Willful Ignorance

Like greenwashing, willful ignorance is another thing that gets me all riled up. I'm not just talking about in the natural-living sense, I'm talking all areas of life.

I admit, though, there have been a few areas in my life where I have been willfully ignorant. For instance, up until this last election, I chose to not care or even look at what was going on in politics.  The reason for that was I could not vote.  I figured, why should I know about things I cannot change?  Bad reason, I know, but it stood....for many years. Now, I can vote, and I worked at being in the know about who to vote for, and what platforms were and things like that.

There are a few other things, like taxes and how to do them, but my husband and his mother take care of them for our family, so I really don't feel the need to get involved. Sure, I look them over and make sure there aren't any glaring mistakes and sign my name and so on, but in general, I remain ignorant over them.

There are a few things, however, that I do not understand how or why people remain willfully ignorant over. Things people don't look at the cost/benefit ratio of. (sorry for that terrible sentence)  Things we can change, and not just for ourselves, but for those around us.

These aren't the issues like smoking. We all know how terrible it is for us. Same with eating a whole box of donuts every morning. We all know how terrible it is.

I'm talking about the difference between organic or not vegetables, or why some products have parabens in them or why others don't. We all kind of have a vague idea that non-organic food isn't great for us, but, I'm guessing, the average person either a) doesn't care, b) thinks it's too expensive, c) knows but doesn't choose it, or d) doesn't *want* to know because it will change their actions. (OR people just don't have time to prepare things from raw ingredients...)

For quite some time I fell in to the d category. If you've read this blog from the beginning, you'll get how things have changed.   I do know now. So many of our conventional foods contain non-food ingredients.  Most of these are not on the label most likely because they cannot quantify it.  An apple is just an apple, but what if it has been sprayed and sprayed and sprayed with chemicals to keep bugs or molds away?  The apple is not impervious to the sprays either. They absorb all of those chemicals. Sure we can wash off some that accumulate on the outside of the fruit, but those enmeshed with fruit? You'll ingest those.  Some of these pesticides contain chemicals that screw with your endocrine system (hormone regulating one), brain chemistry, and so much more. Why would you want to eat that?  I don't think we would.

I challenge you to stop being ignorant. Learn about what goes in and on your body. Take time to be healthy now, or else you will HAVE to take time to be sick later.

What can you do, practically? 
Read labels. The things you can't pronounce, look them up. Many of you have smart phones with google on them. USE IT!
 Find out where your fresh produce is coming from and the farming practices there.
Read the EWG's dirty dozen vs clean fifteen and choose accordingly. (it's a list of worse offenders in the pesticide use categories)
grow your own food, if you have time and space
limit or eliminate your processed foods - they have non-food things like cellulose in them (which is essentially wood pulp left over from wood mills....used as a filler in bread!!!)

There are so many little things that can be done.  I know we can't change the system in a day, but couldn't we start changing the supply and demand? Things that stay on the shelves don't get re-ordered, things that move do.  Think about it. Change!!!!


For the good of all us, I challenge you!

xo,
Bliss

Changing it Up

Few things get me really riled up.  However, when I do get upset...I get quite upset. I want things to change, people to change, policies to change, etc.

How do we do it, though? How do we get things to change when all seems hopeless?

Our first line of defense, or offense, is prayer. Next, I think, would be for yourself to do or stop doing whatever it is that you feel needs to change. After that, tell people about it. Start small. Word of mouth can be powerful. I also find that being educated in fact instead of in theory or anecdote also helps things along.

There are so many other things that can be done. We can write letters to MLAs or MPPs or even MPs (For my non-Canadian friends, that is Members of the Legislative Assembly, Members of Provincial Parliament, and Members of Parliament).

We can take surveys when people call. We can take online surveys. We can do the shopping survey things.


The issue I am currently frustrated with is the FDA not banning BPA in food packaging.  Seriously?! They basically said that there isn't enough proof that the dangerous stuff leaches in to the food it surrounds.  I am baffled at how they could come to that conclusion.  If it isn't safe for baby bottles (where the formula is only in the plastic for a hour at best), how is it safe for soup, beans, or other things that sit there for months?!  Is it really that hard to see that is would be harmful?  My goodness.

Okay, so what do we do to change this?  We need to mess up the conventional supply and demand. If there is no need or want for the BPA lined canned food, then they will stop supplying it (at least theoretically), right?  SO!  STOP buying it!  Buy your beans dry.  Soak them overnight and boil them.  Make your own soups - or use soups that are in glass jars or come in tetrapacks. Use fresh veggies or even frozen ones. Don't drink things from a can....drink more water. 

It could be easy. The more people who do it, the more effective we can be. Spread the word. Use glass not plastic! Use glass not BPA lined cans!

Think critically about what your food comes in!!!

Sigh,
xo,
Bliss