling sated, alert, positive and healthy. The cost savings alone may be worth it. A snack here, a snack there—it all adds up to a lot as you venture down the road, and that’s the trap.
You ever wonder why truckers have their infamous “trucker gut”? That’s because their deadlines don’t allow them to deviate their routes, and they are left with few food alternatives. It’s also difficult for them to take a gamble on parking their rigs, when there are increasingly tighter parking restrictions on them nation wide.
Perhaps the
best—relatively speaking— that I’ve seen for truckers is an
open buffet, at a truck stop. The food certainly is substantial, but
that brings me to another point. Eating too much will make you
sleepy. This was another gem of wisdom I learned both in CDL
vocational school, and while on the road. Digestion of a large meal
will slow you down. While I don’t suggest you eat a large meal
before bed, I would advise you budget time into your overnight stops,
particularly if you’re sleeping in your rig.
When you stop for the night, have a nice stretch, and go have your meal. Don’t over indulge, because that's unhealthy; although the fatigue you’ll experience from overeating will be inconsequential, since you’re stopped for the night. I encourage you walk around to give your legs some exercise and help burn off some of the meal.
Here are a few healthy brands that I’ve used:
Food Items |
|
Brand |
Nutritional Properties |
Protein Bar |
|
Snack Bar |
|
Protein Bar |
|
Beef Jerky |
|
Jack Links(most products safe, some not) |
Beef Jerky |
Tasty snacks/meals, wide variety to choose from. |
|
Drinks |
|
Plant based energy powder, also comes in protein. |
|
Protein drink |
|
Energy, probiotic, rejuvenation drink. |
|
Carbonated energy drink. |
|
Calming relaxation drink. |
|
A fun way to keep hydrated without feeling guilty, good for mixing, see below. |
|
Distilled Water |
Healthy, cheap base for mixing drinks. |
Myriad of health benefits, add to distilled water, with pinch of cinnamon |
|
Note:
The contents of the table are for image and information only, due to the excessive cost to purchase online; you can find these items commonly at your local grocer.
Drink
Stay hydrated. It’s
very easy to eat sugary and salty junk food while you’re driving,
but that will dehydrate you. What will eventually happen, is you’ll
feel a physical sense of discomfort, and you’ll find yourself
constipated.
I call this Road Constipation, because it can creep up
on you slowly as you snack on highway food. Conversely, you want to
be careful that you’re not pigging out so badly that you have the
opposite problem. Can confirm.
Without going into details, when I
was a young traveler, I spent the night sleeping in my car in the
back of a gas station (with permission from the manager, since it was
a smaller establishment). When I awoke the next morning, I had pop
tarts for breakfast, and I washed it down with an energy drink. The
entire previous day, I wasn’t properly hydrating, and eating candy.
Well, after I left the gas station and resumed my journey, I had to stop about 20 minutes later, desperately seeking a bathroom. I was fortunate to find a rest area. I don’t think I ever ran so fast to a toilet in all my time on the road. Needless to say, lesson learned—which I now impart upon you.
Moving right along...
Mason Jars
I normally keep
track of my fluid consumption by the amount of 20 ounce Mason Jars I
drink in a day. I use them because I can easily measure whatever I
am putting in them, because there are measuring lines on the side. They're old sauce jars. I
usually drink ACV by just wetting the bottom of the mason jar, and
filling it up the rest of the way with water. If vinegar isn’t
something you can tolerate, there are other things you can make as
well. If you like a fizzy drink, then empty a can of flavored
seltzer water into a mason jar, fill it half way to full with
distilled water, and top off with your favorite organic juice of
respective flavor.
For example, you would use a watermelon flavored seltzer water with watermelon juice; or any complementary flavor combination you’d like. Glass is usually best, but there are plastic alternatives, which might be better for traveling. The only drawback is that they don’t fit in common cup holders; but on the bright side, you can place a lid on it and save it for later.
Pro Tip:
If you’re having a stomach ache on the road, because something you ate disagreed with you and isn’t digesting right, drink 20 to 40 ounces of water. Make sure you pull off at a rest area, or some place with a bathroom. You’re gonna need it, but you’ll feel better. It especially works wonders for those of you who eat too many sweets! Please note, this will not fix food poisoning or illness. If you suspect you’ve eaten something rancid or feel like you’re coming down with something, go see a doctor.
Blood Clots
Don’t discount
stretching and light exercise. You must do this to maintain your
overall health. There is a great danger in remaining sedentary for
long periods of time.
When I was a rookie truck driver, my first
company told us a story about a new driver they once had. He was an
overzealous workaholic, dropped his trailer and hooked up to another
just as soon as he could, “welded his door shut,” and never left
the truck except for fuel and restroom breaks. He was never late,
turned and burned just like the best of them… until a few months
later.
He landed himself in the hospital, because he developed blood clots in his legs. They were due to his excessive sedentary lifestyle; and while he was working, and earning a good hard living, he was effectively killing himself. Yes, in case you didn’t know, the formation of blood clots in your legs can travel through your heart or become lodged in your lungs killing you.
As a user friendly alternative to this fate, I recommend stopping every 2 to 4 hours just to stretch and walk around. Hop up and down, make your legs remember that they have a job to do.
Pro Tip:
While traveling on the highway, you’ll sometimes see billboard signs and highway signs advertising an attraction coming up at an exit further down. Stop and see it. Don’t be too afraid of going off the beaten path (so to speak), because your GPS will route you back to the highway, or you can use a map and compass to find your way if you’re old school.
Food Additives to Avoid
While FDA generally recognizes most additives on this list as ‘safe,’ there are growing concerns about the safety of many common food additives, if consumed in large quantities.
