This video adeptly uses the Star Wars mythology to illustrate the state of our food system.
What can YOU do to combat the resistance?
How well do you know your food? Find out!
Whole and healthy meat…does it really exist?
The image to the left and others like it have over the last century and more become synonymous with American values. It is an icon that has become associated with having fun, being glamorous, and cool. But is it really cool to foist your poisonous product upon an organization that is supposed to be responsible for helping to influence the betterment of health of the overall populace? You decide.
The American Academy of Family Physicians has made a partnership with Coca-Cola to promote an “educational movement” to consumers about the use of various products in moderation for good health. The campaign will focus on teaching people about different sweeteners and their continued use “in moderation” as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Smells like money to me.
Is it really any different than what Philip Morris did back in the 80’s where they emphatically stated that no one could sue them for heart disease or lung cancer since they had health warnings on their products?
Well – there are actually two major differences. Coca Cola won’t actually come out and say that their products harm people – and, Philip Morris lacked the blessing of the AAFP.
This development should come as no surprise to those of us who are food activists and in the traditional food camps. But it’s no less maddening that a health organization which has influence over so many people is being allowed to provide consumers with false information about a toxic, unhealthy product.
It’s clear that companies will stop at nothing, even the ruination of the health of billions of people, to whore themselves out like prostitutes just to keep their stocks up.
Here is the message written by Dr. William Campbell Douglas to consumers, alerting them to yet one more stick in the fire for big corporations and Agribusiness:
Do you want the Coca-Cola Company getting into bed with your family doctor?
Too late.
In the ultimate betrayal of family medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians has accepted a six-figure payment from Coca-Cola. In return, the soda pusher gets to help “educate” people about sweeteners.
This is like Dracula buying his way into the blood bank.
At least 20 doctors have resigned from the organization in protest, with hopefully many more still turning in their cancellation notices.
Already, the spin is in full swing.
Dr. Douglas Henley, executive vice president of whatever remains of AAFP, said, “We will move forward with this commitment together by providing educational materials on sweeteners and how to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle while still enjoying many of the foods and beverages consumers love.”
Sorry, doc – but you should take your degree, stick it in an envelope and send it back to your medical school. Consumers may love sodas and diet sodas – but these drinks are in no way part of a “healthy, active lifestyle.”
Remember, Coke’s idea of health food is adding small amounts of vitamins to its concoctions and giving them new names, like “Diet Coke Plus.”
We haven’t seen the results of their joint propaganda effort yet, but the ingredients in Coke’s sugar-free products speak volumes.
Aspartame is one of the worst substances ever put into our food with Uncle Sam’s blessing. This artificial sweetener has been linked over the years to everything from migraine headaches and memory loss to seizures and even cancer.
One new study even finds that artificially sweetened sodas can cause kidney damage. Just two drinks a day can impair the kidneys’ ability to filter blood, according to a study presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s annual conference.
And we’re going to let the people who sell this stuff educate us about it? It doesn’t take much to see this plan was flat the moment they opened the bottle.Proving again that Coke ISN’T the real thing,
William Campbell Douglass, M.D.
PS: Another win for common sense! The “Smart Choices” program is being flushed down the toilet of history. I told you about this scandalous food-labeling scheme just a few weeks ago. The food industry created a fancy new logo to make some products look like health food – when, in fact, they were nothing but junk. You didn’t fall for it – and now, the program is being cancelled.
Read an account of one family physician who believes this move is a-okay, and that responsible consumer education is the word of the day. Having worked with Coke and other companies on other “educational endeavors,” she says, “we [the AAFP] know that we share common goals.” In this particular case, she notes, the goal is “to talk about sweetened and unsweetened beverages, and how you integrate that into a healthy, active lifestyle.” Don’t you just want to shake her?
Some physicians have actually been reported to have left the AAFP over this occurrence.
“I resigned in protest of (AAFP’s) judgment this time of epidemic obesity,” Dr. William Walker, director of Contra Costa Health Services said, “Our public health department has been waging a battle against pediatric obesity.”
