I've been tossing and turning with the idea of vegetarianism for a couple of years now. Not being able to handle the taste of pork from the beginning, I've completely cut out pig from my diet (yes, that includes bacon). I'm trying to restrict my diet from beef, but there are days that I long for a juicy burger. Only eating poultry and seafood, I would say I'm a flexiterian (those who eat meat from time to time). It was until I watched the new documentary "Food, Inc" that I truly changed my heart on eating meat.
"Food, Inc" shared compelling statistics and gruesome reality with the public, and it radically changed my opinion on where I get my food. According to the film, almost all of the meat being farmed in America is ultimately owned by five major corporations. The companies have such a high demand for certain meat that animals are being genetically changed in order to meet the demands. For instance, chickens have changed in size from generation to generation. Since white meat is the most desired part of the bird, there is now a way to make the breast meat over twice the size of a traditional chicken in half of the amount of time. Because the chickens are growing at such a fast rate, they are no longer able to support their own body weight. Therefore, the chickens stand up to feed themselves, but after a few steps, will topple over and be essentially handicapped.
When visiting local farms, one farmer said his farm was almost shut down due to "health code violations." When the FDA tried to prove the contamination, it showed that the meat cultured from the independent farm harbored approximately 130 different types of contaminants on its meat, but compared to those in the grocery stores, the FDA found over 30,000 contaminants.
The animals are treated inhumanely and as a way to feed the demand, "meat fillers" are mixed in with beef patties across the country. Illegal immigrants are usually the ones who are putting the animals in the factories, and when it is such a disgusting job, they are the only ones who are willing to do it. The police is trying to cut down on illegal workers, but the corporations are truly to blame as they know they are hiring immigrants to do the worst jobs in America.
Buying locally from farmer's markets ensures that your food will be "filler"-free, not to mention have a healthier meat that didn't have to travel thousands of miles to feed you. "Food, Inc" also suggests cutting out meat just once a week to do your part in helping the animals live another day. We should be supporting companies who respect the animals and the people who work for the company, not just a company looking to make it rich. Also, fill up on the simplest substance of life: water. It saves you money and calories, and your body will thank you for it.
I suggest seeing "Food, Inc" if you want to see the food industry's truth. Don't blame ignorance - if you're putting it into your body, shouldn't you know where it came from? And what harm it could potentially do to your body? One story in "Food, Inc" featured a mom who lost her 4-year-old son hemorrhaging due to contaminated meat. The meat wasn't even recalled from the stores until 16 days AFTER her son died. Is eating that Big Mac truly worth it?
Also worth your time- The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, both by Michael Pollan, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver, and the documentary King Corn.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I like your blog and think it's interesting that we basically started our blogs at the same time.
Also, I SAID I would stalk you.