When I was a little girl, our (former) across-the-street neighbor was an elementary school teacher. She gave her fifth grade class an assignment to look through magazines and cut out pictures of healthy foods from advertisements. Then, the students were to assemble the images into the different food groups. Her class did not do well with the project. She asked me to do this, too, even though I was much younger than her students and then she invited me to her classroom to show off the final results. In those days, (the 1950s), food choices used to be more simple or so it seemed!

Personally, I try to eat a variety of foods and avoid unhealthy ones. I am going to share a list of foods and what I have learned from doctors, the Internet, and my own reading.

Apples: source of vitamins and fiber but apple peels may cause an allergic reaction in some individuals

Bacon: a pork product usually full of fat and grease. Should be avoided. Pork products are forbidden in a couple of religions. The reason may be that pigs can carry a disease called Trichinosis, not as commonly seen today as in Biblical times.

(Smoked meats in general/ smoked cheeses: current verdict= not healthy). Red meat intake in general takes much longer to clear the system and may cause bloating.

To avoid an excess of uric acid that leads to gout, avoid eating peas and red meat.

Iced Tea is known to bring on kidney stones.

Do not drink Lemonade along with red meat as it will cancel out any good effects of Iron in the meat.

Broccoli: one of the cruciferous vegetables supposedly helpful because it adds fiber to the diet. For those with hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), this vegetable is to be avoided as is cabbage, (including cole slaw), cauliflower and any other vegetable in that family.

Butter: much maligned, it is a superior product to margarine, has better taste, is more natural and not just a collection of chemicals. Many margarines now contain soy, not good for those who are allergic to it.

Carrots: too many can turn one’s skin yellow and bring on a condition known as beta-carotene poisoning. Lay off the carrot juice!

Cranberry Juice: touted to have medicinal properties which may be the case. A cranberry pill – one per day – will have the same effect without the calories.

Grapefruit Juice: Can kill a person deader than a door nail if taken with Allegra or other anti-congestant, antihistamine type drugs.

Eggs: Take care in handling them. They often carry Salmonella bacteria that can cause severe GI symptoms.

Orange Juice: If you want to drink fresh orange juice, squeeze it yourself. Grocery store varieties are made from pulp that can sit in big vats for up to a year and additives make it taste and look like the product you are purchasing. One doctor said that it can be a causative agent for acid reflux disease, as can anything with tomatoes.

Peanuts, Tomatoes and Strawberries: may cause an allergic reaction.

French Fries: one of the worst things anyone could eat. Potatoes (and Tomatoes) are both in the Nightshade Family, known for aggravating arthritis and causing flare-ups of joint swelling known as gout.

Tofu: a soy product. Derivatives of soy are being added to everything under the sun. Even chocolate bars contain “soy lecithin.” Anything with soy can cause a severe allergic reaction to those who are sensitive (in particular, the “runs.”)

Chocolate: Dark chocolate is an antioxidant and as such, may help in the prevention of cancer. Real blueberries are equally as good. Don’t fall for the fake blueberries in most pastries and some breakfast cereals; they have never seen a blueberry bush but instead are hard nodules of chemicals colored just to look like the real McCoy.

Salt/ Sodium: is the cheap and leading flavorant of soups and canned goods. Most of us do not need to add any “extra” salt to our food, especially if we eat prepared foods or even frozen dinners.

Sugar: Known to be a causative effect in bringing on Diabetes. By one person’s estimate, an 8 oz. glass of soda has the equivalent of 16 teaspoons of sugar. I suffer to think of the 20 ounce bottles that are sold in many shops and restaurants.

Turkey: one of the healthier meats one could choose, unless it is smoked. Does not cause drowsiness, as once thought. Feeling sleepy can be a sign of overindulgence as so often happens at a holiday meal.

Yogurt is marketed as being very healthy because of the presence of acidophilus bacteria. That is true, but yogurt often contains a LOT of sugar. Consider taking a Probiotic pill instead: less calories/ more benefit.

I used to make great pies. Now, I don’t make them at all except for Pumpkin Pie with a pressed-in pie crust made of a minimal amount of flour, a healthy oil, and water. Transfats, such as those found in solid fats, make great pie crust. They also have the potential to clog arteries and that can be fatal!

In America, we see more overweight people than thin ones. We have been taught that more is better and to clean our plates. At fast food chains, the employees ask if you want an extra “pie” for just one cent when one is ordered for $.99 cents, or if you want to “supersize” the order or have additional foods added. Restaurants, in general, provide servings that are way too large, in an attempt to match their competitors. Open restaurant buffets are often unhealthy for a variety of reasons I do not have to mention.

This is a little of the knowledge I have gleaned about food. Making good food choices while traveling or “on the run” is difficult. It helps to plan ahead and also to do more home growing and preparation of food. At least, then, it is possible to know all the ingredients you are ingesting and have some control over their quality. Pay more attention to what you eat and you may just feel better, avoid ailments, and even live longer!

A product I love! In fact, I’ve worn mine out after all these years and need to buy another!

Patricia Cummings

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 24th, 2011 at 12:55 pm and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.