Foods I Avoid for Health

[piggy]

the flour gives me pimples and sinusitus-like symptoms. i've been wondering whether i'm gluten intollerant, because that happens with non-refined flours as well

[xwitchymagicx]

I guess I avoid a lot of foods for health as consider eating something i'm intolerant to isn't exactly healthy is it? Gluten, wheat, tomatoes, citrus (oranges, lemons and limes in any shape or form) sugar (i'm guessing the "bad" sugars?), processed (mostly they make me feel like crap), E-numbers (make me feel like crap lol)

I guess mostly fruit and vegetables and things like that i can put up with it is just things that are kinda "fake".

[DianeVegan]

I find high fructose corn syrup is on nearly every food label in the US.

And it's never organic unless I have missed something. Keep in mind that GMO's are not listed by law in the U.S. and that corn is a big GMO crop here. Just another reason to avoid soda and processed foods.......

I noticed some concerns about mushrooms. My understanding is that the only healthy way to eat them is cooked, especially if you forage for them wild. Cooking will disable most (not all) of the toxins that can occur in mushrooms. This is not such a big concern for domesticated mushrooms but it's a huge concern for wild mushrooms.

[Tigerlily]

What's glucose-fructose? That's a common type of sugar I see here in foods.

[moochbabe]

I don't eat hydrogenated oils, white flours, or white sugar, also deep fried foods like fries (although occassionally i will have some kind of deep fried indian food or something what can i say, no one's perfect), alcohol, and soda
i try my hardest to eat nothing highly processed, although every once in a while i will have to settle for some white rice or something
I NEVER eat ANYTHING from fast food restaurants

[speedylemons]

okay, so what's the deal with coconut?! I know it has saturated fat [alot of it..?] so isn't that bad? I like coconut.. raw coconut. is it okay to eat say, about 1-2 tbsp per day? i like it with my fruit and flax in the morning.

[ILoveBunnies]

I avoid red wine, chocolate, garlic, raw onions (all give me heartburn)
And anything deep fried (yuck) makes me feel gross
And nothing wih trans fatty acids in it
No margarine either, I do all my baking with coconut oil
I also don't drink soda or juice because of the calories
I try to avoid candy too.

[ILoveBunnies]

okay, so what's the deal with coconut?! I know it has saturated fat [alot of it..?] so isn't that bad? I like coconut.. raw coconut. is it okay to eat say, about 1-2 tbsp per day? i like it with my fruit and flax in the morning.

They say coconut is good for you now... go figure

[qwaychou]

I've discovered I am sensitive to white flour products and avoid those.
Fried foods make me feel yucky, and dried fruits with sulfites in them give me headaches and wipe me out.
Any of these things just takes the wind out of my sails for about a half a day. I'm too busy to afford a bed rest day like that, so I'm better off avoiding them all together.

[DoveInGreyClothing]

I don't cut out anything, but I have cut back on white flour type things, caffeine and orange/pineapple high fibre juices. I also try not to have too much sugar or oils. But a little of what you fancy does you good, remember! (And that's as good an excuse as any!)

[sugarmouse]

if i eat alot of bread it makes me feel bloated/sluggish and constipated!llol tmi iknow.i avoid it unless im hungry with no other options.i dnt eat white flour very often in any form jus because iknow there is no goodness in that..it makes you rot as melanie safka says....lol

[lozza]

hmmm..i NEVER feel ill/headachey/bloated/gassy/whatever from white bread, pasta, rice, and other white carbs.

yet i tend to stick to the wholemeal/wholewheat/brown varieties anyway cos i know they are healthier for me. and sometimes in a day, i can eat up to 8 slices of bread :/

also..mushrooms? LOVE EM..wont give them up. mind you, i always cook them.

i used to think i didnt eat ENOUGH nuts/seeds etc. i am under the impression they contain essential fats for our bodies..but i hardly eat them.

i'm quite lucky..my boyfriend suffers from heartburn, as does my mum. and people around me are always complaining that certain foods dont agree with them..i dont have any reactions to anything!

however, like i said, i try and stick to healthier things anyway, and i try never to use added salt & sugar. i only ever use low-salt & sea salt. i use tons of pepper & herbs for flavor

