The Sad State of Our Food Industry

About nine years ago, I became outraged at the introduction of rBGH growth hormone in the US milk supply. I couldn’t believe that when my children drank their milk, they would also be getting a dose of added hormones that would eventually affect their own hormone levels. I made the decision to stop buying “hormoned” milk, as I called it, and instead found a hormone-free milk supplier. Purchasing hormone free, natural milk was more expensive but worth my peace of mind. Little did I realize back then that this one change would only be the beginning of major changes in my future food buying habits.

Over the last nine years, I have gone from buying natural, hormone free milk to purchasing completely organic milk, meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains. While we do not eat a 100% natural, organic diet, the majority of it is natural and/or organic. I began with the milk which was the most important thing to me nine years ago and slowly changed to add organic fruits and vegetables. The more I paid attention to our food industry and the practices that were taking place, the more disgusted I became thinking about the amount of chemical pesticides which are sprayed on crops and that my family was ingesting those pesticides. After the fruits and vegetables change, I also became concerned about the meat that we were eating. Especially the more I heard about mad cow disease and its association with cows being fed grain and grain that also had animal by-products in it. Cows were never meant to eat grain, and the grain sours in their stomachs. Grass fed cows store way more nutrients and healthy omega fatty acids in their body. The industrial meat supply has also been compromised by hormones and antibiotics. I eventually discovered a local source of grass-fed bison and over time it became the only red meat we purchase.

Over the years, I have been observing the changes that have come about in the US population as the people have been pumped full of antibiotics and hormones through the food supply. The misuse of antibiotics by people, along with the abuse of antibiotics in our food supply have created antibiotic resistant diseases. The extra hormones fed into the human body have caused girls to become fully developed sooner than ever and caused them to start their menstrual cycles at way too early ages. I have also observed that a great deal of boys and men are growing breasts. To me, this is such an obvious effect of men getting added doses of hormones they were never meant to absorb.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I watched an incredible documentary called Food, Inc.

This documentary is based on some books that have been written by people who have taken a hard look at the industrialized food industry and exposed the ugly truth of what is going on. As I watched the documentary, I was totally appalled that what I had guessed was happening was truly taking place and in greater detrimental extents than I had taken the time to imagine or research.

I strongly urge everyone to visit the Food, Inc. website, watch the documentary, read the books associated with it, and inform themselves of what is happening and where their food supply is coming from. It is only through the consumer being informed, outraged, and taking action that anything will change! The food industry hopes that we will all remain ignorant of what is being done to us, all in the name of giving us the “cheap” food we thoughtlessly demand. If it is dollar “cheap” food we demand, it will also be “cheap” food that we will ingest. We may think we are saving money on the food now, but we will certainly pay for it later with our ill health and medical bills.

For whatever reasons and for whatever God’s purposes are, this is one of the things I am passionate about in life. So I write about it here, hoping that this information will be of help to someone else who may come across it.

To healthy eating!