My boss once called me “oppositional.” And she was right, because I am. But I like to say I’m an independent thinker, someone who dares to tell anyone who will listen, “The Emperor has no clothes!” when the old boy is stark naked..

The Food Empire

There are many emperors in the food industry. For example, Big Tobacco lied about the dangers of smoking, all the while creating an addictive product that made them millions. When it could no longer justify its hype, it turned its addicting skills to producing prepared foods. Yes, many of those familiar names on boxes and cans are now owned by the tobacco industry, those experts in making substances that make us crave more. And there’s a science to that, with experts paid to find the perfect ingredient balance that makes sure you can’t eat only one potato chip. Unfortunately, as we struggle with weight gain, we blame ourselves instead of the industry—that fat, naked emperor.

A Losing Battle

Losing weight is a battle. For example, look at any restaurant menu and try to find one meal that doesn’t have cheese in some form, one meal not full of saturated fat and calories from added dairy. Is it because chefs across the nation believe cheese is vital to their entrees? Hah!

It feels like the dairy industry has a choke-hold over American cuisine. Did you know there is an addictive substance in cheese? It’s a protein called casein found in dairy products and it triggers our dopamine (pleasure) receptors in our brains, much like opiates do.

No wonder why at one time I loved cheese like a crazed mouse! And the more I (you) buy our cheese fixes, the more money the dairy industry makes, just like big tobacco.

We aren’t stupid people without willpower. We’re fighting an industry that knows how to play with our brains. Instead of willpower, we need righteous anger!

The Emperor and the Fed

Watching this year’s Food Revolution Summit was an eyeopener. I had no idea that, according to federal law, milk and only milk is to be served in school cafeterias. Furthermore, it is against the law to promote any other beverage — like (egad!) water.

We humans are the only species that drinks the milk of another species, and does so even after we’re weaned. This milk contains hormones (of course, it’s from a lactating mammal) and the IGF-1 growth factor that helps that little calf grow into a 1371 lb. (on average) cow. Boy! I want to drink milk and give that estrogen positive breast cancer cell more estrogen, and a growth factor to boot!

Studies, including the Seventh Day Adventist Study, show that vegans outshine omnivores who eat the standard American diet, in all health parameters—cardiovascular, endurance, less diabetes and cancer, etc.—without ingesting an ounce of dairy.    https://adventisthealthstudy.org/  And we get plenty of calcium from eating greens, just like the cow gets its calcium. We just skip the middleman (middle-cow?).

Yet, despite the science, our federal government spends a fortune supporting the dairy industry.https://www.ams.usda.gov/press-release/usda-announces-23-million-grant-funding-available-support-us-dairy-industry

Why?

What would happen if…

…We followed the science and not our addicted brains? There would be less disease and dysbiosis (digestive problems from the microbial imbalances in the body).

A calf wouldn’t be separated from its mother at birth to eventually become a veal cutlet, while the mother wails and morns for her offspring. Americans would weigh less because we would avoid the saturated fat and other additives that are killing us. We would devote acres and acres of land to grow vegetables to feed people, rather than corn to feed cows (which aren’t made to eat corn in the first place) and to make ethanol (which is a different topic).

To quote the title of Christina Pirello’s book, I’m Mad as Hell and I’m Not Going to Eat it Anymore!

What do you think?