On Food

Yoga training and workshops are really hammering the food thing into my head.

We had a nutrition talk from a vegan doctor in early December who talked about how bad animal products and processed foods are, and how fresh vegetables and fruits are so much better for us. It really shook me up. Then I watch Food Inc. that same weekend, and was just a mess of shock.

The worst part was that it really wasn't that shocking. We know the meat industry is mass producing meat, and that they only care about money. We know that giant corporations are more powerful than the government and control the government with their donations. We know that vegetables are better for us than Oreos. Why is it so shocking to hear that what we eat and drink is bad for us?

Everyone else eats unhealthy food. It's awkward to eat with a group of people and turn down their chicken fried steak to eat a spinach salad. People are mean about it too. The cafeteria manager at work said, "You're trying to prove something," when I went through the register with my apple, banana, and salad. I just said, "No, I'm trying to be healthy."

My question is WHY? Why is everyone else eating food that's horribly unhealthy? Because advertisements work. I remember when I was a little kid. I thought eating healthy would be neat, so I cut the food pyramid off the Cheerios box and put it in my lunch box, so I could keep it. Too bad it's a bunch of lies from the people who stand to benefit from people buying their products.

Brad and I have been having this argument for a few days, and had to just stop because neither one of us will budge. It is not natural for humans to drink milk from other species, and it's very unnatural for adults to drink milk at all. We don't need milk. Some people say it actually leeches calcium from our bodies. I don't know if it's actually bad for you, but don't be fooled into thinking you're going to get osteoporosis if you don't drink it. On top of all that, cows are forcibly impregnated and milked over and over again to produce that milk.

Doug Swenson talked about nutrition at the yoga workshop this weekend. I'd heard this all before a month or so ago, and this helped remind me. Eating well is hard, but not really THAT hard, and it is very important.

So here I am, eating my organic almond butter with organic cranberries sandwich on organic sprouted whole grain bread with a side of organic maple nut oatmeal. I can pronounce every ingredient, and there are no corn products in any of it. How was that any harder to make than a "normal" lunch?