It's been bombarding me lately. All the talk, news, buzz about ORGANIC. So I saw it as a sign to blog about it.
How important is it really? I'll tell you what. Pick up a copy of the SKINNY BITCH book by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin and you'll never want to touch anything that could remotely be considered an animal or a by-product of an animal again. That includes DAIRY people. And eggs. And fish. Of course I really got going on the book right after my egg white fritatta yesterday and a trip to Maui in which I consumed enough fish to feed a small family. Hey, when in Rome!
Anyway, back to the book. I've heard about it for a long time and even met the authors to discuss their upcoming fitness DVD's by the same title. But oddly enough, never read it. It happened to be sitting on my friend's shelf, calling my name the night prior to my departure to paradise. Looked like an easy read which is EXACTLY what you want on a vacation to Hawaii, right?
In a nutshell, they support everything I've said for the past two years or so. Plant based diets are best. However, they go into much more graphic detail about the meat and poultry industry that I can't even begin to discuss here. READ IT. It will blow your mind and keep you as far away from that section of the grocery store as you can possibly be. Granted, I didn't follow up on their accounts and sources, but just the idea of the possibility of what goes on in the ranching and farming industries, and to what extent our government goes to protect corporate interests at the expense of OUR HEALTH disgusts me. I've been bitching about it recently as well ... somehow I am paying an arm and a leg for health insurance which won't cover the doctors I see to prevent me from getting sick (i.e. holistic health practitioners like chiropractors, herbalists, meditation healers, etc.) but supports a health care system that thrives on keeping people sick and then prescribing drugs to help them 'get better'. Bullshit. I haven't been sick in about six years (aside from a nasty 24 hour stomach flu here and there) and that's because I spend the money to take care of myself. Someone reimburse me for that. Not likely.
Ok, so I've gone off on a total tangent. But it's all related. Diet and disease. It is not rocket science. You know what is good for you and what isn't. I've been saying this for years, and Rory and Kim will back me up. READ YOUR FOOD LABELS!!!! Do you know what hell "sodium acetate, red 40 or disodium inosinate" is? My spell check doesn't even recognize these words. Yet they are just three of the unfathomable ingredients in Doritos Cool Ranch "100 Calorie" mini bites. Ah yes, shit food posing as 'diet food'. Because, somehow, if it's smaller and in a little package, it's better for you. These people are smoking crack.
Sorry for the somewhat 'strong' language here. Not my usual tone, I know. But sometimes, it's the only way to go. And Rory and Kim will set your ass straight in the same way. Straightforward, direct, no b.s. I'm all about it.
And click here for another
great article on the home page of the New York Times today in the Health section. People so often confuse organic with vegetarian or vegan. NOT the same. Organic is a term reserved for HOW food is produced or grown: without pesticides, toxins, or hormones. (that's the short version of the definition!) Whereas vegan or vegetarian refers to WHAT food is or made with. Basically a plant based diet. My favorite quote from the article is this one: "If you don't eat meat at every meal, if meat becomes more of a side dish than a centerpiece, you can fill the plate with healthy organic food for about the same price." Which debunks the myth that organic always means more money.
NOT TRUE!
My recommendations? Read all you can about nutrition and health and decide for yourself. Do you REALLY want to get healthy? Do you REALLY want to have more energy and as Rory and Kim so fabulously put it, become a "Skinny Bitch"?!? Then toughen up and take the steps necessary to put you on that path. I'm not saying you have to go drastic. Start making small changes. Email me with any questions you may have. It's not about saying 'NO' to food. It's about saying 'YES' to a healthy, vibrant and happy life. Love, Live and Laugh.
Posted on
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
by Jennifer