Foods I Avoid for Health

[veganavenger]

Oooh this thread makes me feel like such a badass.

I don't avoid anything for health purposes; if there's no bits of fauna in it, I'll 100% definitely munch.

I'm bewildered to see that people avoid things like mushrooms and potatoes... man, I can eat mushrooms by the kilo, raw, straight out of the punnet. Especially the baby button ones.

Nyah, I'm young, I figure my body can tolerate all the refined white crap, MSG, caffeine, salt and hydrogenated fats (I noticed this has become something of a swear word round here lately) I can put in it for now.

That Clipper coconut tea is astounding. I've never tried the orange version though. Maybe just go for the coconut one next time, it might be the orange that you're reacting badly to?

[herbwormwood]

Hmmm...I've always wondered what acorns tasted like. In addition to organic--it is also wheat-free, gluten-free, and caffeine-free, isn't it? I tried a google search but I couldn't find it. Anyhow, it sounds really nice!

Here is a link about it.
http://www.bioforceshop.co.uk/produc..._food/bambu100
I do drink Barleycup too and have done so since the 1980's but at the moment I like Bambu better, partly for the taste and partly because the company has convinced me it may have more health benefits even than Barleycup.

[sprite1986]

Lol, likewise pretty much.

Although I don't eat white bread because at least you feel as if brown bread has some beneficial effect. MSG does sometimes make me feel ill though.

[Pisces]

Thanks, herbwormwood. Although, I wouldn't be able to consume it because it contains wheat and gluten. Thank you anyway though.

[Russ]

What about Hovis Best Of Both? Damn that bread tastes good.

[Marrers]

LOL! That's about as far as I'll go for good health too Russ!

[Mystic]

Oooh this thread makes me feel like such a badass.

I don't avoid anything for health purposes; if there's no bits of fauna in it, I'll 100% definitely munch.

I'm bewildered to see that people avoid things like mushrooms and potatoes... man, I can eat mushrooms by the kilo, raw, straight out of the punnet. Especially the baby button ones.

Nyah, I'm young, I figure my body can tolerate all the refined white crap, MSG, caffeine, salt and hydrogenated fats (I noticed this has become something of a swear word round here lately) I can put in it for now.

That Clipper coconut tea is astounding. I've never tried the orange version though. Maybe just go for the coconut one next time, it might be the orange that you're reacting badly to?

I am with you

I don't avoid anything (unless I hate it - like watermelon ugh )
I try to make healthy choices but if I want potato chips then I will eat potato chips

[emmapresley]

cake..cos it makes me want to eat more cake and then there just is NO cake left

pretend meat..it just seems wrong.

oh and crisps..for the same reasoning as cake.

[hollybee]

I'm bewildered to see that people avoid things like mushrooms and potatoes... man, I can eat mushrooms by the kilo, raw, straight out of the punnet. Especially the baby button ones.

I think the avoidance of mushrooms is an aesthetic thing for certain religions-the fact that it is technically a fungus.

[Pisces]

I think the avoidance of mushrooms is an aesthetic thing for certain religions-the fact that it is technically a fungus.

Interesting theory...that could be.

[Marrers]

Yes, pure vegetarian indian restaurants usually don't use mushrooms or onions.

[Yoggy]

I've finally started avoiding white rice (except in sushi - dang it, now I want sushi!!!). I ate brown rice for a while when my boyfriend bought a bag, but I always complained when I ate it that I wanted "real" rice, i.e. white. But then a few weeks ago I had vegetables with steamed white rice, and I didn't like it!! The rice was so bland and flavourless. Now I'll stick to brown rice for good. Except in sushi (which I want. Now.)

Oh and I avoid white bread all the time unless it's in baguette form. I CANNOT resist a warm baguette dipped in soup, YUM

[Roxy]

Yoggy, some places make sushi with brown rice!! I've never tasted it, so I can't tell you what it's like. I think Tigerlily's had it. You can ask her.

[Tigerlily]

I like it. I really don't notice much of a difference but I use a lot of soy sauce. It's a little chewier but that's really it.

[absentmindedfan]

It's getting to the point now where I can't eat white bread, pasta or rice without feeling sick as soon as they hit my stomach. I can only presume my tummy is so used to brown rice and wholemeal pasta that it can't cope with refined stuff anymore. I avoid leavened breads as they slow my digestive sytem down alot and it feels uncomfortable, but I can just about cope if I eat it occasionally and well toasted.

I avoid foods higher than 10% fat as much as possible, I've found lately that chocolate bars give me headaches and I avoid caffeine for this reason too. Perhaps its the small amount of caffeine in the chocolate that triggers my headaches.

