Do you know how your food is made?

I had the opportunity to watch a documentary called "Food Inc". It has forever changed the way I see food and the food industry. I was shocked by the mistreatment of animals and workers. The food we consume everyday has been through so much more than we thought. The average American supermarket contains approximately 47,000 different products but only a few companies control the whole food industry.

Did you know?

McDonalds is the largest purchaser of ground beef, tomatoes, lettuce and even apples.

Chicken

Learning about the life of a chicken grown to be slaughtered in a factory was sickening. These birds are genetically modified to grow and become fatter at a faster rate than how they should naturally grow. They are born in little drawers with hundreds of other chicks. 

Then they are literally dumped on a conveyor belt to be tagged and counted. They grow from a chick to a 5 and a half pound chicken in 7 weeks. Their bones and organs can't keep up with the rapid growth, so the chickens can hardly stand or even walk. Plus, if that isn't enough, people prefer white meat. So the birds are genetically engineered to have large breasts.

The whole meat company is controlled by 3-4 companies, so you might think you're buying a product by a certain company when the company is actually owned by a larger business.

Why?

The whole food industry is a complicated thing. It all comes down to money. Who has the most money? 

The fast-food industry fought not to show the public the calorie information of their products. They fought not to show people the amount of trans fat in the food they were eating. The food industry fought to prevent whether or not to reveal if the product was GMO. (foods are just starting to be labeled GMO because of a new law) The food industry even wanted to prevent having to add "origin of food" labels (AKA where the food was grown). Why? It all comes down to money. These companies don't want their consumers knowing where their food is from and what it has inside of it. Because if consumers truly knew what was going on and what they were eating those companies would lose money.

Even our fruits and vegetables have been scientifically modified.

Another thing that I found surprising about the production of fruits and vegetables was the fact that certain fruits and veggies should be eaten by season. Certain produce is not naturally in season year round. For example, tomatoes are not in season all year round. So when they aren't in season in the US the food industry will pick green tomatoes half way around the world and ripen them with a certain unnatural gas. Did you know most of the fruits and vegetables being sold to you in the US have been genetically modified from when they were seeds? They have been scientifically altered to grow larger than how they normally should.

The things they do in this food industry are outrageous. I have hardly scratched the surface on this problem and I haven't even talked about everything going on in the industry that produces red meat and pork or how they treat workers. But you can imagine how bad it all is.

What can we do about it?

There are a bunch of little things we can do. First, start supporting small, local farms. Large corporations have taken the business from small farms. Those small farms have gone bankrupt or nearly bankrupt and have had no choice but to sell to large businesses. Support small farms! 

Second, try growing a garden (even a little one). Next, buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Also, eat healthier overall and do not support fast food companies. Don't fall for those stupid advertisements that try to show you how "delicious" the food is. It's not delicious and it's isn't healthy. The food will not leave you satisfied because it doesn't have the vitamins and minerals your body really does need. Another thing you can do that will help is to try asking your school to provide healthy lunches. Last, but not least, spread the word!!! Tell people what's going on and even try finding out this research for yourself. Watch Food Inc. It's a great documentary with lots of information about the food industry in the US. But, in the end, you need to make the most of what you have. In other words, eat as healthy as you can with what you've got. And remember, we, the consumers, control this market. The companies will produce what is selling. Ask for organic and non-GMO and that's what you'll get. Have you noticed the sudden rise in organic products in the supermarket? That's because people are starting to search for those products. 

~Amanda 

Photo Credit:

1. http://www.participantmedia.com/pm-films/food-inc/

2.http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews48/food_inc_blu-ray.htm

3.http://www.ethicurean.com/2009/06/12/food-in/

4.http://www.opensecrets.org/news/assets_c/2010/11/stack-of-money-3153.html

5.http://www.yalescientific.org/2012/05/what-am-i-eating-the-infiltration-of-genetically-modified-foods/

6.http://bearingdrift.com/2013/04/30/the-virginia-small-farm-and-food-freedom-resolution/

What NOT to do in driver's ed

So, I'm taking the driving portion of driver's education this week and I've been thinking a lot about what I should and shouldn't do during the time I'll spend locked up in a white car learning about driving. Lots of "do not's" popped up in my head that would probably not be good to do during driver's ed. I thought I'd share a few with you...

If you're driving:

Do not ask your teacher to snap a picture of you driving so you can put it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Do not take your hands off the wheel and shout "Hey look! No hands!"

Do not try to purposely run over every squirrel you see.

Do not stop at the green lights. (That should be obvious.)

Do not honk frequently without motivation.

Do not shout "We're being followed!!" and accelerate violently.

If you're in the back seat:

Do not cover your mouth with duct tape and signal to the other cars you've been kidnapped.

Do not ask your teacher "Are we there yet?"

Do not play the license plate game.

Do not start singing "1,000 bottles of beer on the wall". Mostly likely the other people in the car will not join in. Actually, how about not singing anything.

Do not ask your teacher if you can stop for ice cream. They will most likely say "no".

Do not rate the driver on a scale from 1 to 10 on how well they just did something.

