Enlightened

(Posted on Sat. 22nd, 2009)

I love Saturdays. I love the feeling when I wake up and realize that I don't have to log in for work or call into a conference call. The only thing on my agenda this morning was to get a cup of coffee, feed the dogs, and get Ava a bowl of Cheerios. And today, I know I had a lot of blogging to do. I know I was MIA all week--it was a very busy week. Work has become insane as we get closer to being audited by the Federal Government. But I'll save those details for another day because I have far too many other things to write about today.

I was also very preoccupied this week with cooking. Last weekend the Flynn family took a little field trip to Whole Foods and stocked up on some very healthy ingredients for some very healthy and yummy meals.

I finished the book: 'The Unhealthy Truth' in about 2 days, and boy, have I learned a lot about the food industry, agriculture and government politics! It's a fascinating, scary read that has definitely helped to open my eyes. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at food the same way.

Some key points from the book I'll share:


1. When reading statistics or results from studies regarding the safety of food products, always look to see who conducted the research and who funded the study. Many times it's the food manufacturer companies (Kraft, etc) that fund the studies, hire the scientists and oversee the results of the studies. Not a very objective point of view. These big corporations have a BIG invested interest to ensure the results of any study support their objectives (which is usually their bottom line $$$).


2. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is corrupt and is bought by big corporations. It's unbelievable to me how many individuals who have worked for food manufacturers and now work for the FDA. It's incestuous really.


3. Most corn products, diary etc. is genetically modified and filled with hormones, antibiotics, and other bad stuff like utter pus; and little studies have actually been done to see the affects of this food to our bodies. Genetically Modified food is prohibited in other countries, but not in the US. Very scary...

- If you drink milk make sure it's rBGH-free (rBGH is a growth hormone). That also applies to yogurt, cheese, etc.

- Make sure to only buy Organic chicken, and other meats to ensure you're not ingesting hormones, antibiotics, or other chemicals that the animals are given and/or ingest.

- Stay away from anything artificial (sweeteners, coloring, etc). Yellow mac n' cheese powder is all chemicals. And I used to eat that all the time!

- Buy organic fruit--otherwise too much pesticides on and in the fruit.

- Soy products are horrible for our system--yet is almost found in everything we eat. Soy has been genetically modified so much as well as peanuts, which is why so many children have peanut allergies. Again, little research has been done on the actual long-term affects to our bodies, thanks to big lobbyists from big companies. Companies refuse to actual admit publicly the real risks we take by eating so much soy.

- High fructose corn syrup--bad news. This I already knew. But it's in everything it seems...

I know it can be overwhelming to read all of that...after reading the book I certainly asked myself "so what is there left to eat?" Surprisingly, cutting out all the chemicals is pretty simple--if you're willing to carefully read labels. In other countries, their governments regulate packaging of food to include warnings regarding genetically modified foods--but not in the U.S. We're forced to have to try to understand ingredients we can't even pronounce, must less understand what they mean or how these artificial ingredients, chemicals, antibiotics affect our bodies and minds.

Having said that though--the reality is, I do have a 4 year-old that loves sweets. And I'm not going to deny her these goodies. However, these "treats" are going to be more the exception, rather than the rule. I am going to be a little more strict with what I allow her to eat because I don't want her to ingest chemicals and other stuff that could be harmful to her health.

In case you're curious, here's what we ate for dinner this past week.

Last Sunday- Grilled Pineapple and Scallops Teriyaki with rice

Monday- Organic Greens with Organic Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese

Tuesday- Mushroom and Swiss Patty Melt (Organic Ground Turkey) with Peas

Wednesday- Grilled Halibut Salad

Thursday- Sweet Italian Sausage (made with Organic Chicken) with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Last night- Red Brick Cheese and Pepperoni Pizza (Yeah, I needed to have something bad this week)!

All recipes listed above can be found on the Whole Food website.

I mentioned in one of my last posts, that I had set a goal for myself to walk at least 10 miles per week around my neighborhood. Not only did I meet that goal, I surpassed it with walking closer to 14 miles!!! And I have to say, I'm already feeling so much better. By exercising, I have slept better this week and have been able to concentrate more at work. I think the combination of eating better and exercising is really making a difference. Now the true test will be whether or not I can keep it all up!