sazzle1979

Hi All,

This may seem a rather random post however I have been thinking lately about the types of foods I am eating here.

Since being in NZ my husband and I have suffered terribly with bloating and bad digestive problems, whilst I know some of this can be caused by stress, it got me wondering.

So many of my colleagues are "gluten intolerant" or have digestive complaints.

I can tell by taste that the salt and sugar content is higher in foods here, but I was wondering what else goes in foods that perhaps doesn't in UK or Europe.

Nigel Lata's documentary about sugar was amazing.

Has any one else noticed anything?

MrsFychan

Yes, but for me I think its the red meat and the fact they don't really do low fat foods here, or if they do its hit and miss if you can find it again.
I nearly ended up in hospital due to stomach problems but I am not intolerant to wheat as had all the test so no point going gluten free, and its possibly that is related to mismanagement by the GP who prescribed me diclofenac but no stomach protection and it ripped my stomach lining out.
I have also started to suffer from vertigo since arriving and usually starts around March for some reason. No idea why, never ever had it in UK

Bo-Jangles

I think there is a lot less care and /or awareness around food additives generally here and loads of crap that has long since been phased out and or banned elsewhere are still in everyday use.

The UK consumer has long since been aware of and concerned about the effects of artificial flavouring, colourings and food additives and almost certainly any business with a target audience aimed largely towards children will have removed the most toxic and problematic E numbers, colourings such as tartrazine, MSG and the likes.

I am utterly amazed at the toxic looking technicolour sprinkles and crap that I see getting shoveled into kids gobs here. I have noticed myself some reactions to 'lolly' coloured things and orange cheesy snacks, crackers and such that never have been an issue for me before, so can only put it down to possibility of certain food additives being the culprit.

scrubbedexpat094

My diet is far worse here than it was in the UK. I've put on so much weight and have had numerous health problems.

Labelling standards are poor on foods which probably helps manufacturers to keep adding crap to the food. Also noticed how foods are heavily laden with sugar and salt. I am trying to cut down on the processed crap and do cook from scratch most of the time but sometimes I just want something easy.

When I was over in the UK last year for a month, I lost about 10 lbs and that was despite eating out a lot and pigging out on some of my favourite foods that I miss. Odd that.

Like clothes shopping, I find food shopping depressing with lack of choice and cost.
We do grow some things and have had great success with strawberries, passion fruit, carrots, peppers and spring onions this year. Love stuff from the garden, so much flavour.

Beware equating natural with good though. Arsenic is 100% natural and with no additives but I wouldn't recommend it

Marzie

FYI

Ministry for Primary Industries - FoodSmart

Charismatic

There's chemicals in everything.

I think sawdust is the major filler ingredient in teabags here.

Sparkleydiva

Well this is interesting because I too have had terrible digestive problems since being here, which have been particularly bad for the past year.

I do eat quite well, and generally cook from scratch but still have bloating, pain etc. I've been told it is not IBS thankfully, but still have not idea what's going on. Everything is so sweet for my palate...

Oh well, hopefully I will be like you Vitalstatistix when I'm back in the UK in June and lose some of this extra weight - Ive never put weight on before, so am quite depressed with it, no matter how little I eat and how much I move

sazzle1979

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond to this. I know we are a small sample of the NZ population however I am convinced there is something affecting us all.

My husband and I have both put on over 10kg each, my husband has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years and never put on weight before. He's feeling terribly sluggish and uncomfortable and to be honest this may be the nail in the coffin to returning back to the UK as health is so very important.

The symptoms seem so familiar with the pain and excessive bloating after eating foods that would never have been an issue previously.

We are going to embark on a plan to see if we can eliminate certain foods and see how we get on.

Thank you everyone for your input it is something I really would like to investigate further.

Charismatic

You haven't caught "middle-age" have you?

Woodlea

I learnt in 'O' level geography circa 1980 that migrants got sick due to the "destruction of the equilibrium of their pathogenic complexes" and the phrase has stuck in my mind ever since. I too had gastric issues, pain and bloating and have only recently recovered with the help of probiotics. I think my gastric problems started with a course of antibiotics which resulted in dominance of certain bacteria in the gut. I had had antibiotics in the UK without this result so wonder if they were stronger here - or I had not developed tolerance to local bacteria?

Chocoholics

This is a really interesting. I've noticed that whenever I go back to the UK I lose quite a bit of weight but I have never been able to figure out exactly why. If anything I drink and eat more there while catching up with people. Hmmmm food for thought - no pun intended !

scrubbedexpat094

Shall we write a new diet book, "The UK Diet - The British Expat Way." We can make any load of bo$$ocks up just like all the other diet books on the market do.

We can set up a travel business to send folks to Blighty for a month with a copy of our book and itinery sheet and charge huge amounts for doing so.

sazzle1979

I have told my husband this ..... he definitely has the middle age luckily for me he is a cradle snatcher and I am a little way off..... (I tell myself!)

sazzle1979

first on my list...... cut out morning tea! my goodness I swear half of the problem is all the technicolour cakes and goodies that get passed around every morning and afternoon tea.

I really struggled when I first came here to understand my companies enthusiasm for Morning and afternoon tea with all the goodies. Hence ...... we have a very high proportion of staff with obesity problems. I dont say this to mock I am really worried about it.

So much so I am petitioning the CEO to get fruit delivered for the staff each week. Although being in the Ag industry he has just updated me on all of the chemicals sprayed on fruit ....... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Pom_Chch

I haven't trusted the food industry for a long time now. Not just in NZ but all over. It's all about making money and not even considering health as long as the $$$ are rolling in. Pretty sick really. Then everyone is up in arms when there is an obesity epidemic!

My eyes have been opened to this after studying a nutrition course to help better my career (upskill I think is the poncy name for it nowadays). I am quite shocked with what goes on in the industry, it's really frightening and has totally changed the way I view food and eat. Admittedly I never had any symptoms before but prevention is better than cure. Not that I'm some kind of eco warrior living in a hut eating raw chicken and carrot sticks or anything like that. I try and eat natural food that I grow myself and get meat from friends who hunt. Avoid the packets and the processed food, make anything I eat from scratch etc etc. My weight, measurements and body comp haven't changed much over the last couple of years so I'm guessing it's working for me.

Either way it's got to be better than having Trichophagia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichophagia