Over at Paula's Place is a monthly blog challenge for July. Link up today's answer here.
Wow, for me, this is a VERY deep subject. Probably deeper than most typical "controversial" topics. Because food... scares me.
I'll start by saying that as I'm on this journey of heath and wellness...treating my body as a multi-functional machine and feeding myself for the sole-purpose of being the best that I can be... I have to eat "clean." And, by "clean" I'm not saying that I wash everything with detergent before consumption, I'm saying that I try to avoid anything white or enriched (think white sandwich bread, white rice, white buns, etc.), anything processed, anything with artificial dyes, anything with added sugar. Think of your grocery store... I shop the perimeter for the most part: dairy, meat, produce... with some frozen items mixed in and brown rice and quinoa.
MY definition of "clean" (which is probably different from a lot of individuals is that I try to eat lean cuts of beef on occasion but mostly let my protein come in the form of organic eggs, egg whites, legumes, Greek yogurt, fish, chicken, turkey and quinoa. I try to eat as much fruits and veggies and let my source of carbohydrates and starch come from those rather than processed sugary foods.
That being said, I'm still a work in progress. There are days when I really DO crave something...and sometimes, I even eat it. I do believe that most everything can be appreciated -- in moderation. So, if you're craving a piece of cake. Eat one. But eat a SMALL ONE and savor it with small bites allowing yourself to chew it rather than whoof it down like a big sweaty pig at the trough!
So, knowing that, I can now say that my food philosophy is that food is the fuel that keeps our bodies going... Either we are feeding them to be WELL or we are eating to merely stick something in our mouths. You see, I prefer to go at full-throttle...but I am NOT able to do that if I'm not taking care of myself from the inside!
Food is how we maintain health. Food is how we give our bodies a fighting chance at healing itself. You can't fight genetics...but damnit, you can at least do your best to take care of yourself!
Now... knowing that... I can say that food scares me! Why? Lots of reasons...
...Montesanto! Sure... sure... it may be nothing... but then again... it MAY BE SOMETHING. I believe that companies should LABEL and let the CONSUMER decide whether or not to purchase food grown from genetically modified seeds. Rumor has it that the "technology is safe" but, let's get serious here for a second. WHO ACTUALLY BELIEVES ANY OF THE HORSE SHIT THAT COMES FROM THE GOVERNMENT? I mean, look at all the drugs the FDA was regulating and kept on the market that were allowing people to drop like flies.
...claims that fish grown in China is ... DISGUSTING and not fit for human consumption. Snopes says basically to take the good with the bad but do you really want to be at risk when you're not there to witness from WHERE your came?
... labels are confusing (clink the link for "labels," the video is awesome!)! "All Natural" (I mean, if you get down to it, dog shit is "all natural" but you don't want that in your food either now, do ya?) "Low Fat" does NOT mean healthy... if you see that, check the sugar content, it's usually through the roof! We require labels to tell people how to cook MEAT and we can't just tell them to stick a label on a package. WHY is that a fight? WHY? Why is educating people on their choices wrong? Why are lobbyists allowed to stuff the coffers of the elected so that they turn a blind eye to the betterment of public health? It's truly sad!
... Processed meats are considered "too dangerous for human consumption." You're not supposed to eat beef jerky, hot dogs, any kind of sandwich meat (sold nearly ANYWHERE) or sausage because of the sodium nitrite. That, to me, is a cause to be SCARED!
...the thought that the animals killed for food are not properly euthanized before being sent in for processing. And the idea that we allow animals to die at Kosher plants by slitting their throats and letting them bleed out is just.... disgusting to me -- religious freedom or not. I think it's cruel.
...the idea that the "dirty dozen" exists...
... that farmers growing strawberries send their workers out in full hazmat suits to spray chemicals on the plants... that we're going to eat!
... the fact that so many food additives are banned in other countries but are still allowed to be utilized here in the US without regard to the health of the general population. Blue Food Coloring #1 (NutriGrain Bars), #2, Yellow Food Coloring #5, #6, Red Food Coloring #40 (maraschino cherries anyone?), Potassium Bromate, BHT (it's in Chex Mix!)
Food is also the cause of obesity. It's a readily available drug for those who choose to drown their issues in a tub of Ben & Jerry's rather than take it out on the trail or at the gym. It's an addiction... Addiction is a disease but many people DON'T buy that obesity IS a disease. It's quite a vicious circle. You can't control it. It's a matter of getting past the personal barriers (which are different for each individual) so that they can push past their threshold and move forward into healthy living. Just like CHOOSING to not do drugs... they have to CHOOSE to not eat like CRAP!
While I do sympathize with their plight, I don't have that bone in my body that allows me to have a great deal of compassion for anyone that wants to sit around and bitch about their problems (obesity) and not do anything about it. People take YEARS to get fat and then go to the doctor and want a PILL to make the weight just magically fall off. I don't even begin to comprehend that.
I also don't understand the whole idea of gastric bypass surgery. I'm not "proud" of that weightloss for anyone. Going under the knife to surgically alter your gut isn't a weight loss win. YES, you may lose weight but unless you change your lifestyle, it will NEVER WORK long term.
Food is the culprit here...but not ... "clean food"... I would be willing to bet 99% of the time it's all the processed crap.
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