On a Soapbox...

My last blog entry was extremely transparent when it came to a weighty issue... I'm sure some of you ladies are saying to yourselves "Boy is she stupid...I would never post something like that" Believe me, I have never been so bold when it comes to my weight... I've even lied on my drivers licenses. Hey, I know I'm not alone on that one...I'm sure some of you who are reading this have done it too!

Well, getting on the healthy bandwagon once again has me climbing up on a "Food Soapbox"! Last week a friend on facebook posted a link to a chicken nugget experiment. It was appalling. Watching that clip lead to me bringing up the entire first season of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, which we watched throughout the week for health during school. Bubba, actually got upset when he saw the segment concerning 1st graders and their lack of vegetable knowledge. The kids had no clue what a head of cauliflower was. Really!?! By the time we finished the episodes, my heart was breaking... not just for those showcased in the program, but for America in general. That sadness soon festered into anger as so many unbelievable things I have already known about concerning our food came to mind. Things that most people know nothing about...things that the FDA and USDA have kept hidden from the public. For instance, did you know that fluoride was originally manufactured as a poison for insects and rodents? It is more toxic then lead but has that made the news? NO! Fluoride is in 99% of all toothpastes, it is offered to children in public and private schools, and if you are not on a well, it is in your drinking water too. And now it has come out, that the fluoride noted to protect our teeth has actually harmed our children's teeth. What about "Pink Slime" how many of you have heard about this tasty ingredient? Most of you probably have no clue what I am talking about however; I guarantee that most of you have eaten it just this past week. If you had fast food containing ground beef or even made a burger or chili at home you've most likely consumed a mixture of beef and ammonia A.K.A. "Pink Slime".  70% of all ground beef that you purchase contains the beef and ammonia mixture, yet have you ever read ammonia on an ingredients list? Thankfully I have a meat grinder attachment for my stand mixer, so I am able to purchase a roast and grind it myself. What about ecoli... did you know that most of the issues with ecoli are caused by feeding cows corn? And this is just the tip of the iceberg, there is so much more... GMO's, HFCS, preservatives, margarine which is one molecule short of being plastic, and the addition of hormones & antibiotics. It is no wonder that Americans have the worst diet in the nation. We have more diseases that are diet related then any other country.

So, what can we do about this. I used to say the answer was simple. Limit processed foods, buy lean beef, chicken & fish, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Well, that answer doesn't hold water any more. Chicken, beef, pork & lamb that is affordable, is pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. Most of our fish is contaminated with mercury or other pollutants and we are being told to limit our intake...not to mention the chemicals that they treat frozen shell fish with. So, what does that leave us with...pesticide ridden, GMO fruits and vegetables that are grown in nutrient depleted soil and picked before they are ripe. There is also the cost factor; highly processed foods today are much cheaper then the cost of produce, meat, dairy etc...  I have a hard time wrapping my brain around that. How can white flour that has to be run through all sorts of processing and bleaching, be less expensive then whole wheat flour that is only separated from the shaft and ground, or grass fed beef and free range chickens cost so much more then those that are fed purchased food that is loaded with antibiotics, hormones etc... it makes no sense. So, what can we do to rectify things?  Last year I decided to grow an organic garden... I realize not everyone has a lot big enough where they can grow a garden to sustain their family, however; even if you are an apartment dweller, you can grow a small window box garden. Sadly, that is going to be my option this year. Though I still have my nice tilled plot in my back yard, I can not afford to grow one. This is the first time we have been on city water in more then 10 years and have had a water bill... last summer my water bill climbed more then $300.00 even though I did not water my garden daily! So, I will be growing a couple of tomato plants in pots, and researching what vegetables I can grow using little to no water. Not everyone has a desire to garden though, so after giving it more thought, I came up with ONE thing we can all do that WILL make a difference. If everyone who reads this blog would make it a point to put every dime they spend on highly processed foods into "REAL FOOD" each time they shop during the month of February it would send a strong message to the food companies, grocery stores etc... You will need to help me spread the word though... start tweeting, message your friends on facebook, speak with your coworkers, put technology and your voice to good use! Leave the poptarts and lunchables on the store shelves. I'm sure some of you are saying "But I need something simple to pack in my kid's school lunch that they will eat." Well, grab your stock pot or crock pot and throw a chicken in. Once it is cooked, put a little in a container, slice some colby or other non processed cheese, add a little baggie of Triscut crackers and a piece of fruit along with celery sticks and they have a healthy "Real Food" lunchable. Or make a whole wheat pasta salad loaded with veggies... Check out the blog 100 Days of Real Food www.100daysofrealfood.com for other wonderful recipes and ideas. We all need to make major changes NOW!

What will "Real Food" changes bring about? We will see a change in the obesity rate in the U.S. and a reduction of diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and so many other food related illnesses. The cure is simple...we just need to take a stand and make a difference! Tomorrows blog will include more food related issues...things that have had a real impact on my life and that of my family. I hope you will all stop by for an eye opening read...especially if you have kids with ADD/ADHD etc...



Now for what I ate yesterday (This will be added to every blog as part of my weight loss journey)

Breakfast: 1 tangerine and a glass of water with bruised mint leaves added to it

Lunch: Burger that started out as a large beef patty, a slice of Munster cheese, Romain lettuce, ketchup, German mustard, along with onion and pickle slices on a 100% wheat bun. However, the bun was so dry, that I ended up feeding it to our chickens and used the lettuce leaves as my bun. More mint infused water...

Snack: Small slice of German Chocolate cake and a scoop of ice cream (It was my husband's birthday)

Dinner: Small portion of left over Jerk chicken and a cup of coffee with half n' half

No, I did not eat very well and I know it. Definitely have to up the fruits and veggies...