Why being a foodie isn’t ‘elitist’
This article really hit it on the nail. I started watching documentaries in the summer of 2010 through Netflix. I never imagined I would stumble upon food production documentaries. The first one I watched was “food Inc.” I soon became “born again”, in the realm of food. Food Inc. was the first in a very long ongoing study for me, ranging from, vegetarians, vegans, organic eaters, activists, vitamin nutrition etc.
Many people dread taking a nutrition course in high school or college and cringe when our parents recommend that we “eat our vegetables”. If a neighbor offers a dish and says its healthy for you, secretly we just throw it away when they aren’t looking, feed it to our kids, or even just give it to the dog. Why do we act this way towards healthy foods or the idea of eating and staying healthy? I am no expert, but I think I’m a novice in information almost two years after my desire to learn more about what I am putting into my body. People are brainwashed through commercials and false advertising. When something says “natural” on the label it has most likely still been genetically modified, had pesticides added, or cloned.
The food industry is extremely sad to say the least. Through documentaries and much research the visualization on the treating of animals by feeding them corn (when they should be grazing), making them stand in thigh deep bowel movements all their life, beating them, crating them, slaughter techniques and the list goes on, is enough to make most go vegan (those that don’t eat or wear anything containing any animal product). I personally did go vegetarian for about four months after watching a documentary called “Earthlings”. This is just talking about animals in particular.
For vegetation in general – vegetables and fruits – most Americans eat food that has been genetically modified to grow faster, thicker and bigger. Most have a pesticide built right into the gene molecule before that plant has even sprouted. Unless you are a full blown organic eater chances are you are eating these things every meal of every day. Why don’t we know this as common knowledge? Our government has done its best to make unaware of the food we eat. One of the most common biggest corporations that deal in all this is Monsantos. Their employees frequently switch from working at Monsantos, then working a government job such as senator, governor, or even the FDA, and then they go back to working at Monsantos. Yes the government is fully in bed with the making of these products. Americans are nothing more than guinea pigs. Our health problems have escalated, obesity is more common than anyone ever imagined it would get and these health issues are related to the food we eat.
One more topic I’d like to mention is the farmers. Most farmers have been pushed out of business if they don’t’ succumb to government standards and produce genetically modified yields. Even those that do can’t support themselves, without government help. We like to envision farmers like “little house on the prairie”, but in fact – using corn as a prime example – the farmers corn is completely inedible until it has been sent off to be processed first.
I could make a book out of this topic but we are required to make it short, so I’d just like to end with please do a little bit of research. If nothing else at least take the time to watch “Food Inc.” and “Earthlings”. Become educated. Many say organic is just too expensive, but if you don’t eat properly you will have outrageous medical bills sooner or later. So why not pay a couple extra dollars a grocery bill to keep your body healthy.
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