Sodium nitrate: Added to processed meats to stop bacterial growth. Linked to cancer in humans. (Worst Offender)
Sulfites: Used to keep prepared foods fresh. Can cause breathing difficulties in those sensitive to the ingredient.
Azodicarbonamide: Used in bagels and buns. Can cause asthma.
Potassium bromate: Added to breads to increase volume. Linked to cancer in humans.
Propyl gallate: Added to fat-containing products. Linked to cancer in humans
BHA/BHT: A fat preservative, used in foods to extend shelf life. Linked to cancerous tumor growth.
Propylene glycol: Better known as antifreeze. Thickens dairy products and salad dressing. Deemed ‘generally’ safe by FDA.
Butane: Put in chicken nuggets to keep them tasting fresh. A known carcinogen.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Flavor enhancer that can cause headaches. Linked in animal studies to nerve damage, heart problems and seizures.
Disodium inosinate: In snack foods. Contains MSG.
Disodium guanylate: Also used in snack foods, and contains MSG.
Enriched flour: Used in many snack foods. A refined starch that is made from toxic ingredients.
Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH): Geneticially-engineered version of natural growth hormone in cows. Boosts milk production in cows. Contains high levels of IGF-1, which is thought cause various types of cancer.
Refined vegetable oil: Includes soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, and peanut oil. High in omega-6 fats, which are thought to cause heart disease and cancer.
Sodium benzoate: Used as a preservative in salad dressing and carbonated beverages. A known carcinogen and may cause damage our DNA.
Brominated vegetable oil: Keeps flavor oils in soft drinks suspended. Bromate is a poison and can cause organ damage and birth defects. Not required to be listed on food labels.
Propyl gallate: Found in meats, popcorn, soup mixes and frozen dinners. Shown to cause cancer in rats. Banned in some countries. Deemed safe by FDA.
Olestra: Fat-like substance that is unabsorbed by the body. Used in place of natural fats in some snack foods. Can cause digestive problems, and also not healthy for the heart.
Carrageenan: Stabilizer and thickening agent used in many prepared foods. Can cause ulcers and cancer.
Polysorbate 60: A thickener that is used in baked goods. Can cause cancer in laboratory animals.
Camauba wax: Used in chewing gums and to glaze certain foods. Can cause cancer and tumors.
Magnesium sulphate: Used in tofu, and can cause cancer in laboratory animals.
Chlorine dioxide: Used in bleaching flour. Can cause tumors and hyperactivity in children.
Paraben: Used to stop mold and yeast forming in foods. Can disrupt hormones in the body, and could be linked to breast cancer.
Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose: Used as a thickener in salad dressings. Could cause cancer in high quantities.
Aluminum: A preservative in some packaged foods that can cause cancer.
Artificial Sweeteners to Avoid
Artificial sweeteners are regulated by FDA, just as food additives are, but this does not apply to products ‘generally recognized as safe.
Saccharin: Carcinogen found to cause bladder cancer in rats. (Worst Offender)
Aspartame: An excitotoxin and thought to be a carcinogen. Can cause dizziness, headaches, blurred vision and stomach problems.
High fructose corn syrup: Sweetener made from corn starch. Made from genetically-modified corn. Causes obesity, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis and insulin resistance.
Acesulfame potassium: Used with other artificial sweeteners in diet sodas and ice cream. Linked to lung and breast tumors in rats.
Sucralose: Splenda. Can cause swelling of liver and kidneys and a shrinkage of the thymus gland.
Agave nectar: Sweetener derived from a cactus. Contains high levels of fructose, which causes insulin resistance, liver disease and inflammation of body tissues.
Bleached starch: Can be used in many dairy products. Thought to be related to asthma and skin irritations.
Tert butylhydroquinone: Used to preserve fish products. Could cause stomach tumors at high doses.
Artificial Food Colorings to Avoid
Food colorings are used to give foods a more attractive appearance, but some experts believe they cause serious health problems, including asthma and hyperactivity in children.
Red #40: Found in many foods to alter color. All modern food dyes are derived from petroleum. A carcinogen that is linked to cancer in some studies. Also can cause hyperactivity in children. Banned in some European countries. (Worst Offender)
Blue #1: Used in bakery products, candy and soft drinks. Can damage chromosomes and lead to cancer.
Blue #2: Used in candy and pet food beverages. Can cause brain tumors
Citrus red #1: Sprayed on oranges to make them look ripe. Can damage chromosomes and lead to cancer.
Citrus red #2: Used to color oranges. Can cause cancer if you eat the peel.
Green #3: Used in candy and beverages. May cause bladder tumors.
Yellow #5: Used in desserts, candy and baked goods.Thought to cause kidney tumors, according to some studies.
Yellow #6: A carcinogen used in sausage, beverages and baked goods. Thought to cause kidney tumors, according to some studies.
Red #2: A food coloring that may cause both asthma and cancer.
Red #3: A carcinogen. that is added to cherry pie filling, ice cream and baked goods. May cause nerve damage and thyroid cancer.
Caramel coloring: In soft drinks, sauces, pastries and breads. When made with ammonia, it can cause cancer in mice. Food companies not required to disclose if this ingredient is made with ammonia.
Brown HT: Used in many packaged foods. Can cause hyperactivity in children, asthma and cancer.
Orange B: A food dye that is used in hot dog and sausage casings. High doses are bad for the liver and bile duct.
Bixin: Food coloring that can cause hyperactivity in children and asthma.
Norbixin: Food coloring that can cause hyperactivity in children and asthma.
Annatto: Food coloring that can cause hyperactivity in children and asthma.
Conclusion
Avoid fast foods
Avoid soda and sugary drinks & juice
Eat more fruits, vegetables and grains
Eat hormone free meat
Drink hormone free milk
Know what you’re eating!
SOURCE: https://mphprogramslist.com/50-jawdroppingly-toxic-food-additives-to-avoid/