For those of us who are deeply involved in the food that we eat and things we put on our body, one thing is common: most of us are not as mainstream as others.
Many days I’ll scroll through Facebook or, the internet to see articles pop up in my feed about Oreos, Coffee, Sugar, and even Eggs – are they good? Bad?
And the main consensus that seems to pop up more than any other is responses from people who say the same thing every time:
Everything is bad for you! We’re going to die at some point so why not just die enjoying what you love to eat and quit worrying about all the other stuff?
While that’s partly true (we are going to die anyways)… does it really give cause to just give up? In the end, is it really worth the extra effort?
You then run into those that are quick to point out what Scientific study has justified something as being okay, OR… one of the most common “If it was bad the government wouldn’t allow us to eat it or drink it” (which is ironic to say) – the latter is always a popular response, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
If you asked most people about what foods are good and bad, you will get a lot of different answers. You will find people that say milk is bad for you, but you will also find people who realize that when the term milk is used, it’s used to denote the processed milk that we find in the grocery store – Raw Milk (or unpasteurized) is great for your health.
So where is the disconnect?
Health & Diet Industry
People spend a great deal of money on health and diet items – from Shakes to Powders, Meal Plans and even DVD’s/Bars, the diet industry promises some pretty huge results, for minimal effort.
The general public looks for practical health information but they end up buying supplements, juicers, shake mixes, and more. These food companies have cardiologists, doctors and dieticians on their payroll along with media relations to help confuse you – by making you confused, they hope to gain your trust.
Not only that, in most cases, their PR efforts help reassure the public that their products are healthy – after all, up until that, they have been unfairly represented.
Corporate Influenced Government
This problem has existed for years – so it’s not just recent. Much like the diet industry has something to blame (ie. low fat and no fat are better). And the people who are responsible for dietary guidelines are ALSO hugely influenced by agricultural companies, food industry groups, and businesses that have a vested interest in ensuring that their items sell, and sell “well”. In the end, they need the government to make sure their products are recommended. After all, they are in it to make money too. Right?
Money buys much of the influence in food and dietary guidelines just like it buys much of the influence in government, too.
Here are some examples:
- Farmers have LITTLE power compared to huge companies like General Mills, SC Johnson, Unilever and companies like Monsanto.
- Packaged foods are now the norm in most stores, featured in grocery ads and highlighted in commercials. Whole foods – might just be better, but really – who has time for that? (Once again convenience prevails)..
- Packaged processed food can literally claim everything from fortified, natural, and even low fat… when in reality they are anything but natural, fortified because they have been stripped from the beneficial nutrients, and overall probably not the best choice in terms of food
- Fruit & veggie manufacturers, in addition to farmers, make very little compared to huge companies like General Mills and Unilever ..
- And we have become accustomed to trusting labels on our food over the reality of questioning where the food even comes from (ie. Meat, Produce, and more)
- The government warns people of drinking Raw Milk mentioning the risk – but very little is ever said of the risk of processed milk (sold in stores) – and nothing is ever said of the bacteria that are the result of industrial farming practices and confined animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) that MUST be pasteurized to kill the bad bacterial.
- Many of the people that are in charge of your food have ties to food and agriculture manufacturers. If people ate more whole foods, then where would Monsanto and Unilever be? Not as profitable as they are now – that’s a fact.
We turn to Vitamins and Supplements in efforts to replace what food could have originally done ..but at the same time, that has become the norm. After all, in a time when people work, have families and are truly busy, who really has time to do their own self research, support local farmers, or even cook their own meals? It’s easier just to buy it – your sanity is worth it too – right?
People are ALSO Part of the Problem
In general, the buying habits of the public are predictable – companies know this and as a result, they have no problem capitalizing on them. Many of us may realize that the term “natural” used on food is merely a sales driver and marketing tactic that is meaningless. Big companies are hoping that you will be as easily convinced to read that term on the box, as you are to assume that the contents are beneficial for your health.
And most people have no idea. After all, who has time to read labels?
We have a tendency to rely so much on science & scientific studies that we miss what common sense can tell us. Obviously there is a time and place for studies just like there is with science, but to rely on them completely instead of the obvious things that common sense could tell you is doing a disparity to you and your family.
Where you put your money influences who has power.
