I ran across this list of food additives this week on the FDA site. Note this is only a partial list... and there is also a separate list of all the stuff added to the packaging and stuff that comes in contact with food. I will post it without comment -- except to say I am glad I am learning more and more to avoid processed foods -- and let everyone draw their own conclusions.

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/eafus.html

Some of those things are natural (such as agar) and some are purely chemical. I am glad I eat only natural foods, myself.

Yes I do realize that some of them are natural. However, LOL, I googled a few of them to find out more what they are. I don't eat "only" natural but try to do so for the most part. In the past I ate all kinds of processed stuff but in the past year have cut the vast majority of it out of my diet... AND I FEEL SO much better when I do! The more I learn about what is in our food, the more I try to go whole foods.

I still eat processed stuff once in a while, too. Mostly just for convenience (like throwing a Lean Cuisine into the microwave when I don't have time to cook) but I've switched to eating more whole foods as well. A lot more than I did 5 years ago. 5 years ago my diet consisted of pot pies, McDonald's and ramen noodles, LOL. Now I eat more vegetables (fresh that I cook myself), lean meats that haven't been processed with a bunch of additives, whole grains, etc. It not only makes me feel better (mentally as well as physically) but it's cut a lot of sodium from my diet as well. I don't even want to THINK about how much sodium I used to eat. Plus I rarely ever drank water. It's no wonder I'd blow up like a balloon retaining. They even put me in the hospital once and hooked me up to an IV for 4 hours because I was so dehydrated. And the muscle cramps I used to get, yeeouch! I'd wake up in the middle of the night with the WORST charlie horses. Since cutting back on sodium and drinking lots of water every day, the muscle cramps are all gone

So yes, eating better definitely makes a difference.

Interesting that it has helped your muscle cramps... I still get them REALLY bad when I am sleeping and wake up in agony! I read somewhere in one of the threads that drinking a small can of V8 an hour before bed helped... but I forgot to buy any today. I am going to give it a try!

I've never heard of that, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to try it

The water is what has helped. Plus I'm sure eating healthier has helped as well because I'm not taking in as much sodium, so it's all related. But apparently muscle cramps result from being dehydrated, in many cases. A friend of mine told me she would wake up with terrible cramps. I asked if her she drinks enough water. She said, "Well, I'll have maybe a glass or two throughout the day."

I told her that wasn't enough, drink more. I told her she didn't necessarily have to waterlog herself, but to make an effort to drink more water. So now she drinks a lot more water than she used to and the cramps have gone away and only happen once in a great while as opposed to every night. I don't know if it's a water issue with everyone, though. I'm sure there are medical conditions or medications that can cause cramping. I told her if the water didn't help to then maybe ask her doctor about it to see if he would have any suggestions.

Hope the V-8 juice works!

Thanks! It can't be the water for me as I drink tons of it! Also have cut waaaaaay back on salt. I get the cramps not only in the back of my legs but sometimes on the tops of my feet. But I don't think I have ever mentioned them to my doctor which I should have of course. I will ask her next time I go!