Changing my mind

After all of this discussion about food, whether it is the abuse of the animals or simply how unhealthy it all is, it is changing my mind. Today I went to Wendy's and got a hamburger and even though I was starving, before I took that final bite I paused for a moment and thought where it was my meat came from, how many miles it must have traveled, how long the cow lived, how the cow died, and what was the cow feeling before and as it died. I actually looked at my burger with sorrow due to the fact that these are all questions that are unanswered. I can feel myself responding differently to foods that I know in which the animal suffered. I got disgusted looking at scrambled eggs the other day and now I know that it isn't just me who is changing. My dear friend and colleugue, Adara, has told me that she felt something similar to that. Then again I know she loves her burgers when she is hungry. I am leaning towards eating more healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables but if I do eat meat, I make sure it is organically grown.

Will this plan Benefit or worsen?

After reading Mark Brittman's article "Bad Food? Tax it, and Subsidize Vegetables" I found it quite brilliant yet risky. His idea is to tax all the unhealthy foods so that better health is increased and decreases the diseases that junk food causes. Taxing them would also generate billions of dollars annually. I found this to be very beneficial because it will benefit both the people's health and the economy. The only issue would be that it may cause conflicts between the food industry as well as the low income families. Today diseases have been increasing dramatically such as diabetes, heart attacks etc. and yet we have done nothing about it. You would think we would need to make a big change as a result but we have not. That is why Brittman has come up with this idea to discourage bad eating habits. We are suppose to be helping but it seems as if no change has been been and it feels careless to the people. If anything they are only caring about the profits being made instead of our health. But according to Brittman, this change will make a high increase in profit. If we decide to tax unhealthy junk food, would it really benefit us? or will it make a terrible commotion as in protests etc? Will it hurt the low income dramatically? or will this be the next huge beneficial change? I would say we should go for it and see what changes it can make. The more decreases we find in diseases, the better.

All this food talk is making me hungry

Just like the title says, all this food talk is making me hungry; however, after watching food Inc. a while back kind of makes me loose the appetite a bit. For quite some time I’ve been aware that our so called “farms” aren’t what we once imagined it to be but instead something more of a nightmare. Even after knowing the truth I’m still discussed and surprised each time I watch these types of documentaries. It’s quite frustrating because I want to help make a difference in the food company but at the same time that steak on my plate calls my name and I’m pretty sure you know who I will end up choosing. Like most people I know, giving up meat is just too hard of task for me, even if it’s just for a short period of time just to send a message to the meat industry. To go even further, for anyone else who is Catholic we are aware that we aren’t supposed to eat meat on Fridays because of lent but even then it’s quite tempting. If even religion can’t stop me then what can? What can possibly work for me to help make a point and still eat meat? I know that the farmers market and some places can sell you meat is an option but it still seems like quite a hassle to make into a weekly routine. Then again, stepping up to change isn’t an easy task now is it? 

Organic food better for us?

I feel as though food has gotten out of hand over the course of years with things like genetically modified food, federally regulated food, and the sustainability of that food. Nowadays most food is genetically modified so the food will grow faster and be bigger. The food that is out in the supermarkets goes through all of these processes of management. These big businesses have control over the food that is shipped out and put in the store that now its much cheaper to buy to buy the food that are made with all of these artificially ingredients than it is to buy out of the farmers market.  I wonder if organic food can feed the world and would our society be better off if organic food was cheaper and easier to come by than genetically modified food? We seen this happen recently in our school. During club’s day the school clubs were only able to sell healthy food that meet with certain requirements and as a result not much people bought food during club’s day.

Dollar menu or disaster?

Why is it that burgers and 30 fl. oz. sweet tea drinks are $1 but salads and waters cost at least $3? The way these fast food industries work is mind-boggling. Healthier foods should cost less than greasy bacon burgers, large cups of Coca-Cola and sweet teas. It's sad because at least one-quarter of American adults eat fast food everyday. Majority of times it's because they are too tired too cook or they can't afford to go to the store and buy all the food products in order to make a homemade meal. Huffington post says "About 45 percent of people in the U.S. have reported not being able to cover their basic living expenses, including food, shelter and transportation." In a way it's almost convenient to have a dollar menu for those who can scrape up enough change to buy a simple meal, but in the long run it ends up resulting in a thousand dollar hospital bill.
No one is considering that even though this "meat" may be cheaper there has to be a reason why. Just like when you go to a store there is a reason why certain things are on sale. Because these burgers, tacos, burritos, and chicken sandwiches are $1 that should raise suspicion as to how its made, what's in it, or more so how that animal is killed. Even though I understand that when these industries have Dollar menus it attracts customers, and eventually that money will add up. But what about the quality of the meat? We could or might be eating either some type of suspicious meat mixed of horse a** and cow neck or meat filled with excessive amounts of chemicals dangerous to the humankind, that could possibly cause cancer, birth defects, and other dangerous body issues. Not every one is educated about what they eat or how its created, but rather how it taste, which in my opinion, somewhat proves us to be a narrow minded nation. In order for this to stop we have to change it. There are plenty of ways. We cans simply stop eating at these fast food industries or maybe even start a food donation center for those who can't afford food. The possibilities are endless.

A Light Rant

this units essay does need lots of thinking into food. I do not think I have ever thought about food this much up until now. i mean i have thought about where has food come from but not to the point of actually researching the web daily to find more information and ideas. Good thing this week is almost over I'm quite positives most of my peers are leaving Friday which makes the due date for the final draft tomorrow April 2nd. I wanted to add about having this much work in our class, today Mrs.Fletcher shared with me the faces people make because of the work this class requires. I will not lie i did do that to, only because i really was not use to having that much work piled on me in a long time. Plus, who doesn't have senioritis? All i want to point out is the fact that college is coming up and work will become much harder for us. My fellow peers, we are surpassing the teenage life into young Adulthood which means we should not complain when Bosses or teachers give you a work load to do. Think of it as a gesture of life giving you what you can accomplish everyday. Spring break is right around the corner and we'll all have time the relax for a little while, unless you have Mr.Geddy's Video project!'

Veggie Libel Laws

This was a topic that I was going to choose for my essay until I realized that there was not much information on it, but it's perfect for a blog. Veggie Libel laws were created in order to hold meat consumers accountable for criticizing the meat companies. I think that this is the most unfair law made, and I also feel as though it does go against the first amendment. This is because we are punished for our freedom of speech. Meat companies claim that the reason we should be punished is because we are affecting their profits. Actually, if people are criticizing a meat company it is to get others to realize the different outbreaks and harmful diseases that these meat companies causes. I feel like everyone should have the right to know what they are eating, how it is being made, and what types of bacteria may or may not be infesting their meat. Activists has been trying for years and years to change this law and to get it declared unconstitutional. The problem with this is that it costs SO much money to go against these different companies, and more than often, this is what prevents so many people to fight back. Oprah was once sued for her criticism, but she had millions of dollars which is what gained her win in court.  The government should actually take a step back and look at how much these companies has affected our country physically. Simple changes can be made in order to make sure that our country is healthy and not being killed by the bacteria growing and crawling in our meat.