You Are Being Lied To....Everyday!
I think it's important to know where my food comes from. I find it necessary that my food is fresh, safe, and ethical. That's why I am so concerned about the current state of our food industry.
This is going to be my rant about our current food system and human nutrition. But I promise it's not just an uneducated opinion, I want to give you some alternative ideas on how to change. I'm not here to judge anyone, just present some information on what I feel is too important to not talk about. If you eat fast food every day and think it's a great alternative to cooking, then this is not the post for you. If you are anything like me, however, you are discovering the many problems with the way we currently produce and sell our food in this nation.
I am not here to fill your head with facts, statistics, and fear. I simply want to open your mind to some ideas that I feel many of us share but are rarely discussed in the mass media. Things that should be headline news, yet are strategically overlooked.
Before I started researching how to grow some of my own food, I was oblivious to the depths of dysfunction that plague our US diet. That's how it starts for most people, I think. They have no idea, and then BAM! They get hit with all of these disgusting facts about our food industry and it sickens them. It's that powerful! You can't change things when you don't know about them. Trust me, there is a reason we don't hear about them in our everyday lives.
Once you realize the depths of deception in our food industry, it will make you want to run and hide. Food industries lie to you everyday about the health and quality of the food they produce. No matter who you are, this is an important issue that can't be ignored. But so many are unaware.
So, let's start with that. How is it that so many people have never heard about certain aspects of the food that they buy in most grocery stores? Why do we as a nation continue to eat fast food, myself included when we know that it may not only be unhealthy but is linked to obesity and heart disease?
The answer is that you are being lied to, every single day! We want to believe these lies because it makes our lives easier. Convenience is their secret weapon in our busy lives. It allows the big corporations to take control by offering you what you think you want. A cheap, easy meal when you've had a busy day and can't possibly cook. I've been there. I'm still there sometimes, but I have learned to plan for these events in my life, so that cheap and easy are on my terms.
But wait, you may be thinking that if something was harmful to me, the government would ban it, right? Wrong! On top of that, companies spend millions of dollars to lobby for change or support in our government to promote policies in their favor. Why do you think corporations who sell GMO's have spent so much time and effort to lobby against being federally mandated to label their products?
Let me tell you a little about the practices that I had no idea existed before I researched how to grow my own food. You may wonder how naive I am until you realize that many Americans do not know or care where their food comes from. We accept what is being offered, and move about our busy lives because it's easy and we aren't aware of the issues.
Feed Lots:
If you haven't heard of these, please Google it now. You would be hard-pressed to find a single person who lives near one that thinks that they are a good idea. Yet this is where your supermarket meat comes from. Just take a look at any picture of one, and tell me if you want to eat that meat. The reason feed lots are used is for cost-effectiveness. Yet, it requires the use of antibiotics and pesticides in order to sustain the animal population. We all know that when people are housed in over-crowded living conditions, illness occurs very rapidly. Yet, we treat our meat as if the consequences are different. Go figure? If you knew this is where your meat was coming from, would you be happy with it? Would you eat it?
Natural Flavoring:
This is a huge marketing ploy that is designed to mislead you into thinking the product is healthy. This is not the case. Natural Flavoring is usually a bunch of chemicals that are protected by the FDA as a patented trade secret of the companies using it. In almost all cases, there isn't one ingredient that is actually natural. But because it's protected as a trade secret, companies do not have to disclose on labels what is actually in the natural flavorings. This means they can include all sorts of things you don't want to be eating. Ask yourself, if it's so natural, why don't they list the ingredients?
Round-Up:
If you have never heard of this product, then you really need to educate yourself about it. Please Google it STAT! California just recently ruled that some of these pesticides do indeed cause cancer. Yet, we have allowed this company that makes it, along with several others, to inject this pesticide into the genetic make-up of certain plants. Even if you didn't know that round-up may cause cancer, does this sound like a good idea to you? Injecting chemicals to produce pesticides into the DNA of plants that we eat? To compound the issue, the makers of these products have gained extreme power within our governmental policy-making system to promote what I believe is false information about the safety of their products. I do not want to eat pesticide-laden food, yet unless you are strictly eating the pricey organic foods, then you are probably consuming pesticides.
GMO's:
Some people just do not understand the difference between GMO's and organics, or the impacts that these modified plants have on our health and environment. Companies that produce GMO's would have you believe that they are necessary to feed today's population. That is clearly a lie since science tells us that mother nature has always provided all of our basic needs. Why is she now all of a sudden so inadequate in their eyes?
Whatever your opinion about GMO's, I think we can all agree that at least Americans should have the choice of eating them. However, in today's grocery stores, GMO's are not required to be labeled, so how can you possibly know if you are eating them? You have no choice in the matter unless you are well educated about the products you buy.
If you are trying to avoid GMO's yet shopping in a regular grocery store, you may be at a loss. There are some crops in the US that are mainly GMO's. Do you drink soy milk? Use Canola oil? Do you eat potatoes in your diet? Do you eat anything that contains corn or it's by-products? If you consume these products that are not certified organic, then they are probably produced from GMO plants in the US. All these crops have potential health hazards that we may not be aware of, so why take a chance? Yet, many are oblivious to which products they are buying that actually are derived from GMO's.
The reason most people do not know GMO's are in their diet is that the companies that produce these products have fought the FDA to protect their rights not to require GMO's be labeled in the US. If they are so safe, why are we not allowed to choose if we consume them?
