Sugar

[SwordfishMining]

I buy M&Ms by the 42oz size and 10 lb bags of Cane, but processed foods rarely. I cook and bake. You heard the milk council wanted the sweeteners (aspartame?) added to milk off label because "they all do it". No good will come of this secret ingredients. Nobody knows what is in plastics or any proprietary chemical compounds used in them yet, OR the cause of Autism either. Glad I'm on the downhill side of my time.

[PinkDiamond]

Yes, they sneak all sorts of crap into our foods that aren't listed among the ingredients, and many of them are toxic and build up in the body, eventually causing life threatening diseases. Aspartame is a known neurotoxin that turns to wood alcohol in the body, and there are people sitting in jail right now who were convicted of poisoning their spouses because the deceased drank so many sodas etc containing aspartame that they dropped dead, and someone needs to be blamed so the innocent spouse is convicted and sent to jail because they're never going to point the finger at the real culprit; Donald Rumsfeld's biggest income producer that he rammed thru the FDA, aspartame. And they refuse to look at the side effects reported, and keep them hidden from the public as best they can.

Now that everybody knows that HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is causing a myriad of diseases, they stopped calling it HFCS and just call it corn sugar now to deceive you, but it's still HFCS, and just as bad as ever; not to mention the fact that it's linked to the obesity epidemic that's so rampant in this country.

When MSG was discovered to cause various symptoms and illnesses they stopped listing it as MSG and now call it "natural flavors" to make you think it's something safe; but it's still MSG which is nothing but an addictive flavor enhancer to make their cardboard foods taste good, and it ought to be avoided at all costs.

I just saw a newsletter that said a 100 year old scientist has been trying to get the FDA to ban trans fats since they hit the market, which he finally succeeded in doing, but consumers need to understand that when things say 'zero trans fats', that is not necessarily true because they're allowed to have 'a little' of it in there, so why bother having laws at all if they're allowed to continue doing business as usual and lie about what's actually in their product?!

[opalcutter]

The big question is do you love life enough without treats to live to 100 or would a shorter life eating what you love suffice. My Gran smoked and drank whisky until it killed her. Mind you it took over ninety years to do so. Way to go Gran, she was my hero......

[kjsspot]

Ya, but for some of us (like me) eating sugar and empty starches, while tasty, make me feel like crap. So no, I don't enjoy my life as much when I eat it. But that doesn't make the cravings go away either...

[PinkDiamond]

That's not one bit surprising to me since she lived at a time cigarettes were pure tobacco, without all the additive crap they've added over the years that has now climbed to over 150 some odd additives, lending credence to the fact that it's the additives causing the upsurge in cancers, not the tobacco.

Many doctors, both natural and MDs, will tell you tobacco actually has medicinal benefits, as does alcohol when used in moderation, and none of my relatives who smoked died of lung cancer. My great grandfather was told by his doctor that he had 'a tobacco heart', and it would be harmful for him to quit, and my grandfather smoked his whole life and passed from other causes in his mid 90's, while my grandmother on the other side of the family almost made it to 101, and my grandfather smoked cigars and all 9 kids smoked regularly.

Just because it's in vogue to spout the antismoking line and treat smokers like vampires doesn't mean smokers aren't getting any benefits from inhaling. If they would smoke additive-free tobacco we would see a lot less illnesses pinned on smoking, and half the ads claiming all sorts of cancers were caused by smoking simply have no basis in fact, and could not be proven in a court of law.

[opalcutter]

Research would suggest the same for cannabis (not that I am condoning drug miss-use, as I work with it every day). Governments criminalize one drug yet encourage others just to secure votes. I know cannabis can cause psychological in later life but when was the last time you saw somebody beating the life out of a fellow citizen after smoking a joint. Can't say the same for whiskey though and who could say that alcoholism isn't psychologically based. Certain recreational drugs haven't even been scientifically studied due to the horror stories the press has labelled them with. I have a very interesting book written by Doctor David Nutt who used to be on the British Government drug advisory panel, until his research conflicted with their expectations. The greater good for the common man is never going to compete with the lust for power and wealth by government regardless of the subject. As we say where I work "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story"

[kjsspot]

Usually cannabis tends to make people mellow but also kills ambition. Of course people can also be paranoid with it as well. Alcohol can swing either direction. It can make people violent or mellow/sappy. And also can induce paranoia as well. Personally, I never liked the feeling of being drunk although I really liked the taste of whisky & rum. But as someone who used to have the crap beat out of her by an abusive alcoholic, it's something I've eliminated from my life. I was never tempted by cannabis as the smell is sickly sweet to me and turns my stomach. Tobacco smoke also gives me an instant headache and causes me respiratory problems. Even the smallest amount hurts my lungs.

[opalcutter]

Don't drink much myself apart from a little wine or cider. Like fizzy wine though, especially on a beach in Italy. Never tried cannabis directly although have been in the company of users, stinks as you say. See the effects of recreational and harder drugs daily so know the harm they can cause but using and supplying. Sorry to hear you have first hand experience Kjsspot, I hope that episode of your life is long over.....

[kjsspot]

Loooong over. I was young and stupid, too stubborn and rebellious to admit I was wrong. It's been over 20 years now. Never cared for wine much. Well, wine coolers were ok I guess but not real wine.

[Lydia]

I buy M&Ms by the 42oz size

Anyone ever explained what that shiny coating is made of?