North America is IN TROUBLE﻿
The first genetically modified food was approved in 1980, two years before my first child was born. I was aware of the research going on and was skeptical at best and decided more studies needed to be done to show that it had no adverse effects on humans. But, when Monsanto brought out Roundup and Roundup ready seeds that were patented, I knew there was something drastically wrong. When farmers could no longer save their seeds to replant, and became dependent on a corporation for the continuity of crops, then some one other than farmers and the general public was in control of the food chain. Control food, control people. Hunger games, here we come.
I see firsthand now the results of this domination by corporations feeding our people. As a teacher of foods, I am hoping to have a small impact on at least a few individual students, hoping to help educate them about choices and why we cannot trust the people we think are protecting us, like the corporations that supply 90% of the food.
Today I went through the cafeteria at lunch to take a casual observation of the type of food the students I am teaching would eat. I was shocked. Few had real food. Most had packages, plastic wrapped pseudo foods, complete with genetically modified ingredients, plus chemicals that are not helpful to the growth of a child. And to top that all off, the amount of plastic garbage created at lunch is historical! There is no recycling in the far north either, not even for mixed paper. Everything is thrown into the large bins and then transferred to a landfill.
Then after lunch, one student was drinking a 2 litre bottle of Mountain Dew pop. Mountain Dew has the highest sugar content of all pop sold in Canada. It is also one of the highest caffeine substances legally sold. It is not or should not have been a surprise to find that kids are 'wired', that is cannot sit still and do not stop talking to listen.
But who then, is truly responsible for the diet of the kids? The parents are unaware of the consequences of feeding their children diets that are unnatural, that is, until it is too late. I spoke to one mom, whose child is not well, and she only feeds him organic food and limits the intake of dairy, flour and sugar to almost nothing. Childhood diabetes is rampant here too and the answer for that is a pill or a needle. How sad!
I want to be able to help the kids understand what they eat will affect their entire lives, not just that moment, and diets of processed non-foods will and can and do change the way the body works, sometimes without the possibility of reversal. And if the food has anything to do with the reasons why girls enter puberty by age 9 and kids are 6 feet tall when they are 12 and weigh in excess of 200 pounds in elementary school, shouldn't we be concerned?
And, it is just not here, but North America is in trouble. Big trouble. What would you suggest to make a difference? Can it be stopped? Can change be made in time?
Gluten free, fat free, sugar free yeast buns in the making. And yes, they are pretty tasty, cause I ate them all by the next day!