Sunday, April 24, 2016

Food Revolution....

Ralph and I took the time to watch "The Truth About Cancer" web series. We got a lot out of it but it still seemed a bit like an infomercial. There was however an incredible amount of information about food and its effects on health and illness both.
Despite the promotion of the DVD's and the shameless use of pathos we are glad we watched it.

So since we are suckers for punishment.....I have signed up for the 5th annual food Revolution Summit on line. We will see how it goes. We both think we can winnow good from the fluff and glossy format and learn more about our food.

http://foodrevolution.org/


I think the interesting thing is that so many of us here in the Homestead blog world are very aware of food and how it affects us already.



I am posting a fact sheet from a pdf download I received from them. It's interesting this healthy outlook to food is managed by the "Robbin's from Baskin-Robbins ice cream, the son that did not take over the family business and walked his own road.

Top Ten Reasons We Need A Food Revolution 

1
Our food system is killing us.
In the U.S., more than 2/3 of the population is now
overweight or obese, and heart disease and stroke are killing
more than 700,000 people every year. The National Institutes of
Health reports that in the 1960s less than 2% of America’s kids
had a chronic health condition. Today it’s over 25%. And one in
three American children is expected to get diabetes. All of these
illnesses are directly linked to food and lifestyle choices.


It’s bankrupting us.
Three quarters of medical spending in the U.S. today
goes towards managing lifestyle-related chronic illness. Medical
expenses are already the leading cause of bankruptcy for
families, and they’re quickly driving the entire nation towards
fiscal disaster. In fact, the costs of Medicare in the United States
are expected to double in the next generation. Meanwhile, the
federal government in the United States provides tens of billions
of dollars in subsidies for “commodity crops”, like corn, wheat,
and soy, that are in turn processed into high fructose corn syrup,
white flour, and animal feed for factory farms. The very things
that science tells us we should be eating less of are
actually being subsidized by the taxpayer. 


3
It’s devastating our planet.
Modern food production practices are depleting our
soil and groundwater, polluting our water and our bodies with
neurotoxic pesticides, endangering pollinators like bees and
butterflies, depleting ecosystems of other important wildlife like
frogs, fish and salamanders, and they’re a driving force behind
climate change. 



4
It’s hitting kids and poor people the hardest.
Many low income and inner city communities are
described as “food deserts”, because there is so little access to
fresh vegetables and other healthy foods. People of low income
and people of color have the lowest life expectancy and the
highest rates of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer, and
other lifestyle related chronic illnesses. 



5
It’s inhumane.
Farm workers are being exposed to large amounts of
toxic pesticides on the job, and they’re driven to work brutally long
hours for very little compensation. The average life expectancy for
a migrant farm worker in the U.S. is 49 years. In Mexico, conditions
are even worse. And then, there are the animals. Chickens never
see the sunlight and are kept in cages so small they cannot lift a
single wing, mother pigs are forced to spend most of their lives in
gestation crates so small they cannot even turn around, and many
cows never see a blade of grass. 



6
It’s destroying our antibiotics.
To keep animals alive under these deplorable condi-
tions, they are fed antibiotics with every dose of feed. In fact,
80% of antibiotics used in the U.S. are fed to livestock, not to
people. If you wanted to breed antibiotic resistant bacteria
you’d be hard pressed to find a more efficient way to do it. We
are already seeing increasing incidences where anti-biotic resist-
ant bacteria in humans can be deadly, and this is why. 


7
We can do better.
Less than 10% of Americans eat a healthy diet consist-
ent with federal recommendations. And an estimated 90-95%
of cancer cases and 80% of heart attacks have their roots in
diet and lifestyle. We know how to radically improve the health
outcome for millions of people – and to save trillions of dollars,
and possibly the future of our planet, in the process.



8
The times are changing and young
people are leading the way.
Sales of organic foods have increased over 26-fold in the last
generation, to now exceed 4% of market share. We’ve seen
a three-fold increase in farmer’s markets in the last decade.
Nine U.S. states have now joined the entire European Union in
banning gestational crates for pigs, and Australia’s two largest
supermarket chains now sell only cage-free eggs in their house
brands. Sales of certified non-GMO products have gone from
nothing to $7 billion in sales in the last 4 years. Sales of natural
foods have now grown to be a $100 billion industry. Thankfully,
younger consumers are leading the way, and are far more likely
to stand up for healthier food. 



9
Everyone can benefit.
Whether you’re young or old, sick or healthy, wealthy
or poor, you have a stake in your health. And it turns out there’s
serious money to be made in the food revolution. Farmers,
producers, retailers and consumers all have the opportunity
to take part in a massive shift in how we grow, process, eat
and think about food. And to reap the benefits.


10
You can be an everyday food revolutionary.
You don’t have to wait for government or industry to
change. You can lead the way by reclaiming your relationship
with food and making it an expression of your values. If you
want health, and a healthy planet, the invitation is clear. Join
the Food Revolution!




Take care and get your greens a growing!

God Bless you all.

 


6 comments:

  1. It looks to be set up the same as a summit going arouond a few months back: Home Grown Food Summit 2016 | My experience with that was it was almost impossible to get the "free" seminars to load and when they did, it offered little info on the subject. Seems to me that folks are trying to find a way to repackage what we already have found out and sell it back to us. There's also a whiff of some social engineering / activist efforts in there, IMHO. Oh well, I know you'll share the good stuff with us :).

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  2. I have to say I am becoming somewhat of a skeptic about these things. We have decided that when things begin to trend they loose something of the reality and honesty of a real change. I thinks its why we really enjoy our blog friends. Not commercial and walking the walk. We will see what we get out of it. Now I am heading out to take care of the duck with a sore foot...he cut his web on something?!

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  3. As soon as something becomes "popular", the good information is thinned out to promotional gruel. Most of us on here do a better job of managing our health and that of our environments.

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    Replies
    1. It sad really, the people that need to make the biggest changes are in the cities and, either don't understand the basic changes they can make or do not 'really' want to.
      The poor country cousins are doing better in this department. Here in "Poor" Kentucky there is a strange mix of Walmart food people and very aware food people.
      Why do things have to be dumbed down and fluffed up?

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    2. Fiona, just happened upon your blog. This is the first article I've read and am thrilled someone else is researching "real" diet. In Germany they defeat cancer with a combo of diet and heat treatment - no hair loss or drugs that nearly kill you. Diet is a powerful thing indeed.

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  4. Hi
    You might want to try ,ChefMD,
    It is dr. John la puma
    We saw him on pbs and that is when life improved for me, my daughter, and for my nephew.
    Turns out we are all gluten sensitive.
    The difference in. Health and feeling good enough to accomplish things is amazing.
    Dr. La puma realized that most of his patients problems were ditary. He took a year sabbatical and went to chef school.
    He was able to devise recipes good for his patients, that were tasty, and that the whole family were able to enjoy.
    God bless him. He has helped millions of us and thanks to pbs for airing his story.
    Thought you would like to look on the Internet and view his pbs presentation in your ,spare, time!
    Many thanks, deb h.

    ReplyDelete