Go to War and Eat Yourself to Death
This, America is why we have fat and unprecedented unhealthy military members. Our society’s shift to processed foods have resulted in a annual price tag of Trillions of dollars in health care costs, loss of productivity due to illness and disease and early death.
This is the Go To War Rations Number #1. Issued by the US Military to provide some “comfort” to a deployed military member.
First of all, the encouragement to seeking and consuming GARBAGE when you are feeling sad, homesick, or in general experiencing any emotion is not helpful. There are hundreds of millions of overeating support groups, self help books, diet books, therapists, health coaches and fitness trainers who all are gainfully employed by this emotional crutch we have adopted as a society. Feel happy? Let’s celebrate! I deserve that shake after I just ate a large dinner! Feeling sad. A pint of ice cream for dinner it is! It’s a holiday? Let’s stuff ourselves into a practical coma! The military is encouraging a reliance on food for emotional self-regulation. This couldn’t go wrong at all (hear the dripping sarcasm).
Let’s kill them slowly shall we? Processed foods are packed with toxic, inflammatory and waist line bugling ingredients. Want a review of just a few of the horrifying chemicals in the Go To War Rations?
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and Corn Syrup HFCS: So basically processed sugar in any form have been shown to drive inflammation, which is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In addition to inflammation, excess fructose may increase harmful substances called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which may harm your cells.
Partially Hydrogenated Oils: Partially hydrogenated oils can affect heart health because they increase “bad” (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) cholesterol and lower “good” (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) cholesterol.
Soy: Soy can cause some mild stomach and intestinal side effects such as constipation, bloating, and nausea. It can also cause allergic reactions involving rash, itching, and anaphylaxis in some people. Soy has also been shown to effect thyroid functioning, create adrenal stress and interfere with the production of sex hormones in the body.
Artificial Colors, Flavors, and Sweeteners. Research studies show artificial dyes cause serious side effects, from hyperactivity, allergies, autism, adhd, type 2 diabetes and even cancer. Most countries have banned or heavily regulated these additives, but here in the good old USA, they couldn’t care less!
Preservatives – including: sodium benzoate, sulfites (sulfur dioxide), polysorbate 60, 65 or 80, nitrites, TBHQ, and BHT/BHA. Sustained and excessive consumption of artificial preservatives can weaken heart tissues. They could contain BHA and BHT food additives which have been shown in studies to cause cancer. BHT is used in cereals and fats while BHA could be present in potatoes, meats and other baked goods.
Gluten – may be listed as maltodextrin, modified food starch, caramel coloring or flavoring, citric acid, and “natural flavorings”. The side effects can range from mild (fatigue, bloating, stomach distention, acid reflux, alternating constipation and diarrhea) to severe (weight gain, malnutrition, intestinal damage and the development of intestinal disorders such as Celiac, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, colorectal cancer, colonic polyps, ulcerative colitis and diverticulitis) and has been linked to the development of autoimmune diseases.
As Robb Wolf says “We (as health coaches) are unfortunately never going to be out of buisness because of our societal and government policies on nutrition.” Billions, with a “B” of dollars are spent on an annual basis because of a 100% controllable issue: Americans are eating themselves to death. I will be damned to stand by and say nothing. The Department of Defense is directly responsible for the early deaths and horrifyingly chronic medical conditions our military members suffer from. And they continue to provide “comfort” in the form of poison. Shame on them. And shame on us as a Nation.