What food/product do you consider the most damaging to your health?

[cjzimmer1]

I've becoming increasing aware that not everything on the shelves is good for our bodies. I've been trying to produce healthier meals for my family but it seems some of the things I use to prepare the food are just as damaging as the things added to the food. I haven't had much time to do actual research as the baby keeps me from spending more than about 5 minutes at a time to read anything meaningful (hence boards are much more useful with their short posts). So I'm hoping you can help me gather information to mull over and offer your opinions.

 

So what do you consider to be the most unhealthful things and why (feel free to add others you consider to be a huge concern).

 

Microwaves?

Aluminum pans?

Crockpot? (since both of mine are Rivals and now presumably contaminated with lead)

High fructose cornsyrup?

hydrogenated oils?

plastics (and what uses are okay and what are really bad)?

Any other big ones I'm missing?

 

I'm just not sure where to start and it seems overwhelming to tackle all at once so I guess I'd like to start with the worst and work from there.

 

I know organic foods is a big issue for lots of people too but I'm not quite ready $wise to tackle that (although I did just get our first grass fed beef).

 

Thanks for all the advice insights.

[abbeyej]

Well, the top of my list would be trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup. I'd also include sugar substitutes like aspartame though. There's ample evidence against all of those. And they're relatively easy to avoid without increasing your budget at all.

[MommyX8]

Teflon can be added to that list. That is a baddie.

 

I don't buy high fructose corn syrup unless I have NO substitute and it is way down on the ingredient list. Typically I just don't buy it, though. But when you need cough syrup, you are stuck.

 

We drink raw milk so now I am beginning to read up on the evils of pasteurization and homogenization.

 

I also don't feed my family sucralose, Nutrasweet, Sweet n Low, either.

[LilyK]

OK, I know that I am going to make some enemies here, but diet soda. I speak as a former addict. I have noted definitive health improvements since I cut out my beloved Diet Coke. I cut out all sodas and replaced it with water, organic teas and ultra-antioxidant juices like pomegranate and goji.

[nmoira]

Processed and artificial foods generally. After hydrogenated oils and HFCS are long behind us, others will be uncovered.

[Gailmegan]

I agree with the others. For me the easiest things to avoid are teflon, hfcs, artificial sweeteners and trans fats. I do still use plastics to store some things that are cold and I do occasionally use the microwave, but I try to keep my cooking on the stove as much as possible.

[daisychics]

OK, I know that I am going to make some enemies here, but diet soda. I speak as a former addict. I have noted definitive health improvements since I cut out my beloved Diet Coke. I cut out all sodas and replaced it with water, organic teas and ultra-antioxidant juices like pomegranate and goji.

 

 

Yes, yes.... I just quit my diet pepsi last week because I read in YOU on a Diet by Dr. Oz that aspartame cannot be burned up in your body so it turns into formaldehyde! That was it! I HAD to give it up cold turkey. I've been "trying to quit" for a year now. It's been 6 days since my last fix.

 

A definite no, no is High Fructose corn syrup or Partially Hydrogenated anything.

 

Oh, LilyK what health improvements have you noticed? I'd like to hear. :)

[elegantlion]

I have just started taking medication for heartburn/GERD, so today every food except applesauce and saltines is my enemy. :nopity::svengo::thumbdown:

 

Seriously, I would say high fructose corn syrup. I have started to find it in the oddest place, funny what happens when you read food labels.

[Greta]

Sugar would be at the top of my list because it is so very very bad for you (it's an anti-nutrient, a toxin!) and yet most people think of it as totally innocuous. In fact, I think I am the first person in the thread to mention it, even though high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners have gotten a lot of attention. It causes a number of degenerative diseases, and it's no coincidence that as our consumption of this toxin has increased, the rates of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer have also increased. It's poison!

 

(And in all honesty, I have to admit that this knowledge does not stop me from having a piece of dark chocolate most nights after dinner. But it's a small piece! :D )

[cillakat]

Hydrogenated oil. And insufficient vitamin D.