~Amanda

How to get a guy to like you

It feels like everywhere on the internet I see posts talking about "10 ways to make a guy fall in love with you" or "Flirty text message ideas" or "Signs that he's into you". Shut up. I don't understand why people fall into these traps. Do you even know who's giving you this "advice"? I saw one post titled "10 ways to make a guy fall in love with you" and I found the title interesting. How are you going to make a guy fall in love with you? There's really nothing you can do to make him fall in love with you. Kidnapping might work if you're really desperate!

Love and marriage has been around for decades without the "help" of stupid magazines. How did Eve survive without all of that" helpful advice" from Cosmo? How did she know Adam loved her? Well people, she knew. And, she survived without the "tips". Thousands of women have survived without those magazines, and I honestly believe they were better off without them.

Our society has turned love into a little game. They've also given little girls the wrong view of relationships. Changing yourself for a guy has become the norm. Wearing different clothes and acting a certain way is a "surefire way to get that guy to fall for you".  But let me tell you something, reading on how to make a guy fall in love with you won't help. Believe me. There aren't shortcuts and rules to the "game". Let things happen as they should and trust that God will take care of you.  

Plus, has anyone ever wondered if the reason our society's view on love is so warped is due to stupid women's magazines that say they can solve all of your problems? They say the definition of love is money. Or maybe it's looks. But, if you want to know what real love is…check out John 3:16.

~Amanda

Bad Fitness Advice

You cannot listen to everything you read. There are a lot of fitness magazines and websites out there that give you horrible advice. Just because it's in a known magazine or website does not make it valid. I wrote my own version of bad advice...it's exaggerated just a bit.

*Warning: the following content contains graphic sarcasm. Do not read if you are boring and can't take a joke.*

I'm here to show you how to loose the weight the right way. First, don't even try to exercise before you buy some really expensive clothes. We have to make sure that you at least look the part. It's going to be hard, but I know we'll get you looking like an athlete eventually. I want to see you clad in the most expensive clothes that all the celebrities are wearing (including those purses). 

 Also, those butt-toning shoes are legit. They really tone your butt, so get them if you want a body like Kim Kardashian. 

Who cares if they got sued because the shoes were apparently not working! The people that bought them obviously didn't wear them long enough. If you didn't spend at least $500 on clothes, then you're wasting you're time. You cannot workout in just anything. After you've gotten all of your clothes you have to get the most expensive gym membership you can muster. You need a gym with all of the latest machines and equipment. So now it's time to go to the gym. When you get there you have to go on every magical machine in the gym and put it on the heaviest weight. "No pain, no gain." If your legs feel like they're going to fall off, don't worry, "No pain, no gain." If you snap your ankle in two, don't worry. "No pain, no gain." Next go to the free weight area. Unless you're a girl. Girls should never touch a free weight. But, they can touch the Shake Weight (commercial below). It comes in pink, ladies!

So, if you're a guy, pick up the heaviest weight you can find and whatever you do just make the loudest groans you can so that the other innocent gym-goers know you're there. Do one rep and then slam you're weights on the floor and pound your chiseled chest like Tarzan. Good job! Go drink some Gatorade. Try to drink as much Gatorade as you can. Water doesn't have the abundance of nutrients Gatorade has.  Now go home and watch TV. Find that channel that sells all of those fitness machines that everyone thinks are lame. Get whatever comes on the screen. After you've ordered all of those amazing fitness contraptions it's time for a protein shake. Dump as much protein powder that fits in the blender and mix it with Gatorade and start chugging. Go to GNC or the place nearest you that sells diet pills and shakes. Get everything within reach. Just take it all. Do you think you can be healthy by only eating fruits and vegetables? You cannot get all the vitamins and minerals you need from simply eating fruits and vegetables. It's simply ridiculous! You need to chug that protein. And, always remember to buy things labeled "low-fat", "fat-free", and "sugar-free". Oh, and buy a few thousand boxes of those tiny 100-calorie snacks. Repeat everything you just learned everyday. And there you have it! You're on your way to a successful weight loss.

So that was my bad fitness advice. Now whatever you do...do not follow the advice above! You'll probably end up like this guy (but the only difference between you and the guy in the picture would be that you wouldn't even be able to pick up a pencil):

~Amanda

Do's and Don'ts of an Awkward Silence

An awkward silence is pretty much the death of a conversation.  Everyone just sits there scrolling through their minds for conversation topics and others just hope that someone will say something....anything. An awkward silence can be well…awkward (duh!!). But things can be done to overcome them. Next time you're caught in an awkward silence try doing of one of the following:

-Stop. Drop. And roll.
-Whisper…."make a wish."

-Ask seriously…"Do ants have feelings?"

-Bow your head. Close your eyes. Do not look up even if the other person starts talking and after a while say "Amen."

-Yell "Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!" (it's from Monsters Inc people)

-Start wheezing uncontrollably and don't explain why.

-(You must say this in a monotone voice with a completely straight face.) "Hit me with your best shot. Fire away"

What ever you do….do not do the following!