Free- Range:
Did you know that the actual definition of free-ranging animals just means that they have access to do so. That does not guarantee that any animal actually has been free-ranged. It means that a company can house animals in horrible conditions, yet if they have an open door to their pasture, they can be called free-ranged. Notice how companies sell their products at a premium for an open door at their facility, yet the animals may never get to walk through that door to an open pasture! Another marketing ploy that misleads the public out of their money.
Vegetarian Chickens:
Ok, these people who sell these products are just plain ripping you off. Sorry! There is no such thing as a healthy vegetarian chicken. A healthy chicken eats meat in the form of bugs, and that will never change. Healthy chickens are not vegetarians, yet big companies steal your hard-earned dollars under the guise of a genius marketing ploy to claim a healthier product.
These are just some of the preposterous things Americans have been led to believe. They are sad marketing ploys or just plain lies designed to steal your money while providing you with the cheapest alternative to "real food" they can get away with. I don't want these problems to be part of my diet. Nor do I want the children of this country to think their food comes from a package.
Now that you know a few things, do you want to continue eating blindly? Are you sick of being lied to everyday? Have you realized that you have given over your power and are accepting poor food quality for convenience? What can you do about it?
Change: Find healthy alternatives and seek more information.
How do you change such a broken system? You let your money and what you buy dictate the market. Think about it. If all Americans decided to refuse to buy GMO's, they would no longer have a viable market in our economy. If Americans refuse to pay for food that was unhealthy, fast-food would disappear from our lives. Can you handle that?
You can easily find healthy alternatives without killing your budget. Buy local. Research farms in your area. Buy organic when you can. Get to know your farmers. All of these things can help change the current state of our food systems and be wallet-friendly at the same time.
At the very least, visit some local markets and invest in your local farmers. Generally speaking, local farms produce healthier food than what you can buy at your local supermarket. Let your dollars vote for what you value in healthy food.
To gain better control without killing your budget and spending endless hours shopping, check out the local farms. There are wonderful local farmers out there who may not be certified organic due to the cost constraints, but never use pesticides. These are people you want to spend your money on. You can visit their farms, see where your food comes from, and know the value of their products. Plus, they are cheaper than certified organic products, so you really gain an advantage.
Grow your own food!
Yes, you can do it. I spent half of my professional years learning how microorganisms infect the human body. I didn't exactly want to go playing in the dirt. But, after learning horrible things about our food, I decided I had to do something. I couldn't afford most of the organic veggies, so I was left with growing my own. Once you succeed in growing something, you will gain a whole new connection to your food.
Learn how to grow some food ASAP! You can easily grow a few beans, peas, tomatoes and squash to provide for your family for pennies. It's too bad that you think you have a black thumb, or you don't have the time. Have you seen how they irradiate our grocery store food lately? You can grow your own veggies if you try and it will not only be rewarding for you to be outside, but it takes approximately 10 minutes a day to be able to provide food from your own land. With all of the resources available, there are no excuses not to take control. If you just absolutely can't grow anything, then at least invest in a local farmer who doesn't use pesticides.
Next up, never buy meat at a grocery store again. That's right! I said it. Try to Google any type of large-scale production meat sold in the US and see how it's raised, then determine if you think this is how animals or your food should exist. Please Google the pink goo they inject into hamburger to make it pink and ask yourself if you think it's a good idea to be eating this.
If you are you ok with animals being housed in over-crowded conditions and being fed antibiotics or hormones to maintain acceptable weights and viability, then good luck to you. But I again decided to take matters into my own hands.
So how do you afford cheap ethically raised meat? Raise your own! Chickens are easy, cheap, and better than anything you can buy if you raise them yourself. You can raise chickens if you have a minimum of 10 minutes a day to care for them. You don't even have to kill them to enjoy a little protein. Currently, I keep chickens just for eggs. Not everyone can kill their own food, I understand. But they make wonderful additions to any backyard in any form you choose to use them.
You can also raise other animals depending on the laws in your town, and the land you have available. Rabbits, quail, and chickens are all easy small livestock that can be raised by any beginner homesteader on a limited amount of land, or anyone who desires to take control of their own diet.
Hunting is another option for cheap meat. If there is a hunter in your family, then you may be able to stock your freezer with low-cost meat annually to help provide meals for your family. Don't pass up this opportunity when it could save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Learn how to cook.
Many people believe that have no time for cooking, or its a task they just can't be bothered with. You would be wrong. Anyone can spend 10-30 minutes a day and provide a real, healthy, delicious meal without a lot of know-how and meal prep. Saute some veggies, make a salad with your home-grown food. Anything is healthier than what you find at your local grocery store, so be creative.
A real time-saver for me is that I cook double batches. That way I can enjoy a home-cooked meal and freeze one for later when I don't feel like cooking. I also like to make lunches out of leftovers.
I work twelve-hour shifts and am often away from home for at least 15 hours a day. I have no time to do anything when I get home, so I tend to cook on a day I'm off, for the entire week. This may sound like a burden, but I'd rather cook a few meals then have to stop at my local fast food joint for dinner. I cook rice, beans, veggies, and a bunch of sides that can be used for lunches and dinners. It is possible with a busy life-style.
If you have gained any wisdom from this post, its that you should never settle when it comes to your health or your food. The first place to start is with your diet. Vote organic, pesticide-free, and responsible when it comes to purchasing your food. Then, if you are able, I highly encourage you to do it yourself. Grow your own food, raise your own meet. It's not such a fantasy. Every household did just that less than 75 years ago. Imagine being self-sufficient, healthy, and gourmet all at the same time. It's completely possible if you start now.
Stop believing the lies you have been told and take control of your life!
