Nearly 20 years ago, while travelling south to visit family, I found myself in an emergency department in Abilene, Texas, thankful that my 18 month old toddler was still breathing and still alive. My well-meaning hosts had prepared the ever-popular boxed macaroni and cheese that my hungry little traveler devoured and then almost instantly struggled for breath. The image of her desperate attempts to harness any amount of oxygen is permanently imprinted in my psyche.

It turns out that my daughter’s lactose sensitivity was actually an allergy, and I believe that the unique combination of processed milk protein infused with other chemical processing agents nearly killed her on that day from Anaphylaxis. This month’s informative article on food sensitivities sparked this horrific memory.

Being grateful for tragedy and trauma in life is nearly impossible when you’re living it. But now as I look back on this event, I view it as a gift because it launched a quest for knowledge about our food products which I believe will extend my life expectancy.

Looking for milk products on food labels was an eye opening experience.

Not only are there a number of derivative names for milk protein, but the list of other unrecognizable ingredients in what one would assume are the simplest of products seemed endless. What I eventually learned about the sourcing, production and ingredients in most mass-produced foods, I can only interpret as a sanctioned low-dose poisoning of the population. It isn’t hard for anyone of average intelligence to connect the dots between the introduction of processed foods and the spike in food sensitivities/allergies, digestive issues, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. We’ve learned that cancer cells feed off sugar, yet we find some version of it in almost every food product that has been even moderately altered from its original or natural form. High Fructose Corn Syrup (the cheaper synthetic version of natural sugar) is hiding everywhere in products and sneaky corporations are now trying to disguise it in their labels using names like “Fructose” or “Fructose Syrup”.  Many are even taking it a step further by making the claim that the product is “HFCS Free”. The bottom line is that chemicals, GMO’s, processing agents, additives, preservatives, sugars and straight up toxins have actually rendered much of our food supply to be dangerous.

It’s no wonder that there is a resurgence of local sourcing and simplified ingredients in our food supply. My message is this: Do your homework, read labels, don’t be fooled, and opt for fewer ingredients as well as less human interference.

And of course as our tagline reads: feel good~live simply~laugh more