|
|
      |
| The Lounge | Champions | The Wire | Schedule | Audio | Arcade | The Top Ten | Historical | Email | Video |
|
|
|
| The Lounge | Champions | The Wire | Schedule | Audio | Arcade | The Top Ten | Historical | Email | Video |
 |
The Meat You Eat: How Corporate Farming Has Endangered Americas Food Supply
Factory Farming The big names in American agriculture would like you to believe that your strip steak, salmon filet, scrambled eggs and bacon came from healthy, happy animals raised on good, old-fashioned family farms. But, as more Americans are coming to realize, behind those perfectly cellophane-wrapped meats, bright white eggs and plastic milk gallons are tales so gruesome and downright shocking that it's a surprise Hollywood has yet to make it a movie about it. "It" is agribusiness, the term given to describe the mass production of meats, poultry, fish, eggs and milk in America today, and it's the topic of Ken Midkiff's new book, The Meat You Eat: How Corporate Farming Has Endangered America's Food Supply -- a book that absolutely every American who values their health, eats meat, believes in humanity, and/or values our environment should read! If you've never heard about the unethical conditions and extreme environmental toll of factory farms or the many unsavory and dangerous additives to mass-produced meats and animal products, then be prepared for a huge wakeup call when you read this important book. And for those who have, this book will open your eyes to the real problem at hand-large and incredibly powerful corporations who are in control of the food supply-and offer you a solution that you can really use. Unsavory Mass Farming Statistics ... Did You Know? * About 70 percent of all antibiotics and similar drugs produced in the United States are given to livestock and poultry? * Arsenic and selenium are sometimes added to livestock feed to stimulate appetite? * Sanderson Farms, a chicken plant that is ranked 24th on the EPA's list of the largest polluters in the country, and whose Web site says, "100% Chicken. Naturally," released 2,195,343 pounds of toxic wastes into neighboring waterways? * 3% of U.S. farms generate 62% of all agricultural production? * An average farmed salmon steak contains nearly 10 times more toxic PCBs than a wild salmon steak? The message of "The Meat You Eat" comes through loud and clear: Large corporations have taken over the production of food in America and, unless we get control back to the small farmers who take pride in producing healthy food from happy animals, our food supplies, our environment and our own bodies will suffer. It is quite apparent that Ken Midkiff has done extensive homework on the topic (and, as he is the Sierra Club's Clean Water Campaign Director, has access to some "insider" facts), as this book is not a "rant" but instead is supported throughout by researched insights. Here are just a few of the examples that Midkiff cites: * In McDonald County, Mississippi, where 13 million broiler chickens and hundreds of thousands of turkeys are produced, every stream is on a government "impaired water body" list. * The smells coming from one hog farm, with some 80,000 hogs, in Missouri forced many residents to buy air conditioners because they could no longer open their windows for fresh air. * School officials in an Ohio-town that's home to a chicken plant with 15 million chickens struggled just to keep flies away from students. Clearly the environment cannot take too much more of this abuse before permanent damage sets in, but if this is the damage being done to the environment, imagine the damage being done to our bodies. Animals on factory farms -- this includes cows, pigs and fish -- are not raised to provide healthy food sources ? they're raised to make the maximum amount of money possible. Maximum profit is why they are fed sub-par foods like grains, pumped full of antibiotics and hormones to fend of the diseases that fester in the large warehouses and make them grow quickly. Maximum profit is why they are raised in toxic environments full of animal wastes and chemicals, and then sometimes, as in the case of milk and some eggs, are pasteurized or heat treated to kill off dangerous pathogens (that are there in the first place because the conditions are so toxic). In the end, as Midkiff makes clear in "The Meat You Eat," the animals suffer, the environment suffers, and the health of you and your loved ones suffers. Let's Give Our Kids a Chance At this rate, it seems that factory farms will soon make family farms a thing of the past, and our children and generations to come will not have access to the clean sources of food that many of us took for granted. Farmland One of the best parts of "The Meat You Eat" is a resource section in the back to find small, sustainable farmers in your area. These are the types of farmers that the big corporations draw pictures of on their product labels; the real "family" farms that our society is forcing into extinction. There is a listing for every state. Aside from being free of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides and other chemicals, animals that are raised on pasture, or on small, sustainable farms are happier and healthier: * Factory-farmed cattle fed grains are more susceptible to E. Coli and other bacterial infections * Meat from pasture-raised animals is lower in calories and "bad" omega-6 fats and higher in "good" omega-3 and CLA fats * Eggs from poultry raised on pasture have 10% less fat, 40% more vitamin A and 400% more omega-3 * Factory-farmed animals live in highly stressful and inhumane conditions, making them predisposed to illness and food-borne pathogens No matter what your personal political affiliation, SixWise.com urges everyone to take the time to read The Meat You Eat -- it's a quick read (the chapters are even broken down into easily manageable sections titled Big Pig, Big Chicken and Big Egg, Big Milk, Big Beef and Big Fish), an important read, and one that can help lead to a positive transformation in both a big-picture and personal sense. "We have given up to the agribusiness corporations a crucial part of our responsibility as human beings and we must now think of ways to take it back." - Wendell Berry, from the Foreword From the FREE SixWise.com e-newsletter, the Web's #1 most read newsletter with original articles in all 6 areas of life leading to complete wellness.