I thought it would be nice to start a discussion about healthy and toxic food.
From what I know about the people I am in contact with the clear majority doesn't really care about their food. They eat what is delicious for them.
I think most know the saying "you are what you eat". But still they don't care.
In my opinion food has to be paid more attention. Many people start to radically change their nutrition once they have serious diseases and the doctor tells them they have to change. So why wait until you are sick?
In this thread I want to collect opinions and experience about unhealthy or toxic substances in our daily food.
First of all a list of substances/food I avoid:
- Aspartame - a sweetener used in many drinks instead of sugar
- refined sugar
- glutamate - a flavor enhancer
- fluoride
- sodium lauryl sulfate - a tenside used in some tooth paste compounds
- most preservatives
- any cola drink - contains 4-methylimidazole
- pork
Now the explanations:
Aspartame:
Suspected to cause several diseases, opinions and releases are very controversial. So I just avoid it to don't go any risk.
refined sugar:
I think the bad sides of sugar are very well known, additionally it can end up in dependency. Very good alternatives are on the market, naming stevia and maple syrup here, so it is not a problem to avoid sugar either.
glutamate:
Can lead to headache or glaucoma (proven example in my family) for example. In reasonable amounts glutamate is not a big problem. But it is scary how many food products contain it. So it is quite easy to eat too much of it every day.
Fluoride:
used in toothpaste and even more terrifying added to drinkable water in some countries as the USA or switzerland. Fluoride is very toxic and the positive effects on plaque are controversial. Even worse is if it is added to water and ingested. Fluoride is one of the most reactive ions ever and should under no circumstances be ingested.
Sodium lauryl sulfate:
In short: harmful and allergenic. Not even denied by anyone, yet it is still added to tooth paste.
Preservatives:
"Incompatible" to many persons I know and causing various discomforts.
Cola:
Contains (beside sugar or arpartame) the cancerogenous substance 4-methylimidazole. Coca Cola has decreased usage of this substance in the US recently as far as I know, but not in the rest of the world.
pork:
Pork is suspected to be harmful in general. The number of people who avoid it increases steadily. Even some doctors recommend avoiding it.
If you have diseases such as rheumatism or any other disease regarding joints or cartilages pork is the first thing the doctor tells you to not eat anymore.
Since I don't eat it I feel really great, I'm hardly sick at all. No discomforts, no problems and my fitness is better then ever before.
Might as well be a combination of the other things I stated here, but it is really recongnizable.
That was toxic part of food. I'm looking forward to opinions.
Last edited by King_Diamond; 04-28-2012 at 12:32 PM.
I also watch what I eat/drink. I can't avoid all, but am carefull how much I eat/drink of it.
I avoid most aspartame. I use sweeteners in my coffee, but buy those without aspartame.
I also don't eat pork, but simply because I don't like the taste.
I have an app that tells me about preservatives and read about all before I use something.
I never knew that about Pork, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis in my Knees. Now I must confess I have never been a fan of Pork, infact I rarely almost never eat it, but it is an interesting fact.
Try it out. It is a little hard in the beginning to find sausage which contains absolutely no pork or pig fat.
Sausage made from beef is really delicious though
I avoid all kinds of sugar replacements and I try to eat vegetarian meals two times a week. And I prefer fish over meat if available.
I never ever smoke anything.
I do avoid refined sugars, do not drink pop or have sweeteners. I have just told my mum about the Pork thing.
We tend to eat Beef sausages anyway, as I said I am not a great fan of pork. My daughter and I normally only eat Chicken, Fish or Beef.
We are going to start growing our own veg at home, but currently get alot from our friends, as they seem to have surplus lol.
I am extremely careful with my daughters diet as well.
But it is interesting to see just how many foods are considered toxic.
Luke what is the app you use?
Edit* I gave up Cola around 3 years ago, and had a glass a few weeks back, I felt the effects of all the rubbish in it almost immediately, it was like having the biggest Caffeine rush ever. It certainly reminded me very quickly why I do not drink it anymore. I have taken to kidding myseelf with sparkling water drinks, they are zero points on weight watchers, contain no added sugars and now I find I cannot stomach the high sugar fizzy drinks.
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