Doesn’t It Make You Mad?

Do you try to buy 100 percent juice? Do you know 100 percent juice doesn’t mean the drink is really 100 percent juice, but only contains 100 percent juice in some amount? It can also contain water, high fructose corn syrup and other sugar, artificial flavorings and artificial color—and more.

What’s really in our food? Hard to say. The FDA currently allows more than 2,000 food additives. Many of these are there to increase shelf life of mass-produced processed foods. Many “reduced-fat” foods compensate for reduced fat with added sugar (right—sugar has no fat itself, until you ingest it and it becomes fat).

The food industry knows our triggers. It knows what we like and what we want—and provides vast amounts of it. Combinations of fats, sugar and salt. Foods on the grocery store shelves and in restaurants are “designed” to be tempting, from the images and narratives on the packaging to the description on the menu. It’s almost irresistible—and that’s the point.

Our food environment stimulates, and over-stimulates us. And, it’s not doing us any favors. On the contrary, it’s shortening our lives, making us sick, and adding significantly to our health care bills.

Isn’t it time for some food “rehab?” Doesn’t it make you mad? Doesn’t it make you want to say, “I don’t need this?” How about, “I don’t need to be manipulated into eating something that results in loss of control, weight gain and chronic illness. Take it away.”

Let’s put ourselves in control. What do you think?