-Do not say "awkward turtle". That joke is dead so stop it.

-Don't say "awkward silence". You just made everything even more awkward dummy.

-Don't just sit there. Think of something to say!

-Do not comment on the weather. (Only use that as a last resort.)

-Do not say "Soooooo…."

I created a list of suitable and unsuitable topics for you to study. Feel free to make a copy of it and keep it handy (just in case).

Now, if all else fails just do the following.

You are now well prepared for your next awkward silence encounter. Good luck!

~Amanda

Why is Shakespeare so confusing?

Elated. I found some free poetry books on the Kindle (which probably sounds really nerdy….but hey! Whatever!)  I used to be really into reading but as I got older I stopped reading as much. One of my resolutions is to read more so this is me trying. Anyways, I got one book with some of Emily Dickinson's works, a Shakespeare book, and one that has a variety of poems from American poets. I read two pages of the Shakespeare book last night before my Kindle froze. I found it a little ironic. It was as if the poor Kindle couldn't even handle the complexity of Mr.Speare. Those two pages were so confusing, to say the least. The guy's writing is so beautiful and witty but utterly confusing. I wonder if he even understood what he was writing! Anyways, because my Kindle froze, I had to Google how to reset it and, long story short, I fell asleep. I eventually fixed it the next day. I'm a little scared of approaching Shakespeare again (for me and my Kindle's sake). I don't completely dislike him. I can handle him if I have an interpreter by my side.  If you're thinking about reading Shakespeare here are some tips:

• You might want to keep a dictionary by your side or a list of Shakespearean terms
• Read it before you go to sleep so that you fall asleep faster.
• Read. It. Slowly.
• Be prepared to spend more time reading it than you would on a regular book.

Reading Shakespeare also gets me thinking about how much speech has changed since then. Romeo, in Romeo and Juliet, says “Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.” when his eyes fall on the beautiful Juliet. People obviously do not speak like that anymore. Today's version of what that would have sounded like goes something like this... "That girl's so hot!!!!"

Wow….how lovely. Don't you think?

 Overall, Shakespeare isn't horrible, but his writing sure is confusing. Well, wish me luck and pray that my Kindle doesn't breakdown again.

~Amanda

My Love/Hate Relationship with Facebook

Having a Facebook account can have it's pros and cons. At times, the cons greatly outnumber the pros. Allow me to rephrase that: Most times, the cons greatly outnumber the pros. I've considered deleting my account and ridding myself of the addictive social-networking tool once and for all, but I just can't seem to do it. I've traveled to different places around the world and Facebook is the best thing that helps me stay connected with the people I've met on my adventures.

But nevertheless here are my pros and cons of Facebook...

Con: reading the posts where people feel the need to post every detail about their day. I love reading about every single itty-bitty detail of their "absolutely fabulous" day. (notice my sarcasm)

Pro: Facebook is the perfect tool for keeping up with friends.

Con: Game requests. I have to admit that I was terribly addicted to Farmville a few years ago. I don't know if it was the kaleidoscope of colors or the mesmerizing music that seems to hypnotize you into wanting to play it more and more and more. It's a trap! Don't fall for it! But, for those of you who have unfortunately fallen victim to the enslaving games, please don't send me requests. I don't want to be in your mafia or send you a cow for your marvelous, little farm.

Pro: Sharing my photography on Facebook is easy and all of my friends can see my pictures!

Con: Those cryptic status updates that make you want to push someone down the stairs. We've all heard those statuses that are purposely directed to one person. "I hate you for what you did." Who do you hate? Why do you hate them? Then when someone asks them what's wrong they reply simply with "I don't want to talk about it." or "Inbox me.". HA! Well, I didn't realize this was a private matter! 

Pro: Facebook reminds me of my friend's birthdays. Man...I'm so bad at remembering birthdays. Thank you Facebook!

Con: Political battles. Thank goodness the election is over because the time during and shortly after the election was pure madness. Pure madness I tell you!!! Some people think it's their job to convert people to their political party. Every argument is pretty much the same. Person A says something about politics. Person B disagrees with Person A. Person A argues back about why he/she's right. And the rest of the alphabet are watching the debate as they're glued to their computer screens eating giant tubs of popcorn.

Pro: Facebook allows me to stay connected with friends, share and view pictures, chat, and keep up with events all in one place.

Con: Anything starting with "Like if…". Grrrr…..

Pro: You can keep up with what's going on in other people's lives. I can keep up with people that are undergoing surgery so I can pray for them. I can motivate someone who's new resolution is to be more active. I can see what movies and music my friends like on their profiles.

Con: People trying to add you on Facebook that you don't even know. What gave you the impression that I want to be your friend on FB? I don't even know you! You could be a psycho serial killer who wants to brutally murder me in my sleep!  Weirdos…

Pro: You can express yourself.

My conclusion is that Facebook is the perfect tool for keeping up with friends, but it has its obvious cons! But all joking aside, I think it's clear that I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook (and I know I'm not the only one). What do you like and dislike about Facebook?

~Amanda