A journalist by the name of Michael Pollan is an expert on the subject of food and appeared in the documentary. The author of Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual has shared his knowledge with many and has even appeared on The Oprah Show. I’m going to share a few of my discoveries with you now.
Poultry and Beef
Chickens are pumped full of antibiotics to be ready for slaughter in half the time nature intended. In addition, the chicken has doubled in size over the last 60 years. The chicken breast is in such high demand that the people in charge of having them produced have gone to horrific extremes to make it readily available. Look for chicken and eggs that are labeled as free-range. Free-range chickens are allowed the proper time to mature in the proper environment.
In addition, look for grass-fed beef and milk from grass-fed cows, also known as pastured dairy. God created cows with the intent that they would eat grass. Lots of times cows are fed certain feeds and hormones purely for the purpose of fattening them, making them mature quicker for slaughter, which is unhealthy for us.
Processed Foods
Basically everything you buy in the grocery store is processed. There are very few products in the store that you can buy that haven’t been put through some crazy process of creation. Even the foods low in fat are high in sugar, leading to a continued unhealthy lifestyle. The advertisers keep the truth away from you because they know if they just slap that fat-free label on the front of the package, your interest will be peaked.
Many people say that they can’t afford the actual good, healthy food. What they don’t realize is that unhealthy, processed foods will eventually lead to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, among others. You can pay more now or later when you are paying for your healthcare.
Cook for Yourself
You should cook at home, from scratch as often as you can. There are tons of restaurants out there that want to cook for you! Don’t let them. Or at least let them less often. They are going to add tons of salt, sugar, and fat that you would never dream of using. When you begin to cook for yourself with natural ingredients, you will see many changes in your life. You will feel better on so many levels.
What to Look For
Look for farmer’s markets when you can. Your local farmers are not looking to sell to mass corporations; they are just looking to sell what they’ve grown close to home. Plus, you will have the opportunity to ask the farmer directly how they grow their food.
Read labels and educate yourself. If nothing else, this post should just make you think a little about everything you bring home from the grocery store. I know there is no way we can change every habit that we have, but we can make small steps. We might not even be able to buy these specially-labeled products in our stores. I’ve started by just buying more fresh produce and less processed boxed and canned goods. As time passes, we can all slowly add more changes.
Check out the Mexican restaurant Chipotle. You can eat anything there and rest assured that it is natural and healthy. It is a fast-food chain whose creator actually cares what he is feeding to the public. I can speak from experience that their food is delicious!
A few of Pollan’s Food Rules:
1. Eat food.
2. Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
3. Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.
4. Eat only foods that will eventually rot.
5. Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.
“It’s not that hard to eat well if you’re willing to put a little more time into it, a little more thoughtfulness into it and, yes, a little bit more money.” –Michael Pollan
Use your fork up to 3 times a day to vote for what you believe in...
How crazy...A Chipotle opened in out town last night and we headed over for dinner!
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