What are the worst food/ingredients to be avoided?

[Tinkerboo]

I have noticed on other threads that people have lots more knowledge on this than me. I thought I was reasonably(ish) healthy but now wondering??
So please what would you DEFINETLY avoid giving your children and most importantly WHY?

C'mon food police let loose I REALLY want to know!

Aspartame and other artifcial sweetners are a no no for me and mine - they can be found in more things than you care to imagine, No 1 sign is 'no added sugar' or 'sugar free'.

Also we avoid crappy marg and spreads and have organic butter.

What's the problem with aspartame and spreads Furball?
I'm interested in the why not just he what and then can make more informed decisions. I feel a bit ignorant at the moment anbd appreciated advice.

hydrogenated fats
margarine - same as hydrogenated fats
artificial sweeteners (have a google to read for and against - I have alway thought they were evil)
coca cola - pure nastiness

My only food no-nos are anything artificially sweetened (ie. Aspartame, again), margarine (again), fizzy drinks and cheap meat. I always wash or peel fruit and veg whether organic or not, but I always buy organic carrots, potatoes, bananas, milk.

The children do have sweets, chocolate, crisps, peanut butter, ice-cream, oven chips, baked beans, occasional sips of wine tho' - so I hope I'm not completely manic.

Generally processed food is high in fat and salt (with exceptions, baked beans and fish fingers for example, are OK in my opinion.) It's common sense really, if the list of ingredients is two inches long and half the things end in -ate or -amylase, don't buy the product!

i avoid non organic dairy, especially milk. to do with mucous, you may wish not to know.

Please, aspartame bad why?
and hydrogenated fats bad why?
Seems coventional wisdom that they are, so I believe you, but I don't know why...

Dizzybint I do want to know, as actually I do buy organic dairy, but don't know why. shameful state of ignorance

We have organic dairy and meat (for kids I'm veggie), but I think I have fallen into the sweetner trap as been buying sugar free squash/ribena. This is mainly for me as the kids drink juice or water, but I have to admit to being a diet coke addict. Obviously I realise this aspartame stuff is bad for you but how/why?

Also kids have butter, but weight conscience me has for years had low fat spread. How long do you think I've got left? Tell me the worst what have I done to myself?

I am pretty muck kicking the coke habit tho as kids no longer accept 'no it's just mummy's drink' so can't have it in the house. I drink it in secret in the car...

This site is good for explaining what to avoid and why, and has links to other good sites. Also info on how to read food lables etc. MAde it all make sense to me.

here is good

HTH

aspartame and similar sweetners are thought to be the cause of cancers and loads of other health problems. Stick with sugar - at least you know where you are.

The same goes for hydrogenated fats and plastics found in margarine.

I also buy organic fruit, veg including potatoes, milk, bread.

twoisenoughmum - we have organic frozen chips and organic baked beans!

Now I'm on the subject - I also buy Organic shower gel and shampoo which doesn't irritate dh & ds's skin the way 'normal' shower gel did. sodium laurate sulphate stuff is a harsh chemical found in most soapy things.

aspartame and other sweeteners - minsly causing cancer in rats in clinical trials
All this is of course disputed by the manufacturers FWIW in the 70's my mum was equally adamant about saccharin which has been linked to cancer in rats and I believe in the US it is on labels with a health warning
But not here freakily enough

Hmm interesting link. Looked briefly at it but still not really fully explained or conclusive...aspartame causing cancer in rats in one trial but not loads of others and no advice on avoiding it from European food Saftery commission. Also hydrogenated fat, says not good for heart health, fine, but how what does it do? I need more info. I could google it but I'd just rather you food police organically spoon fed me the info.

How do you go about avoiding the hydrogenated fat when it's in everythung?

Well it's back to basics. No processed stuff. it doesn't take alot more hassle to rustle up something from scratch as to bung something in the microwave but it does take planning.

What sort of things do you eat at the moment?

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home baking solves the issue for us
aspartame, well tbh we do not drink any fizz.
Sugar in moderation and with good dental hygiene is no danger to health and has far more of generational history to fall back on. So I see no benefits in changing to artificial sweeteners, although I do believe they are BAD. And FWIW they taste like shit IMO
Agree it comes back down to simplicity, you pay for convenience in more ways than you might think.
extra packaging, higher salt,fats,sugar contents

I am a keen baker but what with working and all can't do enouh to keep up so do buy biscuits and cakes etc. kids don't eat loads of them but may have a biscuit after tea. will have to start label reading more closley or shopping in MandS, maybe other supermarkets will follow suit.

Still tho, WHY are hydrogenated fats bad? I do feel I need the why as well as the what to do.

Not EVERYTHING artificial is bad. I need more of an explanation on that.

I used to understand saturated fats bad for clogging arteries etc, back in the days when I thought low fat spread healthy. I need to update my knowledge, but I do want explanation backed up with proof.

I'll try to find the aspartame thread, although I don't need something that will send me back to my coke habit.

I'm happy for the kids to have sugar (in moderation) they're both skinny rakes, who don't over eat and not noticely affected by it.

But if I gave up aspartame, it would be weeble land here I come..

WHY WHAT DO THEY DO?????

I'm beginning to feel like there's a big secret or conspiarcy.

Please some one, a quick simple explantion.
If it's so important some one tell me.

Why/how do hydrogenated fats cause heart disease?

Ok looked at British heart Foundation website. they seem to be saying staurated and hydrogenated and trans-fats all bad and will basically clog up arteries and raise cholestrol.

So am now thinking trans fats viewed as V bad as HIDDEN in foods so we don't know how much fat we're eating? But lump of butter on your jacket potato is more obvious? Am I getting there??

So 'good' fat would be someting like olive oil based or sunflower? Or am I confused again?

Also thinking tho, kids have butter, saturated fat BHF says bad, but they have generally healthy diet and moderate amount so not worried. Logically therefore, hydrogenated fat, BHF says bad, but if healthy diet in moderation is it THAT bad?

BHF saying staurated and hydrogenated bad.