 

It's easy to avoid hydrogenated oil and corn syrup without changing your budget at all.

 

I wouldn't get my knickers in a twist about aluminum....just make sure there's enouggh calcium, magnesium and zinc available in the diet and the aluminum and other harmful minerals won't be able to attach to receptor sites, causing problems....

 

Get sufficient vitamin d from supplements (vitamin d deficiency is an epidemic.....http://www.vitamindcouncil.org).

 

Sufficient produce....

 

:)

Katherine

[Gretchen in NJ]

Processed and artificial foods generally. After hydrogenated oils and HFCS are long behind us, others will be uncovered.

:iagree: and I also do not like canola oil. I like foods that are as close to nature and what God created as posible.:D

[laughing lioness]

Potato chips:001_smile:

[AnnetteB]

These are all such good replies! Processed foods, corn syrup, artificial additives, and chemicals concern me most. We are a family of 11 with some allergies, asthma, sensitivities, and a daughter diagnosed last year with Type 1 Diabetes. We were already aware of her food allergies and expert label readers through necessity. We had to bring our own food to the hospital during her stay for treatment and education. Hospital food has a bad reputation and it is deserved! The diabetes education was written for kids that eat junk food and we pleasantly surprised our dr and nurses with our desire to meet needs with "real foods." We try to choose foods that are as close to their source as possible....oatmeal and rice cereals...fresh fruit....fresh veggies raw or cooked...chicken and fish from the market baked or broiled. If we can't recognize it we don't eat it....an Oreo just doesn't look like anything natural.

[milovany]

But when you need cough syrup, you are stuck.

 

???

 

We've used both of these honey-based cough syrups successfully:

 

http://www.hylands.com/products/coughsyrup.php

 

http://www.azurestandard.com/product.php?id=HP135

[bettyandbob]

We avoid

artificial colors

artificial flavors

MSG (monosodium glutamate)

hydrogenated oil

high fructose corn syrup

processed foods in general (boxes and cans)

[Jenny in Atl]

Almost all of it... drives me nuts!

 

You know they say things happen for a good reason, so I guess in some odd way it's a blessing both my kids have Celiac (so no gluten), Fi also has Type-1 Diabetes (so low carb and no fake sugar junk). We have always been whole food types. We try to stick only to butter, coconut, and olive oil (a little sesame for asian). I use iron & stainless pans, tossed the crockpot :-(, and most all plastics. So now I basically cook nakked :lol: and try not to get too attached to any food/container/cookware/etc, as they could end up on the poop list any day now.

[cindyinTexas]

I have just started taking medication for heartburn/GERD, so today every food except applesauce and saltines is my enemy. :nopity::svengo::thumbdown:

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, I would say high fructose corn syrup. I have started to find it in the oddest place, funny what happens when you read food labels.

 

If you are interested an alternative to medication, try coral calcium. I can get you the name as soon as my husband gets up, he works nights. He started off with a prescription, but he did some research and wanted to go a more natural way. If taken everyday he no longer has heartburn or acid reflux, and no more prescription medications.

 

Cindyin Texas

[Miss Peregrine]

HFCS, Hydrogenated stuff and artificial sweeteners.

 

Incidentally, I picked up some Thomas' English muffins since it had been years since we had any. They sounded good.:001_smile: The front says "Now made without HFCS!"

But look in the ingredient list and now they use sucralose! :glare:

[PariSarah]

The years that we had to give up sugar almost completely were the healthiest years of our lives!!!

 

We've been able to add it back in a bit, but we still ruthlessly avoid HFCS and artificial sweeteners. And although we'd probably be healthier if we eliminated sugar, too, there's so much that we avoid that I don't mind a little hot chocolate every now and again, and a homemade dessert on the weekends.

 

I completely avoid hydrogenated vegetable oil, as well. Crisco pie crusts aren't very tasty anyway. :D

[cindyinTexas]

Microwave has been replaced with a convection oven. No hydrogenated oils, sodium nitrate(found in processed meat products), mono sodium glutamate (found in Cheetos, Doritos, granulated chicken and beef boullion, hamburger helper to list a few) I try not to buy processed items, and items that contain preservatives as much as possible. I use honey instead of sugar. No use of artificial sweeteners, we use stevia. We drink a soda only as a treat every few months. I just need the fizz.

