Food Inc.

supergrover · Guru

RE: Food Inc.

daisy · Guru

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

daisy · Guru

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

right on. we all need to eat better and exercise, regardless of the scale. my incentive is often low because i dont have those tangible goals (like "i want to lose 10 lbs by next year") and it's hard bc you cant quantify the health benefits the way you can quantify pounds lost, making positive reinforcement low -- but seriously every single person needs to make the effort.

how did you go about finding a local farm? i googled it recently and didnt come up with much, though i'm sure there are plenty around here...did you talk to people? or find everything online? everyone i know in the NYC area who is doing local farm stuff is a vegetarian and not looking for beef and poultry sources.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

daisy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

right on. we all need to eat better and exercise, regardless of the scale. my incentive is often low because i dont have those tangible goals (like "i want to lose 10 lbs by next year") and it's hard bc you cant quantify the health benefits the way you can quantify pounds lost, making positive reinforcement low -- but seriously every single person needs to make the effort.

how did you go about finding a local farm? i googled it recently and didnt come up with much, though i'm sure there are plenty around here...did you talk to people? or find everything online? everyone i know in the NYC area who is doing local farm stuff is a vegetarian and not looking for beef and poultry sources.

I did google grass fed farms first and then had some names. I then asked a friend who gets her meat from a local farm and also her produce. She pays like a set fee per year or something and gets all the seasonal produce. Then she buys her meat from another farm.

I am sure there is one around. I can ask my boss. He used to live in NYC and he is a total granola guy :) He has a brother who lives in NY still. Maybe they have a direction I can point you in. It really is not a ton more. I mean it is more, but the price I feel you pay to buy cheaper product gets you in the end.

It is alarming to me how the food industry has changed and how we as a nation do not see it.

daisy · Guru

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

right on. we all need to eat better and exercise, regardless of the scale. my incentive is often low because i dont have those tangible goals (like "i want to lose 10 lbs by next year") and it's hard bc you cant quantify the health benefits the way you can quantify pounds lost, making positive reinforcement low -- but seriously every single person needs to make the effort.

how did you go about finding a local farm? i googled it recently and didnt come up with much, though i'm sure there are plenty around here...did you talk to people? or find everything online? everyone i know in the NYC area who is doing local farm stuff is a vegetarian and not looking for beef and poultry sources.

I did google grass fed farms first and then had some names. I then asked a friend who gets her meat from a local farm and also her produce. She pays like a set fee per year or something and gets all the seasonal produce. Then she buys her meat from another farm.

I am sure there is one around. I can ask my boss. He used to live in NYC and he is a total granola guy :) He has a brother who lives in NY still. Maybe they have a direction I can point you in. It really is not a ton more. I mean it is more, but the price I feel you pay to buy cheaper product gets you in the end.

It is alarming to me how the food industry has changed and how we as a nation do not see it.

i'm finding some stuff now. i'm looking at one now that sells grass fed beef for $7.99 a lb, which is only a dollar more than trader joe's (which is veggie fed, ie, probably corn).

i'm totally in. need to check a few more places out, and like you, i'd like to go visit. i think the kids would get a TON out of that, since we do not live in an agricultural place in the slightest. they've only ever seen a farm on tv.

sbucking · Guru

daisy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

right on. we all need to eat better and exercise, regardless of the scale. my incentive is often low because i dont have those tangible goals (like "i want to lose 10 lbs by next year") and it's hard bc you cant quantify the health benefits the way you can quantify pounds lost, making positive reinforcement low -- but seriously every single person needs to make the effort.

how did you go about finding a local farm? i googled it recently and didnt come up with much, though i'm sure there are plenty around here...did you talk to people? or find everything online? everyone i know in the NYC area who is doing local farm stuff is a vegetarian and not looking for beef and poultry sources.

I did google grass fed farms first and then had some names. I then asked a friend who gets her meat from a local farm and also her produce. She pays like a set fee per year or something and gets all the seasonal produce. Then she buys her meat from another farm.