If I eat too many soya desserts or yoghurts they give me indigestion so I try to avoid eating more than 1 or 2 a day. I also try to avoid processed vegan stuff like sausages as they tend to be high in salt and again, (I can only presume high soy protein content) don't sit right once eaten. I'm not too bad with seitan/wheat protein though so I guess my issue with bread is not a wheat thing.

[veganlinda]

I stopped drinking coffee and tea about 15 years ago coz I was depressed they can contribute to depression. Don't like even the smell of tea now and although I love the smell of coffee it makes be feel stressed - have to not have too much chocolate for the same reason that and I can't sleep if I have eaten it before I crash. Used to drink barleycup but a polish freind said that the polish workers who make it are treated really badly. otherwise, apart from avoiding onions coz they upset my tum,I eat most vegan food. I do avoid refined foods and overly sugary stuff as am a bit of a health freak ... and have that thing of not be able to just eat one biscuit, have to eat the packet! Same with crisps. Having read Russ's post about mushrooms am off to make fried mushroom sandwich now! Dangerous reading these food threads ....

[Russ]

Yeah. I just ate mushrooms on toast. I eat mushrooms like, ALL THE TIME.

I didn't know tea and coffee can make you depressed. Oddly enough, since starting back at Uni I have been feeling (for the most part) overwhelmingly positive, which has coincided with me drinking a lot more coffee than usual.

[veganlinda]

caffiene can make you hyper and the depression comes when you come down which tends to make you want more caffeine in the form of coffee or chocolate. Just before I turned vegan which coincided with me cutting my caffeine intake I had gotten to not only drinking loads of coffee but eating 6 or more chocolate bars a day ... was v skinny coz all that caffeine meant I was v hyper. But not always a healthy hyper more a tendency towards manic and had some real blue moments! Am much more laid back these days and although I still need to go off running or dancing I don't have the blues in the same way.

[Haniska]

I read somewhere about a woman who complained that brown rice in sushi was too starchy. Seems strange to me! Lol, just seems like it would be more chewy like Tigerlily said. Gorilla, chocolate gives me headaches too. I am prone to migraines and that is one of the migraine triggers. Unfortunatly carob gives me a migraine And an upset stomach.

[sprite1986]

Let's face it though, no big loss - carob is pretty rank..


I much prefer brown rice over white rice.

[foxytina_69]

brown rice sushi is just as good as white rice. i like both.

yoggy, i feel the same way about white rice. i had it once a few months ago and almost threw up. lol. i cant eat it anymore, except in sushi.

[Yoggy]

Funny you guys should mention brown rice sushi, I just saw it for the first time in the grocery store yesterday! It looked kinda weird, and I wasn't sure if I would like it as much as white, so I didn't buy it. Plus I think prepackaged sushi is pretty bad compared to the fresh stuff. I'll have to try making my own brown rice sushi sometime!

[Haniska]

Let's face it though, no big loss - carob is pretty rank...

I must have had myself pretty well fooled for a while.. especially concerning swiss carob almond rice dream and rice dream cake thingies. I also liked it sprinkled on quinoa with ground pine nuts and sugar. Now I am allergic to every ingredient in that recipe except the sugar. Wonder if it was one of those allergy/addiction things.

[hollybee]

Yes, pure vegetarian indian restaurants usually don't use mushrooms or onions.

Mushroom curry is divine, though....

[Pisces]

I much prefer brown rice over white rice.

Ditto! I'd only eat white rice if it was the only grain available for me in a situation, though it would have to be organic because I get stomach pains otherwise.

[Gorilla]

i really don't like brown rice, i've tried to get used to it but i don't eat it through choice. any other grains i eat are whole grains though.

[Tigerlily]

Too much whole grains upset my digestive system, so sometimes I do eat refined greats for health.

[Quincy]

I avoid adding salt to food and do not use refined sugar when baking/cooking. Once in a while I'll have something fried, but I try to avoid fried foods.
I haven't eaten any french fries or anything all that greasy in a while either.
I also do not eat white bread or anything else that's been bleached like that. Whole grains are something I try to stick to!

I'm not sure what else I really avoid though...
CONDIMENTS. Like ketchup...I used to use it all the time, but I don't recall using it since going vegan...

[mooli magic]

I live with 3 other people and one of them is intolerant to wheat which means they're always cooking with wheat free pasta. Well now, that might be healthier for them, but means that whenever they cook I can't have brown wholegrain pasta and rice unless I cook myself a seperate portion which isn't always convenient *sigh*

I guess that I'll just have to beat them into the kitchen and russle up some squash spaghetti!!

