Changes

How long has it been since you've been to a film that ended in a huge round of applause from the audience?

Last weekend, Lance and I drove to my favorite Camelview theater for the newly released Food, Inc.

Food, Inc. is an important movie for...well...anyone who eats. It unveils the corrupt, opportunistic, dark side of the food industry that is conveniently and strategically hidden from the consumer. And... it certainly left me re-thinking my food choices.

The premise of Food, Inc. is that what we eat has been so genetically altered with chemicals and preservatives that it can hardly be considered "food."

The most shocking information unveiled in Food, Inc. is the government involvement in keeping our food cheap and unhealthy. Think "Big Oil" and "Big Tobacco"...profit comes before human regard and human health.

Food, Inc. opens by telling us that there are over 47,000 items in your grocery store, but that 90% of the items contain corn and/or soy products (both of which are subsidised by the government). I left not wanting to buy anything with soy or corn ever again. Difficult, I know.

But, I have swapped this

for this.

The few minutes in the film we spend with a mom whose 2yr old died after eating an E. coli tainted hamburger, is almost more than any mother can take. After an eight year crusade, she has been unable to get congress (under tight control from the beef industry) to pass Kevin's Law, which gives the USDA the power to shut down plants that repeatedly produce contaminated food. Why?

And...did you know that in 2008, the FDA approved the sale of milk and meat from cloned animals? But, you won't know when you purchase them because the FDA feels that labeling these products as cloned would create "confusion in the consumers' minds." Hmmm.

I could go on and on.

I encourage everyone to go see it. It is very interesting, eye-opening, and, yes, entertaining. And, no worries. It isn't preachy or agenda-pushing. It provides you the information and allows you to do with it what you wish.

And...trust me. You will want to make some changes. I already have.

I know it won't always be possible. I've already shopped at 4 different markets over the last 2 days. But, as often as I can, I'll be swapping these...

Happy eating.