I am sure there is one around. I can ask my boss. He used to live in NYC and he is a total granola guy :) He has a brother who lives in NY still. Maybe they have a direction I can point you in. It really is not a ton more. I mean it is more, but the price I feel you pay to buy cheaper product gets you in the end.

It is alarming to me how the food industry has changed and how we as a nation do not see it.

i'm finding some stuff now. i'm looking at one now that sells grass fed beef for $7.99 a lb, which is only a dollar more than trader joe's (which is veggie fed, ie, probably corn).
i'm totally in. need to check a few more places out, and like you, i'd like to go visit. i think the kids would get a TON out of that, since we do not live in an agricultural place in the slightest. they've only ever seen a farm on tv.

7.99 seems high, at least to me. We bought 1/4 of a cow this fall. Grass fed, no antibiotics or growth hormones and it was $2.69 a pound and that included the butcher's fees. I guess I can see the 7.99 if you're just buying a little though.

daisy · Guru

sbucking wrote:

7.99 seems high, at least to me. We bought 1/4 of a cow this fall. Grass fed, no antibiotics or growth hormones and it was $2.69 a pound and that included the butcher's fees. I guess I can see the 7.99 if you're just buying a little though.

oh really? thanks, that's helpful. i have no frame of reference except for what i get at the supermarket. you got it from a local farm? i need to figure this stuff out.

mctex · Guru

daisy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

right on. we all need to eat better and exercise, regardless of the scale. my incentive is often low because i dont have those tangible goals (like "i want to lose 10 lbs by next year") and it's hard bc you cant quantify the health benefits the way you can quantify pounds lost, making positive reinforcement low -- but seriously every single person needs to make the effort.

how did you go about finding a local farm? i googled it recently and didnt come up with much, though i'm sure there are plenty around here...did you talk to people? or find everything online? everyone i know in the NYC area who is doing local farm stuff is a vegetarian and not looking for beef and poultry sources.

This thread has been awesome reading. I haven't seen Food Inc yet, but I'm going to soon. And I had NO idea about radon and granite, so I'm all over testing -- that's great info. (Although after reading this, I'm a little less panicked. And yay for free tests in Texas, LOL)

I did stop here, though, because I wanted to comment on the red. I actually disagree with this -- I think there are tons of frankly more important ways to quantify progress in making oneself healthier if it's important to that individual. Like for me, while I do have pounds I'm working to lose, I am taking a much more conservative approach to weight loss than I otherwise would be because I refuse to jeopardize my health overall (as gauged by these other metrics, such as lean body mass, resting heart rate, cholesterol levels, anaerobic threshold, running mile time, progression in pilates/yoga abilities, stress and mood levels, etc.). I could've had this weight off a long time ago given some diet pills, cigarettes and a bottle of vodka (my approach from younger years, LOL), but I've worked way too hard for the fitness gains I've made overall to trade them to make the numbers on the scale move.

A healthy eating metric for someone not interested in losing weight might be nutrient intake, for example. I currently track myself on fitday.com, and they have a feature that allows you to see where you've hit for the day on the USRDA of nutrients. It was amazing to find that even with my (extensive) vitamin intake, there are a handful of nutrients that I don't hit on a frequent basis without some thought. (Potassium is a big one for me, and important given my level of activity these days.) It's also been interesting to at least anecdotally observe how my energy levels, mood and hunger seem to be at least somewhat related to whether or not I'm getting what I'm supposed to have.

Just a thought to inspire if you're looking for one, LOL! (Like I would argue that your efforts in going pthlate free is definitely a tangible metric of good health, KWIM?)

