MSG Warning!

I was mentioning to my personal trainer how I had eaten at Five Guys early in the evening one night and then I continued to crave food and snack all night. She said that the food I ate at Five Guys probably contains MSG (essentially all fast foods do) because it has a chemical in it that triggers appetite. So then I came home and did a little research and found out some of the scientific findings about MSG. It is linked not only to obesity but to fibromyalga, arthritis, and other autoimmune illnesses as well as headaches.

I have been committed to omitting MSG from the foods I have at home for a long time but I haven't thought much about when I eat out. Now that I realize most fast foods have it, I will be more careful. I also discovered how food manufacturers try to hide their use of MSG in their products and so here is a list of the hidden names that I will want to avoid.

Hidden Names for MSG

MSG
Gelatin
Calcium Caseinate
Monosodium glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) Textured Protein
Monopotassium glutamate Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP) Yeast Extract
Glutamate
Autolyzed Plant Protein
Yeast food or nutrient
Glutamic Acid
Sodium Caseinate
Autolyzed Yeast
Vegetable Protein Extract

I realize once again how important it is to watch what I eat and by that it means more than watching the unhealthy food while I stuff it in my mouth. I know that if I want to be healthy that I need to do all I can.