Being Real

I'm not sure how this post is going to go over, but I need to talk about some real issues that Aaron and I have looked into lately. 

I know I often post about our week, things going on in our lives, or new items coming into the shop.  

However,

After watching Food Inc. on Monday night, I knew that I needed to write a post about it. 

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Have you seen this movie yet???

Not yet??? Then what are you waiting for???  If yes, then I'd love to hear what you thought. 

We watched Supersize Me earlier this year.  It completely grossed me out to learn that 5 of McDonald's menu items didn't contain sugar.  ONLY 5!!!! French Fries, Chicken Nuggets, Iced Tea, Coffee, and Diet Coke.  The man in the film ate 30 lbs of sugar in a MONTH! 1 MONTH!!! He gained 24 lbs!  He became depressed when he didn't eat McDonalds.  These were VERY scary revelations to me.  

Aaron and I try not to eat a ton of fast food but after watching Supersize Me we try to eat even less.

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I never really understood the whole "organic" phase.  My employers bought almost solely organic groceries.  I now understand why.  After watching Food Inc. I literally wanted to cry watching some of the images of the RIDICULOUSLY inhumane treatment of these animals.   I am by no means an animals rights activist.  I'm quite content eating my chickens (and lots of it), just don't ask me to actually butcher the animal.  

No thanks, no way, uh uh. 

Watching this movie though I literally started crying when I saw images like this. 

Warning: This may break your heart!

OverLooked: The lives of Factory Farm Animals

And not only do they treat animals so terribly, but there is also the issue of Genetically Modified Seeds.  If you need to read more about it you can do so here.

The reason I'm talking about it is because I believe it's WRONG!!! God created plants to reproduce after their own kind.  Stop messing with the way God designed things.  These GMO seeds often will cross pollinate with fields that are non GMO and then the companies with the rights to these GMO seeds sue the small farmers that are just trying to produce healthy food for us.  The GMO seeds also produce food that is very nutritionally poor.  It often doesn't have the vitamins and minerals that we need to be healthy. 

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While watching Food Inc, there were soooo many farmers that lost nearly everything they had trying to fight court battles because they were sued for trying to grow organic/non-GMO foods.  I don't know about you, but when I read the Bible, in Genesis 1:31 it says, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day."

Now I'm pretty sure it says and God saw all that HE made.  NOT what man made.  In fact, just two short chapters later, man goes and screws everything up.  (Which was why Jesus had to come, die on the cross to pay for our sins, and rise again to be seated at the right hand of the Father).  Now, I'm way more apt to trust the things that God has made than to trust what man has made.  Especially now that my eyes more and more are being opened to the reality of what is going on around us.  

Our society has become a society of prescribing medicines instead of taking precautionary measures with our health.  My husband Aaron always says, "We can pay to be healthy now, or we can pay later, and usually later it's more expensive."  How true that is.  Americans spend a TON of money on prescriptions every year. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to eat more healthily.  Organic food just costs more up front.  I wish that we could afford to buy all organic food but really can't right now.  

And take a look at your supermarket ads, what are usually the items on sale? Fruits and veggies? Sometimes. Organic Food? Almost never.  Junk Food/Processed Foods? Almost always. 

What coupons do we normally find? Everything name brand, and usually the highly processed, really bad for you food.  

Don't get me wrong.  I love a Reese's cup (or rather a Reese's FastBreak) as much as the next person, but there is a problem when those are the types of items that are constantly being marketed to the public.  

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Did you hear about the Michigan woman who was facing 90+ days in jail for having a vegetable garden in her front yard??? No? Then check out this article.

 Photo Credit Julie Bass

What a pretty garden right??? Anyway since then, the charges have apparently been dropped. However, isn't it a bit frightening how much the government is infringing on our rights lately???

Oh and they are trying to say that Vitamin C is bad for you.  Really?  Vitamin C? That stuff that makes me feel better when I'm sick? Read more here. 

Anyway, enough of the bad things, right?  What are some ways that we can start taking steps to protect ourselves now?

• Eat Well Guide: This website is pretty awesome.  You can search for local grown foods and organic foods.  I did a search for a 20 mile radius of our zip code and look what I found.
  
• We can buy organic foods or foods grown locally.  At least that way, our foods aren't being shipped over 1500 miles to get to us.
  
• Plant your own garden.  This is difficult for Aaron and I because we are renting, however, if you are able to, plant some of your own vegetables, that way you get to control the amount of pesticides that go on your food.
  
• Drink more water.  Water comprises the largest part of our bodies so shouldn't it be the largest amount of what we drink?
  
• Buy rBST free milk.  rBST is an artificial growth hormone.  Not good! 

If you've made it through all the way to the end of this post CONGRATULATIONS!!! I feel like I just rambled and I hope I didn't lose you.   If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me.  Please let me know some of your thoughts.