-- Edited by mctex on Saturday 6th of February 2010 08:26:20 AM

daisy · Guru

mctex wrote:

daisy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

right on. we all need to eat better and exercise, regardless of the scale. my incentive is often low because i dont have those tangible goals (like "i want to lose 10 lbs by next year") and it's hard bc you cant quantify the health benefits the way you can quantify pounds lost, making positive reinforcement low -- but seriously every single person needs to make the effort.

how did you go about finding a local farm? i googled it recently and didnt come up with much, though i'm sure there are plenty around here...did you talk to people? or find everything online? everyone i know in the NYC area who is doing local farm stuff is a vegetarian and not looking for beef and poultry sources.

This thread has been awesome reading. I haven't seen Food Inc yet, but I'm going to soon. And I had NO idea about radon and granite, so I'm all over testing -- that's great info. (Although after reading this, I'm a little less panicked. And yay for free tests in Texas, LOL)
I did stop here, though, because I wanted to comment on the red. I actually disagree with this -- I think there are tons of frankly more important ways to quantify progress in making oneself healthier if it's important to that individual. Like for me, while I do have pounds I'm working to lose, I am taking a much more conservative approach to weight loss than I otherwise would be because I refuse to jeopardize my health overall (as gauged by these other metrics, such as lean body mass, resting heart rate, cholesterol levels, anaerobic threshold, running mile time, progression in pilates/yoga abilities, stress and mood levels, etc.). I could've had this weight off a long time ago given some diet pills, cigarettes and a bottle of vodka (my approach from younger years, LOL), but I've worked way too hard for the fitness gains I've made overall to trade them to make the numbers on the scale move.
A healthy eating metric for someone not interested in losing weight might be nutrient intake, for example. I currently track myself on fitday.com, and they have a feature that allows you to see where you've hit for the day on the USRDA of nutrients. It was amazing to find that even with my (extensive) vitamin intake, there are a handful of nutrients that I don't hit on a frequent basis without some thought. (Potassium is a big one for me, and important given my level of activity these days.) It's also been interesting to at least anecdotally observe how my energy levels, mood and hunger seem to be at least somewhat related to whether or not I'm getting what I'm supposed to have.
Just a thought to inspire if you're looking for one, LOL! (Like I would argue that your efforts in going pthlate free is definitely a tangible metric of good health, KWIM?)

-- Edited by mctex on Saturday 6th of February 2010 08:26:20 AM

ah, fair enough - i'm not educated on any of the above. for me, it's been "oh wow i'm less winded at the top of the stairs!" or "oh my hamstring hurts less today" - tangible, but not quantifiable in numbers - more of a qualitative type of benefit. (which is great. dont get me wrong. but i struggle with work-out motivation so sometimes it's not enough).

i did recently have bloodwork done and was very happy with my results, and that was very encouraging.

Juni · Guru

mctex wrote:

daisy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

right on. we all need to eat better and exercise, regardless of the scale. my incentive is often low because i dont have those tangible goals (like "i want to lose 10 lbs by next year") and it's hard bc you cant quantify the health benefits the way you can quantify pounds lost, making positive reinforcement low -- but seriously every single person needs to make the effort.

how did you go about finding a local farm? i googled it recently and didnt come up with much, though i'm sure there are plenty around here...did you talk to people? or find everything online? everyone i know in the NYC area who is doing local farm stuff is a vegetarian and not looking for beef and poultry sources.

