Well I'm not a blogger but I am a food guru of sorts. As a gal with Celiac disease (allergies to glutens including wheat) I'm very passionate about the food we are sold. I grew up on processed everything. I can't remember a meal that didn't have a boxed something or other in it's "recipe." Going on four years now I was diagnosed with this autoimmune disease and I feel it's linked to the foods I poisoned my body with all of my life up to then. That doesn't mean everyone get's sick, but with cancer #2 on the death list I choose for my family to keep off that roulette wheel as much as possible. If I could wave a magic wand I would eliminate high fructose (obesity rates sky rocketed after it's invasion) and msg from our food supply first. Old habits die hard, I'm not entirely out of the boxed foods but they don't contain any preservatives and while I don't steer away from chemicals in foods all together, it's maybe 10% of my diet. So I consider myself a gangster of sorts as well. I don't follow the typical American diet of easy and quick and fast anymore, even the evil Mc -word has wheat in their rotted upon production chemically infused french fries...this TED talk was entirely up my "alley." I could see myself out there doing a similar thing in my next home, if the only lawn is out front it will have food growing on it. Being a gal who grew up in a box of food, it's a work in progress with no need to draw boundaries around it. Kids are my big concern, with one in three a current or future diabetic I am greatly saddened at the lack of supportive nourishment available for too many children and adults. Big business has turned us into drones, who like robots, spend our hard earned dollars on crap food that hurts our bodies and makes more money for the other big business of prescrpiption drugs. I love the concept of gangster gardening. It is so true, when a kid is involved in the growing of the food they will want to eat it. WOW what a soap box, I guess you know something about me now and one way I would like to make a difference is with food...the Jamie Oliver of social work maybe.
:)
If you want to know more about the food you eat watch Forks Over Knives or Food Inc., Supersize me is a fun watch too~
Forks Over Knives trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-OzTWY2J8E
Food Inc. trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0
Supersize trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Lkyb6SU5U
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Karre, like you, I am very conscientious of the food I put in my body as well. I too believe that processed food containing unnecessary preservatives and additives as well as fruit covered in pesticides and herbicides, is a large contributor to the higher rates of health issues among the general population. I love your focus on children in your post because they are the most vulnerable population when consuming poisonous food. Kids eat whatever is provided for them. If the only food options within a community are highly processed or pesticide infected, then these are the foods that children will come to accept as "good" foods. I agree that change in this realm is met with systemic resistance due to the fact that it feeds the wallets of pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Cures are not profitable, but maintaining illness is. I love your passion for creating healthier options for children and their families, and I will be right there with you to help fight the battle. I am very passionate about the production of good, healthy food as well. Certainly this idea has the potential to bring a community together. The proof is in the TED talk we watched this week in class. After all we all want and need food right?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion to watch Forks and Knifes, I am always interested in where food comes from. I like you grew up on processed everything and I hate to admit but it is so difficult to get away from. As I get older I find myself making more conscious efforts to avoid certain foods and place other intentionally into my diet but it an ongoing battle.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the most interesting thing for me about the TED talk was the absurdity of the city actually getting mad that he was growing a garden. They were actually upset that he was providing a service to the community that they were not. It is just really interesting to think about that.
It is very true that we live in an over processed, what is the easiest quickest solution when it comes to what we feed ourselves and our children. I am guilty of fast food eating with my daughter, but it is a very infrequent occurrence. I try my hardest to feed my daughter the best choices, and I explain to her why soda and candy are not the best choices(she is only 3 1/2, but I think it is important that I keep telling her these things now and throughout her life). One problem many people face is that we have concrete all around us! Even if you live in an apartment where there is earth that could be planted, it is against your lease to grow a garden. Some of my neighbors have invested in large plastic totes to plant tomatoes, green beans and peppers. Thus far the management seems to be okay with it. I will say that I found it easier to eat healthy in climates that have less extremes in weather and not the seasons we experience in Maine.
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