I thoroughly enjoy the food I eat. Taste buds change in response to diet, and the more one eats natural whole foods, the easier it is to realize that they actually taste quite good. The fact that these foods also promote optimal health makes them the best of both worlds.

I think it’s shortsighted to assume that any additional time added to one’s life through healthy lifestyle habits will be spent incapacitated in a nursing home. Even if that were the case, it’s important to consider the difference in quality of life before that point. Today, many people are suffering from chronic health problems as early as their twenties and thirties and are living with a greatly compromised quality of life. I know for a fact that my diet contributes greatly to me consistently being in better moods and having more energy and mental clarity. In my opinion, the intermittent gratification that may result from regularly consuming processed foods is not worth the sacrifice in wellbeing that it often causes.

Yes, I use a computer and drive a car, and yes, this contributes to air pollution. However, this doesn’t mean chemical exposure needs to be an all or nothing situation. It still makes plenty of sense to limit exposure as much as possible, especially since there is plenty that can be done to do so without being excessively impractical.

Associating specific symptoms with a sensitivity to a particular food or food additive is often difficult because symptoms can vary so much from person to person. Your best bet would be to get tested for food sensitivities, but it would have to be a test that includes chemical additives. Since you seem to have isolated it to an additive that you’re better off not eating anyway, you might as well save your money and simply avoid MSG.

We are now exploring the connection between how your bile breaks down fat and the toxic reaction to MSG. Taurine is also something that is being mentioned as a supplement that can help. Considering that it is found in bile and the digestive system this makes sense. My husband developed the toxic reaction after having is gall bladder removed in his early 30’s. This results in a diluted bile and the processing of fats is very difficult. We grill most of our lean meats and he avoids heavy fatty foods but lives for the most part on the 80/20 principle. Aside from MSG, everything else can be tolerated.

If anyone has tried the Taurine option or knows of other options I am interested in learning more. His reaction usually last about 12 hours with migraine level pain, nausea, and diarreha. He is normally a very fit, very athletic, on the go person . . . this knocks him flat!

All ideas welcome . . .

If you’re looking for healthy foods that don’t have an excessive amount of carbohydrates, natural whole foods are your best bet, particularly pasture raised meat and organic produce. With a diet based on such foods, you shouldn’t have much of a need for sweeteners, but on occasion, I’d definitely recommend stevia over any of the artificial varieties.

Panic is a form of stress, and as such, is certainly not what I’m trying to promote. It’s great that you don’t eat fast food frequently enough for it to be a problem, but there are people who are less informed than you that do! In addition, it’s easy to think that KFC’s grilled chicken is a healthy choice, especially with the advertising. Grilled chicken normally is a healthy choice, but not when it contains ingredients like hygrogenated oil, soy, gluten, MSG, and sugar. The point of this article is not to cause panic or controversey, but to help people realize that KFC’s grilled chicken is not the healthy choice they may believe it to be. I’m sorry that you interpreted it differently.

Finally, regardless of what PETA says, factory farming is a real problem that everyone should be aware of and do their best to not support it.