Today I want you to think about something... It's not a topic that comes up often at dinner parties. To be honest, it's easy to forget about and put the ship in auto pilot, and check out. I HAVE A CONFESSION.
I HATE shopping in conventional supermarkets. I was raised shopping in little tiny coop's found miles from town filled with food that sustained life and brought health. Don't worry, I won't judge you and your cart if I happen to run into you. I'm not mean. But I AM CONCERNED!. The more you know, the more responsible you have to be. They say, "Ignorance is Bliss" and I think in this case that sure applies. It just makes me sad to see carts filled to the brim with food that is making America sicker and sicker. Do you know what's in your food? Can you pronounce the ingredients in them? Do you know where your food comes from? Well I do. "And knowing is half the battle." G.I.Joe!
Today's topic: Industrial Food. C'mon, we live in an industrial society, where things just magically happen with a click of a button, uploads and downloads, space stations and precise missile control. Now we are cloning animals in the lab, replicating live tissue, Genetically Modifying Organisms, crossing a plum with an apricot and possibly altering the natural eb and flo of the Universe... breathe in...and out...breathe in...and out...
What I'm talking about today is Food. Where does it come from? How is it grown or raised? How does food arrive in the supermarkets? How did it get in to that package? How did we get so out of balance?
Years ago I read a book titled Beyond Beef. It was about the conditions in a "standard" slaughter house. Hormone Injections, Living Conditions, and Quality Control. It was a pretty graphic read with some photo inserts in the middle. This book startled me and I remained a vegetarianmy entire childhood life and in to the majority of my adult life. See, my parents got in to this years ago and raised us to be what I would call "Conscious Eaters". This information is not new. These methods are centuries old. Our Grandfather's Grandfathers did not have to think about this.They grew their own produce and maybe even had some livestock.Their food was naturally organic. They bought breads, meats and other produce in the local town. I think we, as an industrial nation, have gotten side tracked with modern inventions, advertisements, and maybe ego. We have developed a "buy it for less" mentality. The questions might be, "Is that the point? To make life easier and cheaper?" or a better question for this topic would be "What is the compromise for Industrialized Food?" Are YOU really saving money buying CHEAP meat and food? Is there a price to pay in the future? Is your health AT RISK?
I will step off my soap box and continue. As I got older and wiser, I educated myself with the principles of Organic Farming. I Re-introduced some Free Range poultry, some Range Raised Buffalo and I try to stay localwith most of my produce. Heck, we even built a couple garden beds in the back yard and are growing some veggies ourselves. I say tryto stay local, at least buy USA. But it is hard to find citrus fruits and bananas inside the U.S. during winter seasons, so do the best you can with what you know.
I am going to suggest a book and a movie. The title; Food,inc. by Robert Kenner. It is about how industrial food is making us sicker, fatter, and poorer- and what you can do about it. The book, edited by Karl Weber is a companion to the film, which I highly suggest. It's not really a date movie and make sure to eat dinner before you watch the show. The film lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the underbelly of our government's regulatory agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Kenner show's us that our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put PROFIT ahead of consumer HEALTH, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers, and our natural environment. Write back to me and let me know your thoughts on the movie. After I saw the movie, I signed up for a share in a local organic farm which is less expensive then buying produce at a health food stores. We do the rest of our other grocery shopping at Vitamin Cottage and Whole Foods.
So realize that health is a process. It is about making good choices day by day. These choices add up and will result in greater health. What I'm saying is START SMALL! Start by cleaning up your diet and get on those Wellness Essentials vitamin packs. Then start thinking about buying Organic with your meat and staying local with your produce. On the right hand side of my blog there are links to both Food, Inc. and Grant Family Farms.
Ask yourself, Is your food CLEAN? Eat Clean....your body will thank you!!!
Do something towards your health today, become a "Conscious Eater" and think before you eat!
To Health With You!
Dr. Shamanie Haneca