So, I read an article the other day that said that 70-80% of the food we eat contain genetically modified ingredients.  Now, a year ago, that statement would probably been disturbing to me...however, my thoughts when I first read this was that 70-80% is probably a pretty accurate number...that correlates pretty closely with the percentage of foods that we eat that contain processed corn and soybeans. 

My first glimpse into this reality came last year after I had a friend and a family member suggest that I read Michael Pollan's book "Omnivore's Dilemma".  (Thanks Diana and Kasi!!)  The book opened my eyes as to series of events that took place with the industrialization of food over the past decade and how corn made it into almost everything we eat today.  Pollan goes into a lot of detail about the how and the why of the changes to the corn industry in particular, but I'll sum it up...government farm programs had started after WWI, with the intention of using up some excess nitrogen and helping out the farmer.  During the Nixon administration the way farmers were paid for corn changed...this led to a chain of events that got us where we are today.  It started with farms changing from diverse ecosystems, to monocultures...farmers were just growing corn...the government was buying all this corn, then needed to figure out what the heck to do with it.  So...they began to promote feeding it to our animals, putting it in our fuel, and processing the heck out of it to create hundreds of different additives, sweeteners, thickeners, etc. and added to our food.  Farmers tilled the pastures and started putting their animals in feedlots...giving them mainly a diet of corn...the animals got sick, so we started giving them antibiotics and growth hormones...etc, etc, etc.  Here's just one example of a chart that shows the correlation between the consumption of high fructose corn syrup and obesity.


Did you know that the obesity rates is 1992 in the US were approximately 35%...today we are sitting right around 65%. To me that's telling...we are in need of some drastic changes in the way we think about food. 

I think most of us have seen something similar play out in our lifetime....a group lobbies in Washington, with enough money and enough promise, they get legislation passed through congress...fast forward a couple decades, and the entire way our food is made and almost everything the American citizen is eating along with our health has completely been transformed.  Sort of makes me a little angry actually...to think that our well being has been compromised so that a handful of people can get rich. 

Now...don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of science, progression and technology, and I am by no means trying to say that industrialization of our food supply isn't warranted.  With the population in our metropolitan areas, most people don't have access to land to keep their own animals or even grow enough food to feed themselves, much less a family...however, I don't like being lied to.  And I especially don't like being manipulated by a group of people for financial gain when my health and the health of my children is suffering.  I am also not saying that the only flaw in our diets is genetically modified corn products...there's also the increased consumption of artificial fats, colors and sweeteners...the push for low fat diets and fat free foods...skim milk and margarine...all things that we have been told for years we should be eating to help control our weights and control heart disease and diabetes...but what has happened???????  What's that old saying..."The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  What we are being told isn't working...so doesn't it make the most sense to look at what has worked in the past?????   Whole food...real food...the food that your grandparents ate! 

The one thing I dislike about Pollan's book...is his dietary recommendations "Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants."...I feel like this is the same old thing we've been told for years...and it's not working!  I could go on and on about this topic...but I just want to introduce this information...let you stew on it, research it and think about it...then get into specifics in future blogs. 

So...my challenge, once again...is to dump the HFCS!!!!  For the sake of your health and the health of your family!!  There are lots of great alternatives out there...lots of people are recognizing the health concerns and a lot of companies are responding with products that are free of HFCS.  Take this small step to climbing the mountain!!!