Do you read labels?

[Elana]

I read labels on every food product that I purchase. I totally avoid anything that contains Partially Hydrogenated Oils and fats, as well as high fructose syrups and nitrates.

I would love to know what other people avoid.

http://www.treelight.com/health/PartiallyHydrogenatedOils.html (\"http://www.treelight.com/health/PartiallyHydrogenatedOils.html\")

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I don\'t eat processed foods at all or drink bottled drinks, except for an occasional Fresca or Diet Coke (big indulgence). If I do want cookies, crackers, etc., I make them myself. Anything that\'s not naturally occuring food or that I haven\'t made myself, I don\'t eat.

[Elana]

That\'s great FTR. I\'m the same way. A lot of people think that margarine is a healthy alternative to butter, but they are greatly mistaken. margarine is a bar of trans fatty acids....deadly. Package foods are so damn unhealthy.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

you might want to avoid aspartame also. if you want a natural sugar replacement that if non-fattening then use stevia.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

They\'re expensive, too -- and if you read the labels and think about what food value you\'re getting for your dollar, they\'re just a complete rip off. I try not to participate in the junk food industry. Just a little bit of planning and you can have your own convenience foods. A hard boiled egg is just as easy as a bowl of Cocoa Puffs or a pop tart, for example, for a grab and go breakfast.

[Whitehall]

Cottonseed oil is one product that I try to avoid. I can taste it too often and find it adds a \"trashy\" or rough flavor.

I think males of all ages should avoid soy products too. Phytoestrogens in the diet counteract our testosterone. That\'s often \"textured vegetable protein\" or tofu.

Artificial sweeteners of all sorts are just chemicals to trick your senses so I avoid them too. I also would rather not buy products using corn sweeteners since most of them are made by ADM, a terribly sneaky corporation.

I am also boycotting products made in France after their poor attitude in the UN. California wines are better anyway.

[Bruce]

I don\'t shop much myself, but I recently read an article about aspartame and asked my wife to keep an eye out for it and avoid it.

Ideally, I guess I would like to avoid any artificial colors, flavors etc etc.

Bruce

[Elana]

Cottonseed oil is disgusting. It has one of the highest levels of pesticides.

Whitehall-I recently read that studies have shown that soy does not appear to counteract testosterone. Are your sources current?

[Elana]

Whitehall- My Mom and I are both boycotting French products. I do cheat with my Lancome foundation though. I\'m looking for an alternative

[Lucky]

Artificial sweeteners, they will not enter my body. This is the worst contaminant imo.

I avoid anything that may have been treated with hormones.

Won\'t eat:
Processed meat or seafood.
Margarine, give me the butter
Regular Eggs
Skim milk

[**DONOTDELETE**]

OK! so, no Atkins diet for you!


What does that leave?

[Elana]

She could still do Atkins, but she would have to get her eggs, produce and meat from a health food store. I always buy free range eggs and meat, and organic produce. By processed meat, she means things like cold cuts which are loaded with nitrates. Nitrates have been linked to stomach cancer.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

That\'s not a bad idea. I don\'t eat much produce and I buy organic eggs, but hadn\'t thought that much about the meat.

[Lucky]

Add that awful crab-like meat in the seafood section!

Atkins works, but the best way for me to just not get hungry are the B complex vitamins.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Oh, blech. /ubbthreads/images/icons/laugh.gif

[Whitehall]

Salami?

Don\'t you ladies like salami?

[Elana]

Salami? Is this a trick question? /ubbthreads/images/icons/laugh.gif

Salami is loaded with nitrates.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I like to hide the salami ...

[Elana]

Please people...I really don\'t want this thread highjacked by FTR and Whitehall\'s usual antics. /ubbthreads/images/icons/laugh.gif

[CptKipling]

It really is annoying how companies poison the public for a cheap buck.

[Watcher]

Usuall highjinks, i will just stick to my milk and protein whey powder. Oscar might have to rouse on FTR and whitehall.
Try responding to the deleted thread on the pheromone discussison section.

[druid]

man I could write a rant about the food processing industry that alone would be longer than the \"The ginger factor\" and \"Enlargement\" threads put together!! But I will bottom line it for you right now--

1)Treat Trans Fats (also called hydrogented fats) like the black plague. It won\'t be listed on the nutrition label (I heard the FDA might start making companies list it -- but if they do I will probably have a heart attack because the FDA would actaully do something that would make nutrition sense). There are 2 ways to tell -- a)Look at the ingredient list. If you see any type of hydrogented oil listed (especially if it is one of the first 5 ingredinets) or partially hydrogented oil -- it has trans fat. b)If the unsaturated fat content listed (it is not required by law -- but they are required to list saturated fat and total fat) then simply add the amount of satutated fat and the unsaturated fat and it should equal the total fat. If not then it has hidden transfats. Regular Peanut butter has it (all natuaral has no transfats -- it is pretty oily at room tempture. Stir it and put it in the frige). Magrine (as mentioned), most fast food -- especially fries. Chips, cookies and other junk foods. Most processed foods have it.

2)Sodium nitrate has been linked to colon cancer. It is in most cold cuts. Though I found a brand of turkey which has no nitrates in it. It is Carving board turkey and it is thinly sliced. Pretty good actually. Hot dogs are basically nitrate sticks.

3)If it proudly says low fat, avoid it. Since they strip all the fat out they usually substite sugar. Good example -- snack wells. Processed cerals, breads, etc. Basically the bottom of the Food Pyramid.

4)Don\'t eat soy. it is not natural. Leave it for the vegi-a_sholes. Besides who needs soy when you got MEAT!! Read meat, fish, pork (if you dig on swine), or polturay. Whatever floats your boat.

And if you do atkins I would suggest the atkins bars. They do have some artifical sweeters, but with a good dose of protein and no transfats, and a healthy 10grams (thats right 10 grams) of fiber, you can\'t go wrong.

[Elana]

Good post druid, but I am not even slightly convinced that soy is unhealthy and should be avoided. I wouldn\'t use it to replace meat, but it makes a good substitute when you want to cut down.

[druid]

well i don\'t touch soy. Though IMO if you wanna cut back some protein or saturated fat, just cut back on red meat and eat more chicken/turkey and fish.

[CptKipling]

Yeah I good post, nicely summed up.

But what IS wrong with soy? Speaking from a complete laymans point of view that is.

[druid]

well I remember reading somewhere about it not being natural source of protein. Plus I heard that it has some stuff in it that can convert to estrogens -- and what guy wants that. it is mainly a protein source for vegiterians, but IMO being a vegiterian is simply silly. So if you eat meat what do u need soy for?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Soy is a source of phytoestrogens - so are citrus fruits, wheat, licorice, alfalfa, fennel and celery ... chlorinatd hydrocarbon, DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls ... it\'s not known whether an excess of phytoestrogens causes any adverse impact on males. Some people think so. On the other hand, consumption of phytoestrogens has also been linked to decreased incidence of cancers including prostate cancer.

www.phytoestrogen.com (\"http://www.phytoestrogen.com\") has some interesting things to say and is a place to start.

Do a google search on phytoestrogen, read, make up your mind based on information...