I will teach you how we can fight back.
You may not realize it, but there's a war going on.
No, I am not talking about a physical war like Russia v. Ukraine.
I am talking about a war against your metabolic health.
- 70% of Americans are overweight or obese
- 7 out of 10 deaths are currently caused by Chronic Illnesses
- The annual cost of obesity is $147 Billion
Out of the millions of species that reside on the Earth, humans are the only species that has shown the inability to regulate our own bodyweight.
Seriously, take a look out at nature. Show me a wild animal that struggles to maintain its weight.
I'll wait.
"But why humans?" You may ask
After all, we have the most evolved brains out of any species and an over-abundance of technology and resources.
The problem stems not from a lack of intelligence or resources but from a lack of morality behind "Big Food" suppliers.
In this article, we will refer to Big Food as a collection of 10 companies that effectively control 80% of all food products sold for consumption in the US.
If you are in the inner aisles of a grocery store, Big Food controls almost all those products.
These 10 companies are:
- General Mills
- Nestle
- Coca Cola
- Unilever
- Pepsico
- Kellogg's
- Associated British Foods
- Mondelez
- Mars
- Danone
- Unilever
Collectively, they do over $1B of revenue per day. These companies are publicly traded, meaning they have a fiduciary responsibility to deliver maximum value to their shareholders.
Translation: They are trying to make as much money as possible.
As profit-maximizing machines, these companies are geniuses at finding cheaper and more industrial ways to make food.
They can inject cheap & refined vegetable oils & sugars into their products. These products are not only addictive but also incredibly inflammatory.
Studies have revealed that almost 80% of products in a grocery store are sold by 4 Big Food companies.
- 93% of the sodas we drink are owned by 3 companies
- 73% of all breakfast cereals are owned by 3 companies
- 80% of all beef processing is owned by 4 processors
They have created an assortment of hyper-palatable foods designed to make you addicted and turn off your hunger signals.
They combine the perfect combinations of sweetness, saltiness, umami, and various textures.
Seriously, how can you eat an entire bag of chips and be ravenously hungry just an hour later?
Your body signals to you that it did not get the nutrients it was craving from those chips.
You may have humanity's best willpower and discipline, but try walking through the average supermarket without a plan.
Before you know it, you will have a few bags of Doritos, a couple of liters of cokes, and some ice cream without knowing what happened.
These companies can also spend hundreds of millions on marketing to program your subconscious minds to believe their products are healthy.
We have seen this with the demonization of Saturated fat and the overabundance of "heart-healthy" vegetable oils & sugars.
I have a straightforward solution
It's simple, but it can be challenging.
However, it will work.
My solution is a Hyper-Localized approach to eating.
Hyper-Local Food is the conscious decision to buy food grown very close to where you live.
Your local farmer or rancher will typically grow and create these foods.
Your local farmer cares about your health and wants to help you thrive.
Farmers are incentivized to nourish you with REAL FOODS such as pasture-raised meat, fruits, vegetables, and eggs.
Why are these farmers incentivized?
Simple.
They know that if they do not supply you with nourishing food, you will consciously choose not to buy their food.
Contrast this with Big Food which is making billions of dollars per day.
They could care less if they lose you.
By choosing to eat hyper-local, you are also eating REAL FOOD.
My definition of real food is no ingredient labels - just the single source ingredient itself.
You may come across many variations of natural food diets: Paleo, Ketogenic, Carnivore, Animal-based, Gluten-free, etc.
I am not here in this thread to tell you what foods to eat but rather how you choose to source that food so you can thrive.
When you start to incorporate a hyper-localized approach to eating, it won't take long to feel the incredible effects.
I predict that you:
- Will lose weight
- Have far more energy
- Will truly taste & savor your food
- Feel better than you ever did on a standard American diet
Cravings and addictions will no longer hinder you from food that is zapping your vitality & quality of life.
You will also be able to support a system that incentivizes your farmer to grow the best quality food possible, that is, in turn, nourishing your body.
In addition, the Hyper-Local philosophy only satisfies what's best for you nutritionally.
It's also what's best for the planet.
This approach incentivizes less reliance on fossil fuels in the food system, which makes it a more environmentally attractive solution.
- Farmers can deploy regenerative practices that:
- improve water & soil quality
- enhance the biodiversity of the local ecosystem
- produce more nutrient
- dense food
- store carbon to help mitigate the effects of climate change.
This is a reminder that the decisions you make truly matter.
Every dollar you spend on food is truly a vote for your preferences.
Do you choose to incentivize your local farmers or small businesses?
Or do you choose to incentivize Big Food, which profits from your obesity?
I will let you determine how you spend your money, but I am here to remind you that you genuinely have a choice.
Eat hyper-local and watch the way your life changes.