q's about water and food quality

[DONKEY]

why does almost everything i eat here except fruit or vegetables make me feel like shit?
in the past couple of years my body is becoming less tolerant of something in processed food, dont know what it is.
also i read that all of our water here is flouridated and this serves no purpose for adults at all and is only adding chemicals to our bodies.

[vsoy]

Fluoride in drinking water is added in some municipalities because it has been found that it reduces cavities and strengthens teeth. http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/teeth/fluoride.html There is a lot of debate about the disadvantages vs benefits of fluoridated water, some people worry about fluoride overdose and toxicity but I think that risk is pretty low. I don't know what the fluoride cost-benefit analysis was to comply with the clean water act in the EPA, but I think the large decrease in cavities and the overall improved oral health of young kids the past couple of decades outweigh the slight chance of fluoride overdose.

As for processed foods, garbage in, garbage out. It's not surprising you feel like crap after eating fake food high in sodium and preservatives. Our bodies are just not designed for olestra and splenda, which weirdly, exactly why they are used as low calorie additives. We shit out olestra and splenda has a different chemical structure from regular sugar that our body can't process but they both taste the same as butter and sugar.

I've started reading labels for high fructose corn syrup and I can't believe how often I find it. I found it in applesauce recently. Applesauce! It's just mashed up apples, what else do you need besides maybe some citric acid to prevent oxidation(browning)? I really don't understand why there's HFCS in applesauce but it taste much sweeter than applesauce made without it.

Fortunately, the local food movement is making it much easier to eat less processed food. It's putting money back in the local economy and reducing dependence on oil because food doesn't have to travel thousands of miles to reach consumers. I got some locally raised chicken and I can't believe the Tyson crap I've been eating for years. I had always suspected the quality of chicken was getting worse as I was getting older, but part of it was the industrialization of food production. Don't get me wrong, industrialization can be good because it makes food more affordable but lax practices can cause a lot of problems that have far-reaching effects.

[minbo]

God willing, we will prevail, in peace and freedom from fear, and in true health, through the purity and essence of our natural... fluids. God bless you all

[DONKEY]

lol Tyson chicken, i worked at one of their plants in seguin for about a month. so disgusting. but i kept the steel gloves they gave me.
i am changing my diet until i become superman again

[angi]

I have gotten into the slow foods thang. Basically, it is all about taking back cooking and enjoying the tastes, flavors, and NUTRITION of whole, home made foods. I have found I eat less, have fewer oddball cravings, and feel A LOT better when I make all of my food from scratch. It is refreshing to control everything you put into your mouth. It does however, take up a lot of time, so I haaven't been able to make the switch 100%.

[ellencho]

Ha I didn't realize what I did was slow food! I just thought I was doing everything the "old fashioned" way.

Do you have a crockpot angi? Those are giant time savers. You can prep stuff the night before, and then before you leave for work in the morning, toss shit into the crock and hit lo.

Another good appliance to have (if you have enough space in your house) is a breadmaker. Most of them have timers on them so by the time you get home from work you'll have a warm loaf waiting for you.

Some processed foods are alright, it's just when they make up the bulk of your diet is when you run into problems.