This weekend we finally saw the documentary Food Inc. .

I am so glad I finally had the opportunity to see this, it was truly eye opening and informational.

Food Inc. goes into great depth to discuss where our food really comes from. It is pretty mind boggling that the average American is pretty ignorant as to what goes into the preparation and transportation of their food, before it hits the supermarket shelves.

According to the website :


"Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment."

The information in the documentary re-affirmed my decision to not eat animal products. Make no mistake, this is not a pro-vegetarian, PETA-esque type of film. However, it goes into great detail of what happens in factory farming. I teared up many times in these segments, and I just can not see that that type of treatment, towards another living being, as right, in any sense of the word.
The whole time, through the whole documentary, my mind kept repeating: "This is wrong."

I think it is wrong that the general public is kept so in the dark about the lack of regulations regarding the safety of their food.
I think it is wrong that so few companies have an almost monopolistic hold on the meat and dairy industries, and mass produce "food" in the name of business and profits, not health, nourishment and safety.
I think it is wrong that so many additives are pumped into animals, and the genes are various crops are modified, all for the sake of elevated profits.
I think it is wrong that so many farmers are not able to make a living anymore, or penalized when they do try, because of a strong corporate hold.
I think it is wrong that so many workers are treated just as badly as the animals in the factories.
I think it is wrong that factory farming has such a negative impact on our environment and pollutes our air and water, at an alarming, escalating rate.

I think what is most wrong of all is the utter lack of knowledge, that most of us have, when it comes to what we eat. I definitely fell, and still fall into that category, to some extent.
I have become a bit more educated on the meat and dairy industry, from reading Diet for A New America by John Robbins (the son of one of the founders of Baskin Robbins, by the way, very interesting) and Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (who appeared many times in the documentary), and doing other research, but Food Inc. still left me shocked and amazed on the inner workings of the food industry.

I highly recommend this documentary to everyone! Definitely not because I think it will turn you vegetarian, but because I think it is so important for everyone to play a more active role in their health and become more aware of what they put in their bodies.

What did I learn and what will I change?

I definitely want to support my local farmers, more. I want to make an honest effort to go to the Farmer's Market each week, and get the bulk of my produce from them.
I have been pretty good about going to the Farmer's Market all summer, but I know sometimes I get lazy or life gets hectic, but I truly want to make that a weekly routine.


Cut back/eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup from my diet.
Ugh. The joys of having the hubby see the documentary with me. We talked about it nearly the whole way home, which was almost an hour drive. He talked about so many changes he wanted to make to his diet, and I was very proud of him.
The next day, I snuck into the gas station to cure my caffeine headache, with a 32 oz. Diet Dr. Pepper.
He nicely pointed out how I should thinking about my consumption of HFCS. Grrr.


He is right though.
I do not consume a whole lot of this, but my nasty little habit of drinking diet soda, is starting to creep back up.
I have to fight back against the Diet Coke/Dr. Pepper demons. They are pretty powerful. After abstaining for over a year, somehow this past spring, I gradually started back up again.
I am not back to full-blown addict status, but I have been drinking about 2-3/week.
I know this will not kill me, and it truly is the least nutritious thing I consume, but, it is not adding anything positive to my body (just maybe the psychological enjoyment), and I would really like to cut back the frequency on the sodas.


Eliminate Fast Food!
OK, my other dirty secret. I love french fries. Alot.
I find myself going through drive thru's maybe once every 2 weeks, or sometimes, once per week, for an order of fries, and maybe a bean burrito.
This really needs to stop, or dramatically reduce!

I am not saying I will never eat french fries again, but I can make my own, in a much healthier manner, or even buy them frozen from the health food store, but I can not, in good conscience, continue to support fast food industries. This really needs to stop!

*****
So often, societal problems feel so huge, that it seems hopeless to impact change. One could argue that our vote does not count, or, the politician we voted into office, is not aptly representing our views, as they promised. (Shocker)
However, more than anything in our society, money speaks the loudest.

I want to try to make a much more valiant effort to have my monetary voice heard, and not support industries that conflict with my ethics. I have come far in the changes I have made to my diet, but, there is still work to be done.

We only get one body. Only one set of organs, one heart and one brain. I want to treat mine well. It's the least I can do, for all they have done for me.