[Tray]

I became vegan for environmental and ethic reasons... Honestly I eat white flour, pasta, mushrooms, sometimes hydrogenated oils (margarine), sometimes I drink coffe and alchoolics, I don't eat too many processed foods because they are too expensive but I'm in perfect health. If I need something I listen to what my body want and I eat it. From the moment I became first vegetarian then vegan I never got Ill.
I think the problem is not about the food but about the quantity... If you eat varied you'll be ok..
I don't to offend anybody but for me you are exaggerating, moderation is the key and also we have to keep pleasure from what we eat

[ravenfire]

I don't avoid much but avoid high fructose corn syrup like the plague, it seems to be in almost all processed foods. I try to stay away from hydroginated oils, use turbinado sugar and buy wheat flour (though I still eat white pasta).

[speedylemons]

i try to stay away from prepackaged foods, foods with ingredients lists, and things to drink other than water.

[Tigerlily]

That's quite a lot of stuff. Even soy milk?

[Russ]

Hmm, so many healthy people here.

I just eat whatever vegan food there is. I've experienced no illness since becoming vegan. I FEEL healthy .. but I eat a load of junk I guess.

[~Lenore]

my basic criteria :

AS NATURAL AS POSSIBLE.

So mostly I avoid things that are processed. Vegan or not I don't like them.

SO AS FRESH AS POSSIBLE.

Same!
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.
And I don't think I'm being too "extreme" or "crazy" eating this way (as some family members call it ). It's just how I like to eat. I crave fruit a lot, and I'm most satisfied[ by whole foods.
I don't know how people can go through a whole day on a bag of chips and candy, or white bread sandwhiches & Coke.
I'd be so hungry! And craving everything!

I try not to eat anything I can't pronounce.
I avoid peanuts & walnuts when I can because I'm mildly allergic to them (irritate my mouth & throat. Burn-y swell-y tongue is no fun).
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.
And they MAJORLY trigger me to binge, and give me cravings for everything.
I have a history of bulimia (that I'm still recovering from), so I try to avoid triggers.

I do still have a bad Diet Coke habit that I'm trying to kick.
But I only drink the kind with Splenda, until I can wean myself off.
I wouldn't touch aspartame with a ten-foot pole.
Not saying Splenda is safe or good at all, but it has to be better than aspartame.

[lozza]

watch out, i think splenda is owned by unilever..

[Nadine]

I didn't become vegan for health reasons but I've become a lot more health aware since becoming vegan. I don't cut anythin out but I try not to eat too much white bread (& general white processed foods) as they make me feel fat and lethargic. I also try to avoid pesticides.

[Nadine]

[QUOTE=lozza]
i'm quite lucky..my boyfriend suffers from heartburn, as does my mum. and people around me are always complaining that certain foods dont agree with them..i dont have any reactions to anything!
QUOTE]
Same with my family, my mum used to suffer really badly with heartburn until she went vegan

[absentmindedfan]

Since going vegan (and enjoying the happy calm tummy that goes with it) I'v slowly been finding what foods are harder to digest. It's not as bad as a reaction, it's just that I've become so accustomed to having a calm (and regular) digestive system that any I'd ather mostly avoid what upsets it a little.

I've found fruit juices that are very acidic make me feel sick if I have an empty stomach, so I have a small glass of something high in Vit C (e.g cranberry, orange etc) with my dinner. Also that helps me absorb the iron in my veggies yum

Also sulphites are something I try and avoid, because they make me smell!
Sounds odd, but cos the only other sources of sulphur come from digesting animal proteins (milk, eggs and meat) when I eat them (they're often in squashes as a preservative, or in dried fruit (it says on the packet either sulphites or sulphur dioxide) it makes my breath and er...wind smell awful.

TMI maybe but worth avoiding..if only for your loved ones's sake!


And white bread makes me feel sick, so its brown all the way baby

[rantipole]

I didn't become vegan for health reasons but I've become a lot more health aware since becoming vegan. I don't cut anythin out but I try not to eat too much white bread (& general white processed foods) as they make me feel fat and lethargic. I also try to avoid pesticides.