 

 

 

We grow a garden, fruit and our own beef. The beef receives no shots only wormed with diatamacious(SP?) earth but I am sad to say they still are fed out with non organic feed. My garden is as organic as I can get it, but I cringe when the mosquito truck passes by our home.

 

If you shop at Sam's check to see if they got in Organic Apples. They unloaded pallets full yesterday at our location. I was so excited!!!

 

I am sure there is more that I have forgotten.

Edited November 6, 2008 by cindyinTexas

[CactusPair]

Ditto to everything everybody said. And I'll add...

 

any and all white flour products

too much juice and dried fruits

red meat, dark meats, polluted fish

butter, margarine, creams

 

too much grilling (charred food is a carcinogen)

processed meats (with nitrites, for ex.)

dairy products

too much sodium/salt

 

fried anything

sugars and artificial colors, flavors, food additives

instant, processed foods of all kinds

 

*not enough whole grains

*not enough fruits & veggies, especially greens, orange & yellow vegs. & cruciferous vegs. & berries

*not enough omega-3 fats

*not enough vitamin D3 and folic acid

*not enough drinking water

[Parrothead]

All the soda that I drink.

[LilyK]

Oh, LilyK what health improvements have you noticed? I'd like to hear

 

 

It is very long , so I sent you a pm.:001_smile:

[Annie Laurie]

It's hard to keep track of the 101 things we shouldn't eat or use to cook with, huh? I'm getting tired of it myself.

 

I read every label in the store, if it's not a brand I'm familiar with that I've already read before. You would be amazed at the stuff that has corn syrup- canned tomatoes and beans come to mind. So I always check for sugar/corn syrup, hydrogenated oil and food coloring.

 

I also have stainless steel pots and pans, I don't feel good about teflon.

 

Also, I don't eliminate dairy products like some do, but I do by only organic, hormone free products and try to limit the amount we eat each day. My kids prefer rice milk anyway, but they do eat small amounts of yogurt and cheese.

 

We thing we aim to do is to eat fresh fish twice a week, for the omega-3s.

[Pretty in Pink]

i avoid most any processed foods. some things i do buy processed are breads, crackers, and granola bars (and the weekly box of cold cereal for dh). these things i buy organic.

 

i am now in the process of tackling our dairy products and switching over to organic.

 

i just don't buy lunch meats, sausages, or hot dogs. they are chock full of icky stuff.

[Faith]

I learned a lot of what to avoid from this blog (not mine). http://www.kellythekitchenkop.com/

[Paz]

liquid cheese. Last summer we went to Wendy's and I remember trying to be healthy by ordering a baked potato with cheese. The manager came out and asked if I wanted the liquid cheese on it. :lol: I did want the liquid cheese but please don't call it that. Liquid cheese sounds so unhealthy. Which I'm sure it is. But it is one of my favorite protein sources.

[Unicorn.]

Well, the top of my list would be trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup. I'd also include sugar substitutes like aspartame though. There's ample evidence against all of those. And they're relatively easy to avoid without increasing your budget at all.

 

:iagree: HFCS, aspartame, splenda are the worst IMO.

[KidsHappen]

The list reached the point where I couldn't cook in or eat so many things that it got ridiculous:

 

No microwave

No plastic

No aluminum

No city water

No artificial sweetners

No sugar

No HFCS

No hydrogenated oils

No white flour

No dairy products

No corn or wheat (allegies)

No eggs (same)

No seafood (allergies & mercury)

No beef (mad cow & e coli)

No chicken (samonella)

No processed meats

In the past year - No tomatos, spinich, jalapeno's.

