Ingredients to watch out for?

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  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    dee_thurman wrote: »
    This thread isn't about losing weight. I realize that you can lose weight and eat about whatever you want as long as you eat in moderation, exercise etc.... I just know certain people try to watch out for different ingredients in their food. Maybe you are 100% healthy and eat whatever you want and that works for you. For my personal interest, I am interested in posts like kshama2001 to have an eye out for different ingredients of foods that we are eating. I would like to have the information about these ingredients and then make my own decisions on whether or not I would like to eat them.

    I know we should eat a variety of foods every day. Don't eat too much of one thing. For me, I get into a groove of trying to stay healthy and I like certain foods. I just want to make sure the majority of things I put in my body, in my mind, are healthy for me. This doesn't mean I will eliminate all types of different foods because of their ingredients. It might help me to make a decision to choose to eat a little more of a certain type of food over another.

    It's the same answer for weight loss and for health. There are no bad ingredients other than poisons, and those are banned from the food system. Here's a long list of foods generally regarded as safe (GRAS).

    I suggest for "ideal" health, work for a 30/30/30 split between proteins/carbs/fats, and pick fibrous carbs more often. It's not avoiding certain foods, but saying a generous "yes" to many foods.

    Watch expiration dates on fresh foods to avoid food poisoning.

    Prepare foods as instructed to kill off any surface bacteria. Get yourself a food thermometer for meats. http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html

    You may also want to wash off your produce to remove residual pesticides.
    http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/health/natural-health/pesticides/index.htm

    Different fish have different potential levels of mercury. http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/walletcard.pdf

    That should keep you busy for a while.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    dee_thurman wrote: »
    This thread isn't about losing weight. I realize that you can lose weight and eat about whatever you want as long as you eat in moderation, exercise etc.... I just know certain people try to watch out for different ingredients in their food. Maybe you are 100% healthy and eat whatever you want and that works for you. For my personal interest, I am interested in posts like kshama2001 to have an eye out for different ingredients of foods that we are eating. I would like to have the information about these ingredients and then make my own decisions on whether or not I would like to eat them.

    I know we should eat a variety of foods every day. Don't eat too much of one thing. For me, I get into a groove of trying to stay healthy and I like certain foods. I just want to make sure the majority of things I put in my body, in my mind, are healthy for me. This doesn't mean I will eliminate all types of different foods because of their ingredients. It might help me to make a decision to choose to eat a little more of a certain type of food over another.

    Doesn't change my answer.

    This^

    You can get a laundry list of books, articles, and films that make "claims" about bad food additives. You can choose to believe the claims or not. But keep in mind that many of these books, articles, and films will not contain any real scientific data to support said claims. Just because it's in print (on the internet) in a film.....does not make it true.

    Case in point: I'm sure some people do get headaches from aspartame (this is called anecdotal evidence)..... but I'm not one of them.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Chilli! It can burn my mouth off sometimes, and don't even ask me about the way out :D
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    I'm not one to demonize particular foods at all, but I did think there was some growing consensus that added trans fats are best avoided, or at least minimized. But this is all second hand on my part and will gladly accept correction on that point.
  • Bbeliever215
    Bbeliever215 Posts: 234 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    kale...it's like the only vegetable i don't like unless it's baby kale...then it's ok.

    My hubby feels the same way but really enjoys the trader joe's Tuscan kale which is more like collard greens. If you like collards it's worth trying.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    For additives I can't eat carrageenan for GI reasons. For sugar substitutes sorbitol is a no-no for GI issues. I also can't eat most raw veggies and fruits except banana, squash, potatoes, and some veggies cooked and pureed to baby food consistency. No seeds, nuts or legumes. Low residue (low fiber) so only "white" carbs like white bread, white pasta and white rice. No red meat. For pork only tenderloin. Some fruit and veggie juices as long as they have no tomato or citrus/acid fruit added and fiber is removed. No caffeine. Dairy only if lactose free.