Wow, that says something. I guess even this is too much for some conventional doctors. I hope this sends the right message to the world about this debacle. Are they finally coming to their senses? Probably not.
Here is the press release from the AAFP.
This article is part of Cheeeseslave’s Real Food Wednesdays Carnival. Please visit her site and read the other real food posts linked there.
This article is also part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays Carnival.
Looking for natural ways to avoid illness this season? Here are 14 ways to strengthen your body and keep yourself healthy during the winter months:
Want more information about nutrition and changing your diet to affect real change in your health?
Nutrients you are probably lacking in your diet
Feed your children real food…don’t they deserve it?
It breaks my heart to see the kinds of things children eat – especially when I know what I do about the nutritional content of most of the choices they are provided with to eat.
I’m certainly not trying to criticize anyone when I say this, but it’s very apparent that many children are being done a disservice when they are fed meals and snacks. Children deserve real, whole foods as it is the foundation upon which their growth and development are constructed, and will dictate everything about their physical, mental, and spiritual worlds for the rest of their lives.
When I see children eating fast food and other items like Goldfish, Ritz Crackers with “peanut butter”, boxed cereals and other extruded grain products like pretzels, crackers, and bagels, processed pasteurized dairy products like Yoplait or Dannon Yogurt…even juices that read “100 percent juice” (which is no better than sugar water), quick-to-prepare meals like Chef-Boyaredee Beefaroni, frozen pizzas and chicken nuggets, hot dogs from industrial sources with nitrates, and fruit roll-ups, I become very concerned.
So what’s so unhealthy about these foods? The label may tell us that they are nutritious…so they must be, right? I believe people go on feeding unhealthy foods to their children not because they don’t care. Most parents care about their children and want the best for them. I just think they lack the knowledge about what exactly their children are eating. I really believe in my heart of hearts, if they knew what their kids were eating, they might make different decisions.
And, a few fundamental changes really can be made, without a huge expense. Check out this Food Stamp Challenge article, very inspiring!
So, I’ve decided to highlight three of these commonly-eaten foods and go through the ingredients to find out exactly why they are far from healthy to eat.
1. Chef-Boyaredee Beefaroni ingredients:
Tomatoes (Water, Tomato Puree), Water, Enriched Macaroni (Semolina, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2] and Folic Acid), Beef, contains Less than 2% of : High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Modified Corn Starch, Enzyme Modified Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cultured, Salt, Enzymes] Flavorings, Soybean Oil.
2. Yoplait yogurt ingredients:
Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Lowfat Fat Milk, Sugar, Strawberries, Modified Cornstarch, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Nonfat Milk, Kosher Gelatin, Citric Acid, Tricalcium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Pectin, Colored With Carmine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3.
3. Goldfish (Pepperidge Farm) ingredients:
Unbleached Wheat Flour, Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Vitamin B1, Riboflavin,Vitamin B2, Folic Acid, Cheddar Cheese, Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Water, Salt, Vegetable Oils, Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Soybean Oil, Salt, Yeast, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Leavening, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Spices, Annatto Color, Onion Powder.
Back to the drawing board. What can we feed our kids that is delicious and nutritious? Here are some ideas:
To read more about nutritional wellness for families and some snack ideas for children – read our article here.
As much as you can, eliminate the following from your kitchen (if the temptation is gone, it is much easier to make a transition effective):
If all organic isn’t in your budget, buy it when you can and stop buying processed foods. Even conventional fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy are somewhat better for your child than buying processed, packaged foods. Making everything from scratch doesn’t have to be difficult if you plan ahead, and it is so much healthier for your child. You’ll notice a difference right away if you make just a few basic changes.
Don’t assume your children won’t eat real food. If they have spent any amount of time eating a lot of processed foods from the SAD (Standard American Diet), realize the transition won’t occur overnight. My son was one of the most finicky eaters and it took some time when we converted from our SAD to traditional foods.
