Yes, this is May 31, 2012 and I reside in United States of America. I have to keep reminding myself of this fact because of the developments in our society regarding food. Over the last 10 years, I have been putting myself through a self-study into nutrition and the relationship between food and illness. Not being a trained medical doctor, nurse or other such person, I do employ a high reading comprehension ability and a natural curiosity for how things work including the human body. When conventional medical remedies couldn't explain or cure various illnesses/conditions/diseases that I was experiencing, I turned my energies to learning more about alternative healing methods and seeking out experts in these methods.
The alternative methods afforded me a cure for most of my complaints but for others, provided me with level comfort to which I was able to manage the symptoms and improve my quality of life. Growing older is never easy and the mind-set that we will live forever is irresponsible. Our goals, in my opinion, should be to have the highest quality of life for as many years as we can.
So it is from this perspective that I am writing this blog about the totally absurd way Americans deal with food from food producers, politicians and individuals. Everything about our collective obsession with food is unhealthy and it is exacerbated by the manipulation of big business.
Associated Press reported today that New York City Mayor Bloomberg is proposing a ban on the sale of large sodas (over 16 oz) because they believe it is contributing to the obesity of New York residents. Now, of course, I could buy two 16 oz bottles and still get the same amount but that would cause me to pay more for the same amount of soda. Also, there have been numerous reports of taxing fast food and junk food citing that these foods have hundreds of empty calories that are causing us to pack on the pounds. Is it really just the amount of soda we consume the culprit? I don't believe it is and here's why this foolish and misguided attempt is not only wasting time but energy and money for the citizens of the city.
Here's what I find so perplexing about food in America:
Agra-Business is controlling what is allowed in our food not the USDA - The recent revelation about pink slime that was being added as a filler for hamburger. In the case of "pink slime," it was labeled as a GRAS, or Generally Recognized as Safe, substance in 1974. The concerning issue is that it is considered safe in levels in one hamburger but there have not been any studies that I have been able to locate that look at the accumulative affect of this ammonium in the body over years of consumption but it is still deemed safe.
Also, it is known that aspartame is a neurotoxin that can cause brain cancer over long periods of use according to a recent study. You may be wondering how such a potentially deadly poison can be allowed into our food supply in the quantity that it is? What's the by-product of aspartame, you might ask, it is formaldehyde. Yes, the stuff we used in science class to preserve little piglets in jars. It makes its way to the brain that causes many problems including brain cancer.
Let me share how I found out about this deadly toxin. In the late 1990s, I was drinking too many diet sodas, Diet Coke to be exact; however, I was under the impression that it was not harmful. Truthfully, I never ever considered it to be. I was having trouble remembering things and it got so bad that when speaking, I would be thinking one word but a totally different word would be said ... for instance, "Look at the orange school bus." I was thinking "yellow" but that is not what was said. This got so bad that my family would just laugh at me. I was sent to see a neurologist and he set about all the necessary tests such as an MRI. He shared that these could be symptoms of a brain tumor and it needed to be ruled out. The next two weeks were torturing as we waited for the news. My appointment came and the doctor said the wonderful news that it wasn't brain cancer! However, the concern on his face was still there. He asked how much I consumed in diet foods. When I confessed my over-indulgence, he explained the effects of that chemical in my brain. That started my interest in what I was consuming and provided a sobering wakeup call.
Let's not forget one of the most widely used food additives that have made labeling mandatory - Trans fats or trans fatty oils. According to the Mayo Clinic, this process of adding hydrogen to vegetable oil for the purpose of giving the food a longer shelf life (not that it tastes better and of course, is not better for you). This additive is prevalent in food that it is causing a significant health risk by raising the bad cholesterol (LDL) and lowering the good (HDL). This too, is has been given a stamp of safety by the governing agencies.
While Bloomberg's intentions may be honorable, the soda industry as well as the corn industry have been working tirelessly putting more high fructose corn syrup (which is a primary ingredient in soda) in foods you would never think would have them like white bread. The corn industry even petitioned the FDA to change the name to "corn sugar" and the FDA denied their request citing that it is NOT sugar. Changing the name doesn't change the negative health benefits but is a great marketing ploy to throw the average consumer off. Two recent studies by Princeton University & Duke University as reported by Natural News has shown that high fructose corn syrup causes liver damage and contributes to obesity.
While our regulating bodies such as the USDA & FDA continue to allow such chemicals and chemical alterations to flood our food supply, how can people like Bloomberg or others call for restricting our intake of these foods that are rubber-stamped as safe. Why don't they use their sphere of influence to restrict mega-corporations from knowingly and willfully including dangerously unhealthy substances from being added to our food and drinks.
Of course, we know profits before people are the ruling factor today in America. I believe wholeheartedly in the free market but how is it a free market when consumers are denied the truth about what's in their food. Just like the "pink slime" ... when people learned that this was used in hamburger, they could choose to eat it or not. The companies that jumped on the opportunity to make "pink slime-free" hamburger have seen a rise in sales while the companies that continued to manufacture hamburger with the stuff have had adjust their business or go out of business. That's a well-working free market. Consumers should drive the market not the other way around.
My hope is that people will start taking what they consume seriously because the old adage of "you are what you eat," is true. Your body will require less calories if you are giving it food that is nutrient-packed without additives that make you sick and hungry. The American people need to ban companies that choose to add chemicals to our food without informing us and hold government agencies accountable for giving approval to such actions.