That's exactly how feel, only I don't cut out the white foods because the make me feel lethargic, but because they are nutritionally barren. I do eat white rice, because it is so much quicker to cook than brown rice.

Since becoming vegan, I've become much interested in organic food and healthy eating in general. I still eat a fair share of crap (mostly vegan cookies and vegan corn chips), but overall my diet has improved immensely.

And I could not live without mushrooms. I put them in almost everything I cook.

Cheers,
rant

[rantipole]

Sounds odd, but cos the only other sources of sulphur come from digesting animal proteins (milk, eggs and meat) when I eat them (they're often in squashes as a preservative, or in dried fruit (it says on the packet either sulphites or sulphur dioxide) it makes my breath and er...wind smell awful.

That's not exactly true. Sulfur is found in many proteins, not just those found in animals. It's a molecular connecter in lots of different proteins. Now, the sulfurous compounds in animal proteins may bother you more, but you are still getting sulfur from the plants you eat.

Cheers,
rant

[Cherry]

And I could not live without mushrooms. I put them in almost everything I cook.

Yuck. Mushrooms are the number one food I avoid for health reasons They make me feel sick and give me a really weird feeling in my tummy. And they're also completely disgusting

I avoid:
Fast food
Salt/stock cubes - for use only in culinary emergencies
Fizzy drinks - I never buy them but can't resist when they're offered
White bread
Crisps - get them very very rarely

I'm moving more towards brown pasta and rice but still eat a lot of refined flour and sugar in baking.

[absentmindedfan]

That's not exactly true. Sulfur is found in many proteins, not just those found in animals. It's a molecular connecter in lots of different proteins. Now, the sulfurous compounds in animal proteins may bother you more, but you are still getting sulfur from the plants you eat.

Cheers,
rant

Thanks what I meant, thanks for clarifying

[speedylemons]

That's quite a lot of stuff. Even soy milk?

Well not literally. I mean I drink almond milk. I listened to a big long radio show on Wisconsin Public Radio where they discussed the downfalls of consuming too much soy. Really the only soy products i eat are the edamame and then the OCCASSIONAL soy ice cream [i know i know, ingredients list].. i like almond milk a lot better.

But in general i like to eat whole foods and make most of my stuff from scratch.

[Tigerlily]

I guess that makes sense.

[indianvegan]

I avoid the followings:-

1. White Flour
2. White Sugar
3. White Ghee ( Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil)
4. Mushrooms
5. Roots Vegetables ( for religious reasons)

Manish Jain

[veganwitch]

The posts here about avoiding mushrooms are the first I've heard of them being potentially harmful. I eat mushrooms frequently, mostly cooked but sometimes raw in salads and with dip/hummus. No plans to stop. Guess I'll keep living dangerously...haha.

The main thing I avoid is hydrogenated oils.

[Haniska]

I avoid Canola Oil and potatos, but if something has a bit of potato in it then it's ok sometimes but I always avoid Canola Oil. I've seen some sites about how dangerous it is.

Battery cat, why do you avoid potatoes?

[hollybee]

Soy ice cream. Vegan cookies (any kind of baked goods or sweets). I avoid them because I am afraid I will go out of control and eat a ton. That's the reason I was able to lose weight-I simply stopped eating most baked goods because they all contained milk and eggs. Then my husband discovered Trader Joe's vegan cookies...I have had to exercise incredible self-control, but so I've only eaten three or four cookies out of the three bags we bought.
And potato chips. Same reason: Because they taste too good.

[emmydu]

mushrooms?!!?gasp, i simply adore mushrooms. i would never give them up. but then again i am stubborn. =]

[Russ]

Me too, I eat them like four times a week. I usually saute them, but they go surprisingly well raw with a slice of cheezly in between two slice of buttered bread. What I then do is cut the bread in half lengthways before eating it. I call it a "sandwich", I make them like all the time.

[auntierozzi]

My favourite is lightly fried with plenty of pepper and bit of salt, on toast with baked beans for a cooked breakfast. Also like them raw in salads.

I avoid white sugar and flour and palm oil.

[Troutina]

Me too, I eat them like four times a week. I usually saute them, but they go surprisingly well raw with a slice of cheezly in between two slice of buttered bread. What I then do is cut the bread in half lengthways before eating it. I call it a "sandwich", I make them like all the time.

