Margarine

[Ivy jo]

Did everybody know that Margarine although it may advertise that it lowers cholesterol or has reduced salt, that from all the processes it goes through, it is no longer a natural product and is one molecule away from being PLASTIC! Every time you put margarine on your bread you are putting an undigestable substance into your body, no better than a plastic bag, sending a whole load of free radicals around your body to kill off cells and cause your body terrible damage inside-out? Also, if you left a pot of margarine in your garage for a year it wouldn't go moldy...now thats not a good thing surely...Why aren't we being educated that what we put in our mouths is the direct cause of our body's health, weight, immunity to deseases?

[qapmoc]

Yes I did know that , its why I only use butter. There are plenty of other things like that as well.

As to your other question, why should somebody educate you. You have books, the internet, etc... all you have to do is look around and the information is easy to find but you have to get interested in your health first and it seems that most are not or can't be bothered to look under the surface of how your society works.

[Ivy jo]

Oh, yes I completely agree that we should take our own health into our own hands and that it isn't the responsiblity of others to provide us such information, however there is a wide range of healthy eating advice out in the world of information, the net, books etc, but most of it does not actually connect the food we eat and our subsiquent health as they should. In schools there is an importance to teach kids how to eat correctly, but what we are teaching them is to be honest nothing because we are saying eat a balanced diet etc etc without actually telling them that don't eat crisps, or too many buscuits because nearly all the food in the supermarkets these days are manufactored and processed to such a degree that there is almost no good viable nutrients in most of the things we eat and do more harm than good in the long run. Doctors too, give us medicines for colds and viruses, which can't actually be helped by antibiotics and in many cases the medicines given out damage the good bacteria in the system and make the virus last longer, but instead doctors should be saying eat more vitamin c to prevent colds, garlic too because that contain 31 odd anti-bacterial nutrients and your body will thank you for that. Instead we load up our bodies with medicines thinking that that's the way to fight something instead of trying to build up our immune systems by eating the right things in the first place, preventings such colds and virus' to take ahold.

[lady_p_gold]

Yes I knew, wouldn't touch the stuff. Whatever they say my own view is that a thin layer of organic butter is far better, and I can believe it is butter because it is !!!!! The problem is that people eat it to excess and that is where all the health problems start. I try and make sure that my foods are as unudulterated as possible, although it is not easy in this modern world ! I do think that the growth in local farmers' markets and the Jamie Oliver thing etc. shows that people are becoming aware of how bad things have got. And as for all these children who have no idea what a cauliflower etc. is, its really quite tragic.

[qapmoc]

But Lady_p_gold eating is not fun unless you eat too much of something you really like. I love chocolate but it gives me the mother of all headaches if I eat only a whole bar per day.

Seriously though, there are plenty of things about modern food production which are, shall we say - not the best thing for your health.
Around here I noticed a new type of vegetable oil appearing on the shelves, called mazola and also canola which is similar I think, The bottles and adverts make it sound like a great new oil but being suspicious by nature I researched it on the Internet, hah it is really not good for you but does it say that on the package ??? don't be silly.

[snook]

Parents have a responsibility to provide good food, and educate children about the dangers of fast foods, junk foods, non foods and all the other crap. If kids are fed decent meals, and are brought up to eat properly, in a relaxed, appreciative way (not rushed, nor on the move!), they tend to grow up appreciating good food and steering well clear of all the McDonalds and other junk food places. And able to cook too, at least basic meals, which lots of young people simply can't do - they live on prepared meals, which pop in and out of the microwave and often have hardly any more nutritional value than the package they came in.

Same goes for exercise. If kids are brought up so that they routinely walk instead of being driven everywhere (I mean locally), and enjoy sports and generally playing around, rather than just using computer games and chatting on MSN, they're usually a lot healther and more well adjusted. Not that there's anything wrong with computer games, per se, nor chatting on MSN... it's just that some kids hardly get off their backsides from morning til night, which accounts for so many being overweight, I suppose.

[sammd]

Are soya based margarines any better than normal ones? Or is organic the only way to go?

[WoWo]

The other thing to know about Margarine is that it doesn't need to be kept in the fridge, it's put there in the supermarkets to be next to the butter, but in most shops it's stored in the warehouse not in a chilled place.

[nickmo]

Be aware of the paperback out last year by Joanna Blythman, called ' Shopped'

It is an expose on the operation of the practices of supermarkets from diddling the planners - building mezzanine floors to increase floor space that don't need consent, but clog up the roads etc as if a new store was built/expanded which is an issue for consultation, but not if no consent required - to sourcing their stock - why buy Peruvian asparagus! Its dead, virtually no goodness and pointless - and their sales techniques, which the margarine illustration - offering it as a chilled not ambient product - shows what they are up to.

In response to a lot of discussions with shoppers looking for the sort of info discussed above, you may like to know of the recently launched FreeRange Magazine which is aimed at the operation of the farmers' markets, speciality shops and farm gate retail across the UK. I started this to give some balance to the stories in the typical 'foody' mag which really only act as platforms for the multi-nationals to flog us their over produced and chemical flooded 'stuff' - see www.freerangemag.co.uk for a bit of info and contacts.

'Organic' can also be a bit of a minefeld. 90% of the organic produce sold in the UK comes from overseas - so what about the issues of food miles if you are shopping ethically as well then?? And are you aware of the regimes of organic producers abroad and what the term actually means? It is more often better, and cheaper, to shop locally, use your local farmers' market/farm shop and so get fresh seasonal foods that taste of the what they promise!!

I really agree with the points above and the comments about support of the farmers' markets. Fairtrade for overseas producers is a fine aim, but please try to support the efforts of the dedicated small producers in Britain - they all need assistance as well.

[crisgal]

i buy marge 'cus I don't like it and therefore only eat a little. If I had lurpack in the fridge, you wouldn't be able to see the toast for the butter!! Ergo, the marge must be better for me.

[Gef]

I don't know if Ivy jo's rant counts as a question but it is totally wrong. Ivy jo doesn't even have a good knowledge oof chemistry.

[Ivy jo]

Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but how could you possibly say that? I have enough of a knowlege of chemistry to understand and talk about nutrition. But however, you're right about the rant buisness, I'll try and keep my questions as questions.

But, going back to what you said qapmoc, olive oil or vegetable oil is also a scam because what they dont tell you is that they dice most oils with hazelnut oil because it's cheap. Also, the best oils to cook with are only Rice bran oil and grape seed oil because all other oils, when heated as part of cooking are acually denatured and turned into hydrogenated oil, better known as trans-fat, which is the worst kind of fat for the body and amazingly lethal. Extra Virgin olive oil isn't as bad I believe, though I'd have to reasearch if the same thing occurs to it at high temperatures.
I also think that as much as we can blame the parents for bad diet in their children and their health education, it may be just as hard for them to known what is right in terms of what to feed themselves let alone their children, although research on their part is nesessary, even such foods as Nutella, although claimed to be full of energy for learning, growing kids along with other good attibutes, is also contains Hydrogenated peanut oil and so it incredably fatty and damaging to their health.

Support for farmers and fair trade is a great idea in the long run, and is the best way to get fresh fruit and vegetables, but then i still beleieve organic products are the way to go! Although there is a sense of wanting to get behind your local farmers there is still the problem of pesticides. Pesticides are another terrible part of our living that is so devastatingly damaging to our health and future genertaion's health that we should stop using them altogether, as only 2% of the pesticides used actually acheive its aim, the other 98% leaks out into the air, water, our water supply and soil.

[qapmoc]

Hi Ivy jo, well while I agree that you should be worried about pesticides, herbicides, etc..etc... I don't think it will be a long term problem for humanity as such because pesticides are made from oil products and the oil is about to run out anyway, so - no more pecticides, the only thing is no more civilization as well !!
If you doubt this just google PEAK OIL go to the 1st or 2nd site you find, have a read and worry.

[Gef]

Sorry Ivy jo but your knowledge of chemistry is not that good. Oils do change on repeated heating but the correct term is not 'denatured'. Also, all oils eventually form some trans fatty acids when used repeatedly.

[curiosity]

I've known it for years (my sister is a dietician and mentioned the transfatty acids etc) we eat Lurpack, but I totally agree with crisgal, if there wasn't Lurpack in the fridge I wouldn't eat spread, I wouldn't have the odd cracker or scone or desire toast or the odd sandwich, it's the lurpack that drives me too it. Having said that I'm not too bothered about my weight so I enjoy it.