Food Inc. - My mini review

So I have seen the movie Food Inc. about 10 times. I love it, I agree with it, and I watch it every now and then just to remind me why need to make the right choices in my food every day. HOWEVER - there is one part of the movie as I am watching it right now that is really bothering me. This is the part where the family is going through the drive through and spending about $12 on lunch for the family of 5, and then they go to the grocery store and talk about the prices for healthy foods there. While at the grocery store they are walking around saying $1.29/lb for broccoli and $0.99/lb for pears is just too expensive and they can't afford to eat healthy when candy and chips and soda are the same price or cheaper.

This is where I feel like some personal responsibility and healthy choices HAVE to come into play! Yes, I could get more calories worth of candy for $1 than I can get of fruit. But if I am eating a $0.50 pear compared to a $0.50 candy bar as a snack it is a healthier choice for the same price! No one is telling you to buy soda instead of, what, water? When I am on a $30/week food budget I know that spending $3 on a bag of lentils and a bag of rice is going to feed me longer, healthier, and more satisfying than a $3 bag of chips, or choosing a $2 carton of eggs instead of a $4 frozen pizza, that is about taking personal responsibility for my shopping choices.

I fully believe that the food industry is broken, sick, twisted, uses deceptive marketing tactics to get us to desire their artificially manufactured crap and is a major contributor to obesity and diabetes in our society. I think that the ridiculous increase in obesity over the past 50 years that goes hand in hand with the ridiculous new food creations that go further and further away from natural can't all be laid on willpower or personal failing. But, to say that you just CAN'T buy fruit because candy is cheaper just seems like a real cop out to me.

Pink Washing

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and it feels like every company has slapped a pink ribbon or pink packaging on every single product. Now, to some extent I think this is a good thing because when you are surrounded by the pink every day you can't help but have your awareness raised, maybe remember to do your self breast exam that slipped your mind last month, finally get around to scheduling that mammogram since it is in the front of your mind - important things!

However, I think it is also a time to think critically about how companies use our collective social guilt and desire to make a difference in the easiest way possible to get us to spend more money on their pink washed items. There is a great post on the Crazy, Sexy Life blog about how hypocritical it is of these cosmetics companies in particular to put out makeup items plastered pink for breast cancer awareness, but that themselves are FILLED with cancer causing chemicals! Check out the post and take a look at a few of the links to see if the cosmetics you use are in the red zone or the green zone for dangerous content.

A few of the changes I have made to try and get more unknown chemicals out of my body -
1) Stopped using shampoo and conditioner and now use just hot water, baking soda and the occasional apple cider vinegar rinse.
2) Switched to basic Ivory bar soap from the chemical filled body wash
3) Replacing cosmetics with organic and mineral based makeups as mine run out
4) Shopping with a more critical eye in general to what I am putting on and in my body
Something I know I still need to work on is my hair dye. I do dye my hair red, and I like it a real brilliant color (as opposed to the natural dishwater blond I was born with). Feria is usually my hair color brand of choice, but in a complete NON surprise it scores as some of the absolute worst on types and amounts of cancer causing chemicals. So I need to decide how I can go about changing this and still enjoy having my signature fiery hair. Any suggestions would be extremely welcome!