Healthy Organic Food

Yes, I'm trying to get into health and nutrition as well. I try to buy organic when I can. Frankenfoods are kind of scary, and I think especially because of the internet people are becoming more aware of the plethora of artificial chemicals Big Food put in their "food." Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens and the FDA & Big Food just don't care. Most consumers don't care either, and if they don't care Big Food won't care.

One thing is for sure. Something is wrong. Over the past century, the rate of obesity, the rate of diabetes, and the rate of heart attacks have all gone steadily up in the US. If we are so clever about medicine and nutrition, why are these rates going up and not down? No theory is correct which doesn't work in practice. Either the science is wrong, or we're allowing food producers and distributors to do things they shouldn't do, or both.

Obesity is going up all over the world, and it is going up in laboratory animals, too. Many researchers now believe that ubiquitous environmental polution is the cause of the global obesity epidemic.

By the way, "organic food" is an essentially meaningless term, and is governed by regulatory agencies who respond to the voice of those who care and take the time to show an interest--corporate food producers.

Some examples of what i mentioned in my first post:

Chemical toxins: a hypothesis to explain the global obesity epidemic.

Toxic Food Environment

The REAL Cause of the Global Obesity Epidemic. Are Toxic Chemicals Making Us Fat?

Is the obesity rate it really equal in all countries, excluding, of course, countries where people are starving?

You could do that kind of research yourself. One of the points which researchers are making, though, is that it is a global obesity epidemic. Read the first link i posted, it's just an abstract. From that abstract: This paper presents a hypothesis that the current level of human exposure to these chemicals may have damaged many of the body's natural weight-control mechanisms. Furthermore, it is posited here that these effects, together with a wide range of additional, possibly synergistic, factors may play a significant role in the worldwide obesity epidemic. [n]Global[/i] epidemic . . .

I'll read them. I promise. Right now I'm watching the Beatles 50th thing on CBS.

Just caught this, though:

"This property has already been widely exploited commercially to produce growth hormones that fatten livestock and pharmaceuticals that induce weight gain in grossly underweight patients."

This would be an argument for naturally produced foods.

Foods that boost energy levels are smart and healthy dietary choices. Dehydration, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, lack of sleep, stress, aging, and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to low energy levels. Energy boosting foods are high in protein, calcium, magnesium, fiber, natural sugars, antioxidants, and carbohydrates, which are crucial to normal metabolic functions.

Water
Stay hydrated. Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water daily. Low energy levels are attributed to dehydration.

Legumes
Black beans, chickpeas and lentils are especially good sources of fiber and protein, which sustain energy levels and maintain a healthy colon.

Whole Grains
Whole grains like bran, oatmeal, hummus, whole wheat breads, and crackers balance blood sugar levels and keep energy levels high by releasing insulin slowly.

Fruit
Fruits are a natural sugar source and also have vitamins that support a healthy immune system. Excellent choices are strawberries, bananas, blueberries, oranges, and grapes.

Protein
Foods such as peanut butter, chicken, turkey, and fish are great sources of protein. Protein is absorbed slowly so it satisfies hunger and sustains a calm mood.

Nuts
Brazilians, almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews contain magnesium, a substance that's essential for maintaining a normal heart rate. An elevated heart rate causes the body to work harder to pump blood to the tissues, leading to fatigue.

Dairy
Low fat dairy products--such as skim milk, yogurt and cottage cheese--are calcium-rich. Calcium helps to develop strong bones and muscles, and naturally feeling good ups your energy.

Edit:Moderator(link removed)

That's OK . . . i was a bit hasty because i was missing my favorite radio program of the week, "Sunday Night at the Opera."

Researchers about a decade or more ago began to notice that lab animals--rats and monkeys--were getting obese despite being on controlled diets and exercise regimes. Looking further afield, they found increasing obesity in livestock in controlled agricultural research programs. Finally, they came to the conclusion that humans and animsls right around the world were getting obese, so they set out to find an answer.

Note that this thread was started as call and response spam--i wasn't surprised to see that.

I would like to know more about this. I'll read your links.

I'd say you could find a lot by doing a search for "global obesity epidemic." There was also a good article that i dredged up for one of Bommer's threads. I'll see if i can find again, as i have the time.

I became interested in this last weekend and have been Googling the subject. Moving on from food containers to food itself, from various sources around the Internet:

Although organic foods may not be nutritionally better, they do provide reduced exposure to pesticides, hormones and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Growth hormones are given to animals, especially cattle, to help them bulk up before slaughter. Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST) is injected into cows to increase their milk production. It causes many different health problems in cows, increases the risk of antibiotic resistance in humans, and may be connected to increased rates of colon, breast, and prostate cancer. There are several other FDA approved hormones used to promote growth in cattle production. Their use in livestock may interfere with estrogen and progesterone in humans and are known to have a hand in cancer growth.

The emergence of drug-resistant viruses, such as the MRSA bacterium – a germ found in staph infections that resists antibiotics – have been connected to the practice of feeding livestock antibiotics to increase their weight. A University of Iowa study recently found a new strain of MRSA in nearly three-quarters of hogs.

Yale offers a free open course titled the Psychology of Food. Lots of fascinating research presented as well as some discussion of eating disorders. I've watched the first 8 lectures and intend on finishing the program when I get the time.

http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology/psyc-123#sessions

Lecture 2 beginning at the 19 min mark is very interesting.

http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology/psyc-123/lecture-2#ch2

Well, any food that has all ingredients that you are familiar with will be better than, say, Chef Boyardee or MacDonalds. Begin by getting more familiar with the backs of cans. Watch out for "high fructose corn syrup", "MSG" (or hydrolyzed yeast extract), or anything unpronounceable.