MY DAY: THE DELICIOUS WAR

What is wrong with America’s eating habits?  Why are holidays filled with foods we do not need? Why do doctors have to put anyone on a diet?   Have we indeed mentored and influenced the rest of the world with our fascination for “delicious” good tasting foods?  How is this war going to end?

I must admit, til the season for eating everything that is “delicious”.  Not to put a damper on your abundant dinner, but then again we should take a look at our over indulging each and every holiday season, willingly, joyously, continuously and boastfully.  Our food supply is harming our qualify of life and our “freedom” to eat whatever, whenever is literally killing us.

On every corner, every news outlet and magazine, something is there about obesity, eating habits and the ills they carry. Sugar and salt is not our friend. The meat we eat is the most hazardous in the body. Look at all the processed meats, sausages, corned beef, pepperoni, beef jerky, chicken nuggets, bologna and charcuterie. That “delicious” bacon and turkey bacon.   Doctors, public health advocates and the World Health Organization (WHO) are close to admitting they are loosing this war because ‘delicious’ is winning and the warnings completely ignored.

Nitrates and nitrites are the most common preservatives we read about. (Just ask Mr. Google). These are salts made in a lab added to meat to preserve it.  Nitrates often turn to nitrites in the body where they react with their other ‘cousins’ yielding all of these strange diagnosises doctors talk about.  Look up ‘heme’.  I think the correct term is heme iron.  It’s part of the red meat mix  which hangs around causing “potentially toxic reactions”.  This molecule, found most abundantly in red meat, contribute to cancer.

The most common conversation I hear about the big “c” is that “everything” causes cancer.  Not totally true. Everything “delicious” . . . that has been transformed to enhance flavor. . . through smoking, salting, curing, unidentified mechanisms, fermentation, or other unimaginable processes really does cause your body to malfunction, ignite and strike out.

Americans place high marks on their freedom. Free to study.  Free to drive without a seat belt.  Free to stay out all night.  Free to be loud.  “Delicious” is a freedom because you are ‘free’ to satisfy your appetite.  Free to serve up generous portions on demand.   Just wonder how this war is going to end!

Ester Davis  is an award winning writer, television producer and can be reached at www.esterday.com.