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Guerilla Health Tactics: 5 Snappy Rules For a Healthier, Happier You The subject of health care itself often seems plagued with conflicting advice, or even heated controversy. Witness the recent Cruise-Shields incident, which will doubtless occupy several chapters in future health and nutrition texts. Discover How to Grow Your Own Source of Vitamins, Fiber, Proteins, and More Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a great source ofvitamins, fiber, protein, anti-oxidants, and enzymes. A sprout isproduced when a seed starts growing into a vegetable. Cranberry Juice To The Rescue Cranberry juice was first made by American settlers in 1683. It is a love it or hate it beverage. pH and Weight Loss THE RISKNo doubt you've heard of the increasingly popular "raw food" and "whole food" diets. Why are people so interested in eating raw food or whole food? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body. What Would You Think if I said that You could Overdose on Water? You would probably think that I was writing a lot of old rubbish, but please stay with me, as I can assure you that it is very possible and there are many cases reported worldwide to back up my statement.A number of medical experts recommend that everyone should drink eight glasses of water per day, which is about two litres. Adding to Your Level of Health is the Key Here is a continuation of the light and darkness metaphor: a bucket of water. The bucket represents you. Battling Childhood Obesity through Smart Eating Finally, a positive solution regarding America's difficult and costly campaign to stem childhood obesity is emerging. For the thousands of children and their families who are currently battling with childhood obesity, this good news is long awaited. Learn About Diet Nutrition Physique Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all that difficult any longer. The truth of the matter is what should you do about your overall health and well being? If you're concerned about you weight and physique then a little different twist on things are in order. Carbohydrates - Good or Bad? Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the past few years with the advent of low carb diets, but the truth is that not all carbohydrates are "bad" and, in fact, your body needs carbs to survive.Many people mistakenly believe that eating bacon, eggs and steak will set them on the road to a thinner body with increased energy and good health, but this is not the case. Carrots : The Master Key For Healthy Living! It slows ageing, promotes healthy vision, has anti-cancer properties, increases immunity towards various chronic diseases. Yes, carrot does it all for you. Go Nuts! Nuts of all kinds (I am talking peanuts, cashews etc) have a mixed reputation. They are high in fat, but have no carbohydrates. The Skinny on Salt Salt was used long before recorded history began. One of the earliest known writings, the Chinese Png-tzao-kan-mu, mentioned more than 40 types of salt. Eat Right For A Healthy Life Our diet is an essential factor for the formation of our body. It is clearly mentioned in an Ayurvedic classic 'Charak Samhita' that consuming improper diet in improper way is the main cause of 'Disease'. The Benefits of Iodine Initially discovered as a new element in 1811 by Barnard Courtois, knowledge of this substance has come to include the host of benefits it brings to the body as an essential nutrient. For many years, getting enough iodine in the diet naturally was difficult in many geographic regions and remains so for an unfortunately high percentage of the world's population in the developing nations. Nutrition and Exercise Tips to Walk Away From Death Recently yet another super-heavyweight Iron Immortal died from a heart attack at age forty-five or thereabouts. Typically, when I read of these tragedies I search my memory banks and then write some sort of tribute. The History of the Acai Berry The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of years and not until the 1990's was it introduced to the western world. The acai berry was found to possess tremendous health properties. The Virtues of Water Did you know that much of our dry skin comes from not drinking enough water? If your skin is dehydrated, then what is drying up on the inside? The human body is over 70% water. Water is not only important for hydration, it is the primary transporter of nutrients throughout the body and is essential for proper bodily functions including elimination. The History of Ambrotose Complex Ambrotose - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of Life"The story begins with Aloe Vera. The discovery of Ambrotose really dates back to the 1980's. The Truth About Omega 3 Since Dr Basant Puri, a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer at London's Imperial College MRI unit, released his findings on Omega 3 and its effect on brain function and depression, many studies have been performed regarding the beneficial effects this fatty acid. Studies over the past two years have consistently confirmed that Omega 3, a substance lacking in today's "diet" is a key component in the brain's development and proper functioning. Foods to Fight Disease When it comes to food, we can't ignore the facts - or the science. You need a healthy diet for a healthy life.
|
Section Site Map - Submit News - Feedback - Comments - Advertise with Us Copyright 2006 Luminati Inc. All rights reserved. 
|
