Ever wonder what all those chemicals in your food are? Many of those scientific-sounding names are actually preservatives. You know, those food additives to ensure that tasty (and generally non-nutritious) food does not spoil on the shelf.

Is food meant to spoil fast? Sure it is -- but in the world of processed and packaged foods loaded with taste enhancers and other chemicals, shelf life is the top concern -- not inclusion of healthy ingredients. Well, most of the time anyway.

Preservatives like formaldehyde are known by many to be carcinogens and cancer-causing agents in large-enough doses. My advice? Take about four or five of those processed foods from the pantry and type in each individual ingredient into your favorite search engine and begin researching what each one is. Ever see items like Sodium Nitrite? BHT? Blue Lake 4? Sodium Benzoate? Some are preservatives and others are not -- but knowing what you're putting in your body every day is an empowering thing. If you've ever suffered from cancer, it's an imperative thing.