 

I finally just gave up. We used to eat very healthy and now we don't and to tell you the truth I have noticed absolutely no difference in our health what-so-ever. I figure I breastfed my kids and didn't immunize them. They are vegetarians and eat lots of fruits and vegetables. The only way I can get my family to drink water is in a plastic bottle and I figure that it has got to be better than city water. I bake all of our sweets and I am thinking about starting to bake our own bread. My biggest concerns are lead and mercury so I watch these. I call this good enough.

[NevadaRabbit]

The list reached the point where I couldn't cook in or eat so many things that it got ridiculous....

 

 

I finally just gave up.

 

THANK you! :D I was starting to feel horribly inadequate.

 

Seriously - I have remarked many times to dh that, if we give up everything that is rumored to be bad for us, we'd be down to drinking red wine and eating kale. Organic, of course.

 

We read labels and try to limit trans fats, HFCS, sweeteners, and anything that is basically artificial dye wrapped up in chemicals and sugar. But we eat fast food, drink soda, nuke a frozen meal, and cook on Teflon every so often, too. For us, it's moderation, although I do understand the desire to eliminate everything that is questionable. Apparently I'm just too lazy to follow through very well. :001_smile:

[joannqn]

I finally just gave up. We used to eat very healthy

 

 

I'm at the same point. At one point I was beginning the process of eating healthier and never made it anywhere near the list on this thread before I just didn't want to eat anymore. I didn't like the food. I found that I'd rather just not eat at all than eat "health food."

 

For example: bread. I buy whole wheat bread at the store but it has bad stuff in it. I hate homemade whole wheat bread because it is too dense and adding gluten made no difference. I use 2 cups whole wheat and 1 cup unbleached flour in my homemade bread now.

 

Now I just eat what we enjoy. Most of it is cooked at home so it's healthier than some of the alternatives.

[Emmy]

THANK you! :D I was starting to feel horribly inadequate....... Apparently I'm just too lazy to follow through very well. :001_smile:

 

You aren't too lazy! We are all doing the best we can. :)

[cjzimmer1]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts on the matter. I see blurbs here and there all the time about this being bad or that being bad and I just don't have the time to do in depth research like I would like to. So it's nice to have a starting point about what most people seem to think are the worst. It seems like the general consensus is that the food additives are of bigger concern than the cookware or cooking method used. I have stopped using plastics for most of our leftovers and switched to glass but I wasn't sure how much farther I should try to go with things (most of my baking pans are aluminum for instance). I know I can't avoid everything that is "bad" but just wanted to see if there was any "really" bad stuff I should be focusing my attention on. It seems likes it's the food stuff. I've been trying to make most things from scratch so that helps avoid lots of it already (well except MSG that in my staple chicken bouillon). But I still have much work to do.

[Wendy in WI]

Pepsi. I hate to admit it, but I love it.

 

Wendy

[MommyX8]

???

 

We've used both of these honey-based cough syrups successfully:

 

http://www.hylands.com/products/coughsyrup.php

 

http://www.azurestandard.com/product.php?id=HP135

 

We use the Hyland's now. It is working quite well. I never really looked at the homeopathic stuff until the HFCS started creeping in. Now we use that more than anything else. And it is a bonus that flexible spending accounts now consider most homeopathics as an OTC.

 

:)

[SW in IL]

The #1 thing I try to avoid are the artificial sweeteners, especially Aspertame and Saccharine (I probably misspelled one or both of those). For us, that's difficult because my son is diabetic but after talking to several nutritionists, I'm forced to conclude that even sugar and high fructose corn syrup are better for him than the artificial ones.

 

Beyond that, I try to limit the amount of 'sweets' that ds consumes (a losing battle since my mom seems addicted to cookies, pies, cakes, candy, etc. and we live with my mom) and I definitely curb my intake of such items but then I've never had a serious sweet tooth so it's not hard.

 

In my opinion, fresh, refrigerated or frozen products are better than canned or boxed so I try to go that route more often but there are a few products that are almost necessities (Ramen noodles and Kraft Mac & Cheese are two that come to mind).

 

We tried going organic but our food budget can't handle it. We're shopping for 3 on $50-$75 a week most of the time (including household items) so things are very tight.

 

Sue