Introducing Food Fights

I am introducing a new column on my blog called Food Fights. Food Fights recognizes that there is a direct relationship between the food we choose to eat and our health.   Food Fights purpose is to educate readers about food so healthy choices can be made for meal preparation at home.  I plan to feature recipes for healthy eating, safety warnings about foods, new products worth sampling and proposed changes in our government food policies that influence health.

The food that is in today’s grocery stores is radically different from 20 years ago.  In many ways our food supply has been corrupted over time as small private farms were purchased by large corporate agricultural entities who receive government subsidies to grow corn, soy and wheat cheaply.  The majority of big food companies have embraced genetically engineered crops, the heavy use of pesticides, adding synthetic growth hormones and antibiotics to our foods and the routine labeling of processed foods as healthy and natural.   The FDA all too often has been asleep at the wheel in its responsibilities to keep our food safe.  At the same time, the prevalence of food allergies, cancer, obesity, diabetes and autoimmune disease have all increased and most experts agree that our food supply has a major role in these health changes in our population over the last 30 years.  It is time we became informed about what foods promote good health and what foods are potentially harmful.

I liken today’s food era like the pre seatbelt era of my childhood.  Back then, we drove around in cars without seatbelts because we didn’t know there was a better choice.   In order to protect our health and our families’ health, we need to adopt a new vigilance about our food supply and use our food dollars to buy food that will not make us sick.  My intention is to devote Food Fights to let our readers know what food is more likely to be safe and healthy.