Right now, anyone can go to the grocery store and buy ANYTHING they want to eat. Furthermore, most of that food has little information about where it came from, how it was made. It’s merely in a package, has a coupon and is a great price – right? Go-Gurts are in a squeezable tube, packaged meals are a tray of frozen food like items with additives.
Ultimately, although we do have a choice on what we put in our body, the market also encourages us to eat this way ~ the items you see in the store are the most profitable products. But you can’t just blame the food market either.. responsibility falls on both parties – the consumer and big industry.
The items featured on the FRONT of the sales may sometimes be loss leaders – but they are those items that are discounted just enough to make you say “WOW ~ Strawberries for $.87? I have to get in on that sale..” – which leads you in the store, and eventually with a cartful of other random items you may or may not have been planning to purchase.
The food industry wants to be able to influence your family – after all, they love you to eat. They put the most enticing products at eye level with just the right advertising on the box that they know, ultimately, will influence you to put in your cart with little second thought.
Buying Local
Buying Organic food isn’t a fad – it’s definitely not out of reach for some (in fact, we mentioned our tips for saving money and why people tend to think Organic is out of their league)…
By buying Organic, you are supporting a different food chain.
By supporting a local farmer who chooses not to use pesticides and opts to grow their produce, and let their chickens run in the pasture, without GMO-laden corn, you are supporting someone who has the same ideals, and an entirely different food chain.
If you buy grass fed beef direct from a farmer or rancher you are supporting a different food chain: cattle that live on grass, that aren’t raised in feedlots, that aren’t getting pharmaceuticals.
Unfortunately those are rarely promoted as an option ~ as mentioned before, farmers and ranchers have so little power over a much larger, industrial food system and corporate food industries. Those industries would prefer that THEY control the story about your food… ie. how convenient it is (after all, you are super busy!) … how inexpensive it is, and how easily it can be purchased.
What is never mentioned is the story of how it’s made.
Profits Don’t Always Equate to Health
The food industry exists to make money ~ that’s just a statement of fact. Unfortunately, there is LITTLE money to be had in whole foods – open up your mailbox and pull out your grocery ads. Grocers know that there is money in what they place on the front (Loss Leaders – the items that may be competitively priced with little margin for profit) – after all, their main goal is to get your foot traffic in their store.
They are taking a gamble that your willingness to come in for Strawberries at $.87 per lb and Milk for $1.89 will get you to buy Steaks, Cereal, Detergent, Bread, and .. if you have your kids with you, other items they may be asking for as you peruse down aisles – after all, the milk is in the back of the store for a reason.
Kids get more excited to see cereal with toys marketed to them in the aisle in store, with promotions such as FREE movie tickets or even Nerf balls… than they would to a commercial with a farmer showing his strawberry fields. Right?
That little tube of Go-Gurt your kids love for their lunch is convenient – it’s food that has been heated, complicated and pushed into a squeeze tube. The packaging is probably of more value to most than knowing where that yogurt came from, what’s in the yogurt besides milk and more…
For farmers, that’s not helpful ~ we have mentioned before that most farmers aren’t in the business of making a huge profit .. in fact, it’s quite the opposite. In comparison to processed food, over 80% of the profits go to processing, shipping and packaging, and so little of what is left goes to the farmer.
That’s not encouraging farmers to continue what they love to do… which is why many have had to resort to industrial agriculture (relying on chemicals, GMO seeds, because they have to stay afloat or give up altogether).
By making their food with JUST the right amount of sugar, salt, fat and addictive ingredients, manufacturers keep you coming back ~ just look at Doritos, Pringles (once you pop, you can’t stop..), candy, kids cereal + more. That equates to more profits for them as time progresses, not to mention your loyalty.
So What do you Do?
The best thing is that we have alternatives. Being able to recognize the issues out there with the food that we see advertised is the first step. For those of us who have seen feedlots (we have, and my KIDS have), chicken houses and confined animal feeding operations, probably have a different view of our food than those who haven’t.
Thankfully, you can find Organic food. You can find local farmers that share your values of food, too. The challenge… is that it does tend to be more expensive in some cases – but it’s not truly out of reach.
If anything it requires you to climb out of your comfort zone – it starts with willingness to see what needs to change, being willing to make the decisions that may not be the most popular … and realizing that your efforts DO make a difference.
It’s almost too easy for people to say “everything is bad for you, we’ll all die at some point, you might as well die eating the foods that make you happy”. There is some truth to that, but realizing that your choice, and the choice of others can, at some point, drive even the smallest changes.