[ellaminnowpea]

[quote=~Lenore;170284]
80ish% of my diet are fruits, vegetables beans, etc. in their natural form.
The rest is condiments and occasional things like soy milk & Luna bars.
I try not to eat anything I can't pronounce.
I don't eat highfructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or fats, or MSG.
I really try to avoid artifical colours & weird things, like Red #40 & etc. It just makes sense that shouldn't be put in your body..
I avoid white flour & refined carbs, and refined white sugar. For a lot of reasons. Obviously, because they aren't good for you, and also because they mess with my blood sugar and make me cranky and just generally awful-feeling.[/quote]

Also,
I don't eat anything from fast food restaurants.
I don't eat vegan alternatives to cream cheese, butter, etc they just gross me out!
I don't eat fake meat or fake cheese.
I don't drink sodas or coffee (I still drink some caffeinated tea though).
I'm trying to cut out random carbs - breads (even ww), pastas.
I don't care for Braggs, soy sauces, or many dressings so I"m trying to learn to make my own.
I don't care for a lot of random foods, but I don't avoid them for health reasons.
I'm trying to cut out dried fruits and dates. I just eat too many and then have blood sugar issues.
I'm also trying to cut out some soy, limit it to like 2-3 times each week.

Of course this all means I'm either learning to cook or going mostly raw.

[Roxy]

These days, I don't think I really avoid any vegan foods for health reasons. I try to keep my calories between 1600 and 1800 per day and my fat intake to no more than 30%.

I think I need to eat more fruits and veggies though!!

[steven1222]

I put the key woods in bold for those who think I should have posted a simple list. Forgive the absence of detail; I tend to categorize foods.

For the last thirteen years, I have not usually eaten nuts because the idea of something with much more fat than fried snack foods has always been scary to me. In 2006, I became unable to keep them down because of a stomach condition.
I don't usually eat potatoes or potato products because of a potato intolerance.
I don't usually eat fake cheese or fake meat because of uncertainties about how the ingredients are derived, and other reasons.
I don't usually eat or drink anything with caffeine because it is an addictive substance and prevents me from sleeping, which causes intestinal problems.
I don't usually eat anything with more than 15% sugar content, such as cookies or fruit, because large amounts of sugars are of no use to the body; they also aggravate my stomach condition. I never eat low-volume, concentrated sugar substitutes because they are probably toxic.
I don't usually eat anything with more than 5% saturated fat content, because saturated fat increases cholesterol and hormone levels, causing a wide variety of negative effects. I never consume hydrogenated fats.
I don't usually eat products with synthetic or artificial preservatives because they are probably toxic.
I don't usually eat anything without seeing a complete list of ingredients.
I don't eat at restaurants because they cannot be trusted to serve no animal products.

I added the word "usually" because I occasionally cheat by eating something bad, as long as it is vegan.

[missbettie]

I put the key woods in bold for those who think I should have posted a simple list. Forgive the absence of detail; I tend to categorize foods.

For the last thirteen years, I have not usually eaten nuts because the idea of something with much more fat than fried snack foods has always been scary to me. In 2006, I became unable to keep them down because of a stomach condition.
I don't usually eat potatoes or potato products because of a potato intolerance.
I don't usually eat fake cheese or fake meat because of uncertainties about how the ingredients are derived, and other reasons.
I don't usually eat or drink anything with caffeine because it is an addictive substance and prevents me from sleeping, which causes intestinal problems.
I don't usually eat anything with more than 15% sugar content, such as cookies or fruit, because large amounts of sugars are of no use to the body; they also aggravate my stomach condition. I never eat low-volume, concentrated sugar substitutes because they are probably toxic.
I don't usually eat anything with more than 5% saturated fat content, because saturated fat increases cholesterol and hormone levels, causing a wide variety of negative effects. I never consume hydrogenated fats.
I don't usually eat products with synthetic or artificial preservatives because they are probably toxic.
I don't usually eat anything without seeing a complete list of ingredients.
I don't eat at restaurants because they cannot be trusted to serve no animal products.

I added the word "usually" because I occasionally cheat by eating something bad, as long as it is vegan.

I don't mean this in any other way but out of pure curiosity, but what do you eat? no fruit!!!?

[steven1222]

I don't mean this in any other way but out of pure curiosity, but what do you eat? no fruit!!!?

I eat mostly grains, such as wheat, rice, and sometimes corn products, although a grain-based diet sometimes requires supplements. I know I should eat more soy. I used to eat fruit daily, but since I started to have a stomach problem, I have found that sugars in any form only make it worse.

[missbettie]

I eat mostly grains, such as wheat, rice, and sometimes corn products, although a grain-based diet sometimes requires supplements. I know I should eat more soy. I used to eat fruit daily, but since I started to have a stomach problem, I have found that sugars in any form only make it worse.

