Everyone likes a nice night out at a restaurant now and then. It's a great way to take a break from cooking and relax while other people serve you for a change. If this is you, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you're REALLY not going to like this!
What do you get when you eat at a restaurant? Most of the time, you'll always get these 3 things...
1) Food LOADED with inflammation from polyunsaturated fats (vegetable oils)
When I say polyunsaturated fats, I'm speaking directly about:
- Corn oil
- Soybean oil
- Safflower oil
- Nut oil
- Canola oil
- Peanut oil
- Trans fats (artificially created)
These oils are VERY new to the food supply and were not a part of our diet until about 100 years ago. However, they are mainstream in almost every restaurant across America because they are incredibly cheap, and they are liquid at cold temperatures (making them food-prep friendly). These make them especially common, but they are the worst enemy of your waistline!
Source: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/foodsupply/foodsupply1909-2000.pdf
What's so bad about these fats? Your restaurant meal comes with a hefty side of inflammation in the form of polyunsaturated fats. They:
- Have a direct correlation to the increase of heart disease
- Interfere with thyroid gland function– impairing the metabolic rate
- Block hormone secretion
- Can contribute to high cholesterol
- Damage all systems of the body if in excess: hormone system, immune system & oxidative damage
- Interfere with digestion
- Decrease energy production
- Block protein digestion in the stomach
So next time you are at a restaurant, if you can-- request your food be fried in butter! Not these harmful oils! Or better yet, seek out restaurants that do things right, by cooking with traditional fats such as butter, lard and olive oil.
2) GMOs in your food are harming your gut health
When you eat out at most restaurants, not only are you consuming GMOs, you're also supporting them with your fork!
The top GMO crops currently are:
- Soy
- Corn
- Cotton
- Canola
- Sugar beets
- Alfalfa
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Papaya (from Hawaii and China)
GMOs in the food supply mess with nature and the changes are irreversible; they are contaminating the food supply permanently. GMO products contain a toxin called BT which is linked to intestinal permeability (leaky gut) as it can poke holes in your intestines!
"But we also know that it pokes holes in human cells, not just in insect cells. They finally tested the Bt toxin on human cells and published a study in 2012 in the Journal of Applied Toxicology. It poked little holes, causing leakage in human cells, which researchers say is similar or exactly the way it kills insects." -Jeffrey Smith, Seeds of Deception
3) Hormones and chemicals in your food, especially MONSANTO-laced dairy products
Because the bottom line is so important in the restaurant industry, inexpensive dairy products are the very typical. Dairy products that undoubtedly are rBST containing products. The very same rBST products that are BANNED in Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and in the 27 countries of the European Union according to Organic Valley.
So what exactly is rBST? As Organic Valley defines it, "Bovine somatotropin (BST) is a protein hormone naturally produced in the pituitary glands of cattle. Monsanto developed a recombinant version, rBST, by using a genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. Sold under the brand name “Posilac,” it is injected into cows to boost milk output in the short term. This practice is coming under increasing scrutiny. rBST is also known as rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone)."
How do you tell what a restaurant uses?
How do you know if your favorite restaurant is guilty as charged? It's pretty simple. If a restaurant goes out of their way to source high quality ingredients they will point it out on the menu. If not, there is probably NOTHING to brag about when it comes to ingredient sourcing...
Want to take action? Here's what you can do:
Copy and send the following email to your favorite restaurants. You have the power to make them change their ways!
"Dear restaurant owner,
I love eating out at your restaurant, but I don't love what it does to my body and to my health. Please consider eliminating or reducing the amounts of vegetable oils, GMO foods and rBST dairy products on your menu. I prefer to vote with my fork, and I can't support your food quality and sourcing.
Read more at: https://butternutrition.com/jaw-dropping-restaurant-facts
Sincerely,
[your name]"
Wouldn't it be cool if eating out ADDED to your health instead of subtracting from it? Please share in the comments!
PIN IT:
References:
Organic Valley. Frequently Asked Questions About rBGH. Retrieved on 15 November 2014 from http://www.organicvalley.coop/why-organic/synthetic-hormones/about-rbgh/
Peat, Ray. Unsaturated Vegetable Oils: Toxic. 2006. Retrieved on 15 November 2014 from http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsaturated-oils.shtml
Smith, Jeffery. Seeds of Deception. Interview. Retrieved on 15 November 2014 from http://digestionsessions.com/jeffrey-smith/
Weston A. Price Foundation. The Oiling of America. 2000. Retrieved on 15 November 2014 from http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/the-oiling-of-america/
Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com/minervastock
Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com/yobro10
Mark Perlmutter
Hi. I agree with most of what you say here. I would disagree about fish and nut oils,as long as the nut oil is cold pressed. Both nuts and fish have been part of our diet for a very long time and don't fit with the others. And canola is not a plant. The "oil" comes from the rapeseed, a rather disliked name. Canola stands for Canadian Oil Company. You probably know all this. I just think anyone reading your site would want to know the facts. Thanks for taking the time to educate people on perhaps the most important issue of our time.