This thread has been awesome reading. I haven't seen Food Inc yet, but I'm going to soon. And I had NO idea about radon and granite, so I'm all over testing -- that's great info. (Although after reading this, I'm a little less panicked. And yay for free tests in Texas, LOL)
I did stop here, though, because I wanted to comment on the red. I actually disagree with this -- I think there are tons of frankly more important ways to quantify progress in making oneself healthier if it's important to that individual. Like for me, while I do have pounds I'm working to lose, I am taking a much more conservative approach to weight loss than I otherwise would be because I refuse to jeopardize my health overall (as gauged by these other metrics, such as lean body mass, resting heart rate, cholesterol levels, anaerobic threshold, running mile time, progression in pilates/yoga abilities, stress and mood levels, etc.). I could've had this weight off a long time ago given some diet pills, cigarettes and a bottle of vodka (my approach from younger years, LOL), but I've worked way too hard for the fitness gains I've made overall to trade them to make the numbers on the scale move.
A healthy eating metric for someone not interested in losing weight might be nutrient intake, for example. I currently track myself on fitday.com, and they have a feature that allows you to see where you've hit for the day on the USRDA of nutrients. It was amazing to find that even with my (extensive) vitamin intake, there are a handful of nutrients that I don't hit on a frequent basis without some thought. (Potassium is a big one for me, and important given my level of activity these days.) It's also been interesting to at least anecdotally observe how my energy levels, mood and hunger seem to be at least somewhat related to whether or not I'm getting what I'm supposed to have.
Just a thought to inspire if you're looking for one, LOL! (Like I would argue that your efforts in going pthlate free is definitely a tangible metric of good health, KWIM?)

-- Edited by mctex on Saturday 6th of February 2010 08:26:20 AM

On the flip side - if you had no weight to lose would you have the same motivation? I have to be honest - I wouldn't.

ETA: though I do completely agree with what you are saying and am also in a different mindset with losing weight this time. (It's not all about the weights - I am also looking at many things you are - resting HR, cholesterol, sodium, etc.) But it has only turned into that after the initial - I want to be skinny again.

-- Edited by Juni on Saturday 6th of February 2010 09:38:41 AM

Juni · Guru

I'll be honest - I'm afraid to watch this. Only because I know it will freak me out and I already want to buy local meat that is not full of antibiotics and growth hormones, etc. etc. But the only way we could even afford it (and maybe not even then) is to buy in bulk and we don't have a freezer right now to even manage that.

It's so hard. We have made such huge changes already and progress and I don't want to get down in the dumps about how the chicken we are eating now is actually terrible for us, kwim? I don't know if that's ignorance or what but that's how I feel. I do want to see it but I'm a little skeered, LOL.

daisy · Guru

Juni wrote:

I'll be honest - I'm afraid to watch this. Only because I know it will freak me out and I already want to buy local meat that is not full of antibiotics and growth hormones, etc. etc. But the only way we could even afford it (and maybe not even then) is to buy in bulk and we don't have a freezer right now to even manage that.

It's so hard. We have made such huge changes already and progress and I don't want to get down in the dumps about how the chicken we are eating now is actually terrible for us, kwim? I don't know if that's ignorance or what but that's how I feel. I do want to see it but I'm a little skeered, LOL.

seriously, if youre already aware of the issues, then it's prob not worth watching. you dont need to go totally organic, but a good first step would be just to do a hormone-free chicken. i havent seen a big difference at all between purdue and something like bell & evans. maybe a dollar.
i dont think all-organic is always worth it. but those hormones is a good place to start, even if that's all you can do.
we cant buy bulk either - space restraints and freezer restraints. you can do what you can, over time, and that's it. awareness without panic is a good balance (i havent reached that balance - i'm in a constant state of panic - LOL).

daisy · Guru

Juni wrote:

On the flip side - if you had no weight to lose would you have the same motivation? I have to be honest - I wouldn't.
ETA: though I do completely agree with what you are saying and am also in a different mindset with losing weight this time. (It's not all about the weights - I am also looking at many things you are - resting HR, cholesterol, sodium, etc.) But it has only turned into that after the initial - I want to be skinny again.

-- Edited by Juni on Saturday 6th of February 2010 09:38:41 AM

yeah that's exactly what i'm saying - the scale is a quick and easy measure of progress, and a big incentive. you can see it go up and say "ok i need to do a better job" and you can see it go down and say "i'm doing great, keep it up!!" -- now if i'm particularly winded at the top of the stairs, i can always blame it on congestion and not the failure to go running, kwim? there are more confounds when youre talking qualitative measures - a sinus infection isnt going to cause the scale to jump - and if i havent gained weight from a recent cookie binge, the ever-present vertigo is enough to keep me out of the gym.
but i hadnt thought about online nutrient counts and stuff like michelle mentioned.

daisy · Guru

Juni wrote:

I'll be honest - I'm afraid to watch this. Only because I know it will freak me out and I already want to buy local meat that is not full of antibiotics and growth hormones, etc. etc. But the only way we could even afford it (and maybe not even then) is to buy in bulk and we don't have a freezer right now to even manage that.

