Inferior Foods Reign Supreme
Whole foods are the most sensible choices when it comes to
putting nutritional value on our plate.
So why would we pile on anything less?
It's a simple matter of economics. A multi-billion dollar's
worth, to be exact.
Refined foods are big industry, and draw enormous profit. When
industries are accustomed to bringing in big profits, they do
what any industry would do: protect those profits at all costs.
In addition, these profits bring power, and information can be
put forth, covered over, or otherwise manipulated to protect
that power.
Does this sound paranoid?
Think about it: big industry can invest big money. In this case,
the refined foods industry can fund a great deal of research.
Anything that is found that could reduce sales and profits is
certainly not going to be broadcast to the general public!
There is a counter-balance to this conglomerate, in the form of
a much smaller, but very valuable, independent research
contingent. Their voices strive to broadcast the message that
through their research, they have found that the increase in
disease and obesity has a direct correlation with the increased
consumption of nutritionally inferior products. These products
are put out by the refined foods industry, in the form of overly
processed, nutritionally substandard food. They are "quick and
easy", and have been stripped of their essential nutrients. The
shortage of nutrients in our daily diet leads to multiple
deficiencies, the severity of which is determined by our overall
diet. The very vitamins and minerals that are bodies require in
order to fight off illness are discarded in the processing
phase.
The good news is that as long as the deficiency hasn't caused
lasting damage, it can be reversed as soon as we begin to
incorporate those nutrients back into our diets in the form of
whole foods nutrition.
There is already a push to limit the amount of advertising that
the refined foods can do, similar to what has been done in the
tobacco industry. Most reprehensible has been the amount of
advertising that has been directed at children during
commercials between cartoons. Characters are created for the
purposes of the advertising, and these foods seem like "friends"
to the young mind, because they blend in with the characters
they are seeing in their favorite programs.
For the sake of our collective health, sweeping changes need to
be made, in the form of more research on nutrition, and focusing
on the nutritional value that our bodies can get from whole
foods eating. It has already begun, as more and more fruits,
vegetables, and grains that are common in other parts of the
world have been imported and become more familiar. Organic
products are also thriving. As people learn more about what they
put into their bodies and the effects, they are willing to make
changes in order to improve.
When the refined foods industry protects its profits "at all
costs", this includes your health. Are you willing to continue
to pay the price?