I really don't know where to start. I have been doing a ton of "research" through the internet and other documentaries. We even took a eating healthy class at the local co-op, which wasn't very helpful by the way. The more I read, the more I realize I have been putting a lot of junk in my body.
The more I learn, the more irritated I get at commercials/marketing. I saw a commercial a while ago with a small happy/healthy family that basically said that new research has shown that real sugar is no different than high fructose corn syrup. What the hell? From what I have looked up it has no real nutritional qualities. It's basically a drug. Your body uses the refined sugar super fast, giving the body a nice little high, then crashes and causes you to want more. The more you eat of it, the more you want of it, and it actually makes you feel like you need to eat more of it to feel full.
I'm also starting to get really annoyed with the fine line between big corporations and government. One documentary I was watching talked about how the huge Monsanto corporation (who pretty much owns patents on most genetically modified corn/grains) are making corn seeds that have terminator genes. So if you are a farmer and plant this particular seed, once the corn is harvested you can't use any remaining seeds for future crops. Pretty much making a damn monopoly. Thats all fine and dandy if the big farming companies can afford it, but lets assume this seed gets sold to smaller/third world countries. These people rely on being able to save their seeds in order to plant future crops. They can't afford to buy new seeds each year. If just one seed gets into their land and crosses with the existing crops, that gene could eventually cause those farmers to lose future crops. Some may say bullshit, but its already happening. Monsanto has sued many small farmers whose crops had cross pollinated with neighboring crops. These farmers didn't even want (or plant) monsanto's seeds, but because nature did its thing, these farmers were sued for patent infringement.
It would make sense to the commoner that these small farmers would have a pretty good case. Turns out the big wigs of Monsanto continually have their big wigs elected to positions at the FDA, Dept. of Agriculture, and top white house aide positions. It just doesn't seem right. It's amazing to think about all the technology and money pumped into the food industry. All this technology is allowing greater crop yields, at the price of costly fertilizers and less nutritious foods. And to top it off, (I would assume not all) farmers don't make enough money to cover all costs without government subsidies. So the government is spending billions of dollars to help keep this unsustainable cycle going. From 1995-2009 the government has spent $246.7 billion in subsidies to farmers. But I'm sure the big corporations have nothing to do with this.
If you are interested in the crazy shenanigans of big corporations and manipulating the public, check out "Food Matters". It makes spending the extra few bucks on organic food a little more tolerable.
Another side note: the federal gov't has taken over the process of being certified organic. They have made it much more expensive and now some smaller local farmers can't afford the certification, yet they do everything necessary to actually grow their produce organically. I'm sure this isn't a coincidence either.
Sorry for the soap box. I'm really starting to care about the way things operate now, and my hope is that some of you think twice the next time you reach for a box of food at the grocery store. Is it really healthy? Is it really promoting sustainable farming? Or is this box just some big marketing scheme to trick you into buying something thats harming you/your childs body, putting your local farmers out of business, or destroying farm land?
Just watched "King Corn". If you read this post and it has you thinking, you may want to watch. It's kind of a behind the scenes of corn farmers, and where most of our corn ends up. It's not pretty.
ReplyDeleteHey FYI did you know that it has been illegal for years for farmers to replant most seeds year to year. Plus it's actually cheaper for farmers to buy new seed each year then to save the seed, clean it and pay for the chemical program to keep weeds from growing in field. Oh and ps. FYI also nurse for the most part take one nutrition class which focus on the diets and nutritional requirements needed by the patient. My husband said he would love to debate on the farming comments. He has been in the agriculture business for 12 years and comes from a long line of farmers. It's interesting reading your blogs!
ReplyDeleteHey Tennessee. Thanks for posting. I'd be interested in learning more of how the farming system works.
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