It's so hard. We have made such huge changes already and progress and I don't want to get down in the dumps about how the chicken we are eating now is actually terrible for us, kwim? I don't know if that's ignorance or what but that's how I feel. I do want to see it but I'm a little skeered, LOL.

by the way jen, just wanted to also mention that the movie doesnt make you feel guilty - the blame is really placed on the industry, large companies, and the government for eliminating options for most american families. on the policy level, it's worth the watch.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

Honestly, weight is very dangerous when it comes
to health, but it can mean nothing too.I know plenty of hot mom's that live a very unhealthy life. I think that it can almost be a silent killer because there are not the outward signs.

Juno, that is one of the issues they address in the movie how people who have little money will spend it on bad food because it is cheaper to feed the family. I think there are ways to eat healthy without breaking the bank. If we look at some of the things we spend money on. it becomes a choice of what is more important. I rather spend more on good quality and healthy then toys fornmy kids. To me it is a life investment. we do not have a lot of money at all. I cannot afford trips,etc. I think you are making huge changes with eating and that is step one. then after that you can look at other areas.

I think as a nation
we need to speak out and make changes. I do not think we can afford as a nation anymore to be uninformed.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

I am lmao @ me typing juno. I still cannot type well on this touch screen. Excuse my crazy posts.

mctex · Guru

Juni wrote:

mctex wrote:

daisy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

right on. we all need to eat better and exercise, regardless of the scale. my incentive is often low because i dont have those tangible goals (like "i want to lose 10 lbs by next year") and it's hard bc you cant quantify the health benefits the way you can quantify pounds lost, making positive reinforcement low -- but seriously every single person needs to make the effort.

how did you go about finding a local farm? i googled it recently and didnt come up with much, though i'm sure there are plenty around here...did you talk to people? or find everything online? everyone i know in the NYC area who is doing local farm stuff is a vegetarian and not looking for beef and poultry sources.

This thread has been awesome reading. I haven't seen Food Inc yet, but I'm going to soon. And I had NO idea about radon and granite, so I'm all over testing -- that's great info. (Although after reading this, I'm a little less panicked. And yay for free tests in Texas, LOL)
I did stop here, though, because I wanted to comment on the red. I actually disagree with this -- I think there are tons of frankly more important ways to quantify progress in making oneself healthier if it's important to that individual. Like for me, while I do have pounds I'm working to lose, I am taking a much more conservative approach to weight loss than I otherwise would be because I refuse to jeopardize my health overall (as gauged by these other metrics, such as lean body mass, resting heart rate, cholesterol levels, anaerobic threshold, running mile time, progression in pilates/yoga abilities, stress and mood levels, etc.). I could've had this weight off a long time ago given some diet pills, cigarettes and a bottle of vodka (my approach from younger years, LOL), but I've worked way too hard for the fitness gains I've made overall to trade them to make the numbers on the scale move.
A healthy eating metric for someone not interested in losing weight might be nutrient intake, for example. I currently track myself on fitday.com, and they have a feature that allows you to see where you've hit for the day on the USRDA of nutrients. It was amazing to find that even with my (extensive) vitamin intake, there are a handful of nutrients that I don't hit on a frequent basis without some thought. (Potassium is a big one for me, and important given my level of activity these days.) It's also been interesting to at least anecdotally observe how my energy levels, mood and hunger seem to be at least somewhat related to whether or not I'm getting what I'm supposed to have.
Just a thought to inspire if you're looking for one, LOL! (Like I would argue that your efforts in going pthlate free is definitely a tangible metric of good health, KWIM?)

