You’re totally right—that was actually part of the point of the article. We need to wake up to how we got here before we can change. But you’re also right that we need more actionable steps we can control. First, education is power—once you start seeing through food marketing, you’ll never look at ads or labels the same way. And second, consumer demand does matter—food companies have super-thin margins, and when we stop buying toxic “foods,” they will start to listen. Some other steps to take today: -- Take 5 minutes to scan your pantry—set aside anything with seed oils, added sugar, or ingredients you can’t pronounce. -- At the grocery store, spend 5 extra minutes reading labels and comparing alternatives. -- Educate yourself on how Food is Medicine, literally. -- Check out ewg.org for food safety rankings and advocacy efforts. -- Cook one extra meal at home this week instead of eating out. -- Stock up on less processed snacks like beef jerky, organic popcorn, or simple whole foods. -- For policy change -- Support organizations pushing for better food regulations (like Nutrition Coalition), and contact your reps about banning harmful additives and improving school lunches. Change starts small, but it snowballs. Curious - what else do you think would make a big impact?
That's an unnecessary, unhelpful extreme. Why I know that? Because you'll say the same about my argument. First, pronouncing something like 'pyrimidinecarboxylic acid' just means your reading age is around 15. Second, that's one of the B vitamins, so congrats on eliminating that one there. Snappy shouldn't outweigh useful or thoughtful when it comes to writing health advice. It seems like you're just milking people for article ideas, but hey, whatever, just give me attribution. -Make (more) soups from basic ingredients instead of buying ready-made ones. Or stock of all things. Why soups specifically? Because they're more filling than solid foods; that's why they're starters in many countries or during austerity. -Set a hard weekly limit on the number of foods in plastic packages. At worst, you keep buying the same things in larger containers, so it's less plastic waste. -Get yourself an insulated food jar or thermos for homemade lunches. //I try not to edit after posting, but this one was embarrassing.or ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Curious - what else do you think would make a big impact?
I don’t think it’s horribly wrong, though I think if the median American would look at that ingredient and not know what it is or does, it’s probably not good for you. I tend to avoid it, but I’m personally realistic enough to say that if it’s 3/4 of the way down the ingredients list, it’s probably not horrible for your health. I will say that this lidt ignores added sugars. High Fructose Corn Syrup is simply a diabetes inducer. Unless it’s a fairly rare dessert, you don’t need added sugars.
You're right. I agree, especially on HFCS. But neither of us is volunteering to educate people on health or nutrition, let alone as an athlete-turned-entrepreneur. I’m no expert--just a redneck chipping away at MCAT prereqs. A literal sophomore. But I understand the need to not assume common sense on part of an average American. On health or nutrition or even basic hygiene.
Well, yeah, I think we’d mostly agree on that. But I think what I’m getting at is that if you need a background in chemistry to recognize an ingredient, it’s not a good thing. Now im realist enough not not expect a housewife in Mississippi to be able to go without storebought breads, pastas, and so on.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our small community it’s awesome when content creators engage. As you know, I’m an ally in this crusade. I have taken great steps toward a healthy lifestyle. I started with meditation (practice TM) then brought in weight training. Then I incorporated tennis (biggest impact overall), then I quit drinking back in May. This has been an eye opener. Wow. Long time Hubski users will recall what a large role alcohol played in my life! Finally, I have begun to focus on diet and sleep. I’m nowhere near perfect yet, but I’m a whole lot closer. It helps to have a spouse that has been focused on eating whole, organic foods and cooking from scratch since before we met 20+ years ago. Keep up the strong work. It’s important stuff. Oh, and welcome to Hubski! Onward!