Food matters to everything that matters. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, not only does food affect our health it also affects the economy, the environment, the climate and even influences social justice, poverty, violence, and national security. What you put on your fork every day is the single most important thing you do to affect your own health and the world around you.
What we eat is the number one cause of our chronic diseases which affects 1 in 2 people. Medicare and Medicaid are the biggest drivers of our federal deficit which greatly affects our economy. Starbucks spends more on employee healthcare than they do on coffee beans.
Food greatly affects our environment. Factory farm animals contribute methane and carbon to our environment. 1/5th of fossil fuels are used in growing and transporting food. Some experts say our food system as a whole is the #1 solution for reversing climate change. 40% of our food is wasted which goes in our landfills which adds methane to our environment. If we can reduce food waste our carbon footprint will be reduced. Practicing regenerative agriculture can reverse soil erosion, otherwise, according to Dr. Hyman, we won’t have any topsoil in 50 years. The use of pesticides and glyphosates clearly has significant adverse effects on our health and environment. By choosing healthful foods we send a message to big food companies which have a domino effect.
Poverty affects food choices and availability which affects behavior, mood, and cognitive function. Our kids are greatly affected by food choices. Violence is affected by what we eat. Even national security is affected by what we eat. 70% of military recruits are not fit to be accepted to our military.
Everything that matters is affected by food. Are you supporting nutritional or environmental harm by what you eat? Knowing where your food is grown matters. Where you buy your food matters. Your food choice matters and matters greatly.
