Food, Inc. Hungry For Change?

I encourage you to get your hands on the documentary Food, Inc. (a Robert Kenner Film). It is powerful information. After watching it, I felt so empowered to make more changes in our family's diet. I believe that food is medicine and that what we eat can build us up or tear our bodies down. I realize that we can't be perfect all of the time, but we can make steps in the right direction.

I am so excited to support local farmers. I want my boys to be excited about fruits and veggies and know where they come from (not too far from our house). We will be choosing to buy from farmers that use responsible growing methods. How awesome to know that the fruit/vegetables will be more nutritionally dense because they were allowed to vine ripen and were not picked weeks before they were ready so they could be shipped?

Here are 10 simple steps things you can do to change our food systems:

1. Stop drinking sodas or other sweetened beverages (drink water instead...it is better for you and it will save you money. A good goal is to try to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces a day)

2. Eat at home instead of eating out (this will save you money allowing you to buy better quality food. Also, you will know exactly what is in your food)

3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards (if we saw this, we would probably make a healthier choice)

4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks (before I stayed home with the boys, I taught at a high school and it is crazy how many sodas the students drink throughout the day)

5. Meatless Mondays-Go without meat one day a week (this will also help cut your grocery budget)

6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides (TN farmers/produce)

7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer's market (Franklin Farmers Market, Nashville Farmers Market)

8. Make a point to know where your food comes from-READ LABELS (if you are local, I would love for you to come to one of my Wellness Workshops and I will share some simple steps on reading labels, identifying harmful ingredients in food and how to eat healthier. If you are not local, I can send you a link to a webinar that will share this information. Email me and I will get it to you)

9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you

10. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections