This is what I'm gonna need you all to do!

I'm gonna need you all to go and see this documentary, FED UP!

Just off the bat.......Katie Couric was involved with this production.  Girl is a gangster journalist.  Like will embarrass you on television if you don't know your stuff and not in a mean way just in a "I'm just asking an honest question way because I'm trying to get the facts" way and still look graceful while doing it all.  Remember, Sarah Palin had just a tad bit of a rough time?  Katie's face is killing me.

So back this doc.  I got a little pun going on there.  Get it?


What is it about that is so important?

One of the MOST pressing issues of our time.  The obesity epidemic that is nation-wide and now world-wide.

Why is this issue really that serious?

Well, when you really look at it, it's not just a "you need to stop eating so much and exercise more" issue.   It's a "powers to be experience zero accountability in terms of their business practices, take advantage of vulnerable groups like kiddies who just like having greasy behind chicken nuggets and fries because their friends do too and profit from the growing disease burden of a nation" type issue.

I sound mad intense though.  Maybe I should calm down?

Nope, can't do it and I'm not conspiracy theorizing either.   It is more than disheartening to know that countless individuals suffer and die every year from preventable diseases and the complications of those preventable diseases because interests groups have the monetary power to influence our society.

So what are you really taking about here?

I'm talking about junk food companies having the unrestrained ability to advertise specifically to our children.  I'm talking about the school cafeteria having consistent unhealthy food options for kids.  I'm talking about the implementation of new and progressive guidelines (McGovern Report) being denied because the Dairy council, Salt council, Meat council, Sugar council were offended by the suggestion of reduced intake decreasing the incidence of disease.  I'm talking about doctors endorsing the "positive" calorie contribution of soda or finding extremely "limited" data to suggest that drinking tons of soda can negatively impact your health.......................................even though there is a ton of research out there that strongly suggests you need to put the soda to the side.  Here are just a couple of examples: Research linking soda to diabeeetus

It's real folks.  It's real.  Just trying to keep you informed, happy and healthy.

The documentary also goes head to head with this age old concept of a "calorie is JUST a calorie".  This idea has been foundational to the nutritional paradigm since forever but it's completely incorrect, wrong, false, not the way the body actually works.   The documentary does a great job of creating really simple illustrations of what research has concluded about metabolism in regards to various sources of calories.  The truth is that a calorie is MOST definitely, ABSOLUTELY not JUST a calorie.  I've never believed this because it just never made sense.  Just on a basic level......just by looking at a piece of white bread and piece of multigrain bread that they are not the same thing.   I'm talking about real multi-grain bread.  Like the sprouted grain kind.  Not the one that is basically Wonderbread with a couple sprinkles of wheat bran and flax seeds.  They taste completely different.  One taste delicious and the other tastes like clay.  One broke down from the saliva in my mouth in a couple of seconds while the other took a noticeably increased amount of chewing.  One maintains my blood sugar levels while the other spikes it.  A calorie is not just a calorie.  Here is an excerpt from a HuffPost article by Dr.  Robert Lustig, MD, a long-time proponent of this idea:

"A calorie is a measurement of energy (a matter of physics), not a value judgment on where that energy goes (a matter of biochemistry). As my book Fat Chance explains, you get sick from inappropriate energy storage (in your liver and muscle), not defective energy balance (bigger love handles). Nonetheless, "a calorie is a calorie" continues to be promulgated by the food industry as their defense against their culpability for the current epidemic of obesity and chronic metabolic disease. But it is as dishonest as a three-dollar bill. Here are just four examples that refute this dogma:

1. Fiber. You eat 160 calories in almonds, but you absorb only 130. The fiber in the almonds delays absorption of calories into the bloodstream, delivering those calories to the bacteria in your intestine, which chew them up. Because a calorie is not a calorie.
2. Protein. When it comes to food, you have to put energy in to get energy out. You have to put twice as much energy in to metabolize protein as you do carbohydrate; this is called the thermic effect of food. So protein wastes more energy in its processing. Plus protein reduces hunger better than carbohydrate. Because a calorie is not a calorie.
3. Fat. All fats release nine calories per gram when burned. But omega-3 fats are heart-healthy and will save your life, while trans fats clog your arteries, leading to a heart attack. Because a calorie is not a calorie.
4. Sugar. This is the "big kahuna" of the "big lie." Sugar is not one chemical. It's two. Glucose is the energy of life. Every cell in every organism on the planet can burn glucose for energy. Glucose is mildly sweet, but not very interesting (think molasses). Fructose is an entirely different animal. Fructose is very sweet, the molecule we seek. Both burn at four calories per gram. If fructose were just like glucose, then sugar or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) would be just like starch. But fructose is not glucose. Because a calorie is not a calorie."

