What should we eat?

We like to consider ourselves eaters of good food. By that, I do not mean that as a family we stroll around looking for the next great steak or ice cream Sundae.  What I mean is that we try to stay conscious and aware of where our food comes from.  We strive to acquire naturally produced food; organic, sustainable, hormone and pesticide free.  By no means are we vegan or strict about our exact diet.  We do have the occasional splurge into the realm of fast food (and then quickly I remember why I stay away from those places).  If you know me, you most likely have heard about my fondness for my garden or how I love finding a local farmer with pasture fed animals (see Ahh, Meat for what I do with them).  It truly is a great feeling knowing exactly where your food came from, not just a guess at a state or country.  To be eating something that just a few short hours ago was still attached to it's root system.  Yes, at this time of year we are reminded of how yummilicious fresh can be.  I am not just speaking to that.  Some context...

Being a video production guy, I do enjoy a good documentary.  My wife can get into them as well, especially when they deal with topics that top her list of lifestyle choices.  Since signing up for Netflix a while back, we have discovered many documentaries dealing with food and the health of our nation.  They are sickening and eye opening at the same time.  What amazes me is that as a culture we blindly accept what is put in front of us, never questioning what has been done to produce the consumables on the plate in front of us.  So much of our 'food' has been beefed up with hormones, pesticides or genetically modified that I question if it really counts as food.  I see it more as a calorie rich, tickle my pleasure center, feed me more item.  


So this is the part where I insert stats about obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc. (blah blah blah, you can find your own stats).


We recently watched Forks Over Knives.  The big push from this one was to go with a plant based diet and for the most part eliminate meat.  I'm good with the plant part, but I do not see the point in completely eliminating meat from my diet.  I'm an omnivore.  I eat both.  The point that the film did not address was how has the meat been treated/produced.  In the sense of the mass produced, assembly line meat farm, yes I would give up meat.  But the real stuff, the pasture raised, let it grow on it's own GOD given time meat, that's what I do not want to give up.  


I do not know if I have expressed myself clearly enough.  The point that I want to get across is to be aware of what you are putting into your body.  The adage is true, garbage in, garbage out.  The problem is that the 'out' part may be one of your internal organs that is failing.  I am making an effort to teach my kids not only proper eating habits, but also proper eating choices.  Unfortunately, this is something that needs to be taught across this country, but the big corporations seem to have this one tied up.  The whole food pyramid thing is messed up, the school lunch program is a joke, and even the 'healthy' options at restaurants really are not.  Food, Inc. touches on some of these topics. 


So, that is my sort of rant.  I guess that when you feel passionately about something, even mildly passionate, you will go on about it.  You may debate in the comments section.


Now go eat your apple.