The Processing of America

There was a time when I first realized that just about everything I was taught about the world around me and how I lived in that world, whether through school, tv, magazines, newspapers, friends, etc., was actually not what was going to keep me in good health. I remember when I attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and learned about various topics for the first time and thinking, “Wait a minute…. that’s not what I know to be true.” “That’s almost the opposite of what I was taught.” And, I learned over 100 different dietary theories from over 100 different educators in their own field of nutrition. Well, to say the least, I was elated, shocked, confused, excited, and everything in between. How could there be so many different theories and who has the correct one?!!

It took me doing my own research and using my body as a laboratory to try out many of the various theories. I have come to a place of knowing — at least knowing what I know to be detrimental to a healthy body and mind. I don’t profess to know everything, of course, but I do know enough to be able to say with conviction that the Standard American Diet is a roadmap to chronic disease — no matter how you slice it (pun intended! :)

I remember graduating from school and talking about everything I learned to family, friends, etc. I was so excited to be able to share what I felt would help others. What I found in my pursuit was resistance to what I was sharing — it’s hard to hear those things that we don’t want to hear, especially when it comes to the foods we love. So, I have come to accept that I would lead by example and hopefully some people would do their own research and follow in my footsteps.

Fast forward to today. I am no longer reticent about talking “health” to anyone who wants to listen (or not). I want to SHOUT — I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT TOO MANY FOODS ARE TOXIC — THEY ARE NOT REAL FOOD!! And it’s not just the food!! It’s the air, the water, the soil, the body care products, the pesiticides, the herbicides, blah, blah, blah.

I have heard, “Well, I can’t live in this world and avoid all these things.” That’s not true. You can start small. Once you realize that the foods you eat are owned by a few very large corporations and their only concern is profits and not the quality of the food, you will begin to see that you can take control of what you buy and begin to see better health outcomes. In terms of the air you breathe — yes, we live in this world and there’s not too much we can do about the air outside, but we can decide to get into nature more, to possibly buy an air purifier for our homes, to use essential oils, to make sure we are not using toxic chemicals in our homes and to make sure we are putting clean products on our bodies.

If you look back in history, so many of the pesticides and herbicides have caused many illnesses. The illnesses may have been blamed on other things but when you do a little investigating and follow the money, you will find that the spraying of chemicals on our food was at the root cause of many of the diseases over the past century. We all need to take charge of our health and the health of the planet. It starts with you and the small changes you make over time.

I know this may sound daunting and possibly overwhelming but I can assure you as someone who was not tapped into any of this years ago, it just takes one step at a time and before long you will be living a healthier life. In time your palate will change and your cravings for familiar foods you always ate all your life will diminish. You will see changes in your energy levels and changes in your mood. Remember, everything you eat becomes YOU. Believe me — I know how exciting it is to eat that store-bought apple pie or boxed cereal, etc., but once you realize what they are doing to your health, you will begin to understand that you, and only you, have the power to do something about it. Believe me — Big Ag and Big Pharm do not give a damn about your health and the health of your children. They have designed these foods to entice your senses so you will become addicted. That is their hope. Please don’t fall for it. You do not want to one day fall ill and realize then that you had the power all along. Stay empowered! Stay educated! Do your research! Don’t take the easy way out! Get healthy — it feels really good.

To your health,

-C