A calorie will never be a calorie because food from a factory will never be able to do what food from nature does for your body.


So when you get some free time................like in the the next 2 days.........................like in the next 2 hrs.....................like in the next 2 mins...........................like in the next 2 secs............................like NOW!

Go see Fed Up!

Also if you didn't get that pun up there.  I'm gonna be a doc in like 6 - a jillion years depending on what I want to do.   So yeah, "back to this doc".  You know, this doc.  Me.  Back to me.  But also Back to Me talking about this documentary............Get it?  :)   Ahhhh man.  You gotta be quicker than that guys, you gotta be quicker, haha.

Thank you for reading! My people, I appreciate you all so much.  Be happy and healthy. Ciao!

Light and Tasty Waffles

I know, I know.  Yes, I haven't been posting in a while.

Please forgive a hard-working student..................................................so that's why I decided to bring you a present today:  The EASIEST, TASTIEST, NON-JUNKY waffle recipe you've ever tried.  

I came up with this recipe over the summer and it has been perfect every time. The proportions of each ingredient just work incredibly well with each other.  Crunchy and firm but not rock hard.  Delicious nutty multi-grain flavor.  Just perfect. Simple.  Jamaican grandmother approved.  This recipe is good to go.

1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of oats
1 tbsp of flax seed
1 cup of non-dairy milk
1/4 cup of orange juice (fresh-squeezed or bottle)
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tsp of coconut oil
A little less than 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
*Makes 2-3 servings

There are two ways you can do this.

1.  Throw everything in a blender.
2.  Blend the oats separately then mix all the ingredients together.

Pour the batter onto your waffle maker, let it cook until steam no longer escapes, plate aaaaaaaaaaaaand ENJOY!  These are great with berries and other sweet watery fruits.  I usually throw on strawberries, blueberries and kiwi.   You can also add fruits to the batter.  I've made some bangin' blueberry waffles with this recipe.  Lastly, this batter can also be used for pancakes.  Waffles and pancakes are basically the same thing just a different form.  Water and ice if you will.

I wouldn't say this pic is Gourmet ready but you can't deny how delicious those waffles look.   I didn't.  I ate them. :)

Thank you for reading! My people, I appreciate you all so much.  Be happy and healthy. Ciao!

Word's Still Getting Out Three

The Word's Still Getting Out!  Additions to the plant-based family are as follows:

Tia Mowry

One half of the celebrity twin sister duo recently announced her arrival to the greener side.  Here are a couple of reasons as to why she made the switch:

Raising awareness: "I wanted to become a voice in my community.  That's one of the reasons why I decided to be apart of this PETA ad campaign.  I wanted to educate my culture about the benefits of becoming vegan."

Great-tasting food:  "There's stigma about becoming vegan, some people say, 'It doesn't taste great'...Don't knock it until you try it.  The taste is very vibrant.  It's very satisfying.."

Positive changes in her body: "I feel so amazing after I eat vegetables or grains.  I don't feel sluggish"

Here's is a little promo with PETA.  The girl looks great.  I'm sure it's the bangin' bird food.

Leona Lewis 

I think she became vegan around 2011.  Not too sure about the dates.  Folks, I'm going to school for med school not journalism. :)  The point is that she is totally on board and seems to be committed as evidenced by her tweeting to fans:

"I've been vegan for a few days now, I'm trying it for the whole month.  Any recipes you can recommend?"

Check out this video:

...doing her activism thing. Go ahead girl.  Be active not passive about what you believe.

Neyo 

Neyo is ridic-talented (MGD dictionary) and seems like an intelligent guy which is why I smiled and audibly said "Yes" when I read that he too wanted to try going vegan.  Last New Years, he tweeted:

"What's everybody's New Years Resolution?  I'm going to try to go vegan.  Discipline test.  NOT looking forward to it.  Wish me luck!!"

Now where Neyo went wrong was when he said he wasn't looking forward to it.  A day in the kitchen with me bruh..............

Also, this is a little rando but I had to laugh.  I'm not really down with PETA.  They are a bit too extreme for me but I was surfing around the internet looking for more articles on Neyo and I came across this one.  They referred to Neyo as a rapper.  Ahh, PETA.  Sadly, this altered my current opinion.  Not in a positive way.

And

A New Cookbook shows how much the plant-based life is making its way into pop-culture.

Score!!

The book is titled: Veg Everyday by Hugh Fearnely - Whittingstall.

He states specifically in his a blog post he wrote: "This is a vegetable book". 

Here is an excerpt from his post:

"It's not written by a vegetarian, or with the intention of persuading you or anyone else to become vegetarian.  But in the sense that not one recipe here contains a scrap of meat or fish, then it indeed quite strictly is vegetarian.  If you've seen my show and read by books, you may be feeling a bit baffled to yourself reading an article written by that notorious carnivore Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall about the joys of eating less meat.  I can appreciate that.  But I really have been eating less meat lately and I'm feeling almost evangelical about persuading other people to the same. "





Now for the most recent update.

Look who went vegan as of last week?

Jay and Bey

My goooooooodness.  The amount of power one may hold when famous and wealthy.  I initially got my new update from a PCRM newsletter but check out how many new sources were all over this:

Forbes

HuffPost

ABCNews

LATimes

Billboard

USMagazine

WashPost

SHAPEMagazine

MTV

DailyMail

There were many more but my fingers got tired.  Usually when I write my "Word's Getting Out" posts, my maximum amount from credible sources is about three.

Jay Z actually made the annoucnement via his website, Life and Times.  Here is his post:

"Psychologists have said it takes 21 days to make or break a habit.  On the 22nd day, you've found the way.  On December 3rd, one day before my 44th birthday I will embark on a 22 Days challenge to go completely vegan, or as I prefer to call it, plant-based!!  This all began a few months back when a good friend and vegan challenged me to embrace a "plant-based breakfast" every day.  It was surprisingly easier for me than I thought....Why now?  There's something spiritual to me about it being my 44th birthday and the serendipity behind the number of day in this challenge; 22 (2+2 = 4) coupled with the fact that the challenge ends on Christmas day...It just feels right!  So you can call it a spiritual and physical cleanse.  I will post my progress...Any professional vegans out there that have any great food spots please help out!  Please ha.  I don't know what happens after Christmas.  A semi-vegan, full plant-based diet?  Or just a spiritual and physical challenge? We'll see...Best of luck and health!  P.S.  B is also joining me."

...And if little Blue Ivy wants to join to, I gotchu:  ADA Position on Vegetarian diets

Since 2009, the ADA holds the position that:  

"Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the lifecycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, child-hood, and adolescence and for athletes."

You know tons of folk became plant-based overnight as a result to this.  But I'm totally happy about that because they maybe never would have have taken the opportunity to give the good life a try otherwise.  It just speaks to this amount of influence one can have as public figure and of course I'm a little giddy that Jay-Z chose bangin' bird food.  Thanks for the intro of bangin' bird food to half the world's population, Jay.  'Preciate it.  

Thank you for reading! My people, I appreciate you all so much.  Be happy and healthy. Ciao!

Bangin Bird Food Thanksgiving Once Again

Hey Lovelies!

I hope the last post about amazing salad combos has made your life.  It definitely makes mine.  So Thanksgiving is rolling around in the next 3 days and I am currently scouting the internet for awesome recipes.  I hit on a variety of sites and their many options and I just thought I would share what I collected.  This post is all an attempt to help you flip through recipes faster than to be Googling for hours in frustration and showcase some websites that I did not last year.  If you forgot about my post from last year, let me kindly familiarize you with it again.

Bam!  

