Jan 22 2009
You Are What You Eat
Photo Credit: Cumberlandcd
So often I haved watched people rant and rave on the ideal that you have to use the best quality oil or gas in their vehicles, how it’s important to use the best quality paint on their homes, how using the cheaper brand is usually the worst idea EVER and in the same breath they will run over to McDonalds and grab a bite to eat!
Watching what we eat may cost a bit more and may take a little bit more time, but it is our bodies and our lives that we are talking about! Instead of devoting so much energy on which windshield wiper fluid that we put into our silly vehicles, we should be devoting our energy into what we put into our bodies!
In the hustle and bustle of the face paced world that we live in, I understand that it is much easier to run in and grab something quick to eat, however, taking a little extra time now and eating right may add that little extra time at the end of our lifespan. On the occasions that we choose to add fresh vegetables and fruits into our diets we need to be cautious, just because it isn’t frozen or fast food does not mean that it’s healthy.
Reality is, that some of these foods are only guised as healthy. The average dioxin levels in farmed salmon, for instance, is 11 times higher than that of wild salmon, due to the feed the farm raised fish is given. A single Bell Pepper has shown over 64 different pesticides in one sample and with Strawberries, in an effort to increase the sweetness of the fruits, it has been documented that some growers will add an artificial sweetner to the water used to irrigate the plants.
And then there is chicken! Oh the debates about chicken! According to a study that was done by the Institue for Agriculture and Trade Policy and the Sierra Club they found multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria in conventional chickens, this could result in drug resistant infections in humans. Just because the chicken is free range does not mean it’s drug free!
The use of the genetically engineered drug Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is used heavily in the cattle industry in the U.S. This drug is used to enhance the production of the cow’s own hormones to ‘build them bigger, stronger, faster’. This hormone does not break down in humans and has been traced to higher risks of certain cancers.
If you are not already growing your own organic produce, it is always best to buy it from local farmers as the pesticide levels in commercially grown produce can reach ridiculous heights.
Listed above are only a few of the problems with commercially marketed food today. It only takes a little extra time and money to eat right but our lives depend on it!
~ Wind
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Is Free Range Really Free?
Thanks Sarah! Some people think that if it’s not in the freezer isle, or come from a box or can than it must be good for you, however the hard cold reality is, that knowledge is power, and not everything in the produce isle is what it claims to be! I’m big fan of grazing from my backyard!