After a week of playing with her cousin Theo, Chloe has become obsessed with woodlice. I wouldn’t mind but this has now turned into a career choice. She no longer wants to be a jewellery maker and instead would like to be a “woodlouseologist”. Her little sister has followed suit but with some reservations … Belle would like to be a “wologist” except on Wednesdays, when she would still like to make jewellery. Maybe she could make jewellery for woodlice?

Whether the bug fascination continues remains to be seen. But for now, we have several woodlouse houses lining the windowsill, all with lids and air holes. The girls are mesmerised by their antics although enraged by overnight escapes. We have six woodlice on the loose … perhaps we should make some LOST posters? I don’t really mind where they turn up, so long as it’s not in my bed.

As much as I complain, the truth is I welcomed this non-pink activity that has nothing to do with glitter. I’m pretty sure it’s a good thing that the girls are elbow deep in sticks and mud. However I can’t help being a bit envious of our friends down the road. Their rabbits have just produced five tiny bunnies and you can’t really get cuter than that. It’s ok though, I’ll pretend I’m happy petting woodlice and collecting rotting wood. I’ll also keep on trying not to vomit as Chloe reads me woodlouse facts from Google. Did you know that woodlice carry their eggs around in little pouches underneath their bellies? Did you know that they don’t pee, but instead secrete ammonia gas through their shells?

Sometimes, it’s not until your six-year-old goes bug crazy that you realise what you don’t know. And sometimes not knowing is preferable. However, sometimes it’s also important — so you can share your child’s enthusiasm for their new project (even if you have to fake it) or so that you can give them the best possible diet.

Ten years ago when I began studying nutrition, I found myself equally amazed and horrified. Amazed by all the incredible things that good nutrition can do, and horrified by how warped our food system had become. Here are some of the astonishing things I have learnt along the way. You may not want to know them, but it’s a really good thing if you do. Here goes!

1. Antibiotics in your cheese

No that’s not a good thing — it’s not going to prevent you getting sick, in fact quite the opposite. Here’s how it works. Cattle involved in mainstream milk production are given rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) to keep them producing milk — and lots of it. This commonly leads to mastitis, which leads to cysts and elevated levels of white blood cells in the milk. Once this occurs (and because there are legal limits for the amount of white blood cells present in milk) affected cows have to be taken out of milk production. This is an expensive process for dairy farmers so cows are routinely given antibiotics prophylactically to prevent them getting infections in the first place. Unfortunately traces of these antibiotics trickle through the food chain, exposing us as humans to more and greater doses. Credible arguments and data exist to suggest that this is a major reason behind growing antibiotic resistance in humans — rendering available medications less effective, or not effective at all. While the positive side is that Dunkley’s Dairy milk here in Bermuda is rBGH/antibiotic free (as is their filled milk from overseas) this isn’t the case for other imported dairy products. So when you sprinkle grated cheese on your pasta, buy a yoghurt or eat a cookie made from butter or milk powder, you’re likely getting a dose of rBGH and antibiotics. Upshot: keep an eye out for imported beef and dairy products that are either organic or at least state that they are rBGH and antibiotic free.

2. Food dye in your oranges

Do you zest oranges or make your own marmalade? Be careful. In Florida, Citrus Red Dye No. 2 is legally used to make oranges more orange when the fall nights haven’t been cold enough to trigger the most sought after bright orange colour. If you toss the peel it’s not a problem, but if you zest your peel or make marmalade you might get a hefty dose of the dye. Given that this dye in particular is “possibly carcinogenic to humans” you’d be better to avoid it! Upshot: Buy local Bermuda oranges in season, which can be ripe even when their peel is yellow/greenish. If you do buy imported oranges, avoid Florida oranges (especially early in the season) and choose produce from California or Arizona. If you are making marmalade, choose Seville oranges from Spain which are only available in January. Organic avoids the problem completely.

3. Pesticides in your cereal

Most of us know that there are pesticides in and on our non-organic fruit and veg, but what about your grain. If your grain is genetically modified (and most US grain based products are) then the pesticide is often bred right into the seed. So as the plant grows, the bugs that eat it die. It’s good for pest control, but how good (or bad) is it for us? The most commonly genetically modified crops are corn, soy and sugar beet. It’s hard to find a product that doesn’t contain at least one of those (or a derivative thereof) these days. By the time you’ve eaten your cornflakes, cookies, chips and popcorn that’s a hefty dose of chemicals. Upshot: But non-GMO products to avoid pesticides used from the inside out. Buy organic to avoid chemical pesticides completely.

4. Squashed bugs in your yoghurt

Ever seen carmine on a food label and wondered what it was? Carmine is a bright pink dye used commonly in yoghurts, drinks, red velvet cupcakes and other processed foods. It’s much cheaper than fruit, so although a strawberry yoghurt should have at least some strawberries in it, the carmine is used to supplement it and give the impression there are more strawberries than there are. The brighter colour also appeals to children (and adults) and makes us think it’s more fun and tasty. But carmine is made from the cochineal bug — it’s literally the extract from crushed beetle shells. How tasty is it now? Upshot: It’s still worth checking labels even when a product is labelled “all-natural”.

5. Chemicals in your “health” foods

According to the front of the packet, Welch’s fruit snacks are “family farmer owned”, gluten-free, fat-free, are “made with REAL fruit”, provide 100 percent RDA vitamin C and 25 percent of your requirement for vitamins A & E. Turn it over and you’ll see they are sweetened with corn syrup and coloured with petroleum-based artificial dyes. Many of the “Splash” fruit/veggie blend juices are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and have an extra dose of Red 40. Upshot: Produce items that are marketed as “healthy” often use persuasive buzz-words to fool you. Always check the labels.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the Managing Director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the U.K. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda