If you could ban just one food what would it be?
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Besides for a handful of picky eaters, most of us humans love a weird and wonderful variety of foods. In fact, during my research into this topic I became more and more shocked and if truth be told a little nauseated by what actually comes under the definition of food. Wouldn’t you if you were reading about the deliciousness of tarantula, eyeball and raw herring? Of course it’s easy to see the oddity of these foods and it’s unlikely they will hit the mainstream anytime soon. Even if they do, it’s doubtful that they will cause much damage to our wellbeing. But, what about the mass produced foodstuffs that have become part of our everyday diet and the effect they have on our health! Are foods like sugar, butter, coke and alcohol really bad for us and would we be better off if they were never discovered?
In hindsight it’s easy to say that sugar, crisps, and alcohol are bad for us, but these foods have been eaten, drank and loved for centuries now, so they are here to stay. A few moments in the history of the food industry has helped to define our health and all because of random discoveries our ancestors stumbled across! Let’s look at some discoveries that have helped to shape our taste buds.
Sugar was only discovered by western Europeans as a result of the Crusades in the 11th Century AD. It quickly became a prized and expensive ‘spice’. These days sugar is everywhere and we know that it has aggravated a type 2 diabetes epidemic. Imagine if sugar had remained undiscovered, supermarket aisles would be empty of sweets, biscuits and chocolate bars, no more bribing kids to clean their room with a bar of choc and the number of overweight kids would be nowhere near the one in three it currently clocks in at.
White bread sits in a ball in the pit of your stomach clogging up the digestive system, as it’s basically an over processed grain. The word’s ‘refined bread’ goes back to the aristocracy as eating refined white bread was a mark of social status hence getting the name! We now know that white bread is actually a poor relative for a healthier wholegrain variety.
French fries or chips have surpassed the humble spud as the most popular potato source in American fast-food restaurants and you can be sure that we aren’t far behind. McDonalds has a whopping 2500 restaurants in the UK at present. Due to the fat content and additional salt added to fries it’s no wonder that cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in the world today.
Alcohol, somewhat ironically was first discovered in Iran around 4000 years ago. It causes more than 22,000 deaths a year in Britain. Alcoholism and binge drinking are amongst the biggest social problems in the UK and Ireland. Imagine how different the world would be if it was never discovered.
Coke, believe it or not was first marketed in 1885, as a cure for a range of ailments such as morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache, and impotence. Unsurprisingly it’s the most valuable brand in the world. In my office alone I know at least quarter of the staff have a daily dose of coke. As a consequence we are damaging our teeth with acid and sugar, and our waistlines are expanding. Here’s a little stat to shock you, one can of coke contains a whopping 8 teaspoons of sugar!
Nanny state issues aside, I realise there are knock on effects to outright bans on foods…our dentists would go out of business for a start! But, as the saying goes “those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them”. So next time you think a banana, coated it in batter and chocolate is the best thing since white sliced bread, think again!
If you could ban just one food today what would it be?
Kind regards,
Catherine Matthews
My Page
Ok I'll say it CHOCOLATE, ahhh. Love it. any which way. so I have taken to eating fun size milky ways as a daily treat, only 69 kcal per bar. so I'll give up a piece of fruit.
Comment by PERIGEE60 -
What would I ban? Wholemeal bread. Tastes like compressed sawdust.
Comment by DONALDARNOLD -
Hi JIMBO9761, that's fantastic well done! If you fancy treating yourself to some new clothes, then why not go out and buy a nice pair of trousers! Don't let this stop you from aiming towards your goal though. And remember you an always get your trousers taken in!
Comment by CATHERINEMATTHEWS -
Mostly following that advice has led me to drop several kilos in the last month and now my trousers no longer fit. Need to buy a smaller size, of just tighten the belt and keep on dieting ?
Comment by JIMBO9761 -
Biscuits, why do they give us so much choice. Just can't stop at one. So they are banned from my house and guess what the kids and the grandchildren haven't missed them. So 3 packets a week was all down to me.
Comment by KAGS1978 -
Crisps are my downfall, I am so good all throughout the week then comes the weekend, I will start off with one pack which suddenly becomes two! I have started buying lower calorie and fat crisps but still have to fight the urge not to eat them all in one go!!
Comment by KIRSTIE39 -
My biggest beef is salt. I know we need a little to survive but...... Eating out, even with sensible choices, its impossible to avoid an overdose. Professional chefs don't think food tastes right if it isn't salted to death. I never add salt to my home cooking - just herbs and spices and it is every bit as tasty as the restaurant stuff. My personal downfall though is butter - I just love buttered new potatoes, buttered corn on the cob and hot buttered toast. Low fat spreads just don't work!!
Comment by OKUSGOLD -
My down fall was crisps, I would have bags and bags of them, I prefered to eat them rather than have a proper meal, I could eat 6packets in min's, then I gave them up just like that, have no idea how it happened, I have not eaten a crisp now for 6 years, strangely enough I gave up smoking 30yrs ago just like that, but can I give up bread ??? Pam
Comment by GEDHETTI21 -
I am/was a self confessed Cola addict, often drinking 3/4 cans a day. I know how bad it is but, like any addiction I felt that I needed it. I gave it up a month ago, I've tried to give it up before but this time, it's different, I haven't even wanted to drink it. I don't want to return to that 'habit' at all. I love chocolate too but my will power is stronger than my cravings.
Comment by SHAR3105 -
Hi EICHHORNCHEN, yes I think you are right when you say overcoming the bad habits can sometimes be good for personal growth! And now that treats are on our shelves we can of course have one every now and again! Cliché again, but moderation is key!
Comment by CATHERINEMATTHEWS -
Agree wholeheartedly that sometimes no discovery would be better than discovery. But as someone who likes their occasional treat, life would be far too long if we couldn't indulge now and then. And overcoming one's bad habits is so much more satisfying than cruising along without any ups and downs.
Here's to life little pleasures - let's just make sure they stay little!
Comment by EICHHORNCHEN -