You definitely have some staples in that pile so check 'em out.  As I told you last year..........................I gotchu!  I'll be showcasing five fab options here.  I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays!  :)


One:  Naked Food Magazine

This online magazine actually came out during the summer and they have been raving about the awesome Thanksgiving options that they offer along with other amazing plant-based recipes.  Here is what appears to be on the Thanksgiving list:

• Roasted Pumpkin Wedges
• Naked Spiced Cacao
• Holiday Stuffing
• Holiday Nog
• Naked Carrot Cake
• Chocolate Fate Pralines
• Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Mushroom Holiday Gravy
• The Better Shepherd's Pie
• Holiday Cauliflower Rice

All of those sound ridiculously delicious.  The e-book costs about $24 for over 100 recipes.  

TWO: Oh She Glows

I am not sure why I didn't include the site last year but this is one of the most popular vegan websites out there.  Angela's food always looks beyond amazing.  Check out what she has lined up this year.  I will definitely be making the Lentil Loaf this year.

• Holiday Soup for the Soul
• Holiday Salad with CRanberry Orange Vinaigrette
• Itty Bitty Pumpkin Garlic Knots
• Ultimate Vegan Lentil Loaf
• High Protein Mashed Potatoes
• This Ain't Grandma's Sweet Potato Casserole
• Cranberry, Apricot and Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf
• Vegan Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Gingerbread with Spiced Buttercream
• Pumpkin Pie Brownie

Three: Care2

You've got a nice and simple spread with this page.  Shepherd's Pie seems to be the vegan go-to during Thanksgiving but there you some nice recipes for sides and some great sounding desserts. Let's see what they've got.

• Ginger Vanilla Pear Sauce
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Mushroom and Scallions
• Green Beans with Mushroom and Shallots
• Corn Bread
• Butternut Squash Soup with Pan-Fried Collards
• Mashed Potatoes
• Savory Stuffed Mushrooms
• Nutty Curry-Stuffed Miniature Squash
• Mushroom and Spinach Galette
• Shepherd's Pie
• Cinnamon Apple Strudel with Flaky Phyllo Crust
• Miniature No-Bake Cheesecake
• Vegan Maple Walnut Cookies

Four:  Buzz Feed

Nice!  These recipes look so serious.  Like Buzz Feed was not playing around.  Like a large percentage of my cooking plan will probably come from this.  This list is soooo Bangin' with 41 recipes!  Here are a couple:

• Roasted Tomato Fennel Bisque
• White and Green Beans
• Cran-Chestnut Pumpkin Vegan Sausage Stuffing
• Candied Lime Sweet Potatoes
• Pumpkin Mac n' Cheese
• Sumac Ginger Tofu with Quinoa. Broccoli and Mushrooms
• Maple Glazed Tempeh, Squash and Brussel Sprouts
• Potato and Portabella Gratin
• Citrus and Bail Basted Holiday Roast
• Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf
• Seitan Roulade with Chestnut Stuffing
• Corn Casserole
• Green Bean Casserole
• Vegan Pumpkin Froyo
• Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Five: Whole Foods Market

Then you have your friendly neighborhood Whole Foods coming with it.  The line-up includes:

• Celebration Lenti Loaf
• Butternut Squash and Macaroni and Cheese
• Creamy Cauliflower and Apple Soup Shooters
• Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffing with Walnuts
• Bulgur with Arugula, Pomegranate and Hazelnuts
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tempeh
• Butternut Squash and Pecan Blini with Currant "Caviar"
• Roasted Garlic and Parsnip Vegan Gravy
• Vegan Mushroom Gravy
• Vegan Pumpkin Pie
• A Fresh Take on Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Pecan Cookies

So as you can, you have sooooooooooo many options.  Don't ever let them tell you that you won't have anything to eat at the table.  Pure lies.  Just Love them.   Feed them.  Wow them.   And enjoy a healthy and happy and a Bangin' Bird Food Thanksgiving!

Thank you for reading! My people, I appreciate you all so much.  Have the most bangin' Thanksgiving. Ciao!

My "Make a Bangin Salad" Formula

So I have come to know the truth..................................that a salad can be one of the tastiest, most diverse meals you could ever throw together.  I use the phrase "throw together" very intentionally because none of these salads induce cortisol production.  Zero stress.   They are THAT easy.  :)

So here is the basic formula :

Veggies + Dressing + Herbs (+/-) Sprinklings (+/-) hot (cooked) component = Bangin' Salad

With this easy formula, I have been able to create a wide variety of salads that are all delicious and satisfying.