    Gotta love Crohn's disease. One of the only diseases where eating healthly is not eating salad. My body processes chips and chocolate (without nuts, etc) way way better than spinach.
  • Thowe92
    Thowe92 Posts: 109 Member
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    I just try to avoid man made trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) and margarine.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I thought industry was voluntarily reducing the amount of trans fats in food.

    FDA's trans fat proposal

    Trans fat as a thing to be avoided is on another level completely from the dangers I listed above. It could increase your chance of a heart attack or stroke. Maybe.

    Whereas food poisoning definitely kills.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Well... Personally I don't like artificial sweeteners, added sugar or salt, or foods with a lot of ingredients. I prefer to buy things and add my own flavoring or additives. But that is just my preference.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    earlnabby wrote: »
    Avoid anything you have allergies to or don't like the flavor of. Otherwise there is nothing you need to avoid (including aspartame, and HFCS).

    This.
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
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    I usually try to not eat cyanide - it just doesn't agree with me.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    I will not eat pineapple, foods with fake pumpkin flavors, and I am fussy about where my fish lived before it was caught.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    The only thing I don't allow myself to eat is the one that puts me over my calorie goal for the day.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    @jgnatca, love the experience you shared. :)
  • dee_thurman
    dee_thurman Posts: 240 Member
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    How many would agree that eating red meat increases your risk for heart disease? To say you can eat anything you want as long as you aren't obese, I would argue that your percentages for certain types of diseases would increase.

    Years ago people didn't see the problem with smoking. I think we would all agree that if you smoke you increase your risk to have a few things wrong with you.

    I am not saying that if you have a hamburger once a week you are going to die of a heart attack. I do think that if certain foods/ingredients in foods are consumed in certain amounts you increase your risk for some negative things to happen. You can still be under your calorie goal and eat a lot of red meat. You can still be under your calorie goal, in my opinion and not eat healthy.

    I am not looking to eliminate foods/ingredients but I will be aware of what I am putting in my body. I am not a nutritionist and don't claim to be. I do think it is a topic that goes deeper than everything is fine just don't go over your calorie goal.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Most of the people saying "eat anything you want as long as you don't exceed your calorie goal" are eating a balanced, varied, nutrient dense diet. Red meat is fine, in moderation, as are the various other things that have been discussed here today.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,020 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    dee_thurman wrote: »
    This thread isn't about losing weight. I realize that you can lose weight and eat about whatever you want as long as you eat in moderation, exercise etc.... I just know certain people try to watch out for different ingredients in their food. Maybe you are 100% healthy and eat whatever you want and that works for you. For my personal interest, I am interested in posts like kshama2001 to have an eye out for different ingredients of foods that we are eating. I would like to have the information about these ingredients and then make my own decisions on whether or not I would like to eat them.

    I know we should eat a variety of foods every day. Don't eat too much of one thing. For me, I get into a groove of trying to stay healthy and I like certain foods. I just want to make sure the majority of things I put in my body, in my mind, are healthy for me. This doesn't mean I will eliminate all types of different foods because of their ingredients. It might help me to make a decision to choose to eat a little more of a certain type of food over another.

    I suggest for "ideal" health, work for a 30/30/30 split between proteins/carbs/fats, and pick fibrous carbs more often. It's not avoiding certain foods, but saying a generous "yes" to many foods.

    I assume the other 10% of calories must come from ... alcohol?
    :)
  • mlinci
    mlinci Posts: 403 Member
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    The only ingredient I'll avoid is coriander (cilantro). Thats because I hate it with a passion, and to me it tastes like rotting washing up liquid.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    mlinci wrote: »
    The only ingredient I'll avoid is coriander (cilantro). Thats because I hate it with a passion, and to me it tastes like rotting washing up liquid.
    YES!
    It is the weirdest dmn thing on the planet. It is waxy and noxious.
    Yet, apparently sane people like it.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Apparently there's some kind of genetic difference that affects how people taste it. I like to think of those who fail to taste how delicious it is as having a genetic defect. ;-) (Kidding about the defect, obviously, but this is one of my favorite weird food things.)

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