Earth Hour

On Tuesday of this passing week, my family and I watched this movie.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.  I have known for quite some time that processed foods and fertilizers were not good for us or the environment and this past fall I read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.  It is sad what "the industry" has been able to get away with for so long.
On Wednesday I began reading the first of 3 books by Michael Pollan who is featured in the movie and actually goes into much greater detail of what is happening with food.  I also highly recommend these books.
The image below does not show his book Food Rules and I don't plan to read The Botany of Desire at this time.

For the last 2 years I have been incorporating as much organic food my budget could afford for the family.  I am lucky to have a fantastic Farmers Market that runs from April to Oct/November each year and a local co-op that features healthy products of all kinds.  This year I was able to buy a membership with a local organic CSA (community supported agriculture).  For the fee I am getting 1/2 bushel of fresh organic produce for $18.75/week.  I don't think that is a bad deal at all.  In fact, it is cheaper than what I was paying going to the Farmers Market (tho' I will continue to go for other items).  I have also just recently become aware of another CSA that supports NC farmers in general.  Unfortunately, the farm is not organic tho' the coordinator of this CSA says they do things sustainably and thoughtfully....which leaves me questioning whether to sign up for this or not.  My husband keeps going back and forth which is driving me crazy :-)
Anyway, what does this have to do with the blog?
Well-a lot in my opinion.  BFC is loaded with processed foods and lots of the WRONG kind of fats.  I have mentioned before in other posts that I have taken the sugar information from Jorge and added it to The Flat Belly Diet that I tried and liked 2 years ago.  I really appreciate the work that Amber (meandjorge.com) has put into finding low carb/high fiber food....I really want to get my hands on a package of those GG crispbreads!  Jorge doesn't really explain the science and studies that support the 15/6 ratio.  He gives plenty of video and links to support information about sugar and what it does to us but not so much the carbs and why this 15/6 ratio.  I figured out that it really needs to be about unprocessed high fiber carbs and nothing crazy with the amount.  Honestly, if we eat high fiber the bulk makes us feel full and we stop eating.  I've got the family on quinoa...rice will be the exception...even brown/wild rice.  I haven't had white rice in years.
So for Earth Hour (which here on the East Coast is 830pm) my family is going to sit and chat about Food Inc. by candle light.  I have held off having the discussion so everyone would have enough time to process what they saw and heard.  I need time to process information myself and the timing works out really well.
I am one of a family of four.  Tonight, as a family, we may agree that we are willing and wanting to eat more simply and sustainably which means eating more grains and produce and reducing our meat consumption (we already have meatless Mondays and at least one other night a week without meat).  Once we work through what meat we have in the freezer, I will only purchase organic meat.  We do not eat beef - chicken and pork primarily and some seafood occasionally (that is another discussion in and of itself!).
I encourage you to see the movie-I rented it from Netflix.  Michael Pollan's books I got from Overstock.com and I will be purchasing the movie from them as well.  Please participate in Earth Hour...we go so far as to flip all the breakers for the hour so we are truly "off the grid".