The Synthesized Food Conundrum

metalpalace

Ask a scientist from Big Food if synthesized food is fine in moderation and the scientist will say synthesized food is fine in moderation so keep buying the foods with synthesized ingredients (i.e. High Fructose Corn Syrup, Aspartame, Hydrogenated Oils etc.) and the scientist will point to evidence that shows as much. Ask almost any scientist from None Big Food incentives and the scientist will say synthesized ingredients are not good for you in any quantity and the scientist will show evidence to show as much.

So how does the average consumer, none scientist, such as myself discern and decide who's wrong and who's right? This isn't a case scenario where both sides can be right.

Both scientists will have valid factual evidence to show their claims all the while one scientist is right and the other is wrong. William Faulkner once said, “Facts and truth really don't have much to do with each other.” What that means is if someone has a bias, or in this case an incentive from Big Food and Big Pharmaceuticals, that person is more likely going to cherry pick evidence (or make up evidence) to support a pre conceived conclusion instead of being a good steward of truth without letting a personal bias or Big Food and Big Pharmaceutical incentive corrupt a conclusion.

So it comes down to the personal philosophies of the consumer. What are your personal philosophies? Are you for synthesized food where at least one enzyme has been genetically modified or are you for not removing nature from the processing of our food? Do you want real food or fake food? Do you want to live healthy or in sickness and disease? Do you want your kids to have an advantage at a good life when they grow into adults or do you want your kids to have a disadvantage at a good life that follows them throughout their life?


Make it a good life and for the love of your kids give them every advantage for them to live a good life to.

Tom

Celestia

It pains me to realize that in most cases the political interests and profit margins of Big Food and Big Pharmaceuticals wins over in the interest, saftey and health of the people and the land. The BIG Food industry in the U.S. is a sensitive subject for me because I am completely appauled at the way corporations treat the food that we eat. But as a consumer the only way I can make a stand is to not use those products. I am planning to begin a M.S. Degree in Nutrition and Clinical Health Psychology so that I could help educate consumers about the dangers of synthesized foods and adopt a whole foods approach and active lifestyle.

My personal philosophy is to simply make informed decisions about what I choose to purchase. I use a bit of my own common sense and research to come to my own conclusions about synthesized chemicals in food. I read ingredient labels for HFCS, MSG, Aspartame, etc. I do not purchase these products and if I do consume a product that contains these chemicals then I use it in small amounts and with full awareness of what I'm putting into my body.

I'm experiencing a meat (factory and/or grass fed) vs. soy meat (highly processed fake meat products) conundrum myself and your post really helps me to put into perspective facts vs. truth.

Thank you for posting this, I feel this is a very important topic that is not discussed enough!

TheMaidOfAstolat

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I'm experiencing a meat (factory and/or grass fed) vs. soy meat (highly processed fake meat products) conundrum myself and your post really helps me to put into perspective facts vs. truth.

You can always eat soy...it doesn't have to be the 'meat' type (it's not the best for your health either) Eat edamame, tofu, tempeh, roasted soybeans or soy nuts (these products are close to what nature intended...not the fake meats).

BrendaLee

Everything has become political- from the food we eat, to the quality of the air we breathe. I say take back control wherever you can.

metalpalace

Celestia - You rock

themaidofastolat - I just tried edamame and tempeh for the first time last year and LOVED IT. They are a regular part of my diet now.

BrendaLee - sad but true.

We the consumers vote 3 - 5 times every day simply by what we choose to eat. More of us need to start voting better. In what area do we have more control than this? I mean, when we vote for president it's only once every four years. When it comes to our food supply we vote several times a day! How's that for some perspective and potential empowerment if we harness it?

leavinglasvegas

But as a consumer the only way I can make a stand is to not use those products.

I agree 10000000% with this statement! The loudest protest we can make is with our money!

Laceylala

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I'm experiencing a meat (factory and/or grass fed) vs. soy meat (highly processed fake meat products) conundrum myself and your post really helps me to put into perspective facts vs. truth.

You can always eat soy...it doesn't have to be the 'meat' type (it's not the best for your health either) Eat edamame, tofu, tempeh, roasted soybeans or soy nuts (these products are close to what nature intended...not the fake meats).

...unless you are eating soybean products that are made with the company Monsanto beans. Not only are they putting farmers out of work if they aren't using their beans, their soy beans have been genetically modified to resist Round Up. What does that say about soy products made with Monsanto beans?

Pick your food battles I guess.

leavinglasvegas

I don't think you can get any soy in North America that isn't Monsanto. I think that is a shame.