I finished Food Nation while avoiding report card writing and learned the following:
- As the fast food chains have moved overseas, obesity rates have risen. The British eat more fast food than any other nation in Western Europe...and they also have the highest obesity rate. It baffles me that the "relationship between a nation's fast food consumption and its rate of obesity has not been definitively established..."!! How is that possible? Overweight teenagers in China tripled in the 1990s. Overweight people were rare with Japan's ultra healthy diet of rice, vegetables, and fish. The Japanese were considered some of the healthiest people in the world. Now? Their eating habits have shifted and the obesity rates in children have doubled along with the sale of fast food. Japanese men who settled in the US and switched to a Western diet doubled their risk of heart disease and tripled their risk of stroke (p. 242-243)
- Over the past 50 years in the US, per capita consumption of soft drinks has more than quadrupled. During the late 1950s, the typical soft drink was 8oz...today (1999) a child order is 12oz. The super size fries at McDonalds were 3x larger than what was offered a generation ago (p. 241).
- Health officials have concluded that prevention, not treatment, offers the best hope of stopping the now worldwide epidemic of obesity. Stopping ads geared to children may help, especially since American children are now getting 1/4 of their vegetable servings from chips or french fries (p. 243).
- In his afterward (2012), Schlosser reported that 2/3 of adults in the US are now overweight or obese and the obesity rate among preschoolers has doubled in the past 30 years. The rate among children from 6-11 has tripled (p. 271).
All-in-all I enjoyed the book. It was sad and scary, but very interesting. Some parts were dry and out of date, but when reading the afterward and learning that what he wrote about over 10 years ago is now worse and not better, I guess it wasn't as out of date as I'd thought.
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I'm currently reading Salt, Sugar, and Fat by Michael Moss. It is American but is current (2013). It's along the same lines as Fast Food Nation except it's based on the food industry as a whole (think anything you buy in a can or box...even the products you think are healthy), not just fast food. Steve thinks I'm getting a little obsessed with this food stuff, but the more I learn, the more fascinated I become with the topic. I have to learn more because this is my health. And Brennan's health. The more I learn about what I've been putting in my body unbeknownst to me, the more I am able to reject crappy food. Sure it tastes great and is very satisfying. Until you learn what is really in it and why it tastes so damned good. And once you know that, you won't want to have it anymore. Even though it always smells SOOOOO delicious.
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What have you learned about health-related topics lately?
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Inform Yourself
Brennan and I went to the Great Wolf Lodge this past weekend and lifting him off slides and in the wave pool did a number on my back so I'm laid up on the couch which has given me some time to finally write an update on my lifestyle change. I could be working on report cards or marking. I could.
I've been reading Fast Food Nation which is about the history of the fast food industry. It is a really interesting book as it covers the creation of take out food, advertising, the products that are sold, the dangerous working conditions in slaughterhouses, factory farming, and so on. Although it is an American book, I am sure that some of the information is applicable in Canada. Do you know how hard it is to find a Canadian written book on our food industry? I've searched and searched. If you know of any, please let me know.
Here are a few interesting points from the book that grabbed my attention:
- fast food companies purchase frozen french fries for 30 cents a pound and sell them for $6 a pound after they fry them. Out of every $1.50 spent on a large fry, only 2 cents goes to the farmer (p. 117). No wonder why there are factory farms out there, the pressure to grow more to make more or else go out of business is enormous. Being an independent farmer often means they're in poverty. Large companies have such a monopoly over the industry that they either have to join or go bankrupt.
- "By embracing the industrial model of agriculture - one that focuses narrowly on the level of inputs and outputs, that encourages specialization in just one crop, that relies heavily on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, advanced harvesting and irrigation equipment - American farmers have become the most productive farmers on Earth." (p.119) This is pushing independent farmers off the land - the ones that rotate crops properly so that the soil can replenish itself.
- about 90% of money Americans spend on food is on processed food. The canning, freezing, and dehydrating techniques take away most of the food's natural flavour so flavour is added through chemicals. Without the flavour industry, which is a $1.4 billion dollar business, fast food could not exist (p. 121)
- approximately 10 000 new processed foods are introduced in the US every single year! (p.124)
- artificial colouring, flavouring, and sweeteners are scary. The FDA doesn't regulate that companies disclose the ingredients in their additives as long as they are 'generally regarded as safe'. The strawberry flavour in the Burger King shake contains 43 different ingredients (p. 125-126). 43! What happened to good old fashioned real strawberries to add flavour?
- don't be fooled by natural flavouring either, it's can be as harmful as artificial flavour. And they are processed at the same plants.(p. 127)
- chicken McNuggets get their flavour from beef additives and contain twice as much fat per ounce as the hamburgers. McNuggets were introduced in 1983 and they changed the face of poultry processing. The demand was so high that by 1992 chicken consumption surpassed beef for the first time. 90% of chicken sold is in nuggets, pieces, or cutlets rather than whole chickens. (p.140). The rather sad state of chicken farming is discussed next. And then the author moves on to talk about massive feedlots and slaughterhouses of cows that are fed grains from a trough, have anabolic steroids implanted in their ears, and cannot move for the 3 months prior to slaughter (p. 150)
I'm not done the book but I can't imagine it getting any better.
I was prompted to watch FoodMatters after seeing a post for the free viewing of Food Inc which is a disturbing documentary on what is in the food we eat. I watched Food Inc last year and it, along with the book Skinny Bitch, had prompted me to begin eliminating certain foods from my diet. FoodMatters was certainly less gruesome than Food Inc and it provided multiple ways to live a healthier life... naturally. It promotes eating food in it's natural state - raw and about taking vitamins to help support our immune system to prevent and heal different diseases. It also dispels myths from the media and discusses what big pharmaceutical companies don't want you to know.
I've been reading Fast Food Nation which is about the history of the fast food industry. It is a really interesting book as it covers the creation of take out food, advertising, the products that are sold, the dangerous working conditions in slaughterhouses, factory farming, and so on. Although it is an American book, I am sure that some of the information is applicable in Canada. Do you know how hard it is to find a Canadian written book on our food industry? I've searched and searched. If you know of any, please let me know.
Here are a few interesting points from the book that grabbed my attention:
- fast food companies purchase frozen french fries for 30 cents a pound and sell them for $6 a pound after they fry them. Out of every $1.50 spent on a large fry, only 2 cents goes to the farmer (p. 117). No wonder why there are factory farms out there, the pressure to grow more to make more or else go out of business is enormous. Being an independent farmer often means they're in poverty. Large companies have such a monopoly over the industry that they either have to join or go bankrupt.
- "By embracing the industrial model of agriculture - one that focuses narrowly on the level of inputs and outputs, that encourages specialization in just one crop, that relies heavily on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, advanced harvesting and irrigation equipment - American farmers have become the most productive farmers on Earth." (p.119) This is pushing independent farmers off the land - the ones that rotate crops properly so that the soil can replenish itself.
- about 90% of money Americans spend on food is on processed food. The canning, freezing, and dehydrating techniques take away most of the food's natural flavour so flavour is added through chemicals. Without the flavour industry, which is a $1.4 billion dollar business, fast food could not exist (p. 121)- approximately 10 000 new processed foods are introduced in the US every single year! (p.124)
- artificial colouring, flavouring, and sweeteners are scary. The FDA doesn't regulate that companies disclose the ingredients in their additives as long as they are 'generally regarded as safe'. The strawberry flavour in the Burger King shake contains 43 different ingredients (p. 125-126). 43! What happened to good old fashioned real strawberries to add flavour?
- don't be fooled by natural flavouring either, it's can be as harmful as artificial flavour. And they are processed at the same plants.(p. 127)
- chicken McNuggets get their flavour from beef additives and contain twice as much fat per ounce as the hamburgers. McNuggets were introduced in 1983 and they changed the face of poultry processing. The demand was so high that by 1992 chicken consumption surpassed beef for the first time. 90% of chicken sold is in nuggets, pieces, or cutlets rather than whole chickens. (p.140). The rather sad state of chicken farming is discussed next. And then the author moves on to talk about massive feedlots and slaughterhouses of cows that are fed grains from a trough, have anabolic steroids implanted in their ears, and cannot move for the 3 months prior to slaughter (p. 150)
I'm not done the book but I can't imagine it getting any better.
I was prompted to watch FoodMatters after seeing a post for the free viewing of Food Inc which is a disturbing documentary on what is in the food we eat. I watched Food Inc last year and it, along with the book Skinny Bitch, had prompted me to begin eliminating certain foods from my diet. FoodMatters was certainly less gruesome than Food Inc and it provided multiple ways to live a healthier life... naturally. It promotes eating food in it's natural state - raw and about taking vitamins to help support our immune system to prevent and heal different diseases. It also dispels myths from the media and discusses what big pharmaceutical companies don't want you to know.
