There are now 4 different “types” of food. I am not talking about the silly USDA pyramid food groups, in which they still classify milk as it’s own group. There are now four actual different classifications of food as a whole and it’s more important than ever that you understand the differences.

Trying to make sense of labels, diets, and the massive amount of misleading marketing claims can cause one to give up and head for the drive through. It’s a passion of mine to dig deep into this issue and understand each ingredient and the way it found it’s way into whatever I was eating. The motivation of the huge corporations that provide us with the majority of the food we eat is profit. All responsible companies need to worry about their bottom line, but when it’s the only focus is when we are mislead.

When the mass distribution of our food began in the 50’s, the way food was grown and processed changed dramatically. Mono crops demanded more pesticides and began to destroy the soil. Preservatives and shelf stabilizers were added to ship food across the country and around the world. Nutrition for our bodies and the earth was no longer a thought. It was instead how much food can we produce and for how little money can we do it?

For so long we have been willing to accept the idea of pesticides and preservatives; it is more convenient for our lifestyles. We celebrate the .99 menus and love the fact that we can throw a granola bar into our purse and find it 6 months later and it’s still “good”. We don’t want to understand what the process of hydrogenating oils is, we are just happy that our peanut butter spreads easier. These past 50 years have caught up with us, and at this critical time the food is changing even more for the worse.

The great news is there are more and more companies everyday that truly do care about you as well as their bottom lines. The health of our bodies and the planet are their focus. To heal we need to search out and support these companies that care. But the first step is understanding what you are eating so you know just how important that is.

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