Veggies - This can be ANYTHING.  Any plant life that can be eaten raw.  I usually include:

• Red Cabbage
• Spinach
• Kale
• Romaine Lettuce
• Carrots
• Avocado
• Onions
• White Cabbage

Dressing - The most basic is lemon juice and EVOO.  It's my go-to dressing and it works every time. Sometimes, I add a little water to hummus and that becomes an amazing thing.  So glad I figured out that trick!  I also try a little balsamic vinegar from time to time, a little honey mustard over here or a little non-dairy ranch over there (I'll be posting these dressings soon enough). But I tell you.....lemon juice + EVOO will never lead you astray.

Herbs - There are so many to choose from but I usually include:

• Cilantro
• Thyme
• Italian Seasoning

Sprinklings - This is often optional and can vary from nuts to grains to fruits.  I often use:

• Dried Cranberries
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Tortilla Chips
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds

So let's do some math up in here:

Ideas	Veggies	+ Dressing + Herbs	+ Sprinklings	+ Hot component	+ Responses as you eat
Bangin’ Idea #1	Kale + Spinach	Avocado + Lemon juice + Salt + Pepper + Italian Seasoning	Pumpkin Seeds	Baked Sweet potato	Amaaaaaazingness!
Bangin’ Idea #2	Kale (Dinosaur or Green) + Carrots + Red Pepper + Red Onions	Lemon juice + Salt + Pepper + EVOO + Thyme	None	Edamame	Deliiiiiiciousness!
Bangin’ Idea #3	Romaine lettuce + Tomato + Red Onions + Avocado	½ a lemon	Crushed Tortilla Chips	Beans	I am now actually in Heaven!
Bangin’ Idea #4	Red Cabbage + Red Pepper + Tomato + Avocado	Lemon juice + Salt + Pepper + Cilantro	None	Edamame	I must marry Marsha-Gail immediately!
Bangin’ Idea #5	Spinach + Red Onion + Tomato	Dijon Mustard + Honey + Apple cider vinegar + EVOO	None	Baked Russet Potato + Seasoned Tofu	Life without bird food is no life at all!
Bangin’ Idea #6	Romaine lettuce + Red Cabbage + Tomato	Lemon juice + Salt + Pepper + Italian Seasoning		Seasoned and Seared tofu	If you ever put a Whooper in front of me, I will smack you to the ground!

Some of the masterpieces:

Thank you for reading!  My people, I appreciate you all so much.  Be happy and healthy.  Ciao!

BBF Healthy Eating Tip #1: Hummus = Salad Dressing

WADUP, my people!

The time between posts is slowly growing.  I apologize for that.  I know, I'm playing games but it's not my fault.  Med school made me do it.  So, I understand that implementing a new and healthy lifestyle can be difficult at times, from figuring what kind of foods to eat to deciding how you want to prepare them.  It can be frustrating and stressful and may even lead you to fall back into old and not-so-healthy eating habits.  So I am going to begin posting some short, sweet and simple tips from time to time that I hope will give you some ideas and help to solve some of the problems many folks come upon when trying to eat healthier.





Tip #1: Use hummus as your salad dressing!!!

Of course, this was a dilemma I faced when I stopped eating animal anything, which included creamy, cheesy salad dressings, like ranch, and other salad fixings (feta cheese).  So this idea came to me one day when I was at home visiting my mama and grandmama.  I was making a BOMB chickpea and eggplant casserole accompanied with a spinach salad and was looking for the perfect dressing to top the meal off.  I began searching the fridge for options.  My eyes soon locked with the almost finished container of garlic hummus on the top shelf and it clicked.  Hmm, I love hummus and I love salad and I usually eat hummus with some type of plant food and it tastes amazing so hummus + salad shouldn't be too big of a jump.  The hummus was also slightly salty and I wanted to tone that down as well.  So I simply poured about 1/4 cup of water into about 1/2 cup of hummus (what was left in the container) and the easiest salad dressing was born.  I do this all the time now and it works beautifully.

