Does your holiday cooking include: Gold Medal Flour, Crisco Oil, Karo Corn Syrup, & McCormick Dyes? Did you know these brands are popular for food poisoning?
Holiday Cooking: Food Brands
These brand names are staples in millions of American homes, especially as we approach the holiday season. We view them as ingredients for “comfort food,” but the truth is far more disturbing. These products are essentially chemical cocktails lurking in your cupboards, waiting to wreak havoc on your health.
Holiday Cooking Your Temple
As believers, we are called to treat our bodies with respect. As it says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (CJB):
“Or don’t you know that your body is a temple for the Ruach HaKodesh who lives inside you, whom you received from God? The fact is, you don’t belong to yourselves; for you were bought at a price. So use your bodies to glorify God.”
We cannot glorify God fully when we are physically compromised by toxic industrial ingredients. If you have these items sitting on your shelves, now is the critical moment to purge the toxins and restock with life-giving alternatives before the holiday rush begins.
Here are the four most dangerous ingredients to banish immediately, and the vital swaps that will protect your family’s health.
The Oil Deception: Banish Inflammatory Industrial Fats
Vegetable Oils:
Stay far away from anything labeled “Vegetable Oil.” This misleading term covers a range of industrial sludge including canola, corn, cottonseed, and soybean oils.
These fats are derived from GMO seeds heavily saturated with carcinogenic pesticides. They are processed to death—subjected to chemical solvents, neutralizers, bleaching agents, and deodorizers before they ever reach the bottle. These oils are a primary driver of the modern obesity epidemic, chronic inflammation, and cardiovascular disease.[^1]
Organic Unrefined Oils
Reject the fake fats. Stick exclusively to organic, unrefined oils like Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Avocado Oil. For your holiday baking, ditch the shortening and use real grass-fed butter or coconut oil.
The Flour Trap: Stop Eating “Dead Food”
The Danger:
Standard white flour is not just “processed”; it is chemically assaulted. It can be treated with up to 60 different chemicals, including bleaching agents, before it hits the shelf.
This industrial warfare destroys essential nutrients like Vitamin E and fiber, leaving you with “dead food.” Manufacturers then try to “enrich” it with synthetic vitamins that your body struggles to absorb.
Glyphosate: Round Up Weed Killer
Furthermore, non-organic wheat is frequently desiccated (dried out) with Roundup Weed Killer (glyphosate) right before harvest. Glyphosate is a potent herbicide linked to cancer and severe gut health issues.[^2]
Use Organic Flours:
Choose life-sustaining grains. Opt for organic flours such as whole white wheat (an unbleached variety), sprouted flour, oat flour, or spelt flour. These options retain their nutritional integrity and are free from glyphosate residue.
3. The Sugar Spike: Avoid the GMO Acid Load
The Danger:
White sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar are highly processed, acidic triggers for inflammation. Unless the package explicitly states “Cane Sugar,” it is likely derived from GMO sugar beets.
Even non-organic cane sugar carries a heavy toxic load, often sprayed with Roundup and Atrazine—chemicals known to interfere with hormonal health. These sugars offer zero nutritional value and simply tax your immune system.[^3]
The Power Swap:
Replace the toxins with organic coconut sugar. It is unrefined, carries a lower glycemic load, and retains vital minerals. If you must use white sugar for a specific recipe, ensure it is Certified Organic to avoid the GMO and pesticide exposure.
4. The Artificial Dye Hazard: Eliminate Petroleum from Your Plate
Food Coloring:
The bright reds and greens in your holiday cookies shouldn’t come from a lab. Standard food colorings (like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1) are synthesized from petroleum. Extensive research links these dyes to hyperactivity in children, allergies, and even cancer. These dyes are often suspended in propylene glycol and preserved with parabens—endocrine disruptors linked to reproductive issues and breast cancer.[^4]
The Power Swap:
God provided the most vibrant colors. Use natural coloring kits derived from real superfoods like beets, spirulina, and turmeric. This applies to your holiday sprinkles, too!
References
[^3]: Samsel, A., & Seneff, S. (2013). Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance. Interdisciplinary Toxicology.
[^4]: Kobylewski, S., & Jacobson, M. F. (2012). Toxicology of food dyes. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health.
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