My Little Rant....

I am wound very tightly this morning! Comments and quotes have gotten under my skin; the last straw was on the front page of today's paper. "Earth Day is Christmas for tree huggers. I think the environmental movement is one of the biggest hoaxes of the 20th century that's now carried over to the 21st century." How ignorant can we be? On the very next page is a write up of an issue with our local police department that also really annoyed me (because I am so PRO police and actually understand why it is they do the things they do!).

On the walk to my son's school I had a bit of time to reflect on what started this lovely mood of mine, and realized it came down to the day I volunteered in his class this week. I had been asked to bake cupcakes, which was fun and well received. I stayed to help supervise the filming of the movie, and to help with lunch time. Each child was asked to bring a sack lunch so they could eat in the classroom quickly. I packed my son a cheese sandwich (whole wheat, Tillamook cheddar, lettuce), apple fruit leather (dehydrated applesauce), veggies, and a thermos of milk. Just about every other child (except for one) had prepackaged, sugary, processed "food." The sack lunch that the school provided for a few students who didn't bring one sent a PB&J on pasty white bread, chocolate milk, Cheetos, carrots, and fake Teddy Graham cookies. About 1/3 of the class brought Lunchables.

I remember Lunchables, and I did have a few of them growing up. I could probably count the number on one hand, however, and I never viewed them as a meal...more like a snack. The sodium levels are staggering. The package consists of some variation of formed lunch meat, processed cheese, crackers with no nutritional value, and usually a sugary drink and candy bar. The worst I saw was one that was supposed to be nachos (chips, salsa, cheese dip, candy bar). How does that company concoct a "cheese" that stays liquid even when cold? Why would we feed that to our children? This sparked quite a debate on my facebook page, with one person being extremely defensive, basically saying he turned out just fine eating that (and he makes fast food a main part of his diet in adulthood).

So what is the problem with eating processed food? Or more importantly, what is the problem with giving it to our children? The problem is the salt. The fat. The empty nutrition-void calories. The high fructose corn syrup and added sugars. The fact that our life span is no longer increasing; it's starting to decline. We have the highest rates of cancer EVER and heart disease is a chronic problem. Obesity. Diabetes. Tooth decay and periodontal problems (which can contribute to heart disease). Overweight/obese children who are malnourished because they're getting too many calories but not QUALITY calories. Companies who have put profits above consumer health. The environmental effects of the large factories producing these "foods," the transportation required to ship them all over the country from one, maybe two, points of origin, and the run off going into our water supply from the waste generated (from farm, factory, or transport). And more....

Who cares? I care, and others should as well. It has nothing to do with environmental hippiness. Ignorance is not always bliss. People say it's OK to eat this junk in moderation, but they don't understand what moderation is! If you eat a hot dog for dinner one night, then have Trix for breakfast, then a Wonder bread sandwich for lunch, then your rare McDonald's meal for dinner, can you really call that moderation?

I do spend a lot of time thinking about food, our nation's food supply, and the issues that come along with it (I also spend a lot of time on other subjects as well). I am not obsessed, just educated (and I'm sure there is so much more to learn!). Our government talks about fixing the health care system, but I don't see how that can happen with the corn subsidies and the general unfriendliness to small town farmers. Until the food system is fixed, the health of our nation will continue to decline. Bottom line.

Humans have only a few basic needs. Clean water, food, shelter, and clothing. Clothing is in abundance and most of us have adequate shelter. We don't have access to clean water, even if the government tells us it's OK. It's filled with pharmaceuticals, contaminants, and chemical run-off (remember that Round-Up you sprayed on your yard last year? Yum!). And while we certainly have an abundance of cheap food-stuffs, the whole foods are harder to come by (unless sought out by the consumer). These same whole foods have less nutritional value than their farm-fresh counterparts, and it shows in the taste. Try a farm-fresh egg next to a store bought one and you'll see what I mean!

We constantly put a low price on the value of our lives by eating the cheapest food available. Shouldn't it be considered an investment in our (and our children's) health to spend a bit more on groceries that are actually good for us? United States citizens spend less per household on food than any other well-developed country (France, I believe, spends the most).

I think if people would assess their diets, where their food comes from, and focus on the quality of what they're eating (and practice real moderation), then we'd all be a lot healthier. Now there's a plan for our health care system! Imagine the effects, environmentally and bodily, we'd all feel if only our food system was revamped.