This salad was made with Spinach, Carrots, Red Onions, Cilantro, Tomato and Romaine.
The salad dressing is the white bean basil hummus from Trader Joes.

Thank you for reading.  My people, I appreciate you all so much.  Be healthy and happy. Ciao!

WWR? Mexico beats the US in the Race of the Scales

The What, Why and Really? 
Race of the Scales

You should have already known I was going to use this picture.
That's the one and only, Usain Bolt, by the way.
Photo Credit: NYTimes

Photo Credit: Wallibs

In LANE 1 we have the Uniiiiiited States, the undefeated champion, who's been toping the charts since the 1970s and 1980s when high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils were dropped oh so hard into our diets.

You can follow the paper trail all the way back to Earl Butz, the secretary of state during the era of Nixon, who instituted the development of legislation that significantly reduced subsidies for farmers.  This essentially forced farmers to produce massive amounts of corn so that it could be exported around the world.

So what do you do when you produce way more corn than you can handle?

You turn it into High-Fructose Corn Syrup.  I'm just going to put in a plug here for the doc, Food, Inc. (video below)

It gives you the history of the invention of such things (I shall not call it food) as high-fructose corn syrup, excessive use of soybean oil in everything and trans fats. Your mind will be opened due to blowing up.

Photo Credit: Studio

And in LANE 2 we have Mexico, the contender for the gold.

This is gonna be exciting!!  The United States has never lost this race and is, of course, the favorite to win.

But Mexico has been vigorously training all season........................running laps around donuts, pumping quarter pounders at the Burger King gym, undergoing some intense conditioning using a new workout formula invented by Coach Crispy Chicken.  I heard it was 2000 lbs of fries a week, just for the warm-up.  So hardcore, man.  Mexico might have a good chance of taking the gold in today's race.

On your mark.  Get Set.  GOOOO!
....................................And their off.

The United States has gotten off to a great start.  Currently holding a pace of 31.8, the percentage of adult Americans that are overweight.  Additionally, 70% of Americans age 20 and over are overweight and obese as reported by CDC.  Leme hit ya with some statistics about the kiddies:

• 18.4% of children between 12-19 are obese
• 18.0% of children between 6-11 are obese
• 12.1% of children between 2-5 are obese

Have mercy!  

Now we've seen the whole spectrum of Americans, lets' see what the deal is with Mexico.

.................And now it looks like Mexico is pulling up, just a few percentages behind the US.  Mexico is coming around the turn very strong.  This could be an upset.  I don't see any signs of Mexico slowing down.  If Mexico hits the turn with less then 1% between the US, it could be all over today.

The United States is trying to maintain the lead.................BUT it looks like Mexico is closing the distance rapidly.   I don't know if the US can hold it.  Nooooooooo, they can't.  Mexico is inching forward with a strong pace..................AND it looks like Mexico has taken the lead.  The Unites States is battling through but just can't keep up.  Mexico is moving strong and inching towards the finish line....................And MEXICO takes the GOLD!

Mexico has OFFICIALLY surpassed the US as the nation with the highest obesity rate.  This doesn't include small islands like the Cook Islands and French Polynesia, where obesity and diabetes rates are unprecedented.  I will chat a bit more about that later.

Photo Credit: NextGen

Mexico is eating more processed foods, soda and other sugary drinks than ever.  In comparison to other nations, Mexicans are drinking more sugary drinks than any other country.  Advertising, convenience stores and mega-food markets have contributed to increased demand and consumption.  Diabetes is currently the biggest killer in Mexico.  Check this out:

• By the year 2025, it is estimated that 11.7 million Mexicans will be diagnosed with diabetes out of a population of 114.8 million. 
• Each year, 40,000 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in Mexico.
• In the year 2000, the #2 cause of hospital death in Mexico was diabetes even though it was the 11th most frequent cause of hospitalization.
• The kiddies are feeling it too: Currently 14% of the population affected by diabetes are under the age of 40. Smh. Poor babies.
• 1 out of 6 Mexican adults currently suffers from diabetes.
• 70,000 Mexicans now die of diabetes every year which is roughly equivalent to the number of death due to involvement in Mexican criminal gangs.

Yoooooo, what is this right here?  This is absolute madness.

The assimilation of a westernized diet (AKA fast food and junk food and loads of meat and loads of grease and loads of salt and loads of sugar) in place of the whole-food, natural and plant-heavy eating pattern of the past is what's going on here. 

My random two cents: I mean, fresh produce must be DEPRESSED as hell.  They have been rejected, tossed to the side.  So few folks want to hang out with them, which includes me, of course.   But they are tired of me.  They need to see some new faces.  I'll introduce you, no worries.  :)

Mexico is not the first country to demonstrate what happens when a nation adopts a Westernized diet.  Take the following countries, many in the region of Oceania, for example:

• Nauru (95% obesity rate)
• Micronesia (92% obesity rate)
• Cook Islands (92% obesity rate)
• Tonga (92% obesity rate)
• Nieu (84% obesity rate)
• Samoa (83% obesity rate)

Other countries such as American Samoa, Palau and French Polynesia are known to have an obesity rate of at least 75%.  The introduction of many elements of the Western diet through importation of such foods has been credited for the increase in not only obesity but chronic disease. This was due to these nations in some way being colonized by Western societies such as the US, France, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.  Here's a really interesting point on what is termed "dietary colonialism" for all my sociology majors out there....an excerpt from the paper, The Obesity Epidemic in the Pacific Islands:

"Specifically, traditional foods of past generations have 

been supplanted with food purchased from Western 

nations...The traditional 

foods of the islands such as fresh fish, meat, and local 

fruits and vegetables have been replaced by rice, sugar, 

flour, canned meats, canned fruits and vegetables, soft 

drinks and beer. The diet is high in calories and with little 

nutritional value. Many Pacific Islanders 

have come to depend on food imported from abroad. 

Consequently, commercial ventures on the islands tend 

to stock these high-fat, energy-dense foods. Over time, 

purchasing these imported goods has become a sign of 

social status in the community and traditional foods have 

decreased in importance. Even before World War Two, 

missionary wives and other women from the West were 

strongly advising the women of the Pacific on the “proper 

way” to feed their families. The island women were taught 

to “bake tarts and serve a roast beef dinner in order to 

keep their families healthy”.  The 

ingredients for these meals could only be obtained from 

sources outside the islands, and so a situation of “dietary 

colonialism” resulted.  

This dietary colonialism is more than evident in 2013 as it has pervaded the entire world.  Obesity is currently a global crisis as stated in the most recent report on the burden of global disease.  The WHO estimates that currently ONE BILLION people are overweight.  That's 1/7 of the world's population.  I did the math myself and that number is too dagone big!

I don't think it can get much clearer as to what is the primary cause of obesity and most chronic diseases and no, it's not genetics.  The CDC lists four common causes of chronic disease:  poor nutrition, lack of exercise, tobacco use and alcohol consumption.  Changing, modifying, altering, transforming or improving nutrition by any means (maybe not all means............"450 calories per day" diets are out of control, Kaiser!) is the best way to start.  This ain't rocket science, my people.   Crap + Body = Crappy Body.  Healthy Stuff + Body = Healthy Body.  It's just math.

Thing is, what are we really gonna do?  Like for real.  Many times the info that needs to be heard, that needs to be registered, hits the brain like a wall.  "Oh, so that whole 2 hour discussion we had on why you may probably get diabetes if you keep drinking 4 cans of soda religiously and how diabetes complications will leave you looking like a pirate, wasn't really the business?  I see, it just didn't really do anything for you.

You're blind here, missing a limb there,
lugging around your own luggage
and your grill is all kinds of messed up.
Photo Credit: Wiki

The reality is that lectures hardly ever work, unless an individual is actually ready to receive the information.  Otherwise, it goes in one ear, hits the wall of "I don't really care about this right now" surrounding the brain, floats through some cerebral fluid, bumps into to a couple other squishy stuff, travels up the side of the head as the the pressure in your head increases from annoyance and THEN comes out of the other ear.  Instead of just talking, we have to get to the doing. 

So I will leave you with this.  What are some effective ways that you think we can get folks moving in the right direction, towards healthier lifestyles?  My people, I would love your feedback on this!

Thank you for reading.  My people, I appreciate you all so much.  Be healthy and happy.  Ciao!