Food, Inc.
I watched the documentary Food, Inc. a few days ago with great interest. As some of you may know, I treat my illness primarily with diet and supplements, so food has become a major issue in my life these past few years. A funny thing happened when I stopped eating gluten, dairy, wheat, and sugar all at once (and learned of their ill effects). I realized that I COULDN’T EAT ANYWHERE. Our culture is built around the consumption of these foods, from five-star restaurant to corner hot dog stand. Wheat, sugar and dairy are the staples of the American diet. Why? Because they taste good. And because as a culture we are sorely ignorant about what deserves to go in our bodies and why.
Sugar is a drug. Powerful. Pervasive. Deadly. (If you have cancer, sugar is the fastest way to grow your tumor. If you have a cold, or a virus, sugar is a great way to feed it and stay sick longer.) I have understood in a whole new way the addiction of sugar these past few years. And I can say with certainty that our culture is caught in its clutches. I could go on about sugar for a long time, but let me get back to my point. If health were the prime concern, our nation’s food habits would have been developed very differently.
As someone with a chronic illness, everything I digest matters. I’m one of the few fortunate ones (I mean that both sincerely and sardonically) who actually feels the way unhealthy food effects me almost immediately. This keeps me on track and reminds me, if I slip a little and eat a few cookies at a holiday party, how sick I’d be if my diet weren’t pristine. What’s interesting to me is that my “abnormal” way of eating is actually the diet for health, longevity, and well-being. And if I want to maintain that diet, it’s nearly impossible to do so in public restaurants. Our culture’s food habits create and maintain illness and are in direct opposition to health.
Which brings me back to Food, Inc., which was a fascinating film on many levels. It was particularly disturbing to learn how a handful of uber-powerful companies are controlling what goes into our bodies and how poor the quality of that food is. To eat well in this culture is to be an iconoclast. It’s not easy to do, but the benefits are invaluable. I highly recommend the movie. Check it out.
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