Karole Conaway
Fish and nuts have been in our diets for a long time, yes. The difference is that now, much of our fish comes from fish farms that are now feeding fish corn...GMO corn. These fish escape into the surrounding waters and contaminate freshwater fish. Pesticides and herbicides are used in the growth of food, including nuts of all kinds. Your best bet for not eating the poisons in our food is to buy organic and eat at home. If you can not afford organic, grow your own.
Ann Johnstone
I actually rarely eat out, and if I do, am very particular about WHAT I eat, and WHERE.... and for the reasons you have given. I find that eating at home is very easy, and then I know exactly what I am putting into my body! There's nothing easier than a baked fillet of wild ocean salmon aserved alongside a good salad, Unfortunately, in Australia (and I presume it's the same in America), salmon is becoming increasingly expensive.. I use olive oil, or coconut oil for cooking, and always butter rather than other spreads.. .
Anamaria Pm
Hi, Thank you for your article it's really enlightening, I've been taking care of my family fir two years now but I always want to learn more. I have a doubt though, about Sunflower oil, may I ask you your opinion? I don't see it in the forbidden oils list, and that calls my attention. Thank you
Joel Bruce Wallach
Thank you for the precautions!
Restaurants seem to be attracted to using the wrong fats, probably because the healthy fats are more expensive. In the case of canola, it's a matter of the canola industry creating a false buzz around their product, giving us the impression that it is as healthy as olive oil.
I'd like to suggest using lecithin to help clear the bad fats out of your body. If you're concerned about soy-sourced lecithin, you can get sunflower-sourced lecithin.
http://www.libertyzone.com/hz-lecithin.html
Allyson Turner
Brilliant! I'm so glad you are blogging about this. If we can get restaurants on board, that could be a HUGE voice the scream against our toxic food supply. I live in NYC and there are only TWO restaurants I would ever consider eating at.
Eatosophy
Great to point that out Allyson. There are a few you can trust in NYC by taking a look at this wholesomeness guide: http://eatosophy.org/restaurants/?fwp_region=new-york
Gudrun B
eating out is punishment to me!!!
I am one of the few i suppose, who will rather do dishes after a home cooked meal than eat out at a restaurant, or even at friends.
Mostly the foods are either too rich (with the wrong ingredients) and i do not feel good after the meal. Friends cook a lot of pre-pared stuff i tend to avoid like the plague - but all the better to share your blog with them! 🙂
if everyone were like me restaurants would all be closed LOL
SC
HAHA.... This is why I haven't eaten at a restaraunt in almost 6 years.... Nothing they serve you is good for you unless it specifically says Non-GMO and Organic!
Also my son has milk/butter/cheese allergy and most restaurants don't have a clue how to handle that .. and really can't!
So No big news to anyone who has their EYES OPEN!!!!
Eatosophy
This is definitely the most bullet-proof way to know what you eat!
Colette
Looking for a safe, delicious option in Tucson, AZ? http://foodforascension.org/ Ate there last night, highly recommend! They are doing EVERYTHING right!
Eatosophy
Excellent article. The lack of transparency when it comes to restaurant ingredients, which can have a huge impact on the nutritional value and safety of what you get through your meal, is the reason why we created our website, a guide of the most wholesome restaurants in NYC, LA, Miami, and Las Vegas, based on the wholesomeness of the ingredients they use. We hope that helps!
Chevin Woodruff
I feel so much better since we are eating almost exclusively at home and using the good stuff, however, I thought we were doing a good thing using Almond oil. No? I live near Atlanta and we do have a farm to table restaurant in town, Also not far from Hugh Atchison's restaurant in Athens, GA. Asheville, NC has a Gluten free restaurant only 2 hours from us. Thankfully our Ingle's Supermarket carries organics and keeps expanding their gluten- free department, Grass -Fed beef, too. So we have more time at home with one another and our dogs and cats, soon chickens. Love your blog. Thanks.