Avoiding unhealthy ingredients in your diet

Q. Josh, I feel like I eat pretty well, but lately I've been looking more closely at the ingredients in the foods I buy and I'm overwhelmed by the amount of ingredients in something as healthy as vegetable soup. What food ingredients do you avoid to stay healthy?

Anna, Rolling Meadows

A. Thank you, Anna, for asking this question as many consumers are confused when they look at the ingredients of many processed foods. Most of the processed foods available today are loaded with food additives and artificial ingredients. Since I realized this and started paying more attention to the actual ingredients in food, rather than just the food itself, my health has gone to a new level. I experience better sleep, feel more satisfied after meals, have more energy and feel better than ever.