Food Awareness

I was reading today's post --the evils of trans fat, hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated anything in foods -- on This Week for Dinner and was curious to see what sort of unhealthy food was lurking in my cupboard. I really hate how healthy-seeming food is more often than not just plain ol' bad for you. Those Fiber One Chewy Bars (shown in the photo below) claim 0g Trans Fat, but do in fact contain hydrogentated coconut oil, high maltose corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup! Yikes!
As you can see I was so concerned about my well-being that I frantically searched my cupboard for anything including the words hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, or high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients. Some foods were obviously going to be bad for me, but others I was slightly surprised. (those fiber one bars for example)

Why do we do this to ourselves? As a society we are so prone to things that are unhealthy for us because they are convenient, quick, and easy. This highly processed food that has streamlined our lives is slowly killing us. Will you stand for that?

Take a step back. Do you know where your food has come from? Do you know how many miles and how many hands it has passed through to get to your plate? This disconnect (and there is a disconnect from the environment in general in this modern society of ours) not only scares me, but saddens me as well.

I want to take steps forward. I want to reconnect with that which sustains me. I want to implement positive change in my life toward eating healthy, eating whole. This means I have to live a simpler life. {though some might say more complicated} I have to take the time to prepare my food using ingredients from whole, natural foods. I want to lessen any dependence on highly processed foods I might have.

I think without realizing it, though, I've already started taking steps. But I could do more.

Options are out there:

• Get dirty: Grow your own food.
• Support your local community: Buy fresh produce from your local Farmer's Market or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).
• Try the Eat Local Challenge for the month of September.
• Consider a more vegetarian diet. Flexetarianism is cool! Plus you can't go wrong with a diet based mostly on vegetables and other naturally grown things.
  

Now that I've rid these unnatural foods from my cupboard, how do I rid them from body?! A cleanse is called for!