This is a good question.....why? Because most people do not realize what the majority of the food supply is about and takes for granted that what they are eating is safe to eat. If it can be found on the store shelf, then it must be safe. Yes? Nope! Particularly when it comes to processed food, which much of it is found at the local grocery store, is not necessarily safe for various reasons. Is the Government looking out for us? Not necessarily. It would be nice if they did, looking out for our highest good but they many times miss the boat and get caught up in what the corporations want (profits at any cost), not what the people truthfully need to be healthy and have a healthy planet to live on!

Before I go any further..... I am sure that what I am saying will rattle some feathers, but that is OK, sometimes this is needed to happen in order to wake up the consciousness of the people to have a healthier and more loving mode of action to take place! The current ways are causing many problems with the health of the Earth and its inhabitants.

Again, is what you are eating safe? Let's take a look at some areas that I will touch on. Firstly, a good 60% of the processed food contains GMO's or genetically modified organisms, created in a lab at a large company such as everyone's current favorite "Big Ag". The main reason they say they create these plants is to "Feed the world". Funny, everything was going pretty smoothly prior to them, why do they feel the need to do this lab work and say what they say? It is to control profits and the food supply! Within the past year, "Big Ag" admitted they want 100% control of the seed supply!!! Need I say more? Genetically engineered plants are not natural and our bodies are not designed for these foods. They are constantly being found to cause health problems with farm animals and in human consumption! I have yet to read anything positive on GMO plants unless it is generated by the corporation itself. Another issue here is cross-contamination from GMO plants to non-GMO plants which has cost many farmers 10's of thousands of dollars in crop losses and lawsuits by Monsanto. Read up on Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser and you will learn a lot. The following crops which are used widely and their percentage of genetic modification: Corn 86%, Soy 93%, Cottonseed 93%, Canola 90%, Sugar Beets 95%, Hawaiian Papaya 80% and 25,000 acres of Zucchini/Squash.

Synthetic/petroleum based herbicides, fungicides and pesticides/fertilizers

These widely used chemicals, whether for residential or farm use are quite pervasive and persistent in OUR environment. Many non-organic crops have these chemicals sprayed on them to control insects, molds/fungus and weeds. Yes, sometimes there are exceptions to the rule in an emergency situation and one of these might be needed, but typically, there are natural ways of dealing with these issues. One of the main problems with these chemicals is that they are hormone disruptors in all life forms. For example, pesticides have a structure that resembles estrogen and can get into the estrogen receptor site of a human and cause imbalances which might lead to health issues, particularly in women who are estrogen dominant! This is outside of the direct negative impact of the chemical itself. One way to keep plants healthy is to have healthy soil. The healthier the soil is using safe and natural amendments, the healthier the plants are and a better chance of them staying healthy, just like our bodies! The synthetic petroleum-based chemicals are an environmental hazard and farming cannot continue this way if we are going to have a healthy Earth, society, water, air and all forms of life! Also, synthetic fertilizers cause their own problems such as dead zones (lack of oxygen) in the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico. We need a healthier Earth! The definition of insanity is.....doing the same thing over and over and expecting the change you need or want. How can we have a better Earth if we keep poisoning it? Have you ever considered that everything is connected?

Processed foods

The ingestion of processed foods is part of an overall issue in society that is promoting ill health. Reason being, when food is processed, many of its nutrients are lost, valuable nutrition that our bodies need for good health. When vitamins and minerals are added to this processed food, they are not in a form that the body uses well and some are synthetic. All of these are considered "fractional nutrients" Our bodies are designed to recognize a vitamin or mineral in its complex form, like when you eat a fresh carrot. When we eat "whole foods", our bodies are nourished better and this increases our chances to stay healthy.

Again, as I said earlier, the issue of genetically engineered foods is unnatural to our bodies because we are not designed to ingest the altered structure. Then you add the different negative effects GMO's are having on the body's health such as sterility and disease, there are no good reasons to eat this kind of food! One thing you can do is to get to know the ingredients that are in your food. The internet should be quite helpful.

Eating food grown far from home

When you eat food that is grown in faraway states and countries, you are eating old food, not the fresh food your bodies need! Within two days after harvest, food starts to lose its nutritional value. By the time this food makes it to the grocery store, it could already be 3-5 days old. By the time it gets to the shelf, it could be 7 or more days old. Food grown in Chile can take 7-10 days to get to a U.S. port. Many foods are picked "green" or unripened so that they are ripe when they get to the store. When food is not fully ripened on the tree/vine, it never acquires the full complement of nutrients that it was meant to have to nourish our bodies. In turn, there is a deficiency already in place which gets passed on to you, the consumer! Another issue is the amount of fuel burned to transport this food from far away instead of eating locally sourced foods. This spent fuel can affect the cost of the food and can negatively affect the health of the Earth and our bodies! Also, it increases the need to drill for oil....do we really want to do that? Besides, are chemicals being sprayed at the farm or in transit? We don't know, but many times this is the case and this has various negative effects.

These are just some reasons to be more careful about what you eat, without getting too in-depth. I have spent years considering my choices and getting to know ingredients and the different forms of farming so I can empower myself with healthier decisions. The question is... what do you want for yourself? Do you value the health of the Earth and your body which are connected? Do you love yourself enough to make the effort? Just something to think about. My best suggestion, as I have stated in a previous article, if you want to be healthy, shop locally such as the Farmer's Market and grow a garden planting foods that are most commonly used, using compost and other natural amendments. This might take more time from your schedule but the value is tremendous when it comes to your health!

Bon Appetite!