Episode 16: How You Can Change The Food System That’s Ruining Our Health & Environment

Join us as we discuss the health and economic impact of our food system with Mark Hyman.

Dr. Hyman highlights the startling economic burden of chronic disease driven by Big Food’s ultraprocessed diet that kills 11 million people every year and makes 60 percent of Americans sick with a chronic disease. Food Fix maps out a new food system that can improve public health and save trillions of dollars every year. The other major aspects to this discussion are saving our environment & climate and challenging politics, social injustice, & information wars. There are small and manageable things we can all do in our daily lives to contribute to this change. 

 

About guest:

Dr. Mark Hyman is leading a health revolution—one revolved around using food as medicine to support longevity, energy, mental clarity, happiness, and so much more. Dr. Hyman is a practicing family physician and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of Functional Medicine. He is the founder and director of The UltraWellness Center, the Head of Strategy and Innovation of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, a fourteen-time New York Times bestselling author, and Board President for Clinical Affairs for The Institute for Functional Medicine. He is the host of one of the leading health podcasts, The Doctor’s Farmacy. Dr. Hyman is a regular medical contributor on several television shows and networks, including CBS This Morning, Today, Good Morning America, The View, and CNN. He is also an advisor and guest co-host on The Dr. Oz Show.

 

Episode Highlights:

What are the top issues within the food system today? 

Our food system is responsible for incredible amounts of chronic disease. It kills 11 million people a year Soil is a major issue because it no longer carries the amount of rich nutrients food once did  It burns our economy It also affects our social system through its effect on mental health. Bad food causes depression, violence, behavioral issues, learning difficulties in kids, ADD, even violence in prisons  Research shows it threatens our national security because of the military not being able to recruit young people, because they're all overweight and unfit, 70% get rejected.  And it is the number one cause of climate change and environmental destruction, particularly our soils

 

Who benefits from the current food system?   

Typically big name companies and big chain fast food benefit from our current food system Politicians Media - billions of dollars from advertising There seem to be some changes being made in larger companies As long as people keep voting with their money and put it into healthier products, companies will be forced to change

 

What can individuals and families do to help the change?

So we have enormous power because we vote with our fork, we vote with our wallet, we vote with our voices, we vote our vote Changing your family's diet makes a difference in the marketplace Buy sustainably raised cows with friends and split the cost COMPOST COMPOST COMPOST there are compost options/products even if you live in an apartment that don’t stink Write to your local government about compost mandates Bring composting to PTA meetings at schools to see if they can change their food waste habits in the cafeteria foodfixbook.com is the website, and you can go see the Citizen Action Guide and the policy action guide See also five steps to a healthier you and healthier planet

 

 

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