Food Documentaries

I plan on watching at least 1 documentary a week and sharing my thoughts here.  What are your top 3 food documentaries?  These are some of my favorites:

King Corn-  The premise is 2 friends follow the path of a kernel of corn through planting, harvesting and distribution.  For families dealing with chemical/phenol/petro issues, this is a real eye opener.  Take a look at the trailer and tell me what you think.



Food Inc-  This film looks at the issues of corporate farming in America and the problem it's become.  This movie speaks to many unknown facts including Monsanto's soybean monopoly and the lacking USDA power in the US.



Supersize Me- Follow along as Morgan Spurlock consumes nothing but McDonalds 3 times a day for a month.  Ewww.

FDA Food Coloring Hearings Begin Today

Foods such as Jell-O, Lucky Charms cereal, and Minute Maid Lemonade that use these artificial food colors may worsen the behavior in some children, particularly children with adhd tendancies.  The FDA is considering putting warning labels on the foods that contain the artificial food coloring suspected of doing this.  Will this warning label help you with your decisions?

It will for me.  For now, I read every ingredient list and have a pretty good knowledge of what has dye in it.  Dyes like red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, and blue 1 are some of the dyes we stay away from due to sensitivities to it.  These dyes effect us in ways ranging from migraines, poor sleep, chewing on collar or shirt, behavioural impulsivity, cognitive abilities and more.  Removing the dye from my families diet has changed all of us.  I am so excited the FDA is hearing this issue this week.

Regardless of the outcome, I know, along with thousands of other parents the effect artificial colors can have on our children and can do something right now, warning label or no warning label and that is to simply refuse to buy the products with artificial color in them.

ABC News Piece on Food Dye and Hyperactivity

CSPI and FAUS have been involved in preparing for the FDA Hearings on Food Dyes later this week.  This is an article and video(s) ABC did.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/food-dyes-hyperactivity/story?id=13221478

Washington Post Article on Food Dyes

I just read a great article the Washington Post will be running tomorrow, related to the FDA hearing on food dyes coming up in a few days.  I received this from the Feingold Association.

You can see it on line already here.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-rainbow-of-food-dyes-in-our-grocery-aisles-has-a-dark-side/2011/03/21/AFyIwaYB_story.html

Speak Up For Better School Food

This is a hugely important moment in time for us. We’ve got a brilliant opportunity RIGHT NOW to get better food into schools all over America, but we really need your help. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has drafted a new set of school meal standards as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

If these new standards are passed, schools will have to begin replacing junk and processed foods with lovely fresh, whole ingredients and it will be the first time in 15 years that nutrition standards in schools have really improved1. If they aren’t passed, children all over America will be facing more years of substandard, unhealthy food in their schools. To me, that’s unacceptable.

The USDA is taking public comments on these proposed standards as we speak, so PLEASE, PLEASE click on the link below and tell them you want these changes! There are plenty of powerful food companies and groups that won’t want these standards passed because they make big money from the current system. They’ll be sending in their comments too so it’s up to all of us to stand against them and make our voices count. Please join me in doing this. It will only take a minute or two out of your day, but it could mean better lives for kids all over America.

www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda

Millions of kids all over America eat at least one meal a day at school and giving them the best nutrition possible is critical. But from what we’ve seen, nearly everything they are currently being given to eat is processed food, and this is laying down the foundations for bad health, obesity and diabetes2.

Now is our opportunity to change that. If you join us in supporting the new standards proposed by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, this is what it will mean for your kid’s meals:

• more whole FRESH fruits (no more fruit snacks);
• a wider variety of veggies;
• more healthy whole grains;
• French fries limited to once a week;
• and a reduction in the sodium, saturated fats and calories of processed food items.

We need your help to get the Food Revolution started in America – make sure the USDA hears what you have to say by submitting a comment. Thank you for taking this important first step towards getting real food on school menus and giving our kids the promise of better health.

www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda