WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Moving Towards Health

“The poultry industry commonly injects chicken carcasses with salt water to artificially inflate their weight, yet they can still be labelled “100 percent natural.” Consumer Reports found that some supermarket chickens were pumped so full of salt that they registered a whopping 840 mg of sodium per serving – that could mean more than a full day’s worth of sodium in just one chicken breast.” 

                                       --from How Not To Die by Michael Greger, M.D.

Factory farming of chickens is a brutal practice.  

The factory farming of animals in the U.S. says so much about our country. If we truly are to be an ethical society, then how can we tolerate the inhumane treatment of millions of animals who are slaughtered for food?  More than 8.8 billion chickens and 115 million pigs are factory farmed for food in the U.S. annually.  

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths for both men and women in the U.S. and is expected to cause more than 50,000 deaths in 2018.  Fast food restaurants like McDonald's have gained a strong foothold outside of the U.S. Considering that we are what we eat, it is no wonder that colon cancer rates in Japan are as bad as they are in the U.S., “a rise that has been attributed in part to the fivefold increase in meat consumption,” according to Dr. Michael Greger.  A diet high in red meat and processed meats like hot dogs and salami is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. 

We can all move towards health by embracing the fact that we don’t need to eat animals to be healthy and to thrive. Hidden sources of sodium, such as when chickens are injected with sodium to artificially inflate their weight, are dangerous for people with, or at risk for, high blood pressure.  Considering that most people should limit their daily sodium to less than 1,500 mg a day, sodium intake can add up fast.  

Aerial view of factory farming of animals. 

Preventing cancer, high blood pressure, and other conditions occurs when we increase our awareness about what real food is and where it comes from.  We need a food supply that does not pollute our waters, poisons us with toxins, and makes us sick. 

How people think all chickens are raised. 

Choosing to follow a whole food plant-based way of eating is up to each of us.  It is better for our health, the health of our families, the ethical treatment of animals, and the health and sustainability of our planet.  It is a simple step for moving towards health. 

With love and gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich, MPH

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.