Thursday, May 2, 2013
Something is making more of our kids sick
I heard a report today that food allergies and skin disorders, especially eczema, are up 50 per cent in the US. One in 20 kids has food allergies, one in eight has skin disorders--rashes, flaking, etc.
The kicker is, this is supposedly happening only in the United States. Not Europe, Asia, Canada, South America. Only here. They don't know why. Or what to do about it.
One suspect is the larger amount of genetically altered grains and vegetables here. Well, it is worth considering. I would want to look at the chemicals we use to grow our crops as well. Or the elements we put in our products.
My youngest granddaughter figured out the soap at school was making her hands break out and hurt, so she has started carrying a sliver of soap she knows suits her. She still washes her hands. Her hands don't hurt.
I used to get really enthused about altering natural plants to do something else. I love my Earthkind Knockout rose, for instance, that makes a big, flowering shrub and is insect and disease resistant. Lovely.
I am more cautious about what I eat today. I think a lot of us are doing that. We want fresh produce grown in our own area. As I can afford it, I buy organic meats. (can't afford too many, unfortunately.) I have access to fresh eggs from chickens that run around eating bugs and weeds and vegetable scraps as well as their feed. I don't know if this makes a difference. Seems reasonable to expect it.
We live in a complex world where much is new and exciting, and much is long-tried and enduring. Had a doctor tell me once my sons would probably fare better because I couldn't afford pre-packaged food full of preservatives. I cooked from scratch. Could the preservatives do it? The lining on our canned goods?
Air pollution is world-wide. No answer there. Could our bodies develop problems because so many kids don't get enough exercise? Could be. The body plant doesn't work nearly so well without exercise. American kids mostly get less exercise than kids in other countries.
But something we are doing is different from all the others, and it is making more of our children sick than ever before.
Hope we find out what.
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3 comments:
One of the best things for us about visiting France was going to the local outdoor markets to shop for food. Once you have experienced food like this you wonder how we survive on the stuff we buy in our markets. Just look at this beautiful photo essay and you will know what I mean: http://mimithorisson.com/life-in-medoc/market-days/
wonder if that could be an answer. How do you compare this to your organic farm supplies?
We have lovely choices at our local farmers market, and our own backyard eggs are wonderful. It would seem that most U.S. shopping is done at the supermarket, where so much food is processed. We try to prepare our own, as you do.
In France, however, things are the opposite. The supermarkets are rare, and it seems as though most food shopping is done at the local outdoor markets. It took us a while to figure that out. I'm talking about out in the countryside; I'm not sure where the Parisians do their food shopping.
My one trip to France of course doesn't make me any kind of an expert. These are just observations made from a brief (and very delicious) visit.
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