Food Inc.

I went to the movies recently. No, I didn’t go and see the latest installment of Harry Potter, Transformers, or any always-makes-me-cry romantic comedy. I saw a documentary about a topic near and dear to my heart. It is called “Food, Inc.” and it is, to me, poignant, graphic, truthful, fair and sad…all at once.

The film makes an amazing point of showcasing the truth behind factory farming; the road map explaining how it is that tainted corn—we’re not talking your mama’s corn from summer weekend picnics and cookouts in the 50s, 60’s and early 70s —is found in all foods sold in supermarkets around the country. Foods that you wouldn’t expect to find corn in too. And the sad truth that for busy families on a budget, a factory-farmed, government subsidized beef industry hamburger can be purchased for less money than it costs to buy a head of broccoli.

I am convinced that some of the most significant health threats facing us today: adult-onset diabetes in children, the rise in autoimmune diseases, food allergies over the past 40 years and, yes, even the increase of various forms of cancer over the last several decades, are all a result of the fact that food is no longer mainly produced by nature. It is, instead, contrived by scientists in a lab and sold by people in corporate boardrooms, hundreds and thousands of miles away from the animals and crops, with no history, understanding or long term data of its effects on the lives of people who will be eating it over the course of days, weeks, months and years.

I think it’s an important message, so I hope that by blogging about it, you folks that may not have “Food, Inc.” on your radar will check it out. To get a preview now, just Google: “Food, Inc. trailer”

Now, here’s the good news! By understanding these simple facts, we can make better decisions about what we put in our bodies. And that is what I’m all about: whole, natural foods that are good for you and will make you stronger, healthier, and frankly more satisfied because it just plain tastes better. (I told you this topic is near and dear to my heart).

And so I have decided to focus the remainder of this post on a few simple steps you can take now in order to make sure you are eating the best foods available:

-Buy local. It’s growing season. Go to Farmer’s Markets, if your area has them. TALK to the farmers. They put all of their pride, knowledge and energy into the crops that they harvest and sell to you. It is not often enough that you have an opportunity to speak with the person that grew the food that you are going to eat. And you’ll find a bounty of natural produce, without the chemicals and other things you don’t need in your bodies. You’ll also find that the food just tastes better!

-Buy organic. Buying organic is the best insurance that no antibiotics and hormones have been put in your food. This is key information. If someone handed you a bottle of antibiotics, would you take it? In effect, this is what we’re doing when we eat food that has been treated with them. Remember the old adage: you are what you eat. The cleaner your food is, the easier your body will digest it, absorb the nutrients from it, and keep your metabolism working effectively. So by eliminating the harmful chemicals that are fed to animals, you are making sure that those chemicals don’t find their way into your system. The best areas to focus on first are meat and dairy, where these chemicals are so prevalent.

-Buy clean, whole foods. The rule of thumb is the fewer ingredients the better. As you read through the ingredients (ideally….no more than five) they should be able to be pronounced and you should know what they are. If you don’t know what it is and you can’t pronounce it, the likelihood that you would want it in your body is slim to none. The less processed the better.
A key message that can be taken away from the film is that, really, we have a choice in the foods that are produced and made available to us; and we “vote” on these foods every time we go to the grocery store. Every item that is scanned and recorded either fuels the corporate machine (packaged, processed foods) or supports the organics and local foods (chemical-free meats and fresh, local fruits and vegetables). Your purchases send a clear message about how you want your food treated.

I know that times are tough right now, and many are wary of spending extra on higher priced organics, but when you really think about it, how better to spend your hard-earned dollars than on your health and well-being. When the choice becomes spend a little extra on clean, good food so that the extra dollars don’t have to go toward paying for prescription medication for an allergy, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and the like, we’ll be moving in a better direction. Don’t you think?