Are We Killing Ourselves With Convenience?

The answer to this question is most certainly a resounding yes! Each day, we turn on the TV we can see ads for new innovations. Inventions that are marketed to facilitate our lives. The car is a perfect example. For those of us who have one, it is hard to imagine life without it. Automobiles allow their drivers freedom and independence to come and go as they please. More than thirty years ago, the presence of acid rain became well documented. In some regions, entire lakes have been decimated by toxic precipitation. The effects of automobile emissions have proven extremely detrimental to our environment, such that nations around the world are trying to regulate them to slow global warming.

I remember a time when blow dryers were so trendy; you could find people with virtually no hair blow-drying their coifs every morning. And then it was discovered that asbestos was present in the linings of many dryers. Although this is no longer the case, today we can turn on the television and here about the links between asbestos and mesothelioma, a deadly disease.

Not too long ago, I was trying to convince my mother that she needed a microwave. She resisted for some time, but eventually did get one. Before I knew it, she was microwaving all kinds of things, which by that time made me uncomfortable because I had learned of the dangers. Although they are convenient, one has to be suspicious of the warning not to stand too close while they are in operation. In addition, most plastic containers, when placed inside, leach toxic chemicals into their contents so that we can then eat them!

Cellular phones were once a luxury item, but nowadays your average high school student has a wireless plan. In fact, it’s hard to imagine children without cell phones because in large part they serve as a lifeline to their parents. Still, studies have linked cell phones with brain cancer, and some researches believe cellular signals may be responsible for the disappearance of honeybees, which we definitely need for agricultural purposes. Personally, I don’t believe the honeybee theory, but I do have a theory of my own, which I will discuss shortly.

A few days ago, I was in Whole Foods buying fish. Salmon is one of my favorites, but I wanted wild caught without the presence of dyes. Out of curiosity, I asked the man behind the counter why dye was added. He pointed out another kind of fish with a brownish filet, and said that farmed salmon would be a similar color without the dye. In nature, salmon is a rich, hot pink color, and when farmed it is a brownish color of beige. Hm…

The more I learn about what we do to our foods, the less I have found I am willing to buy. Nowadays, I walk through large chain grocery stores, and see aisles and aisles of unsuitable food. I do not desire the dyes, sugars or preservatives. And while scientists are reluctant to admit it, genetically modified foods are counter-intuitive. Our bodies are designed to digest food using different enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Nevertheless, modern scientists are genetically modifying agricultural products to resist pesky insects. Question? If insects are no longer able to digest these foods, if insects no longer want to touch these foods, what benefit are they in our digestive tracts? Could the disappearance of the bees in some way be related to the emergence of these new crops?

Large corporations have chosen to manipulate our food chain in detrimental ways. As such, I have made a decision to regain control. I recently invested in a bread maker, an ice cream maker, and a juicer. Yesterday, I made my own butter to spread across home made bread.

I once read in a book that humanity would save itself only by returning to the forest. At the time, I found this statement very cryptic, but I now realize its meaning. We will save ourselves by turning away from deadly conveniences. Until I can trust what the corporations have decided I should eat, I will circumvent what they are offering by making my own bread and butters, my own ice creams and juices, and by growing as much of my own produce as I can. And just a word of advice.... I suggest you do the same.