Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you. So sorry for my long absence, but I’ve been recovering from my bout with chemo and it has taken a while for my energy to come back. Therefore, I’ve had to pick and choose the things that I can spend my time on and of course, my first priority is my kids.
Anyway, since going through the whole cancer/chemo rigmarole I’ve been paying a lot more attention to my health. I’ve always exercised, but I didn’t always eat healthy meals. Now that I can taste what I’m eating, I’m paying more attention and making sure that I eat more fruits and vegetables. I’m convinced that our processed foods are causing many of the types of cancers we see today. Now please remember that I’m not a doctor, but I find it interesting that cancer is on the rise instead of the decline with all the information we have available to us.
My hubby and I watched a documentary recently titled, “Fed Up.” This movie reinforced my belief that processed food is making our population sick. Not only are the preservatives a problem, but the added sugar is also a danger to our health. The added sugar not only causes cancer and heart disease, but it also increases the likelihood of obesity and diabetes, both of which are on the rise in the United States.
According to the documentary, the food industry is removing the fat from the food they’re manufacturing, but then adding sugar to enhance the flavor. This sounds an awful lot like what the Tobacco industry did. Didn’t they add nicotine to their product so that consumers would become more addicted to it?
Did you know sugar has the same effect on the brain as cocaine? I find that incredibly interesting and it explains the struggle we have with weight and sweets. Did you know that more and more Americans join Health clubs every day, but the average weight of the American is on the rise? What this means is that more and more of us are exercising, but we’re still gaining weight.
That’s certainly cause for speculation, wouldn’t you agree? Now, there may be a variety of reasons like people are joining the gym but then not using it like they should; technology has allowed us to become lazy; I don’t have time. I agree these reasons factor into the obesity problem. However, the added sugar to our food is a much bigger culprit.
Here’s where you can watch a trailer of the movie and order a DVD. I believe it’s also available on Net Flix. http://fedupmovie.com/#/page/home
If enough people complain about the added sugar in our processed foods, maybe we can get the food industry to change the way it manufactures our food.
Until this change occurs, however, try to eliminate processed foods from your diet as much as you can. I know it’s hard to do with our busy lifestyles, but isn’t our family’s health worth it?
***photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons. Here’s the link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Oh, Lisa, I agree with your wise words. We really don’t know what we’re eating. Unless it’s pulled from the ground or off of a tree, we’re in the dark. Wonderful post on what’s going on in this world. Big hugs to you and wishing you health!
Thanks for stopping by Sharon! I appreciate it! I’m going to keep my ear to the ground on this one! 🙂
I agree, this is a huge problem. My husband is currently battling some health issues related to his (terrible) eating habits. I’m an organic gardener and an exercise freak. I can and freeze as much as I can, and I cut sugar in half in recipes as a rule. (In fact, I forgot to the other day in an apple pie recipe and my kids said it was terrible, lol!) I don’t buy pop or snacks that come in cellophane. And it’s kept my Crohn’s in control for twenty years. My husband, however, has laughed and prided himself on 41 years of junk food good health. Year 42 hasn’t been so happy. He’s now eating with the rest of us.
Good for you Michelle! I’m in awe of you! Maybe I’ll start a garden this year too!
Had my wake-up call with a “probable MS” diagnosis 4 years ago. Cut out the crap and (eventually) went whole-food vegan GF and I feel so great now. Also prevented problems that were starting in my kids. If you’re watching videos on nutrition and health, you might also like “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead,” “Raw for 30 Days,” and of course “Forks Over Knives.” I’m actually working on a non-fiction book right now that deals with diet and health. We’re finally understanding that our bodies don’t just spring up from the air – they can only be built (and rebuild themselves) with what we put into them.
I agree Cynthia! Thanks so much for stopping by and I’m going to check out the videos you recommended! Knowledge is a very powerful thing, isn’t it?
A very worthwhile blog post. Thank you for sharing this on Twitter. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Stewart. I appreciate your kind words.