This blog is the diary of a once skinny-turned-fat girl who wants to try to see if eating Organic, non-GMO foods will really make a difference in the way the body and mind performs.
This morning I was greeted with a post on my FB from my friend Julie about a study done at the University or Michigan about the perception of organic. You can read about the study and my comments to the press release and tell me what you think.
As a side note I would like to know if these students were also asked who the third president of the United States was? How can you not know what a calorie is and what it means?! To me I visually see Jay Leno doing one of his old night show segments on 'How smart is America.'
I'm not trying to be cynical here, but it just goes to show that we as a country need so much education when it comes to our food. We have been so brainwashed by our advertising and the multibillion dollar diet industry. It's time to get back to food basics and enhance our quality of life!
I made it out last monday for the opening screening of the documentary What's Organic About Organic. I felt it was a great movie for people that have no concept of what goes on at an organic farm. It also sampled what happens at an industrial farm. What I loved most was a scene where one of the farmers goes around to show weeds that most farmers kill that can actually benefit the cows by cleaning their blood, etc. What I also loved is that it wasn't sensationalizing the problems with industrial food only celebrating the farmers out there showing organic can be done.
There was a roundtable/forum after the screening that was actually even more interesting to me where the organic trailblazers discussed the fact that Wine is the only product on the market that does not list its ingredients on the label. Wine can have over 40 ingredients alone which include dyes and arsenic (which is used as a fungicide). Gives a whole new meaning to a hangover.
In addition I did not know that farming was one of the deadliest occupations in the U.S. I would have personally thought coal mining was. That being said one of the panel members spoke of fair trade labor. Fair trade is obviously something that isn't just a third world country problem. It's a problem in our own back yard.
One of the problems I have personally found is sourcing of Organic Food. The panel discussed the fact that if we ask our local grocers to dedicate a section to organic food we might be able to make it more available. In addition I also feel that if we can all find a farmer to connect to our grocers then we can all make a difference!
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a sucker for charity. Add Kevin Bacon to the equation and who knows what 6 degrees can do to change the world?!?!
First of all Kevin didn't I teach you anything on that cover shoot that we worked together on a few years back? As if losing your money to Madoff wasn't a big enough lesson (for which I am so sorry to hear about) now you are promoting a company that pushes products on consumers that is only making this country ill!
I know it's a tough position to be put in. Kevin's not asking us to drink Pepsi. He's actually promoting an amazing idea called Good Card. You can read about it more at sixdegrees.org
Just try not to guzzle a pepsi or eat your KFC wings while you're trying to figure out which of the 1,000,000+ charities you want to help support.
Last night was the 8th Annual James Parks Morton Interfaith Awards Dinner Honoring Philip Glass for his contribution of music to peace and interfaith understanding.
The dinner was a lavish spread of Grilled Filet Mignon, Miso Glazed Cod, or Polenta with fresh mixed grilled Vegetables. Some of the most beautiful food I have seen in a long while. My neighbors were kind enough to allow me to photograph one of the dessert plates being passed around. There were so many others, but this was an example of just one tempting plate!
The staff was a little concerned that I wasn't eating and I assured them that all they needed to do was pretend I was anorexic and everything would be okay. They weren't content with that answer so the lovely head of the waitstaff approached me and offered to put together a wonderful salad for me. After the conversation I had with him it finally became very clear to me that organic to many people....even those who specialize in food think that organic means eating vegetables or being vegetarian. Organic only means eating from food sources that are free of chemicals, hormones, and GMO's.
What was really alarming to me is that no one seems to know where our food comes from. The CEO of Fair Oaks Farms is so right! We are so removed from our food and the people that bring it to us. We have learned to trust too much. The cost of that trust seems to be our health.
What was great about the evening is I was surrounded by over 50 different religious leaders who were all there to make a difference. They were really compelled to help support my organic initiative because it coincided with their wanting to demonstrate how making small changes in our lives can potentially have a great impact.
Who knows... world peace through food? Ghandi started that trend a long time ago!
So I FINALLY got a chance to see Supersize Me, the movie on Hulu the other day. It's the first time I didn't fall asleep through it like I had a couple of times in the past. Watching another person's inevitable indigestion never really appealed to me.
BUT what I'm so glad I got to see was Appleton Central High School's changes in the diet with their students. These kids tend to have aggression and ADD among many issues, but the school seemed to find less resistance and more improvement in scores when they switched out chicken nuggets and processed foods for the nutritious meals.
The most exciting thing I could have heard is that the food that comes from a contractor called NATURAL OVENS BAKERY is no more expensive than the US Government's food they supplied to the schools.
This means that cost is not an issue when it comes to eating well!!!!!
So my next mission is to speak with the company and figure out how we can better source our foods. I also think the owner of Gustorganics is writing something on this subject as well.
Stay tuned! I think there are more exciting things ahead!!!!!
According to writer Matthew Dillon he believes organic begins with the integrity of the seed. If you've seen the movie the FUTURE OF FOOD Monsanto makes the future of our food seem grim. The company has powerful lobbyists that want to monopolize the food industry.
