As a non-USC, what impact did food & water from the U.S. have on you?

[LA80 3]

I have been drinking tap water since day one and did not have problems. I got a stomach bug sometime in December 2008 (it came from a baby and everyone around me got it as well, but I had the worst symptoms). Nothing else to report. No allergies, no swine flu. Tap water tastes pretty good here, but I still have issues with fast food. That is why I cook all the time and know exactly what I put in the pot.

Actually, I can proudly declare that I have not been sick since 2008.

[Bibi and Beebti 4]

The one major thing I noticed was the quality of water was really affecting the way my hair felt, looked, was managed...first month it was ok, then it started shedding like crazy (stress of being in a new placed too), I started taking some hair supplements and it's feeling a little better.

Food is still a bit of a problem for me, I'm mostly vegetarian, and back home most produce continues to be organically grown, so I find it hard fining decent vegetables and fruits. However we did find a local farmer's market nearby and have decided we'll be getting our veggies from there every weekend.

But yes, I do feel the water has been too harsh on my hair and the food under-nutritious...my husband has tried hard though to find us a few places where we can eat food similar to what i'd get back home and I'm grateful for that

[Amyyduck 20]

The one major thing I noticed was the quality of water was really affecting the way my hair felt, looked, was managed...

I'm the USC and I've noticed that too depending on where I go within the country. It has to do with how hard/soft the water is in your area. Soft water makes shampoo and soap lather up and get sudsy really easily and sometimes it feels like it takes forever to get all the soap rinsed out. Hard water makes it really difficult to get a good lather which makes it hard to get your hair completely clean unless you use a TON of shampoo. Ideally you want a balance between the two but if you were used to one at home and you came to the US and it was different then that could explain why it made your hair difficult to manage.

[marriedtomrg 140]

Since we've moved here from the Philippines in October 2009, our daughter Pippo and I have not been sick at all. We drink water from the tap and the air is surprisingly clean. lol I haven't had water from the tap since I was 10, I think...so it's quite welcome! Way different that when we were living in Manila. My husband calls our chickens pigeons...lol because of their size compared to the chickens here. When we are visiting his parents in Louisiana, we drink bottled water, however.

Pippo has lost 42 pounds, for the most part because we have been watching her food portions as well as what she eats...technically she is banned from the kitchen except to wash dishes...and she isn't allowed to eat chips or other junk food.

When we do order out, it's usually pizza, wings and chicken tenders from Papa John's (the best I have ever had around here). What is kind of disappointing to me here is the Chinese food...which seems dull and bland compared to the places we have in Manila. I've tried Chinese food in three different restaurants here, same story.

Just read someone's post here about hair and shampoo. Back in the Philippines, I could go without conditioning my hair for a few days, but here (especially last winter), I had to condition my hair daily...Pantene is the only brand I have seen here that is reminiscent of any product I have used back home, and even then I still have to condition. lol Tried other brands like Suave and Tresemme (sp?), but I always have to use the conditioner.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I can only agree with you guys on tap water! Not a good idea!

As to the food, I have a hard time dealing with all the sugar and grease! Taco Bell, Chick-a-filet and Co. are totally out of question for me. Cramps, stomach aches, bad skin, weight gain, whatever you want.

Agreed. I don't like Chick-fil-A at all and I was warned about Taco Bell so I haven't even tried it yet.

I got VERY sick when I first visited the US, and my hay-fever seems WAY worse here. There's a LOT of fat in the food which doesn't sit well with my digestive tract, not to mention the high-fructose corn syrup (it's not bad for you but tastes awful) and LOTS of cream.

My hair in Houston was VERY oily, had to wash it EVERY day (when in Aus I can usually go at LEAST 2-3 days before it even starts looking greasy), but in Iowa.. frizzy and just VERY different to Australia, and it's heaps curlier too. Now that I'm back in Aus for a while, it's already back to normal. I shopped around in Houston for AGES to try and find shampoo that worked/works, and i steer towards the organic ones because of the lower silicone build up in Aus and I still didn't find anything good while I was there, I just used Pantene 'cause it was the lesser of several evils...

The chloramines in the water is standard in Australia as well so I wasn't surprised about it, but I just don't like it, that an I'm allergic to it :S so I have to be really careful during "re-dosing" times. Got a nice surprise one morning in the shower because we weren't warned about the re-dosing... felt awesome that day :S

This isn't about food, but since we're discussing the water...

I've found that every time I come to the US (and since living here for over a year), my hair has gotten extremely greasy. I think it's the water as there are so many chemicals - you can smell the chlorine in it - that the hair just gets weighed down and oily. I've tried all kinds of shampoos and not only is it difficult to find shampoo made for 'greasy hair' as we have in the UK, but the clarifying shampoo (use once a week) doesn't work either, even if I use it daily. I's not my diet - when I went back to the UK to visit, my hair went soft and clean immediately and stayed that way until I happened to wash it. If I want to keep my hair looking clean for 24 hours, I need to take 2 showers. I've found temporarily using baby powder works for soaking up extra oils, but it doesn't last long.

AGREED!! This is exactly what I mean! At least for me though the frizzy hair is easier to solve, greasy got old REALLY fast

**Edit - now that I'm back in Aus for a while, I noticed my belly was upset for a while at first. I definitely prefer the food here more though, the taste is more "rich" whereas US food I find to be bland or "one-toned" a lot of the time. I'm sure I just need to "get out more" or something though, experiment more.. I'm looking forward to my return and getting my KitchenAid mixer.. super excited

Edited September 14, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony