GMO Shmo - Natural cereal isn't so natural... - by Yakoob
Shug on 26/8/2012 at 04:40
Quote Posted by faetal
You should probably try to justify that a little, else it is just going to appear xenophobic.
Poorer air and soil quality, less stringent quality standards in growing including use of pesticides. Their garlic has been bleached and won't sprout due to the chemical treatment, etc
faetal on 3/9/2012 at 10:05
Quote Posted by froghawk
Your take on 'natural' vs. 'synthetic' remedies is not entirely accurate. Yes, the 'synthetic' forms contain extracted and purified molecules which are always dosed, but a number of potentially harmful compounds such as colors and preservatives are ALWAYS added to commercial medications. Parabens, for instance.
Take a look at Marinol. Cannabis is illegal - but add some colors, preservatives and filler to it, and you get a marketable prescription drug.
This doesn't mean that natural remedies become better or conventional drugs are worse. You are singling out some processing methods which are potentially unhealthy, which don't impact on the debate since they aren't central to all synthetic medicines. Also, marinol isn't cannabis, it is THC. Cannabis, when smoked or eaten contains variable levels of THC as well as numerous other compounds.
faetal on 3/9/2012 at 10:07
Quote Posted by LarryG
The problem is that most everything is found in nature at the atomic level. There are very few substances which are unnatural at their core. Some transuranic elements with really short half lives, I think, and that's it. So we can't mean unnatural elements, maybe we mean molecules which are not formed in nature (i.e. without human help).
I've always had a problem with this descriptor of natural vs. unnatural. Humans are as much a part of nature as anything. Our manipulation of matter is certainly more complex and diversethan, but arguably no less natural than bees making honey.
An XBOX is as much a product of nature as a dung-ball.
SD on 4/9/2012 at 17:25
Which is pretty much why terms like "natural" are, and always will be, nothing more than meaningless marketing buzzwords.
My favourite was always "farm fresh eggs", which always referred to eggs from hens stuck in cages the size of a shoebox.
SubJeff on 4/9/2012 at 17:32
Quote Posted by faetal
I've always had a problem with this descriptor of natural vs. unnatural... ...An XBOX is as much a product of nature as a dung-ball.
Yes. I've been towing this line since the 1980s.
People who are only into "natural" thing make me laugh/cry. A friend of mine's girlfriend is a really, really fussy eater to the point where a planned gathering of 10 people has to alter its plans because she feels delicate and not able to handle the spicy food we were going to have.
She only eats "natural" stuff because natural things are all good for you, and processed stuff is all bad for you. I've pointed out that a black mamba bites and belladonna are both natural and they'll do you a world of good.
jay pettitt on 4/9/2012 at 18:05
It's a pretty common bias - overestimating small risks (like chemical residue in food) while underplaying larger ones.
That said...
When I'm not doing anything better I run a magical community cinema thingy - and showed
Food Inc (no it wasn't it was something else) (
http://vimeo.com/20700882) Our Daily Bread (which is weirdly awesome) a while back - what struck me wasn't so much the (rather shocking) portrayal of food production, but how soulless and dehumanising the jobs were. Frankly, not much to tell between a farm labourer and a battery chicken these days.
Yakoob on 4/9/2012 at 22:06
Quote Posted by Subjective Effect
People who are only into "natural" thing make me laugh/cry. A friend of mine's girlfriend is a really, really fussy eater to the point where a planned gathering of 10 people has to alter its plans because she feels delicate and not able to handle the spicy food we were going to have.
Ah I know what you mean, those annoy the crap out of me, especially since it always seem like they go out of their way to let everyone know their self-imposed food restrictions and why having that muffing is OH SO TERRIBLE FOR YOU. If you want to keep your food intake miserable, go for it, but dont keep judging me every step of the way...
Not exactly the same thing, but one of my Exs was a vegetarian and, while she never much talked about it, she had the best way of trying to convert me - cooking me totally bomb (Indian) vegetarian dishes on a daily basis. I probably was like 90% veg while dating her, and can't say I minded :laff:
Quote Posted by jay pettitt
(
http://vimeo.com/20700882) Our Daily Bread (which is weirdly awesome) a while back - what struck me wasn't so much the (rather shocking) portrayal of food production, but how soulless and dehumanising the jobs were. Frankly, not much to tell between a farm labourer and a battery chicken these days.
Honestly, it doesn't surprise me. At the end of the day, and the whole reason for this thread, food industry is just that - an industry, business. It's all about making profit, so to the CEOs, Marketing agents and shipping truck companies, it makes no difference if it's a chicken breast or a flashlight they're making and selling.
As for the video, just started watching it, but the soullesness of it seems to stem more from the cinematography than the subject matter; anything shot in that style would come out dull and depressing. Even rollercoaster rides and, sir I'll have you know, I am quite fond of rollercoaster rides
Shug on 5/9/2012 at 02:13
Quote Posted by Subjective Effect
She only eats "natural" stuff because natural things are all good for you, and processed stuff is all bad for you.
While the former is irritating, the latter is certainly true when talking about the processing of grains, sugars and cheap industrial takes on curing and smoking meats
Vasquez on 5/9/2012 at 03:59
Quote Posted by SD
Which is pretty much why terms like "natural" are, and always will be, nothing more than meaningless marketing buzzwords.
Not really, when it means eating your nutrients in the most natural form possible (ie. fruits and veggies vs. vitamin pills). Not because the molecules are somehow different, but because vegs and fruits have all kinds of bioactive compounds that have positive health effects, for example they support the intake of vitamins.
Also when talking about organic food and "more veggies, less meat" -kind of eating, that's better for at least the environment, probably for your health too, although the study results of the organic food's nutrient density go a bit back and forth.
But eating cereals and thinking it's "natural" because it says so on the box is silly. Eat porridge, people.
Still, the food nazis irritate the hell out of myself, too.
SubJeff on 5/9/2012 at 09:05
Unfortunately even porridge has to be screened. There are several offerings here in the UK, and a fair few have all sorts added to them.
