Faith in Action

My birthday present to myself this year was a gym membership.  Every morning (almost) you can find me shooting hoops and running around an empty gym at a local fitness facility.  I figured that this would be a great gift to myself considering that my family has a history of high blood pressure and cholesterol issues.

I’m trying to do better in taking care of my body and as a part of that; I’m striving to regulate what I’m eating.  My interest was sparked when a friend (and former co-worker) began really schooling me to organic food choices (or at least healthier choices) being a better option over fast food or processed foods. 

Baltimore’s IndyPendent Reader recently published their latest edition (What Are You Eating?) which examines food choices in the city and grassroots efforts that are attempting to connect impoverished people with healthier food options. We all know that the deeper you go in the ‘hood, the less choices you have as it pertains to what’s readily available to eat.  I understand this also as an issue of social justice.  In the land of plenty, it is highly disturbing that one’s diet is based upon their geographic location and affluence or lack thereof. 

Then last Saturday, while walking the aisles of my favorite book store - Everyone’s Place on North Avenue - I ran into a group called Precise Science.  They told me about their CD entitled “Everybody’s Not Gonna Make It” and invited me to hear some of their songs.  They popped it in the CD player and the beats were okay, but the content was really what I liked.  I love conscious rap.  One of my favorite cuts on their CD is entitled, “F.D.A.”.  In the song they question why food and drugs are under the same governmental administration.  They conclude that it is that way because the foods are processed in such a way that make people sick thus providing ready clients to the nation’s pharmaceutical companies.  They also briefly rap about the steroids in processed foods that are causing young women to experience accelerated physiological development.  (As Opal used to tell me - the steroids that are used to make chickens bigger/thicker don’t just go away - we consume them when we eat them)  According to them: “wrong foods revert your mentality back to slaves“. It’s all about money and control.

The message of this post is that we need to be mindful of what we are consuming.  If you buy something from the store and you can’t pronounce the ingredients on the label, then you may want to think about investigating what it is before you eat it.  There is no telling how it is impacting your body and perhaps contributing to existing medical conditions.  A fast from fast food wouldn’t hurt either. 

For more information about eating healthy please visit: www.veganmomma.com