Not to run into any copyright issues. I pulled this image from amazon.com. Now on to my life changing moment!! After putting the girls to bed, I decided to get on netflix and started to watch Food, Inc. What an amazing movie! By the end of the movie, I was determined that I needed to make changes in my life! I will no longer buy meat from local groceries stores where sales can be great and you end up buying ten packages of meat to freeze for later. No more of that! I have truly decided to introduce more vegetables in our diets and only serve meat twice a week. I have started to go to Trader Joe's or Whole foods and only buying organic/grass fed, free range meat. Now I know that is extremely expensive..but if we only serve meat once or twice a week then its not that bad. Regardless of the cost, I truly believe that there is no harm in trying to reduce the amount of hormones and antibiotics that go into my kids bodies. Also, this is coming from a mom whose daughter has had seizures and I still dont know what causes them. We have gone through multiple neurologists and all sorts of tests and still no reason as to why I wake up on an unannounced day only to see my daughter having a seizure!..its too much for me to take.I know there are so many indian vegetarian dishes I could be making at home. My menu today includes Aloo Subzi (potatoes) and Garbanzo bean curry (Chole masala). I have started to make homemade whole wheat roti (bread). This is just a step to something better I hope.
Last night we went to the mall and my husband (who has yet to see the movie) proceeded to the food court and ended up getting Japanese Chicken Stir Fry with fried rice platters. I honestly could not even make myself take a bite. This is not like me! I usually would find an excuse to tear some Popeye Chicken up. Not this time though, I just sat there and chose not to even take a bite.
This is a new step for me and I hope this is something I treat as a lifestyle change rather just a phase. There is nothing wrong with trying to be healthy. It may take some financial sacrifices on our part, but I am determined to take this step.
Areeba, I am very skeptical of movies like this. It is equivalent of the movie about India or any other country, where all the footage is about life in slum colonies. If the food on the grocery shelves was unhelthy, it would not be allowed to be sold. To me, neither I have seen Food, Inc. but it does sound very much like a movie by either Organic food fanatics or someone who is going to financially gain from this.
ReplyDeleteYou are very well off, you can afford the organic food etc. what about the rest of the nation who could not afford to by stuff from These stores, you think they deserve to die out of contanminated meat ??
Just a thoughtm - call me skeptical
The cost of cheap food is not in the savings in real dollars that we see, it is in long term health effects. I'm not a fanatic, but I do believe that you are what you eat. We live in rural VA and are extremely lucky to have farmers all around us who are engaging in ethical food practices and are making these products available to us. So yes it is expensive compared to the meat you would buy in Shoppers, but then is it real food that you're buying? It is a different matter for people who cannot afford nutrition and it is not the point of this topic, but when you do have the choice and can afford it then why wouldn't you? This is just a question I ask myself everytime I eat, yes it is a concious decision everytime I eat out. I try to either eat vegetarian food or I eat at restaurants that have partnerships with local farmers. Luckily for us, there are tons of them in the DC area. Having read a lot about this topic (not having watched this movie), I support this research and I can tell you that it makes sense, not just from a health perspective, but also from an ecological, and economical perspective since it supports the local mom and pop farmers that were being saddled by regulations from the food processing industry, and literally driven bankrupt. This is a great trend, it helps with the local economy and with the health patterns over the long term. Great job Areeba, I hope you find more options.
ReplyDeleteAmu
Hey vinay, I appreciate your comments. Well trust me we are not well off. You know I stay home now and trust me being able to afford 6 dollar pound chicken is not cheap by any means..but I do think it is worth every effort to be healthy. We have yet to find a cause for Yasmin's seizures. My true motivation of good eating is for my girls. I have seen her being rushed into an ambulance once too many times and now I dont want to take chances with anything.
ReplyDeleteI personally dont feel the need to eat meat every day, and if I am going to serve it once or twice, then I dont mind spending extra and feeding the kids healthy meat. Just my personal preference. I am willing to not go shopping or eat out to save for good food. You really need to watch the movie.
On a last note, no I dont think anyone deserves to die from eating store bought meat. I never said that the local grocery meat causes death. I did mention that it is worth it for me to feed my kids meat that is hormone, antibiotic free..and is grass fed..Just like the way it should be! We eat too much meat so I rather eat quality meat once or at the most twice a week.
ReplyDeleteMy motivation is my kids..dont want them to eat that stuff. And this is truly a personal decision. I am not telling anyone else how and what to feed their family.
Areeba, good for you. I'm with you on this that the American food system has sold out to the capitalists and they have marginalized the quality of normal food. Sprinkle in special interests and lobbyists and this is where we are.
ReplyDeleteFood tastes better the old fashioned way, and I mean 80 yrs ago. Chickens, cows and piggies in the open eating grass. Veggies/fruits that are grown organically and naturally.
I have toyed with this idea off and on so I am very anxious to hear how it's going with you...
ReplyDeleteAreeba, I guess I went too far - My only point is that I am skeptical of movies like that...
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely nothing wrong with eating helthy....