Page 64 - Summer2018

JL: This is what people don’t like to hear, but it is pretty much all of the that had any form of MSG. A restaurant like
foods at certain restaurant chains, or products with “natural” ingredients. that is really hard to find.
You look up the ingredients and there’s twenty things in one soup that
mess with your nerves. It just boils down to looking at every single ingre- HG: Absolutely. You know, the Weston A. Price
dient. An easy way to eliminate a lot of the excitotoxin ingredients is to Foundation is working on its 12-Spoons Res-
buy foods with only five ingredients. That’ll eliminate a lot. It is helpful taurant Rating Project, which will help people
also to learn all the names for MSG, which I eventually did. One of the find restaurants without a lot of these additives.
easiest ways to know whether to eat something or not is to see whether it Chapter leaders in the U.S. are working on
contains "natural flavors." Different food additives have different levels identifying and compiling restaurants that they
of free glutamate in them. It is getting pretty easy to find foods without would recommend. In your case, your health
the main types of MSG, but the very last one that is hardest to get rid of was at risk so you pushed yourself to do some
is natural flavors, because they are in everything. of that research on your own. For those of us
who are not willing to take that time, I suggest
HG: “Natural flavors” sounds so good. keeping your eyes peeled for that 12-Spoon
Restaurant app. We really want to help people
JL: You would think so, but it is actually a legal loophole. Companies find places where they can find great food.
don’t have to disclose what is in natural flavors. Many times, natural As we conclude, I want to ask you what I
flavors consist of things that have been highly processed, and this is the often ask my guests and I’m curious to see what
case even in organic food and in organic natural flavors. You have to you will say. If listeners could only do one thing
worry about the formation of excessive levels of free glutamate. If you to improve their health, what should they do?
make everything at home, you will not have a problem.
JL: Read ingredient labels. That will steer you
HG: For the people who don’t want to memorize all the names of MSG, in the right direction every time.
they would have to buy their ingredients from a farm or other good source
or grow their own food and make most of their own food at home. You HG: That is fantastic. I applaud you for all that
can control what is in it that way. you've done and for getting the word out.

JL: Yes, you can. And buying locally is a lot better choice. I was at a JL: Yes, I’m excited to share my story. There
major retail grocery store that I love, and I noticed they were putting are so many people, women in particular, who
natural flavors in their fresh ground beef. You would assume fresh ground have the same problems as I do. They go about
beef would be okay, but you can’t assume anything anymore. With the their day on migraine medications, just trying to
ground beef, luckily, they actually have to put it on their label. Most people make it. If I could just morph them into my body
wouldn’t think to read the label on fresh ground beef, but you have to and they could feel the absence of pain, they
because they are cutting corners everywhere. But here’s the silver lining: would see how wonderful and possible it is. It
it has been about five years since I discovered the cause of my migraines, is hard work looking at ingredient lists, making
and in that time, it has gotten so much easier to find foods. There are your own food and buying it locally from trusted
many prepared foods in the grocery store, especially Krogers—I can vendors, but it is 100 percent worth it.
get everything there. I used to have to go to Whole Foods, which was an
hour and a half drive. These foods are now in demand. People are want- Look for Jodi on Facebook and find out more
ing their foods to be real food, not with all the chemicals and additives. about Jodi at adventureswithjodi.com. To listen
I went five years without eating in any restaurants, which is shocking, to the podcast, go to westonaprice.org, click on
but last week I found that I could eat at Chipotle without incident. They the Blogs & Podcasts tab and click on podcast
were close last year, but their tortillas still had xanthan gum in them. For episode 89.
people who are gluten-free, there is xanthan gum in gluten-free tortillas
or bread-like products. Xanthan gum and other gums are on the list for
MSG. If you have a gluten problem, you would want to avoid xanthan
and other gums in gluten-free products. Recently, Chipotle removed
that, and the tortilla now contains regular, basic ingredients, flour and
water. It was so nice that I was actually able to have one meal out with
my family. I checked all of their ingredients and I couldn’t find any dish

62 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2018