Thoughts on "preservatives," etc.?
Options
Replies
-
Another good hint: if you buy a food item (say cheese), you assume it is "only" cheese, right?? If that's the case, then why do so many of these packaged food items contain a HUGE laundry list of "additional items" (aside from the cheese)?? Answer: because, yes, it may contain some cheese but the rest is "filler" to make it resemble cheese (artificial color, truckload of sodium, "fillers" to fluff it up and prevent cakeing etc.). Better to just buy a pricier block of fresh cheese and slice it yourself.
3 -
tmoneyag99 wrote: »The thing about preserved foods (ie processed) foods is that a lot of them have a lot of extra sugars stored in them. (See Dr. Agaston) Those extra sugars if not used are what get stored as fat.
Side note, about 20 or so years ago it was noted that with the number of preservatives we consume we *supposedly* are taking longer to decompose. But then... You're dead so do you really care? Yeah me neither.
3 -
For what it's worth, this is my own personal philosophy:
"If I can't pronounce it (an ingredient listed on a product) or have no idea what the hell it really is or means, I put it back on the shelf because I figure if it is healthy, then the companies would not make up crazy names for it.
The ugly truth is that most manuf. of packaged food INTENTIONALLY create these complex-sounding names to conceal artificial, harmful and/or "empty" (i.e., devoid of any nutritional value) "Frankenfood" additives to fool consumers. See http://www.promaxnutrition.com/50-names-sugar/ for multiple ways of listing just one ingredient. Other frequently used "additives" are Palmitate, Carrageenan, Guar Gum--YUM, SOUNDS SO DELICIOUS!!!--which are very prevalent in most manufacturer-touted "low-fat or low-cal" dairy products, from milk to ice cream to cheese and cottage cheese. One day, out of morbid curiosity, I looked up the ingredient on the Internet and was utterly floored. For detailed descriptions of these harmful dairy "additives" and fillers see: http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/03/30-additives-in-dairy-products-you-should-know-about/.
Your body is your body, and the choice is yours! But I find it is not at all "difficult" to make fresh, truly "natural" (devoid of "additives") the bulk of your meals every day.
Guar gum is a natural ingredient. It's derived from guar beans. It's a thickener. It's pretty much just fiber.
Carrageenan is a natural ingredient. It's derived from edible red seaweed. It's also a thickener. It's also pretty much just fiber.
Palmitate is a fatty acid which makes vitamin A stable.
Fear mongering people like to throw around the idea that these kinds of ingredients are scary, and they're not.
Do some legitimate research from legitimate web sites.
8 -
I'm one of an increasing number who have problems with chemicals not only the ones which are added to our foods but environmental ones, for example, laundry residues. It makes life very very difficult. I would really like the international governments to agree and test, with the intent of removing all chemicals etc, which were permitted for general use back in the 1930/40' and later without the benefit of testing for toxicity, where they are proven to be toxic.0
-
Keep it simple, think eating as close to the farm as possible. You can't completely eliminate preservatives, but you can minimize by reading labels and just being sensible. I didn't read the artilce, nor will I, I am sick of scare tatics and agendas. Just eat simple, healthy, as much as you can not from a box, read the ingredients, use common sense.0
-
Another good hint: if you buy a food item (say cheese), you assume it is "only" cheese, right?? ...
If that's the case, then why do so many of these packaged food items contain a HUGE laundry list of "additional items" (aside from the cheese)??
My cheese doesn't. (It doesn't have a list of ingredients at all.)
However, for those who do buy the kind of cheese that has a list of ingredients, it's not all that complicated a list, IME:
As for "only cheese" -- read up on how cheese is made, perhaps. Among other things, there's a reason many vegetarians wouldn't consider many cheeses vegetarian. And cheese is a good example of a processed (and preserved) food without sugar added.Answer: because, yes, it may contain some cheese but the rest is "filler" to make it resemble cheese (artificial color, truckload of sodium, "fillers" to fluff it up and prevent cakeing etc.). Better to just buy a pricier block of fresh cheese and slice it yourself.
Why are you making weird assumptions about the products we buy or what is in them?
I read labels and if I don't know what something is I normally check it out. There are plenty of things I looked up (although not in my cheeses, although I did look up rennet back in the day) that you might consider too long and complicated to eat, that I have not found to be problematic.
It's like claiming that sodium bicarbonate must be scary.4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »A banana...
Scary stuff...
The banana has palmitic acid! That's palmitate!!!!!!4 -
"If I can't pronounce it (an ingredient listed on a product) or have no idea what the hell it really is or means, I put it back on the shelf because I figure if it is healthy, then the companies would not make up crazy names for it.
Many people, especially those in the science field and highly educated can indeed pronounce the words, so going by this logic, they should be able to eat it, right?
