You need a bigger team.

Image via Wikipedia

This post is part of Fight Back Friday, hosted by FoodRenegade . It's a little bit of a book review, a little bit of a shout-out to some real foodies out there, and a little bit of a testimony to faith that we can change our food for the better.

I'm right in the middle of a book that I can't put down. It's called The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O'Brien and Rachel Kranz. I highly recommend it! I love how these things just find their way into my life. I hadn't even heard of this book and one day last week my wife brought it home from the library. It's about Robyn's personal journey of discovery about how the food we eat is controlled by major corporations and government agencies - to our detriment.

At the beginning of chapter five she relates her feelings of self-blame mixed with a sense of despair at how people she knew didn't seem to want to know the truth. I can empathize with her. It takes strength to discuss with someone just how bad things like HFCS or Splenda are while they're sipping away at their favorite carbonated beverage. It hurts to see a loved one eating deceptively bad foods - like Yoplait yogurts or wheat bread that's really white - when you know these things can be making them sick, and it feels like a heavy burden trying to push the truth to places where it's not welcome.

Here is that excerpt from the book that I thought particularly moving:

Cover via Amazon

The next morning, I sat down at the breakfast table with my four children. "You know how Mommy has been really busy with her computer lately?" They all nodded. "Well, Mommy is learning a lot of new things about chemicals in the food that we eat, and it makes me worried." Five-year old Colin quietly gave me a hug. John buzzed around the table, and six-year old Lexy asked, "Is it about Tory's allergies?" "Well, sort of. But it's not only Tory," I said. "There are chemicals in our food that might be bad for all of us. Now that I know this, I have to do something about it to protect all of you. And I have to help other people learn, so that their kids are safe, too." This was the point when Colin absolutely floored me. He asked, "How many people are on your team?" I almost had to laught. "Not too many right now, Colin. But luckily I've got you, Lexy, John, Tory, and Daddy -- that's my team." Colin shook his head and looked me straight in the eye. "Mommy," he said, "you need a bigger team."

It's at this point in reading that I realized I've got a good team - even if we're not literally working together, we're all working for a common goal. Sometimes my team is indeed hand-in-hand, as in the case of my wife whom I'm eternally grateful for. She, like I, and like Robyn O'Brien, is unceasingly working for a good, healthy life for our children - all of our children. But this other part of my "team" are all of these other people out there online, or in the public, standing up and being outspoken about our right to real food.

In a "Follow Friday" fashion, but with a little more detail, here some of the people I look up to and appreciate knowing on Twitter and the web:

vinmiller : Tweets the right amount of high-quality information and links. Inspirational and has positive attitude to share. He's interested in diet, exercise, the pharmaceutical industry, and more - plus he slips some entertaining tidbits in every now and again.

cheeseslave : You can't look very far in the twittersphere without running into something being retweeted from or by her. Reading her stuff is like listening to a real person who cares about you and your health. She posts a lot about the foods that you may have been told are bad for you - and you'll probably learn a lot from her.

kitchenkop : Talks about making and eating real food, and isn't afraid to be politically incorrect about it! She lists recipes and food tips, and above all else encourages you to do your own research.

kathleenshow : She started in the pharmaceutical industry - a regular insider, a legal pusher ;) But she realized what she was doing one day and now fights back.  She's made movies and has a regular radio/podcast talk show. Her positive attitude is infectious!

PlasticLess : As you might guess from the name, he talks about reducing the use of plastic, recycling, and keeping the planet clean. He's also concerned with green technology like solar power and has another account, SolarIdeas, where he talks about that. Plastic use is related to healthy food because it is both a direct, short-term contaminant as well as a hidden, long-term one.

JamButter : A foodie I wouldn't be surprised to see in a documentary as an expert some time! He's down with local, organic food and talks about the business/industrial food sphere as well. He has SO much information to share, and says it in a way that's easy to take in.


Unfortunately, I can't list all of you all right now - there are so many to mention! ... But I'll keep moving through the list every so often as I go about blogging. You're my heroes, and I am so appreciative that you're ALL there, standing up for our kids, and our world! 

One last thank-you to someone who I've recently bumped into online, though. Thank you, KC, for leading me on to Zemanta by using it yourself. I can't seem to find a Twitter account for you, so if you read this, let's hook up there.