That sounds like the worst thing ever, and not just in sandwiches!

[emmydu]

i love mine raw with balsamic vinegar= my love. lol

[Pisces]

Vegan Foods I Avoid:

1) sugar (including if it's an ingredient in a food product)

2) white flour/white flour based foods

3) wheat (for health reasons/I'm intolerant)

4) gluten (for health reasons/I'm intolerant)

5) chocolate (because of caffeine and/or sugar)

6) coffee (because of caffeine)

7) caffeine and anything with it

8) salt (well, the only exception I really make--for now--is in the soy milk I drink, since it only has a little added). I'd like to eliminate it completely once I learn how to make my own soy milk/rice milk/nut milk.

9) candy/cookies/cakes/pies/etc. (because those things don't appeal to me and because I've had a bad past with them, they're eating disorder triggers to me, and I get a negative vibe from them because they remind me of how they've been used by others in the past to degrade me). In short, I don't want them. Therefore, why should I force myself to have something that gives me bad memories, upset mental/physical/emotional feelings? I have nothing against anyone who does eat them, just as long as they respect my choice not to eat them and don't impose their choice on mine and/or patronize me.

10) meat/dairy substitutes/analogs (because they remind me too much of what they're made to resemble, if that makes any sense)

On a sidenote: I'd like to learn how to make my own vegan/organic/wheat-free/gluten-free beverage---be it rice milk, soy milk, or nut milk of some sort. Any tips/advice would be appreciated.

[twinkle]

I think I'm allergic to Clipper orange and coconut tea!

I've just had a cup this morning and the same thing happened as last night - low level sore throat and headache

So I guess I'll be avoiding that from now on.

[Pisces]

I'm sorry to hear about your headache and sore throat, twinkle. I hope they'll pass soon.

I believe it's good to know your limits.

Coincidentally, when you mention "orange" and coconut tea--I've noticed that if I eat an orange, I'll sometimes get sores around my mouth. I think it might be an allergic reaction.

[sophia]

pisces I like to make barley cup (caffene free coffee substitute) with vanilla rice milk. I also avoid sugar, wheat etc.. for the same reasons as you.

[Marrers]

. . . Clipper orange and coconut tea . . . low level sore throat and headache

But maybe it is just coincidence cos you are coming down with somthing? I often feel like that on and off for a few days but it never develops into anything more.

If I was you I'd give it one more try in a few days or a weeks time.


*Suddenly starts to wonder if I am slightly allergic to something - have always assumed my body fought off the potential bug . . . *

[Pisces]

pisces I like to make barley cup (caffene free coffee substitute) with vanilla rice milk. I also avoid sugar, wheat etc.. for the same reasons as you.

I love it when I can relate to others. I've never heard of barley cup before.

[herbwormwood]

I love it when I can relate to others. I've never heard of barley cup before.

Bambu drink is also nice and is similar to Barleycup. It is made partly from roasted acorns. It is organic. I drink it in the evening.

[Pisces]

Bambu drink is also nice and is similar to Barleycup. It is made partly from roasted acorns. It is organic. I drink it in the evening.

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!

[Russ]

Is coffee really that bad? I drink like two cups a day. It wakes me up a lot. Barley Cup doesn't do that because it has no caffeine. It's like non-alcoholic beer, it tastes nice but it won't get you buzzing.

[sprite1986]

I think it can be addictive, and it can get to the stage where you have to keep having more and more, to have the same effect.

I only drink it when I have exams and stuff like that, and I'm quite happy just pouring a whole lids worth into a cup and drinking it black. Which is really really not good, but at the same time, it just makes me feel alert rather than frantic or buzzing.

[Marrers]

Coffee doesn't get me buzzing at all anyway but I like a freshly brewed cup with caramel syrup every morning.

My homeopath was not at all bothered about it so how bad can one cup a day be?

[Russ]

Hmmm, sort of like alcohol then. When I last had essay deadlines I drank loads of rum to help me concentrate and managed to get them in on time.

But if its only negative effect is that it makes you drink more of it, I don't see how that's an argument against coffee.

[sprite1986]

More rum to help you concentrate?? Haha, wicked.