How often are we actually thinking about what we eat?
How often do we read the labels on the food items we buy?
How often do we buy processed food, because it is so convenient?
How often does our appetite versus our better knowledge decide what we eat?
It started all with a simple question from our younger son, as he was reading the ingredient list of one of his cereal cartons: " Mom, what is Polydextrose and Turmeric Oleoresin? " Being able to explain that Polydextrose is a form of sugar was as far as I got, and I have a degree in Veterinary Medicine...so I had a closer look and discovered that the cereal that is called Fruity Pebbles actually contained not even a milligram of anything even close to a fruit.
Ok, I thought, that's easy to fix, just read the labels, buy food as unprocessed as possible and only if you can pronounce the ingredients...That's easy and all is fine.
So far, so good.
Then I read a book report about a book called: " Eating Animals".
Being already "food alert" through the former episode, I decided to read it and it quite triggered a research and thought avalanche.
What I realized by reading and researching about this particular branch of the food industry was shocking, mildly put.
So I thought I put together the material I read and watched, and hope to get you interested in doing some reading, too.
Books:
"Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer
Amazon.com has a little trailer for that: Eating Animals Trailer
"Farm Sanctuary" by Gene Baur
Very inspiring, check out their website at http://www.farmsanctuary.org/
"Dominion" by Matthew Scully
I just begun to read this book, so I can't really say much, but it starts very interesting...
"The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
...you will think back to above mentioned Fruity Pebbles...
Check out his website for more info: The Omnivore's Dilemma
"Slow Death by Rubber Duck" by Dr. Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie
This book is not only about food, but all the "other" dangers in our every day life, that I bet most of us are not aware of.
Movies:
Food Inc.
See their website for more info and a trailer: Hungry For Change
Meet your meat
I needed a few attempts until I could watch the whole movie, although it's only 12 minutes long. Please do not watch it with little kids around you. I dearly hope what is shown in this movie, although unforgivable and unforgettable, is only the extreme and not the standard.
Links:
Animal Welfare Approved
American Humane Association
PETA
There are many more books, movies and website out there, I just put together the ones I read and saw and thought they are the most informative.
In the end, after doing all this research, I came to the conclusion that if we accept the quote : We are what we eat, then we need to decide: Who do we want to be?"
I decided for myself, and I would be curious to hear from you. What do you think, how did or will you decide?
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