For laughs & more....

Even though there is nothing funny about how wrong these food items are for consumption, I think this experiment is notably hilarious because of the primary point it makes. Basically, its a photo journalistic journey of fast food ads versus reality. I especially like the reference to "pump cheese."
To add to the fun, I clicked onto the link on the same page for "fast food reviews" and just about peed my pants. Read the one for KFC, which consequently received a FAT "D" on its report card:
KFC - If there's anything more disgusting than biting into a piece of "fried" chicken and having half a quart of hot water (or something) roll down your chin, I don't know what it is. KFC is fuckin' grotesque. Hard, deep-fried grease shells, "water," snapping veins, people sucking marrow out of shiny bones, great sheets of animal skin hanging from the corner of glistening mouths... it's like something out of a Dean Koontz novel. This is a place for people not fully evolved to exercise their basic animal instincts, and indulge in a bloody feeding frenzy. It gives me the creeps just thinking about it. Oh sure, I'm a proud carnivore and everything, but I'm not a fucking dingo! I just experienced a full-body shiver. Shit! D
Apparently, this guy is named Jeff Kay, he lives in Pennsylvania and he is my new source of entertainment.

Google has been alerting me of postings in response to the Science Daily Article on SOY and weight loss. As an individual wary of the whole subsidized farming mess discussed by Michael Pollan in the Omnivores Dilemma, I worry that all of this reporting is just promotional junk supporting more soy farming and cheap filler ingredients in our food. As a vegan, I do eat the occasional soy product, but honestly not so often and I always choose organic.
An excerpt from the article in Science Daily:
"Injections were given three times a week for two weeks; during that time, the animals had unlimited access to food and water. Food intake was measured 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after injection, and the rats were weighed 24 and 48 hours after injection. All rats received the same amount of exercise, and all rats lost weight.

But, after the third injection, de Mejia and Vaughn noticed a significant weight loss in the group of animals that had received one of the soy hydrolysates, even though the animals hadn't changed their eating habits. In this instance, soy protein appeared to have caused weight loss not by reducing food intake but by altering the rats' metabolism."

Heck, sounds like some good results to me (sad for the rats being tested on of course), but I also investigated the companies funding this study. First, SAI Company. Check out Seiberling Associates, Inc. website for yourself and judge whether or not you think something is fishy about the fact that they work with endless dairy clientele, but they are claiming that soy (a dairy alternative) can help you lose weight. I seem to recall a recent campaign by the dairy council claiming that milk everyday can help you to lose weight. I wandered to Dale Seiberling's personal website (he is the self proclaimed CIP EVANGELIST) whatever that means. The info on the site is like another language, that of farming, etc.

The other source of funds for this research is the Illinois Soybean Association. I read through some of their site, and they are obviously ALL business! I read about a new and exciting product for the soy industry, which is a chew toy made of soy for the piglets that are being weaned...basically its supposed to provide nutrition and lessen the the stress of weaning thus "minimizing fighting." This makes me sad.
Of course, they mention the word biodiesel endlessly to act like they care about environmental issues. I am surprised to see that Disney is running its trains on biodiesel at their parks! Pretty neat.

Its sad that I feel that most research is always born of ulterior motives. I suppose being an adult, you learn what to trust and what to turn your nose up at. Just in, I read a report about the supposedly untrustworthy and sneaky Humane Society and Farm Sanctuary. The report is basically trying to accuse these groups of eliminating ALL animal products from our diets. Uh, AND.......The article makes them sound SOOO awful for demanding that people cut out animal products from their diet and that EVEN IF "Congress," Martosko continued, "could require U.S. farmers to supply every pig, chicken, duck, and cow with private rooms, daily rubdowns, video iPods, and organic meals catered by Wolfgang Puck. But even this wouldn't satisfy activists who actually believe farm animals have the 'right' not to be eaten."

I love how killing animals for food and supporting factory farming is OK, but standing up for animals and insisting that we take a look at how we abuse them is ridiculous! Really nice touch, labeling the Humane Society as "dishonest" about their goals.

I guess I am making up for lost time today.....