Keep eating out at restaurants to a minimum. Have you ever wondered why restaurants have special kid’s menus? Children are accustomed to ordering salty, processed, deep fried items that are nutrient-depleted when they go out to eat. If you give your kids junk, pretty soon all they’ll be satisfied with eating…is junk.
If your child has behavioral or mood issues, keep a journal of the foods they are currently eating for one week. Then make a switch the next week to a healthier diet. Keep track of the foods he or she has changed, and observe whether the behavior or mood issues start to improve.
My son used to get terrible canker sores fairly frequently when we were eating the SAD (Standard American Diet). I could always trace the occurrence of sores back to processed, sugary foods he had recently eaten. When he is eating healthy, he does not get canker sores, period!
I am also happy to report that in the past, by this time of year my son has come down with a stomach virus, cold/cough/sore throat combo or some other illness that keeps him down for at least several days with a high fever. So far this season, he’s been completely healthy!
Need even more ideas?
Nutritional Wellness for Families
This article is part of Cheeseslave’s Real Food Wednesdays Carnival. Please visit her site and read all the other real food articles linked there.
I have to admit, one of my favorite things to do is go to the health food store and shop for healthy food. Yes, it sounds very geeky, and I guess it probably is.
I also enjoy going to the farmer’s market, although I don’t get there as often as I’d like. Some of the foods I buy regularly that are sold at the farmer’s market are also sold at the health food store where I shop, and because the times the farmer’s market are occurring are times I don’t typically shop, my visits are fewer and further between. That’s not to say I don’t love the farmer’s market too, because I most certainly do.
The other factor is that in our city, food at the farmer’s market tends to be more expensive. In these tough economic times, and because my husband and I have recently switched gears and started a new solar business, we are watching every dime we spend.
So I started thinking about addictions that people have and wondered just how many different kinds there were, and how varied those addictions could be. I realized that there are endless things people can become addicted to…and that if you replace something unhealthy for something healthy, it’s got to be a definite improvement.
It’s easy to say to yourself that you are replacing something unhealthy for something healthy – but it’s another thing entirely to actually put it into action. And, it’s another thing entirely to actually do something healthy. In a society where we are so health obsessed but so unhealthy, the term “healthy” is used ubiquitously…but its true meaning has been degraded.
For instance, if you say you are going to replace eating meat for eating “low fat foods” to “lower your cholesterol”, that replacement will be detrimental to your health because it will deprive your body of important nutrients necessary for all types of bodily functions such as maintaining normal weight and cardiovascular health. But of course, most people believe the opposite to be true. Remember, it’s important to learn what is healthy and what is not.
Habits are difficult to break, but if you can take a negative or unhealthy lifestyle habit that isn’t working for you, perhaps it’s just a simple matter of trading one thing for something else – to fill that void where the negative thing once existed, and in its place install something that affects you in a positive way.
Because variety is the spice of life, you can fill up your “void” with all the wonderful variety of delicious, healthy foods and choices. Don’t think that because you are giving up something you once loved that is bad for you that there isn’t something equally as wonderful waiting in the wings that is good for you.
Addicted to junk?
For instance, if you are addicted to eating cookies from the dessert aisle at the grocery store, what could you do to replace this unhealthy choice? First, make sure you are eating a healthy diet. Cravings for carbohydrates often mean a yeast overgrowth which is actually caused by eating too much refined sugar and processed carbohydrates in the first place. So, you are not getting full (and also not getting enough nutrients, period). Because of the yeast, you are developing cravings for carbohydrates – particularly the processed variety, which feed the yeast.
There are several things you can do, depending on your desire to make changes in your eating habits and health. You can start on a yeast removal program, which involves removing most carbohydrates from your diet for a period of time and taking dietary supplements to kill the yeast. This can be difficult to do, but well worth the effort.