Those 'crazy' names are not made up, but are actually their basic scientific names. It may surprise you that cats, dogs, birds and all animals, plants, and even humans have 'crazy made up names' aka, scientific names. We all use common names. I personally own a few pogona vitticeps, a Petaurus breviceps couple, and I even have one delightful Oryctolagus cuniculus!! I don't get to see the Theraphosidae that much, but I have gotten over my fear! They're cute to me. My Eublepharis macularius are incredibly entertaining!The ugly truth is that most manuf. of packaged food INTENTIONALLY create these complex-sounding names to conceal artificial, harmful and/or "empty" (i.e., devoid of any nutritional value) "Frankenfood" additives to fool consumers.See http://www.promaxnutrition.com/50-names-sugar/ for multiple ways of listing just one ingredient.Other frequently used "additives" are Palmitate, Carrageenan, Guar Gum--YUM, SOUNDS SO DELICIOUS!!!--which are very prevalent in most manufacturer-touted "low-fat or low-cal" dairy products, from milk to ice cream to cheese and cottage cheese. One day, out of morbid curiosity, I looked up the ingredient on the Internet and was utterly floored. For detailed descriptions of these harmful dairy "additives" and fillers see: http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/03/30-additives-in-dairy-products-you-should-know-about/.
None of what you said is backed by actual science and is chock full of fearmongering.
6 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Another good hint: if you buy a food item (say cheese), you assume it is "only" cheese, right?? ...
If that's the case, then why do so many of these packaged food items contain a HUGE laundry list of "additional items" (aside from the cheese)??
My cheese doesn't. (It doesn't have a list of ingredients at all.)
However, for those who do buy the kind of cheese that has a list of ingredients, it's not all that complicated a list, IME:
As for "only cheese" -- read up on how cheese is made, perhaps. Among other things, there's a reason many vegetarians wouldn't consider many cheeses vegetarian. And cheese is a good example of a processed (and preserved) food without sugar added.Answer: because, yes, it may contain some cheese but the rest is "filler" to make it resemble cheese (artificial color, truckload of sodium, "fillers" to fluff it up and prevent cakeing etc.). Better to just buy a pricier block of fresh cheese and slice it yourself.
Why are you making weird assumptions about the products we buy or what is in them?
I read labels and if I don't know what something is I normally check it out. There are plenty of things I looked up (although not in my cheeses, although I did look up rennet back in the day) that you might consider too long and complicated to eat, that I have not found to be problematic.
It's like claiming that sodium bicarbonate must be scary.
Sodium bicarb is only scary if it's in KFC.4 -
Sodium bicarbonate and dihydrogen monoxide is also super scary2
-
Dihydrogen monoxide is really scary because either too much or too little can kill you!4
-
- so if I have a lisp and I cant pronounce spinach, I shouldnt eat it??
seems really silly logic to connect pronouncabilty with suitability for consumption.
Incidentally just got my block of cheese out the fridge - is basic Woolworths brand Colby cheese, not "a pricier brand"
Says on packet - no preservatives,no artificial colours, no artificial flavours.
(can vouch for the no preservatives - if I accidentally leave it out the fridge for too long, it does grow mould)
Ingredients list, in full: milk, salt, starter culture (non animal rennet, suitable for vegetarians)
It doesnt say cheese at all !!! - I guess because cheese is a product made from (mainly) milk, not a base product in itself
Just like, say, sauce doesnt say 'sauce' in its ingredient list.6 -
For what it's worth, this is my own personal philosophy:
"If I can't pronounce it (an ingredient listed on a product) or have no idea what the hell it really is or means, I put it back on the shelf because I figure if it is healthy, then the companies would not make up crazy names for it.
The ugly truth is that most manuf. of packaged food INTENTIONALLY create these complex-sounding names to conceal artificial, harmful and/or "empty" (i.e., devoid of any nutritional value) "Frankenfood" additives to fool consumers. See http://www.promaxnutrition.com/50-names-sugar/ for multiple ways of listing just one ingredient. Other frequently used "additives" are Palmitate, Carrageenan, Guar Gum--YUM, SOUNDS SO DELICIOUS!!!--which are very prevalent in most manufacturer-touted "low-fat or low-cal" dairy products, from milk to ice cream to cheese and cottage cheese. One day, out of morbid curiosity, I looked up the ingredient on the Internet and was utterly floored. For detailed descriptions of these harmful dairy "additives" and fillers see: http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/03/30-additives-in-dairy-products-you-should-know-about/.
Your body is your body, and the choice is yours! But I find it is not at all "difficult" to make fresh, truly "natural" (devoid of "additives") the bulk of your meals every day.
I had an excellent elementary school education. We learned phonetics and root words and prefixes and suffixes and all the good stuff. I have been able to pronounce almost everything since I was about 10. Does that mean I it can't hurt me or make me gain weight because I am armed with excellent pronunciation skills?5 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
I don't know. I'm pretty damned old!2 -
-
I'm preserved like a old fossil should be.
Easy peasy.2
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 395 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 960 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions