Hello everyone! Today’s post is not a recipe or a dish. There will not be any pictures. I wanted to take a minute to talk about some progress that has been made recently in making our food less toxic and a step in the right direction for animals.
As some of you may know, I consider myself 90% vegan. I do not use products that test on animals. I don’t wear leather or fur or anything made from animal skin. I don’t eat meat or seafood. I don’t drink cow’s milk. I do, however, eat cheese. It is a decision I struggle with. It’s a constant battle to eliminate cheese from my diet. I’ve even posted a few recipes calling for cheese. I’ve eaten a few eggs over the years, but only eggs from the Farmer’s Market or a source where I know the chickens are treated humanely and not filled with hormones and antibiotics. I do have a hard time with eggs though. They’re a little too close to being a chicken for my liking. I gave them a shot because I read that eggs are good for women’s hormonal issues. I didn’t notice much of a difference, so eggs are back out. I’m bringing all of this up because the main reason I do not eat animals or their products or use products tested on animals is because I love animals and cannot stand for them to be mistreated. I’m not going to get into the details of how animals in the food supply chain are treated because frankly it’s devastating to me. I’ll just tell you that animals are treated as product. They are kept in cramped pens, shot up with hormones and antibiotics and who knows what else. There is nothing humane about any of it. There is fear and suffering and heartbreak. I truly believe those emotions (not to mention all the crap they inject them with) infect the meat and animal products you eat. Why would anyone condone any of this??? Why would you want to eat that??? I refuse to.
I always tell Mr. FBBQ that animals are our friends not food. We are FINALLY making a step in the right direction. I feel like we have a long way to go still, but progress is progress. Michigan passed a law requiring that all eggs sold in the state come from chickens that are cage free. This goes for California and Massachusetts as well. The law states that hens must be “free to roam unrestricted and in an environment that allows them to exhibit natural behaviors.” (Source: Michigan Department of Agriculture) This is huge! I am really hoping that we are on the way to eliminating factory farming. I hope we are on the way to treating animals as they deserve to be treated. I hope this brings about major change. There are a lot of things about food production and manufacturing in this country that I find abhorrent. The treatment of animals is number one on that list. TEAM CHICKEN!
The second point of this article is to highlight another wonderful change and a move in the right direction. The FDA has revoked authorization for the use of Red Dye #3 in food and ingested drugs. I always check the ingredients of the things I buy to eat, drink, or apply to my body. I avoid preservatives. I avoid trans fats, High Fructose Corn Syrup, artificial sweeteners, added sugars, BHA and BHT (a preservative that is meant to prevent food spoilage but instead messes with your endocrine system and hormones), and dyes. There are a whole bunch of other toxic ingredients that the FDA deems “GRAS” or Generally Recognized As Safe. Let me tell you people, that is a load of bullshit. Most of this stuff they are adding to our food and beauty products is harmful. Why do you think cancer is so rampant? I encourage you to Google information about the additives that are in our products. I also encourage you to make some changes to what you are putting in and on your bodies. So, dyes. Why? It’s a very simple answer. So food looks pretty and appealing. Which increases sales. I tell you-it’s always about the money! But these dyes cause cancer. It’s been proven in lab rats (see the paragraph above for my opinion on animal testing). And, get this, the government has known this for years! In some countries many of these toxic ingredients have been outlawed. About time the US catches up. Do the research. There’s enough information out there for a doctoral thesis. The food we eat and the products we put on and in our bodies is killing us. Remember what I said-it all comes back to the money. The food industry gets rich and Americans get sick. Where do we go? Pharmaceuticals! The drug companies get rich. It’s not a consipiracy theory. It’s not fiction. Or paranoia. Do. The. Research. You will see I’m right. Stop letting them get away with it!
I realize I’m probably not going to change your minds or your eating habits. But I do think you should be informed. I’m passionate about this stuff. I don’t understand how anyone can be ok with the way the food industry works (except for the food suppliers and pharmaceutical companies of course).
If you’d like to read more about these issues or other health issues feel free to DM me @mrsforensicbbq on Instagram. I love researching this stuff and I love being informed!