First we are told that fats are unhealthy and then carbohydrates and sugar and salt. Now there is mercury in fish to worry about, hormones in dairy, additives in children’s snacks and even spinach has been linked to bacterial outbreaks. But not to worry you can take the stress out of healthy eating by making a few changes to the way you shop and cook.

Fish: Mercury is deposited into the oceans and streams by coal burning plants where it can convert to a more toxic form, methylmercury which makes its way into the food chain and is most prevalent in large, predatory fish that live a long time because the metal accumulates over time and the fish also feed on other mercury-contaminated fish.

To avoid the risk of mercury overload avoid fish like shark, swordfish, and marlin. Buy canned light tuna, wild or canned salmon (not farmed), halibut and catfish. Pollutants in fish are most likely to accumulate below the skin and in fat deposits so remove skin before cooking. Unfortunately, mercury concentrates in the muscle tissue so if you are pregnant or hoping to be, the recommendation is to have no more than two portions of oily fish a week. Also limit tuna to either two fresh tuna steaks a week or four medium cans of tuna (canned tuna does not count as an ‘oily’ fish because the oils are lost in the canning process). Fish oil supplements are fine as long as you know they are from a reputable source.

Fruits and vegetables: Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are sprayed with dozens of chemicals and pesticides. Pesticide residues have been linked to hormonal imbalances and cancer.

To avoid the risk choose organic when you buy the most heavily sprayed fruit and vegetables e.g. peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, pears, celery, cherries, imported grapes, lettuce, bell peppers and potatoes. You should also thoroughly wash your fruit and vegetables under cold running water. For foods with firm surfaces such as apples use a vegetable brush.

Dairy: Dairy cattle are routinely kept pregnant now while they are being milked so the hormone levels such as oestrogen can be high.

Choose organic dairy produce where possible. You could also choose non-dairy substitutes such as rice, oat or soya milk.

Meat: Antibiotics are routinely fed to life stock to prevent infections from unsanitary conditions. Experts believe that the overuse of antibiotics in live stock allows harmful bacteria to develop resistance. About 70 percent of bacteria that cause hospital infections have become resistant to at least one antibiotic; some of which may be related to those used in live stock.

My advice is to avoid meat completely and to substitute with protein rich fish, nuts, seeds, legumes and grains but if you must eat meat, buy organic chicken or turkey. Remove skin and fatty tissue to reduce the amount of pollutants and pesticides; don’t let anything raw come into contact with fresh food and cook meat thoroughly.

Ingredients: Many additives, preservatives and colourings have a negative effect on your health ranging from allergic reactions, headaches and nausea to hyperactivity in children. The best advice is to avoid food that is processed and refined, such as white bread and ready meals and use your common sense when shopping. If a food looks unnatural it probably is and if the list of ingredients on the back reads like a chemistry experiment put it back on the shelf. Seven dangerous ingredients to be wary off, especially if you are shopping for your children, are:

• E211- sodium benzoate: This preservative can trigger allergic reactions and is used in salad dressings, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, fruit drinks and sweets.
• E110- sunset yellow: This dye can cause nausea and hyperactivity and is found in orange squash, jam, lemon curd, packet soups, cheeses sauces and sweets.
• E129- allura red: This dye is found in sweets, soft drinks and biscuits. It can cause mild allergic reactions and is banned in nine European countries.
• E124- ponceau 4R: This red dye can cause allergic reactions and is found in dessert toppings, salami, salad dressings, cheesecakes and fruit drinks.
• E104- quinoline yellow: This dye is found in scotch eggs, chewing gum and cough sweets and can cause hyperactive behaviour. It has been banned in Australia, Japan, Norway and the US.
• E102- tartrazine: This dye is found in fruit squashes, cake mixes, soups, ice creams, jellies, mustards, yogurts and tinned food. It can cause allergic reactions, headaches and blurred vision.
• E122-camoisine: This dye is found in marzipan, swiss roll, jam, brown sauce, flavoured yogurts and fruit drinks. It can cause mild rashes and hyperactive behaviour.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 at 3:50 am and is filed under General Health, Nutrition and Healthy Eating, Toxins. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.