What We Eat is Killing Us?

I had a "revealing" experience watching and listening to the three TED lectures which dealt mainly on food, fast food in particular.  Mark Bittman, Ann Cooper and Jamie Oliver all presented the evil that is in junk food which is almost killing our children and polluting our environment (Bittman).  

They all used staggering statistics which literally scared the crap out of me.  In 18 minutes, 4 Americans dies of diet-related diseases.  USA is the most unhealthy nation in the world.  Diet-related illnesses are the number one killers in the nation.  Most moving is the picture of a 19-year old woman, severely obese, and has only 6 years to live.  The visuals of coffins made me just close my eyes, almost in tears.  They illustrated and presented some shocking revelations and heart-moving truths.

What is going on?  Are we slowly killing our children and this is being supported by our government? Must we just move on and take in everything that they serve us just because it is convenient?

Inspiring enough, the three speakers provide us with a clear-cut solutions which they admittedly think are "easier said than done." Cooper is adamant about schools creating a healthy menu for the lunches.  Oliver's project is to set up shop in each school where children will be taught how to cook healthy food. 

I know that junk food is not all that healthy, and I do eat it.  But after listening to them and remembering what I have learned on Fast Food Nation, I am seriously considering revamping my diet and heed to Mark Bittman's advice:  Less meat, less junk, more plants.

Three People Who Made Me Who I Am Today

Delfin, my dad –

            He has always been a man of few words.  But when he speaks, you know that his few words are direct to the point and must be heeded.  His wisdom had made me become interested in his line of work – broadcasting.  For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be like my father.  But although I did not get to be exactly like him (an engineer and radio station owner), his work ethic and focus have been deeply etched in my own persona.  He is a lot older now, but he still exudes the qualities I adored in him when I was growing up.

Cris, my husband –

            Through the almost 30 years that my husband and I have been together, I must say that he is the only person that knows me very well, sometimes too well.  Life lessons have been and still are being learned as we trek on this journey of our lives… together.

Jiggy, Joey & Jet – my sons, my life, my world.

            My sons are the most important people in my world.  In making any decision, especially life-changing ones, I have always taken their welfare as a priority.  What would benefit my sons would be the right decision.  Although they are all adults now, I still take on life’s challenges with their well-being at the forefront.

Merry Christmas II You by Mariah Carey: A Christmas CD must have

Merry Christmas II You!

Every year, I add a new CD to my Christmas collection.  I am always anticipating new songs from new talents or even remakes of classics.  It is to my pleasant surprise that Mariah Carey released a follow-up album to a great masterpiece of a Christmas album in her 1994 CD - Merry Christmas!  This new album, which dropped November 2, has topped her previous one.  Merry Christmas II You captures a soulfulness and unmistaken feeling of peace and joy -- the true spirit of the holidays.

Each song in the album is treated with a modern feel.  There are a few cuts that have struck my fancy on this album:  "Oh Santa," the carrier single, is an upbeat original that will surely be a Christmas song staple in the many years to come;  "Auld Lang Syne" has a jazzy treatment to it and really mesmerizes your listening pleasures;  "Here Comes Santa Claus Lane" just makes you want to get up and dance all the time; " O Holy Night," recorded live in 1994 (included in both albums,) captures the "soul" of the season and of the entire CD.  

The highlight of the album is her duet with her mother, Patricia Carey, "O Come All Ye Faithful/Hallelujah."  I was in awe as I listened to it.  Unbeknownst to most, Patricia's career as an opera singer gave rise to Mariah's talent.  The coming together of their melodies not only invokes sweet harmony but you can just feel the warmth of family.

This whole album encapsulates the singing prowess of Mariah Carey.  The flexibility of her voice to reach high octaves, yet pleasing and soothing, is a talent of hers that I have long admired.  This album is another testament to Carey's enduring talent and generation-defining vocals.

As the season draws near, the prospect of a recession-drilled holiday is but a reality.  Merry Christmas II You on your music list for the holidays will not fail to put smiles on your faces, rejuvenating the holiday spirit and experiencing the real message of the season.

Mariah Carey -- Oh Santa!

FFN Aftermath: Convenience vs. Conscience

           Fast Food Nation has completely made me re-think of my preference for fast food when eating out.  The new information, which I have learned from this book, made me look differently at a hamburger.  After reading Chapter 5 and onwards, I actually have not ordered a hamburger since.  Since I don’t know how to cook, I have told my husband that we must buy our ground beef and make our own patties, if we must eat burgers.  Home-cooked meals are now encouraged in my household.

            The horrendous conditions concerning high school student-workers in fast food chains and of the workers in the slaughterhouses and meatpacking companies were still vivid in my memory.  The infection of cattle and the outbreak of E. coli are conditions that should call for the government’s stricter enforcement of food safety laws.

            Our eating habits have been molded by the proliferation of the fast food restaurants.  These habits, however, have resulted in serious health risks – obesity, cancers, heart conditions, diabetes and strokes.  As I have now become aware of these issues, I am making a conscious decision to vote on any bill, proposition or measure to address them.  Come election time, I will now pay more attention to the candidates who places the fast food industry and all the concerns discussed in the book as a major component in their political agendas.

            Overall though, I still think it remains a choice.  It is up to us, adults, to protect our children from the hazards of the fast food movement.  And every choice has its consequences.

For me, it is a battle of convenience vs. conscience and I choose the latter.