Food Inc.

Okay, so this doesn't have to do with Lauren directly, but it is important to me, and it will affect her, so I am blogging about it...

I watched Food Inc yesterday and was beyond horrified...for several reasons. The most obvious was the cruel and inhumane way livestock is "raised" and slaughtered. Then the horrible conditions of the workers and the unsanitary and chemical treatment of the product that is put out for us to purchase... I will never eat or buy another Tyson product. I am glad I don't eat beef or pork and I don't think I will ever eat chicken again...no, I know I will never eat chicken again. Even Jason, the self-proclaimed Mr. Meat, carnivore by nature and fast food frequenter has even changed his attitude. He said he will only buy organic meat from now on and has already changed his eating habits to reflect some of the suggestions in the movie.

The second reason I was so horrified was that American consumers have no idea where their food comes from, how far it travels to get to us or what is really in it. It is scary to even think about... The government doesn't want us to know about the number of deaths from food born illness and how easy it is to prevent (because that would mean the collapse of the food industry that they have created and keeps them employed). Another thing that angers me is the government subsidies that make farmers slaves to the system that is engineering junk "food" (chemicals) and allows it to be sold below market cost, while real, whole foods are increasing in cost. This in turn contributes to our diabetes and obesity issues that plague this country and our health care systems. And all of this is before we even talk about the pesticides, neurotoxins and genetically modified foods that pollute our environment and bodies, cause birth defects, contribute to cancer, autism and neurological disorders... And our government supports and encourages this system. Our tax dollars pay for these problems to exist. It is one big cycle of doom.

This documentary was a real eye opening experience for me and one in which I feel called to take action about. The movie is very broad in its scope, and it addresses several issues which are summarized really well here: http://foodincmovie.com/about-the-issues.php

I need to decide on what is most important to me and get involved. So don't be surprised if you hear from me about this again...

If you have Netflix, Food Inc. is on the instant demand/online option. Take the 90 minutes to become informed so you can make your own decision.

You'll never look at food the same way again...