-- Edited by mctex on Saturday 6th of February 2010 08:26:20 AM

On the flip side - if you had no weight to lose would you have the same motivation? I have to be honest - I wouldn't.
ETA: though I do completely agree with what you are saying and am also in a different mindset with losing weight this time. (It's not all about the weights - I am also looking at many things you are - resting HR, cholesterol, sodium, etc.) But it has only turned into that after the initial - I want to be skinny again.

-- Edited by Juni on Saturday 6th of February 2010 09:38:41 AM

Well, Kelly herself (sorry to put you on the spot, Kelly) said that she thought that everyone should take it seriously, and she has no weight to lose. She just said she had no ability to quantify things. Is she being honest with herself? IDK, LOL. I've never really ever been at a point where I've felt like I couldn't stand to lose a few lbs, so trying to assess what life would feel like at that point is next to impossible for me.

But if you're asking me if this is all about weight loss for me, the answer is a resounding no. What this is ultimately about for me is what kind of role model I'm being to my girls, and that has nothing to do with weight. (Although I guess if I could count on my genes to keep them thin, the sense of urgency that I instill healthy living values in them might not be so great, IDK.)

Juni · Guru

CoffeeQueen wrote:

Honestly, weight is very dangerous when it comes
to health, but it can mean nothing too.I know plenty of hot mom's that live a very unhealthy life. I think that it can almost be a silent killer because there are not the outward signs.

Juno, that is one of the issues they address in the movie how people who have little money will spend it on bad food because it is cheaper to feed the family. I think there are ways to eat healthy without breaking the bank. If we look at some of the things we spend money on. it becomes a choice of what is more important. I rather spend more on good quality and healthy then toys fornmy kids. To me it is a life investment. we do not have a lot of money at all. I cannot afford trips,etc. I think you are making huge changes with eating and that is step one. then after that you can look at other areas.

I think as a nation
we need to speak out and make changes. I do not think we can afford as a nation anymore to be uninformed.

ITA that you can actually eat healthier for about the same price as eating bad. Most people that I work with will go through drive thru - get the dollar menu stuff and they *think* it is much cheaper than actually buying and making food. It's not. I've also found since we switched to eating better that our grocery bill has not gone up.

I definitely think it's an investment - we've done so much here to eat better and I guess I don't want to watch it and feel like now what we're doing isn't even good, kwim? But I know I will end up watching it. :D (And I do think I should.)

Juni · Guru

mctex wrote:

Juni wrote:

mctex wrote:

daisy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

watched this last night. it was great. between this and king corn, plus the articles i read every single day, my eyes are beYOND opened.

i had no idea the diabetes rate in kids was THAT high. 1 out of 2 US minorities born since 2000?? that's NUTS.
1 in 3 US children overall? shit. that's a seriously huge problem.
i really agreed with the guy who said this has to be dealt with on a policy/governmental level. there's NO reason this food should be this cheap, and there's NO reason the govt should be subsidizing like they are.

i loved the stonyfield farm guy who said that every purchase we make is like casting a vote. that really says it all.

melissa, i'm with you on the red meat - we barely eat it anyway, but i think it's going altogether, unless i can find a local source of grass-fed. how COOL was that cattle farmer?!? i loooooved him. loved.

right, my eyes are open.

unless we address these issues our health care system will be bankrupt. I now understand how unhealthy our society is and how very few people take it for real. It pisses me off that this is allowed.

I found a local organic farm, but I have to actually check it out. You have to be careful with organic and how they are actually raised. So, that is one thing I will be doing this spring. I will be visiting it and figuring out how to order my chicken and beef.

I just watched an Oprah episode last night on diabetes. They spend more money on it then aids and cancer. They say it is the fastest growing disease. I worry because I had Gestational Diabetes. That is why I need to get this weight off and eat well. It is not about looks for me, but staying healthy for my kids.

right on. we all need to eat better and exercise, regardless of the scale. my incentive is often low because i dont have those tangible goals (like "i want to lose 10 lbs by next year") and it's hard bc you cant quantify the health benefits the way you can quantify pounds lost, making positive reinforcement low -- but seriously every single person needs to make the effort.

how did you go about finding a local farm? i googled it recently and didnt come up with much, though i'm sure there are plenty around here...did you talk to people? or find everything online? everyone i know in the NYC area who is doing local farm stuff is a vegetarian and not looking for beef and poultry sources.

This thread has been awesome reading. I haven't seen Food Inc yet, but I'm going to soon. And I had NO idea about radon and granite, so I'm all over testing -- that's great info. (Although after reading this, I'm a little less panicked. And yay for free tests in Texas, LOL)
I did stop here, though, because I wanted to comment on the red. I actually disagree with this -- I think there are tons of frankly more important ways to quantify progress in making oneself healthier if it's important to that individual. Like for me, while I do have pounds I'm working to lose, I am taking a much more conservative approach to weight loss than I otherwise would be because I refuse to jeopardize my health overall (as gauged by these other metrics, such as lean body mass, resting heart rate, cholesterol levels, anaerobic threshold, running mile time, progression in pilates/yoga abilities, stress and mood levels, etc.). I could've had this weight off a long time ago given some diet pills, cigarettes and a bottle of vodka (my approach from younger years, LOL), but I've worked way too hard for the fitness gains I've made overall to trade them to make the numbers on the scale move.
A healthy eating metric for someone not interested in losing weight might be nutrient intake, for example. I currently track myself on fitday.com, and they have a feature that allows you to see where you've hit for the day on the USRDA of nutrients. It was amazing to find that even with my (extensive) vitamin intake, there are a handful of nutrients that I don't hit on a frequent basis without some thought. (Potassium is a big one for me, and important given my level of activity these days.) It's also been interesting to at least anecdotally observe how my energy levels, mood and hunger seem to be at least somewhat related to whether or not I'm getting what I'm supposed to have.
Just a thought to inspire if you're looking for one, LOL! (Like I would argue that your efforts in going pthlate free is definitely a tangible metric of good health, KWIM?)

-- Edited by mctex on Saturday 6th of February 2010 08:26:20 AM

On the flip side - if you had no weight to lose would you have the same motivation? I have to be honest - I wouldn't.
ETA: though I do completely agree with what you are saying and am also in a different mindset with losing weight this time. (It's not all about the weights - I am also looking at many things you are - resting HR, cholesterol, sodium, etc.) But it has only turned into that after the initial - I want to be skinny again.

-- Edited by Juni on Saturday 6th of February 2010 09:38:41 AM

Well, Kelly herself (sorry to put you on the spot, Kelly) said that she thought that everyone should take it seriously, and she has no weight to lose. She just said she had no ability to quantify things. Is she being honest with herself? IDK, LOL. I've never really ever been at a point where I've felt like I couldn't stand to lose a few lbs, so trying to assess what life would feel like at that point is next to impossible for me.

But if you're asking me if this is all about weight loss for me, the answer is a resounding no. What this is ultimately about for me is what kind of role model I'm being to my girls, and that has nothing to do with weight. (Although I guess if I could count on my genes to keep them thin, the sense of urgency that I instill healthy living values in them might not be so great, IDK.)

I don't disagree with you. I just think weight is a big proponent to get people to even start looking at being healthy. When I was in college, at my thinnest, I would have thought I was healthy. Even up until this very round of losing weight I looked back at that time period. Why? Because I was the skinniest. The weight came off in a healthy way - I didn't have a car and walked everywhere. But - I ate fast food every day and I ate like a pig. I am probably healthier now and have just finally gotten that in my head, kwim?

Now that I'm in it (and I'm in it because I wanted to lose weight) it's so much more than the weight. SO much. It's amazing.