If you are not ready for a yeast removal protocol at this time, you can think about the things you can replace the unhealthy dessert with such as home-made desserts. When you make things at home, you have control over what you put in and how much you use. Home made desserts provide the opportunity to use less sugar and alternatives to sugar that are healthier such as: real maple syrup, organic unrefined sugar, sucanat, rapadura, or Lakanto (Body Ecology diet).
Other ingredients you can start to use which would replace the unhealthy items in store-bought desserts and confections would be sprouted grain flours, real fats like extra virgin coconut oil and palm oil, and butter.
And this should go without saying, but if you are making your own treats at home, use other real ingredients like organic fruit, eggs from pastured hens, sea salt, real cream, real vanilla, and unrefined organic raw nuts or cacao powder.
The bright side of healthy food addiction
Sure, many healthy foods tend to be more expensive. But buying cheap food has hidden costs. The smart consumer knows that paying more for healthy food now means less health problems later. Eating industrial food has its price – and that price is what you will have to pay later for health damage incurred because of eating it. One of the advantages to being a healthy shopping “addict” is the fact that it gives you an opportunity (hopefully) to be more aware of what foods and products are truly healthy. It probably means you are more likely to do the necessary research to find what you need that is not only the healthiest choice, but also at the best price available. In other words, your interest in healthy food and living leads you to become a sleuth – not only to find the best deals but to uncover the truth about what’s healthy to eat and what’s not!
Having an awareness of healthy food will give you the opportunity to find better foods for yourself and your family – which means many good things – such as enjoying foods you love, exploring new cooking techniques, methods, and recipes, and sharing the food with those around you. One of the best benefits of loving healthy food, is of course, the many health benefits you will gain from eating the food in the first place.
So if you are a person who becomes giddy with excitement at the prospect of spending some time shopping at your favorite health food store, farmer’s market, or online scouting for the best in healthy food at a good price, embrace it! If you love the idea of finding good deals on organic, local, and sustainable foods, let that desire become the foundation of a healthy diet.
It also means you will more than likely develop relationships with others who share your interest and zest for finding healthy food and feeding nutritious meals to your family. This development can only help to increase your knowledge, network, and opportunities to find more healthy items to add to your menu and schedule for a healthier life.
And don’t forget, as far as addictions go, possessing one for the love of shopping for healthy food can work in your favor – unlike many other addictions you could have!
Need some ideas for where to get healthy foods on the Internet and in the stores?
Here’s a list:
U.S. Wellness Meats - Meats, dairy products, poultry, game meats, soaps, candles and many other great, natural products
Eat Wild – directory of pastured products such as meat, dairy, poultry, honey, produce and much more
Eat Well – directory of sustainable, local, organic food growers and sellers
Azure Standard – quality bulk and natural foods
Pure Indian Foods – grass-fed ghee
Sol Grains – germinated brown rice
Local Harvest – sprouted flour and many other natural food products
American Spice - sprouted flours and other foods
Shilo Farms – sprouted and organic flour, rice, honey, rice beans, cereal, couscous, goat cheese, seeds, soups, and more
For more sprouted grain products, visit the list at the bottom of What are Sprouted and Soaked Grains?
Cultures for Health – starter cultures for making kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, lacto-fermented vegetables, and other fermented foods, buttermilk starter, sourdough starter, cheese making
Organic Pastures – sells certified grass-fed, organic milk to California residents only, also sells raw almonds
Organic Valley and Organic Prairie - certified organic pasture-raised meats, eggs from pastured hens, dairy products, and more
Trader’s Point Creamery – 100% organic grass-fed milk and milk products – their yogurt is to die for!
Nancy’s Yogurt - organic dairy products from grass-fed cows
Stonyfield Farm – organic, grass-fed dairy products
Brown Cow Farm- organic grass-fed dairy products
Kerrygold – Irish butter, grass-fed!
Zukay – live, cultured foods bursting with probiotics such as sauerkraut, salsas, and lacto-fermented vegetables
This article is part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays Carnival. Please visit this site and read all the other great real food articles listed there.