I follow these pages on Facebook and read interesting articles every day that prompt me to think critically on consumerism, marketing, and the products I use and eat:
Food Inc., Vega, Isagenix, Food Babe, Pathways to Family Wellness
If you know of any other great feeds, let me know so I can read them too.
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As for me, I've gotten back into buying as much food organically and GMO-free as I can. It's expensive but I think it's worth it. I have eliminated as much gluten, dairy, and meat as I had last year. I don't crave junk food anymore. I honestly don't. If I see it for treat day at work, I rarely have to be concerned about giving in. It's just not something I care to eat anymore and when I do, I usually find it too sweet. I haven't even wanted my cocoa chocolate or rice chips! I don't struggle to make it to my 'treat day' and I find that my 'treat' is usually something with gluten or cheese in it, not junk like pizza or fast food. I don't crave my sugary summer drinks or iced tea despite the 25 degree sunny days we're having. I don't even want a glass of wine after work/with dinner anymore. And my lattes? I don't want them anymore. No London Fogs either. No caffeine needed. If I do go with a friend, I order a smaller sized latte with fewer pumps of syrup and decaffeinated. The last time we went, I actually put my cup down and forgot about it until the end of the day. I never forget my latte! After having eliminated the junk for long enough, my body is rejecting it. I feel off when I drink/eat things that truly aren't healthy and it's not worth the pain or discomfort, so I don't bother. That being said, I don't think I'll ever turn down a creme brûlée....I also won't deprive myself of anything that I really want to eat or drink. I think I'll just be more aware of portion size and how often I've eaten it. I saw this though as I'm smelling brownies that Steve just made that will be sitting in my kitchen all night while he's at work. Ugh.
I'm still drinking 2 shakes a day, although I've switched my second shake from Visalius to Isagenix now that they offer a vegan alternative. I added small snacks in between shakes to help balance my sugar levels. I'm drinking water but I know I could be drinking more...it's just hard to make it to the washroom as often as I need to when I'm at work and if I drink past 7pm I'm up all night going to the bathroom. Speaking of work, there's a lot of really cool stuff going on health wise. Most of the staff is involved in some sort of healthy lifestyle change. There are people on Weight Watchers, people now going to the gym and working out together after school, people cutting out gluten, people taking the 8 Week Challenge...eating in the staff room isn't tempting anymore because so many people are eating healthy all the time. And we're all seeing results: increased energy and decreased pant sizes.
I'm not exercising as much as I would like and that is an area that I need to improve on. Steve has been running and topped my exciting pace of 5k in 29:22 minutes by running it in 24:50 minutes! Oh to have long legs. He inspires me to get back at running when my back is fixed. He is also eating healthier and came home with 7 grain break for himself. If you know Steve, you know that's a big deal! My friend Sheri has lost 58lbs and gone from a size 21 to a size 10!! She used to joke that she couldn't even walk a block...forget running! Guess who's joined a running club and is now running?!! My friend Vanessa is down 60lbs after having 3 children! And she's going to get her fitness trainer certification so she can help other Mom's get healthy too. With this inspiration and support around, it's hard not to be motivated to live healthier. I haven't done my measurements in a long time but I'm curious what they are as my pants fit looser every week.
I finished my weekly ion cleanses (still need to upload the pictures for you to see) and am moving to monthly ones to help with detoxification. I did a 1 day cleanse to help eliminate toxins from my body and I notice a difference not going for the cleanses. Despite all the negative press they get, I believe they work. I'll ignore the 40% placebo effect and go with how my body reacts to them.
Another change I've made after reading different articles that my naturopath posts and from Food Babe is that I'm not wearing makeup anymore unless it's a special occasion (not that I wore a lot to begin with) and I'm using all natural soaps and shampoos. What a difference in my hair and my skin! I only need cream for my hands now, no dry skin or scalp. We use all natural cleaning products and soaps in the house, except for my Bath and Body works soaps that I got for Christmas from my students. I got a LOT of those.
I still have a ways to go but I'm getting there. I feel better and want to feel even better. I think it will be easier when report cards are done and summer is here. More time to exercise, prepare meals and snacks and of course, make it to the bathroom a million times a day from all the water I'll be able to drink.
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