It’s in our Food?

Ever wonder what process your food takes to get to you? Believe me, it’s best that you don’t know! There have been many studies done to show the effects of modern food on the human body, and sadly, it isn’t in our favor. Ever eat a fast-food item and 30 minutes later, want to take a nap? Or worse yet, be hungry for more fast food!?! In today’s fast paced, fast service, fast heartburn society, is it any wonder why people of all ages are getting bigger, and not in a good way? With more people working a sit-down job, not cooking real food meals, and not properly exercising, is it any wonder why we, as a society, fall short of being anything but healthy?

If you look at the ingredients in most food, what is a recurring item, or basic ingredient, that is most noticeable? Actually, there are several bad ingredients that don’t necessarily need to be part of our food intake. HFCS is at the top of the list. It is put in many foods that shouldn’t be sweetened! Certain sugars are a big no go for healthy food, so we just consume fake sugar and feel better about taking in less calories. As much as I hate to admit it, I was a fast-food junkie for almost a decade, then something happened in my life that was so empowering. I look back and think, “was it always that easy”? What is this mystical power I found, waiting for me to come out of the darkness and food fatigue? I learned to cook good and whole foods. Yep, it was really that simple. It didn’t happen overnight, this path took a couple years to develop. The transition was the hardest part. “I have to cook again”? You really do go through fast food withdrawals! just like quitting smoking, which I did after 30 years and trying 4 times! And alcohol, which is still a struggle, but much less than just a few years ago! it all takes time to change.

As Americans, we are raised on overstimulation of mind, body, consciousness, reactions, and anything else that clouds perception of reality and understanding “what it is I thought I just saw”. What I mean is, that as kids, we are taught by teachers who are told how to teach by a system that doesn’t necessarily have our best interests at heart. Then as we grow older, we are subjected to a myriad of dissembling advertisements to get us to purchase the latest and best something. After adolescence we are (or should be) set loose into society around 18 years of age. We are then expected to make the best choices for ourselves that reflect the values of the advertisements we have seen, the schooling we receive, and influences from our “friends” that, after this point in our life, we will never see most of them again! Did I forget parental influence? Not really, because in today’s work more, buy more and bigger (to impress the neighbors we don’t really like). Parental influence takes a back seat since they were (probably) at work most of our “tender” years so their opinion of our chosen lifestyle won’t make it to this list. Society (not parental influence) has molded and shaped the majority of Americans into who they are today, and that is a sad day for us all.

Who was your biggest influence growing up? Chances are it wasn’t anyone in your family! Teachers, media influencers (they are called that for a reason), news clips (showing what they want you to see, not what is happening), advertisements (what? you thought you should save money? You are so un-American!). And forget logic! We were taught to ignore that years ago. Search your feelings, live by your feelings, dislike those who hurt your feelings (if that were the case, I’d hate everyone who said a cross word to me. Luckily, I’m pretty thick skinned), Your feelings matter (If life were really like that, we’d all be f#{ked). Sadly, today’s youth are raised by society to embrace their feelings, to not face reality with logic (that would be silly), told they are special (they are, as much as you or I), that in 2 to 300 years the Earth will be void of life (maybe, so if you want to help slow it down, you will have to stop living a modern lifestyle), that changing the past and erasing all symbolisms of a hurtful past, they can make it a future they can enjoy (here is the deal, you just set precedence to yourself over humanity).

Why am I rambling on about this set of subjects? Maybe because my feelings tell me, as a society, we are circling the drain of existence and we need a lifeboat big enough to clog the drain. I think, (it was supposed to be a tree trunk) what we are holding onto for flotation safety is actually dragging us down and we are going to end up clinging to the same s#!t that was supposed to “save us all”. Societal norms are, in essence, not normal for a healthy society to survive. When you boil it all down, the majority of people are, in fact, good people, and they want to do the right thing. The problem occurs when everyone, especially the 4% want their idea to be the direction we go, so, everyone tries to save the world by doing it themself, then get frustrated and follow the closest (not always the best) leader to safety (we just covered that effect, remember the “log”).

Here’s a finger point. Technology. With all the knowledge that has been collected over the years, one would think that the utopia we were supposed to be living in should have happened years ago! Not the case I see. Funny how products have shorter life spans than a house fly (well, maybe a hummingbird). Shouldn’t we be able to purchase an item and expect it to last for several years? Society has people convinced that if you don’t have the latest and best item, you are a dinosaur. Personally, I don’t like spending large sums of money for an item that is worth much less than I paid for it. Money that could have gone for something that would have helped to enjoy life more. Not for something that lasts 4 years, I want something that will last for years. Automobiles…. I’ll keep this brief. The biggest money waster we will ever be subject to believing we must have. Tires, gas, insurance, maintenance, license plates, cleaning, repairs, rust, new….. What a list for something we use, to go places we don’t want to go, most of the time! Have you ever figured what the real cost of an automobile is? I did, and it made me sick to my stomach for days…. And it isn’t only money that this auto takes from you merely so you can drive it. Life, it takes life away from you to have it. The point… Technology has the ability to make products that last 5 times longer, to keep more trash out of landfills. But here’s the punch line, their profits would go down if you didn’t have to buy a new one every 5 years (or less). So I guess the jokes on all of us! We purchase items manufactured for our convenience, pleasure, work, and play (play is last because we don’t have time for it since making money to spend on things, we don’t need, seems to be our legacy).

That was a big squirrel….

Our food is killing us! yep, I wrote it, killing us. Most people don’t take the time to find out where their food comes from (the grocery store is NOT the answer). I won’t do the research for you, but I will help in the direction for you to get started. GMO. 3 letters, a death sentence. Funny how people started getting bigger, sicker, unhealthier at a pace correlated to these letters. The effects it has on humans and animals is still being studied, so you know they have no long-term idea of how it affects a living being (like a certain pandemic shot). Most of all the medical repercussions, or catalyst for medical studies where we are the largest study group in history (undocumented that is). Think I’m making this up? Just do your own research, if you are truly curious, you will find the answers you need to see. The FDA says they a safe, farmers like them, food is cheaper, there are pros and cons to everything.  I’m not trying to scare anyone (maybe a little), just trying raise awareness that most people take for granted. Everything is not set for the safety of life (that costs to much). Cheaper, that’s what we all want……..