h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What an excellent article. It confirms everything I believe and have seen to be true. It was a pity that, when mentioning the heavy load of fat and sugar that processed foods carry, salt was omitted. To anyone with high blood pressure this is of paramount importance.

I changed my young son's diet many years ago, as he was, to put it politely, "a handful" and the difference was astonishing. Getting rid of 'E' numbers alone had a huge beneficial effect. It worries me greatly to see the trolley loads of "rubbish" food taken home by young parents, and the free access to the fridge and food cupboard that most young children have now.

Last year I found that I had 27 chemicals in my blood (I was tested) that should not be there. Some were chemicals banned over 30 years ago, so the long term effects are very worrying. I often wonder how my health and well being has suffered as a result, and this in spite of 20 years of trying to avoid chemicals wherever possible.

The criticisms of supplementary vitamins, minerals and herbals comes in essence from companies who are losing out to these products financially. The criticism of organically grown food often comes from other sources with an axe to grind. Certainly there are questions over whether all such supplements are safe, and whether importing organic food over long distances is a good idea, but that does not mean we should abandon them.

The manic lifestyles that most people suffer these days encourages use of cheap, quick alternatives to "real" food and we continue with this trend at our peril.

Websailor

This diatribe of course refers to A1106434! but only would know that

Websailor

Websailor,

I have similar concerns about the big pharmaceutical companies being the dead hand behind the government moves to restrict food supplements.

And I agree completely about the concerns over transporting organic foodstuffs over a distance. Some foodstuffs have to come from a distance, though, bananas and mangoes for instance.

The current 'You are what you eat' programme with Dr Gillian McKeith is interesting in that she looks at what's in the fridge, and shows the food the families eat in a whole week on one table. Her criticism is that most of it contains no 'proper' food at all - loads of white bread, fat and sugar products. She describes they type of ailments which the subjects are likely to suffer from - farting, heartburn, thrush, bad breath and they confirm that this is indeed the case. Compare cheap processed meats, which are filled with additional water and additives and made from mechanically obtained meat (all the bits they can't sell mashed to gether and reconstructed) with meat from an organic source - no comparison. Look at the ingredients in processed foods.

Todays's hectic lifestyle does mean that people don't want to spend time cooking, so being able to produce food quickly is what people want and the microwave makes this even easier.

I was just thinking there should be a campaign for real food, then I had a thought that there might be one already and there is:

http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/real_food/

I agree with everything you say. I shall buzz off shortly and take a look at your link.

I am having a few minutes break from cooking a huge bag of beetroot and slicing it ready for the freezer. I am pressure cooking it but the kitchen is like a turkish bath in this weather. Not the best job to do in this weather but I had to get it done quickly. I like my stuff cooked and frozen the same day as picked if possible, but this is one day late, so urgent.

We had thunder lightening and rain last night and again this morning and it is overcast and humid. Very tiring.

Will explore the link later.

Websailor

You are right, of course, about salt. There are many things that should not be taken in excess, though salt is one of the prime problems with packaged foods.

and Web

I have signed the Global Petition to try and stop the US pushing GM food. I haven't contacted my MP because he won't sign EDMs and the like

Would it be worth putting it up on Ask h2g2 do you think

you found the link - what do you think?

Websailor