Food, Naturally: Why Eat Real Food, Part II

In case you are new to the series, you can start at the beginning or the introduction.

Like I discussed last post, “experts” and “researchers” can deceive us. This is for the reason previously stated in the introduction:

“There are so many false sources out there that it can be hard to sift through them, but one of the most important things to remember is this. Do they have a political, financial, or other gain that may be obtained by making these remarks regarding what we eat?”

Most things are done and said today for the sole purpose of making money.

• Poorly-conducted studies are carried out just so companies have “proof” that their product is safe to use or consume, even if it is not (and long-term effects can never be studied quickly—which means most food products on the market today have not been tested for long-term side effects).
• Companies make claims on their packages that have never been confirmed and may even be false. Our government has made multiple laws stating what can and cannot be advertised on packaging, but there are still many things which are not yet regulated.
• Many large businesses employ lobbyists whose sole purpose is to pressure the government with the idea their product is safe, but their concern is money, not safety.
• Government officials are swayed by kickbacks or campaign funds instead of actual facts and figures done by legitimate double-blind, random, large research studies.
• Most companies hire lawyers for lawsuit-protection instead of chemists and chefs to change their “formulas”. (Real food doesn’t need a chemist or a lab.)
• Companies buy the cheapest ingredients so their foods are more profitable and then enhance the flavor with artificial ingredients and add “nutritional value” by fortifying/enriching with manmade vitamins and minerals.

If you don't believe me, read this article linked on a later Food, Naturally post.

As you can see, the consumer must always remember the old phrase “buyer beware”. We cannot and should not trust the companies making the food—their concern is profit. We cannot and should not trust the government to regulate our food—more laws means less freedom. (Big government is bad.) We must control the market ourselves by voting with our food dollars. We should buy safe, local products—real foods. We have a right to be able to speak in person to the farmer and ask questions about the products. We have a right to see where our food is grown or raised. We must demand more for ourselves and our families. And it all starts with what we are buying … it should be Food, Naturally.