A Trip Down the Ai$le

My husband and I recently took a weekend trip to Carmel, California. After a day of activities, including dinner, I concluded that I needed some headache medicine and maybe a few bottles of water. Coveniently, Safeway just opened a brand new store across from our hotel! Mind you, I have not set foot in a Safeway for years because of the pathetic selection of organic produce and healthy foods in general. We were determined to scout out every aisle, in search of a late night snack without trans fats or high fructose corn syrup. There were bad guys everywhere! We slowly approach the refrigerated section with the dairy products and what was labeled as "HEALTH" in large letters over the transparent glass door. Taking a closer look, a SALE tag says "buy one get one free" but the product was already sold out! Yes, our favorite HEALTH FOOD, whipped cream (a.k.a whip-its) seemed to be out of stock. I can just imagine the decision making process taking place.
One development of note: Safeway now sells a house branded Organic line of snacks. That made me happy. I don't know where they get their produce. It probably travels a ridiculous distance to get to the store even if the product is grown nearby. The main distribution center receives all of the product from the farm or factory and then the trucks ship the food to the appropriate stores. I wonder if all of the hybrid car drivers who feel they really stick it to the man realize that the meals they eat from the neighborhood burger joint consumed as much oil to get to their plate as a HUMMER does in a month. I like that Trader Joe's makes the effort to carry organic produce at a low price. The downfall is that the grapes have to travel from Chile or some South American country to get here at a discount price. Oil is not only something we use in our cars people! It is estimated that the average american meal travels about 1500 miles to get from farm to plate. (CUESA stat) Try your best to buy as much local product as you can. You have a choice. Safeway is so depressing because they get paid to put items on their shelves. Marion Nestle's book FOOD POLITICS says that "116,000 packaged foods and beverages have been introduced since 1990, and these joined a marketplace that now contains 320,000 items competing for supermarket shelf space large enough to hold just 50,000." Big companies with big money will be choosing for you and your family. Fortunately, Whole Foods and independent stores like Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco do not accept money for product positioning. They feature local foods including delicious produce (Whole Foods even makes special signs to indicate "local product" in all departments of the store) and fresh baked breads or desserts. I am not sure I want to hear this "whole foods = whole paycheck" crap anymore. Control yourself, spend a bit more, eat a bit less. Quality food honestly is more satisfying and you actually might want to free yourself from the chains of a transfat, high fructose lifestyle. Oh, and huffers, check out that special on whipped cream in the health food section at Safeway.

Poopeye's Spinach

Now that all of the hoopla has died down, we can rationally discuss this spinach crap. In order to get to the leafy greens, we first have to digest a bit of the hunk of meat on your plate. E Coli appears oh so proudly in cow poop. Because of the horrid conditions cattle live in in America's factory farms, that sweet poop ends up in the meat once the animal visits the slaughterhouse. Don't fret, the meat is nuked to kill the harmful bacterias in the poop in the meat, instead of going through the process of cleaning up the slaughterhouse or farm conditions. You don't mind a little scat in your burger, do ya? I am bothered by the need to use every version of the word "poop" in a FOOD blog. I guess that is the whole point here. The specific E Coli featured in your salad last month evolved in the gut of the cattle. Grain fed cattle can house the E Coli much longer than grass fed. This naughty Mr. E Coli cannot live long the rumens of a grass fed cow. Big business is harming our food supply by combining too much of our nations food into one big processing nightmare. These days, 80% of US beef is slaughtered by only 4 companies, 75% of our precut salads are processed by 2 and 30% of our milk by just 1 company! Remember that salad is being washed in water likely contaminated by, once again, E Coli thriving and spreading like wildfire on farms. We need to stop and think about who we buy our food from. Local farmers markets help to put a face to the food, helping us to feel a bit more secure when we take a big bite of that apple or piece of salmon we should enjoy as fish will be extinct in 40 years apparently!? Seeing food in its raw beauty is the fun of browsing the kiosks of local farmers. They appreciate your business and dedicate their lives to providing delicious food that is healthy for you and your family. Can you say that about TYSON or HARRIS RANCH? Ugh.
I look forward to seeing the same faces week to week at the farmers market. I know exactly what stands to visit for all of my favorite items! My least favorite part is having to watch people test out the samples of everything. Standing in the way, chewing with their mouths open, saying how delicious those juicy strawberries are....all the cliche's I can muster. I think I might know why they provide those pointy, albeit harmless toothpicks for samples....hmmm.
Percentages and facts quoted from Michael Pollan's article in the New York Times, October 15, 2006.