After several days of thinking around issues of general health,
cancer stories circulating the media, society, consumption and lifestyle,
alongside drafting the following tweets…
‘Has anyone ever wondered why cancer is so rife in
westernised societies? Duh. #Cars/Tv/UV exposure/processed foods/mass
consumption of EVERYTHING’
‘Why is it that those better-off add to greater collective
ills, than the poorer, yet the poorer have fewer means of saving themselves?
#NonMonetarySocialCosts #Health'
‘Choose a lifestyle/work style that allows you to fit in
what you love without stress or rush, not one that you THINK you should be
doing’
‘I’m an individualist with a greater (hidden) aim of
egalitarianism #WorldResources #relativity’
…I have furthered my affirmed stance/outlook on life and the
world. Now before this read and definitely after, you can probably pick up on
my green political sway or slip into the criticism that I am myself criticising/an
undercover hippie, but really I am just passionate about something, not
intending to dissuade anyone from their current lifestyle, but perhaps to simply
spread a bit of education (and hope!).
The aim of this post is to discuss how what we eat, buy, do and how those activities occur, are linked to the bigger societal
picture. Being within a society, you are within a collective, whether you
choose to respect it or not, and thus resources, services, the planet and money
are used by you and taken from you. The key consumables I lean towards here are
transport and food; two extremely important facets of our modern lifestyles,
that uphold our somewhat efficient, comfortable, lucky quality of life. I
am aware this is a grave generalisation, but from a personal position and
especially in comparison to those in completely contrasting and struggle-ridden living conditions (whether in terms of nourishment or politically etc.), we
have it oh so good.
I believe the root of the problem in western society
nowadays is ignorance. Plain and simple. To open it up, it can be said that
people don’t question things enough, frequently accept the norm, or the culture (or
just give in to it too easily), do not care enough at that point in time, or select
‘tastier’ options that require less human effort. By ‘tastier’ I would like to
clarify I do not solely mean literally, as soon, with detailing the concept of
consumption, I refer to a larger scope of human purchases, both edible and
inedible.
I watched the 2011 documentary ‘Food Matters’ today after a
recommendation from a friend. I have always been health conscious particularly
focusing on my 5aday-come-7aday
now (with new study recommendations) and ensuring I get plentiful wholegrain,
rationed carbs, not too much protein
and limiting my additional, artificial sugar levels by ‘treat’ mechanisms.
Moreover I have always been aware of keeping up a high water intake and ensuring
I sweat and move, so my body stays active. Hence I walk everywhere, and rarely
take public transport unless there is no alternative, because I a) do not want
to participate to fumes added to the atmosphere b) enjoy the independence, thinking
time and physical limb movement walking permits and c) like saving my pennies.
To me walking is the future, all it requires is a rejig of time around your
priorities, granted that in practice yes it is more difficult. This is not
because I do not have car access, or money to facilitate this other lifestyle, but
because I choose not to and feel richer for it (wellbeing-wise and monetarily).
However, from personal critique I think it took too long to
reach this mind-set because, as mentioned in the documentary, schools, doctors,
hospitals and general family/social life, do not encourage it to the massive
extent that it should be. It could be down to being unaware themselves or choosing
self righteousness. It entered the public eye recently that the whole
‘superfood’ buzz and exercising thing is bloody brilliant for you and that fad
diets, fasting, diet pills, etc. aka ‘quick- fixes,’ are actually unsustainable
and can cause long term or unknown damage to individuals. The same ideology can
be matched with that in the medical arena, whereby doctors are quick to
prescribe tablets, medication to treat symptoms, but what is essential and again
illustrating modern day’s ignorance, is instead treating the ROOT of the
problem. The body is actually a very powerful system at fighting foreign
invasion (and keeping diseases such as cancer at bay), without the use of
pills. As Food Matters stated: ‘the body isn’t made from pills, so why are we
treating it with them.’ It declares the infamous statement ‘you are what you
eat.’ Food Matters also displays scepticism that today, so many people intake
abundant junk/processed/GM foods/added sugar, alcohol and little water, but run
to the doctor with a minor illness, or perhaps worse a chronic illness, to
which the professionals prescribe- oh yeah tablets or treatment. So where’s the
chat about NUTRITION WAHHH?! L
There are so many * shake head * moments in that above chain
of events. The moral is; ensure you are getting those essential nutrients the
body needs to function, less of the sh*te and your chances of illness will be
drastically decreased, because the body’s defences will be on point. Read here
for more of the essential
foods you should be embracing. ‘The problem is residual’ as quoted in Food
Matters, which means that the more crap and less needed foods you eat
day-to-day the greater the cumulative long term impacts, knowing you can never ‘undo’
that ‘crap day’ on your body. It has already happened in your digestion,
completed cell exchange and become part of your makeup. What you can do is start asap. Also it’s not
about that ‘protein life’ either, because those outcomes are becoming
increasingly alarming too. National
Geographic reports meat lover’s quadruple chances at mortality from cancer than
those eating little meat.
