Food, Inc.

Last night, we watched a recent documentary called “Food, Inc.”  It was amazing!  It was apparently up for some awards, too- and I can see why!!  It was well done, indeed!  Here’s the link:
Food, Inc.

If you have any curiosity about the food industry and how it’s evolution has impacted our nation, this is the movie for you.  This 1 1/2 hour film documents the coming about of food as an actual industry, including the formulation of high fructose corn syrup, the conditions of the meat packing industry, genetically modified foodstuffs, the impact of industrializing food on farmers, and more.  Even though these are potentially dense topics, it is so artfully and comprehensibly presented that we can all really get at the issues at hand.  I can’t wait to see it again.  Don’t wanna give too much away- Mom’s gonna rent it and watch it!  😉

On a different but sorta related note, I have always thought that if people were educated about the negative effects of whatever they’re putting into their bodies (tobacco, food, drugs), that they would want to stop putting those things into their bodies.  For example, I thought that if people watched Food, Inc & learn about the issues, why would they want to eat HFCS or hydrogenated oils??  Or if people are aware of the fact that when you get diabetes, it’s forever, and you have to stick yourself with a needle several times every day, they would eat better.  Or if smokers a taught about the lung, esophageal, laryngeal, and mouth cancers, or COPD, or wearing masks and breathing tubes for the rest of your life, they would stop smoking.  But they don’t! 

To think that the most prevalent diseases in America, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, lung cancers (those last two are #1 and #2 causes of death in America, respectively, btw) are actually preventable (yes, PREVENTABLE!) and are caused by continually putting something in our bodies that doesn’t belong there…it says quite a lot about our nation.  Even amongst my own family, these conversations fall upon deaf ears, sadly.  It’s hard enough to see patients ignore all of your best advice; it’s worse when it’s family.  The kicker is when those patients/family suffer a heart attack or stroke, and only THEN decide it’s “time to start taking care of myself.”  Buddy, your body is WAY overdue for some TLC. 

Remember, our bodies are truly God’s temple; it’s time somebody start doing the housework around here. If you don’t do any housework in your home for years, what will happen?  Your house will be featured on Hoarders, because it will be so far gone that even a team of expert cleaners cannot return the house to it’s “pre-hoarding” condition.  But if you do a few dishes every day or so, and sweep and mop, and clean the bathrooms, things stay manageable, no?  The same with your body.  If you do a little bit every single day to better your health, those things add up in the end.  If you don’t eat right & exercise a couple times a week, all that eventually catches up to you, too.  And your body will never be the same again.  So let’s clean God’s temple as diligently as we clean our own houses.  Nobody wants to be on Hoarders.