Aw what a bummer! I'm sorry!

[Hemlock]

Sugar and alcohol make me feel horrendous as do fatty foods like crisps and anything white like white pasta and bread so we always have wholemeal.
I've given up everything that makes me feel ill and so far have easily lost 8 pounds since Jan 1st.
We make food from scratch anyway and avoid ready made stuff except for Linda McCartney pies which Corum likes

[Yoggy]

I have a veggie friend who can't eat any deep fried food at ALL, or she gets the runs like crazy! In some strange way, I wish that was me, because it would force me to give up fries and other deep fried food, which I indulge in WAY too much but could easily live without.

[ellaminnowpea]

Aw what a bummer! I'm sorry!

yeah totally. sorry!

so you eat grains... you can eat veggies and beans right?

[xwitchymagicx]

Well...

I just at the minute avoid...

Hydrogenated fats...additives...high salt...caffeine...wheat...etc

Blah de blah

[Mystic]

I try to eat well, but I don't specifically avoid anything for health reasons...I probably should avoid caffiene coz I drink tons of it but most of it is from green tea so that is super healthy

[steven1222]

yeah totally. sorry!

so you eat grains... you can eat veggies and beans right?

I can eat beans in moderation. Unfortunately, vegetables give me stomach cramps unless they are blended to break up the hard fiber.

[Healthy]

Steven, I see you are from New York and you say you don't trust restaurants, does that include the ones that are known for vegan (and raw) foods such as Pure Food & Wine, Candle 79, etc.?

[erfoud]

Well, I don´t avoid anything. My choice was 100% ethical, not for health.

[Roxy]

I have a veggie friend who can't eat any deep fried food at ALL, or she gets the runs like crazy! In some strange way, I wish that was me, because it would force me to give up fries and other deep fried food, which I indulge in WAY too much but could easily live without.

Awww your poor friend!

[Mystic]

Well, I don´t avoid anything. My choice was 100% ethical, not for health.

Same here YAy for vegan JUNK food hehehe

[ellaminnowpea]

I can eat beans in moderation. Unfortunately, vegetables give me stomach cramps unless they are blended to break up the hard fiber.

sooo... no veggies, no fruit, no meat or dairy, no eggs, limited beans, no nuts... your diet is depressing!! what kind of stomach problem is this? is there anything doctors can do?

[ivandurago]

Three white poisons ---

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil ( White gee).

White Flour.

White processed sugar.


Manish

I cannot think of the last time I have had any of those
Is extra virgin olive oil a good substitute for veggie oil? I don't use much of it when I do, and use it quite infrequently...

I try not to eat too many peanuts, but I absolutely love cashews and could eat thousands a day haha

I'm trying to cut down the number of processed foods I eat (boca/tofu/ect) and trying to purchase more and more locally organic grown veggies/fruits. The joys of living near large farming communities!

Oh yeah, soda. I think I have less than 5 sodas a year, I don't like sweets at all (except my moms vegan cookies!)
But I make up for it with my alcohol consumption haha

[steven1222]

sooo... no veggies, no fruit, no meat or dairy, no eggs, limited beans, no nuts... your diet is depressing!! what kind of stomach problem is this? is there anything doctors can do?

The only stomach problem I am aware of having is slow emptying/gastroparesis. Most people with it have no problem with fruit or sugars but I do. The only things doctors can do are give me a drug to lessen the symptoms or inject a poison into my stomach. I obviously refuse the latter. I have never eaten meat on a regular basis, so I do not know what it does to the stomach, and I would rather not find out!

Steven, I see you are from New York and you say you don't trust restaurants, does that include the ones that are known for vegan (and raw) foods such as Pure Food & Wine, Candle 79, etc.?

Well, yes. I do not like the idea of having my food prepared or organized by other people. I also do not care to spend extra time or money to eat in a public establishment.

[xrodolfox]

What an interesting list.

I personally don't avoid anything that is vegan and edible for "health" reasons.

I do avoid foods because I don't like their taste/texture/or politics.

I avoid:
-alcohol (and all other recreational drugs)
-carbonated beverages
-bell peppers
-spicy foods
-coffee products
-tea

Just about everything else is fair game.

[herbwormwood]

Steven, I have found that if I eat undercooked home made soups, even made with very fresh ingredients, or raw juices and smoothies, I get severe indigestion.
I have worked out that it is because I am not chewing it or moving it around my mouth so it isn't getting properly digested.
Purreeing food can also have this effect if it means you don't have to chew. Digestion starts in the mouth with the saliva and chewing stimulates the stomach to get ready for the food.
If you try spending more time on chewing it could help you.