.jpg)
I add the second consumable integral to this health worry
and epidemic- transport. The same ‘treat the root of the problem, don’t treat
the symptoms’ and ‘change the paradigm’ quotations can be applied. Transport, since
the start of modernity, has become so reliant on private vehicles, ownership
and independent mobility. ‘The car’ (little beautiful devil) changed the way we
moved around the land, our cities and reorganised space. Now I am not an angry
car basher, but I do passionately believe their availability, usage, access,
consumption of other resources and pollutants, need to be urgently
reshaped/toned down. It is obvious that cars pose a risk to pedestrians, due to the sheer simple physics of any impact between a large and small body; instantly the big body wins. But more fiercely and inconspicuously cars are
actually more disastrous than you may think when in the wrong hands, due to
the following:
a)
they substitute a lot of moving the body has to
do compared to reaching public transport, or walking. Conclusion- more
sedentary lifestyles for those who do not get chance or choose not to exercise,
leading to greater risks of chronic, long term diseases
b)
they pollute the air which adds to respiratory
risk to human beings, and again pollutants can affect human cells, as well as
larger impacts such as global warming
The same can be said for private ships and planes relating
to pollution, but categorically the common transport mode is cars affecting general
society. Policy makers and state initiatives, due to direct and indirect damage
to human health, have pushed public transport to the forefront in the last few
years. This can be seen as a response to the ‘changing the paradigm,’ but
essentially it still needs to be ingrained in and distributed to everyone that ‘your
health is your OWN responsibility,’ people have to be conscious of their daily
eating and moving decisions, and that rectifying any problems with symptom
treatment- essentially more problems- (see the side effects of medication) is
unsustainable. Meanwhile policies to divert attention away from private
automobiles would be handy (hehe, alix snigger).
Referring back to the aforementioned final drafted tweet, it
can be seen that those with more money are able to spend, consume and use more
flippantly, things like private cars, jets and planes, over those with less
money. Therefore their footprint is greater, but everyone in society is still breathing
the same reduced air quality, and swimming in the same oceans. Fair? Disparity:
how do those non-monetary costs get accounted for…? (queue post on a contemporary
ideal)
In the end no one else is to blame for your body or health
but you. We are in a capitalist society, which isn't all woe, manipulation and 'Oh the shops stock too much cake'. Aside from the incessant (not always humane) advertising and the availability of almost anything, flashing everywhere ALL THE TIME, it is a fruitful and liberating society to be in. Companies are self-driven, as are individuals, so don't blame the system- operate within it and control your own nutrition. This is also where my tweet ‘I’m an individualist with a
greater (hidden) aim of egalitarianism #WorldResources #relativity’ is explained:
take care of yourself, and indirectly everyone benefits. For example fewer
people eating fast food meals, better personal health AND less business for the
companies= a reduction in overall supply due to reduced demand, a surge in
demand for healthier alternatives. More people on public transport or walking, fewer
cars, less pollution per person= cleaner air and less space taken up in our
cities used for parking now freed up for everyone to enjoy. Ya dig? Yeah a girl
can dream, but I think it’s possible with changed attitudes (and patience).
Just like people took to mobile phones and now we can’t live without checking
their screens all day (queue post for looking into the future of tech).
So before anyone starts hatin’ on yoga, natural healers, ramblers,
recyclers, compost-ers, those without microwaves or cars, those on raw or plant
food diets, vegans, think about WHY they’re doing it…I have always stayed
clear of medication when necessary, even to the point where I choose to endure
mild pain instead of taking paracetemol, because you know what? I trust my body
and the more it gets accustomed to fighting without pills, the stronger it
gets! No need for sleeping pills, or life-numbing meds if you rid your life of stress,
toxins, tire your body out enough physically and eat well. Feed it love (aka
water little meat, fruit veg and superfoods galore) and it will reward you with
short and long term health. See ya! chances
of chronic. Food Matters recommends raw-as-possible, organic consumption,
free from all the ‘–cides’ sprayed all over crops, that kill a lot of the
goodness quite frankly, which is further ruined by cooking. The heat disrupts
all the poor veg’s plump structure and depletes active enzymes that our bodies
love. And I recommend just reading up on what
it means to be a human being species and well-being- that should suffice governing your
input/output decisions.
Watch Food Matters (and regular health news obvs), scout Instagram for healthy eating accounts to follow e.g: Coconuttysara, and also
read ‘The Energy Glut’ (2010) Ian Roberts. Thankssssssss kidzz, the end phew.
