Intentional Eating
I presented Intentional Eating at the recent Hearts at Home National Conference, and I have to admit I was scared.
Scared that people wouldn’t want to hear what I had to say (ignorance is bliss!).
Scared people wouldn’t be able to digest the enormity of the situation and feel that they could make change.
Scared of positioning myself as an agent of change against the machine that is processed food companies.
But thanks to you, the awesome, smart, strong and people who are trying to figure out how to feed their families, there was nothing to fear. Hundreds of women from all walks of life and levels of education on food proved to me we are collectively ready for the challenge of no longer being duped into eating antifreeze and weed killer just because we got a coupon in the mail or saw a commercial for the product on TV. Everyone easily understood and accepted that we have allowed ourselves to become a society that is brainwashed by TV commercials that say families who eat Toaster Strudels, Hamburger Helper and bottled salad dressing are the happiest families on the planet (are they not?). And those who drink soda pop and eat Cheetohs are winners (at what?). I was pleasantly affirmed that we are ready and willing to fight back.
We discussed ingredients that are harmful and hidden in processed foods.
Here is a snapshot:
MSG – Causes weight gain, brain damage, depression, headaches. Found in seasonings, broths and packaged foods.
Aspartame – A carcinogen, erodes the brain. Found in diet foods and gum.
High-fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) – Causes weight gain, tissue damage, diabetes. Found in sweets, breads, salad dressings, condiments and more.
Azodicarbonamide* – AKA yoga mat material. In breads of almost all fast food chains. Known to induce asthma.
Propelyne Glycol – AKA antifreeze. Cake mix, salad dressings, low-fat ice creams and dog food.
Food dyes* – Cause hyperactivity and brain cancer. Found in so many items, the not-so obvious ones include kids’ medicines, vitamins, pickles, muffins, salmon.
Brominated Vegetable oil* – used to stop carpets from catching fire. Sport drinks and citrus pop.
BHA & BHT – Carcinogen. Found in cereals, dehydrated potatoes, gum and plastic serveware.
It’s scary and it’s overwhelming, but it has to stop. Read the following article to see how one MIT scientist discovered that the glyphosate toxicity levels now in our foods from the use of pesticides will lead to half of our grandchildren having autism. 
We cannot sit idly by and watch this happen to our society. The food companies are not going to have a reversal in practice out of pure consciousness, and since they support the government with funding, we can also not expect radical change from the top down. We are the only ones who can change this, and we must. We can. Dollars speak. We are the ones with the purchasing power that has the strength to change the climate of America’s food.
What you can do now, today:
Stop buying foods with harmful chemicals. Understandably some habits are hard to break. But start somewhere. Change something. Small steps lead to better lifetime habits.
Make your own. Get in your kitchen and start making cleaner foods for your family. It can be breads, condiments, dinners, it’s up to you. Start somewhere, every change adds up.
Read labels. Following is one of thousands of examples that show how simply reading labels can save you from harmful chemicals. The seasoning on the left is pure MSG. The seasoning on the right is all-natural ingredients. They are in the same price category and perform the same function.
Stay tuned to our blog for information on what not to buy, recipes for delicious meals that avoid preservatives, add more antioxidants to your diet and eat intentionally!
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