In Good HEalth

Kathy Nichols
Have you seen “Food, Inc.”? It’s the new documentary about our
industrialized food system and its effect on our environment,
economy and workers’ rights. Michael Pollan is interviewed in the
movie, which offers a good summary of his book Omnivore’s Dilemma.
Even having read that and other similar books, I was glad I saw the
movie and found it motivating.
My favorite line from “Food, Inc.” is the reminder that we vote
three meals a day. This movie wakes us up from the complacency that
the way we eat is okay. I’ve said it here before: the way we eat is
making us sick. Our industrial food practices come at a cost and
“Food, Inc.” takes an unflinching look at those costs.
Commodity corn and soy are subsidized by the government. This
does two things: it keeps the prices artificially low and it forces
the farmers growing them to maximize yield. These practices
generate a huge surplus, which provides cheap feed for animals and
cheap ingredients for processed foods. This contributes to the
disturbing fact that junk food tends to be cheaper than fruits and
vegetables – it’s subsidized.
There are advantages to feeding surplus grains to animals: it is
cheap and it creates fast growth. It also provides huge quantities
of meat for a protein-loving culture, but to look at the true costs
we need to look at its impact on animals, environment and our
health.
Cows and pigs raised on factory farms are packed into a limited
space where there is no easy way to dispose of their ankle-deep
manure. They need antibiotics to survive their diet and confinement
— causing resistant strains of bacteria to develop. Their meat
contains more fat and more omega-6 fats (more about these next
month) – increasing our risk for heart disease, diabetes and
obesity.
Chickens used to reach full size in 70 days; now they are double
that size in just 48 days. Their organs and bones can’t sustain the
weight. Not only do we feed surplus corn to cows and chickens, but
we even feed corn to fish – including farmed tilapia and
salmon.
Back to the idea of voting with our meals. There is a great
story in the movie about Walmart, who in March of 2008, announced
that their milk would only be sourced from cows not treated with
artificial growth hormones, such as recombinant bovine somatotropin
(rbST). This was not altruistic; they did it because their shoppers
demanded it. The story shows how powerful our shopping dollars are:
we really can create change by asking for what we want. What we buy
is what our grocers stock.
I have a challenge for you: eat less meat (including poultry and
fish). Have one or two meat-free days a week. We have to be willing
to pay the farmers the true cost of food that is healthy (for us,
animals and the planet!) We can’t raise enough meat sustainably to
meet our current demand, but we can if we eat a little less. As a
bonus, if we eat less, then the extra expense doesn’t matter so
much.
For example, I buy grass fed beef, organic chicken and wild
salmon. All are significantly more expensive — but I don’t eat them
daily. Even if I pay double for grass fed hamburger, I can cut the
cost in half by eating beans and rice the next night (which is
healthy and I love). So I end up paying the same amount overall,
eating healthy, supporting the farmers and markets who offer these
choices; and it all supports sustainable agriculture.
What continually amazes and delights me is that what is healthy
for us is also what is good for the planet. We don’t have to
sacrifice our health for sustainable practices, and even the added
cost can be managed. This weekend I’m headed to a Slow Foods
100-mile dinner, celebrating our local food culture and farmers. We
are lucky to live in an area that gives us a wealth of healthy
choices. Remember to vote by supporting them! And I highly
recommend seeing “Food, Inc.”
Kathy Nichols, the Healthy Habits Coach, is enjoying great
Sonoma County farm bounty. You can reach her via www.HealthyHabitsCoach.com
. For more on Omega-6 fats and the health impact of fats check out
her new updated book: Healthy Fats: Understanding the Omega-3 and
Omega-6 Connection.