Entry #7. Mistreatment of Animals in the Farming Industry.

For several decades animals have been poorly mistreated in the farming industry and we've encouraged these actions by purchasing and consuming dead animals. Most people know that farm animals are not properly cared for in the sense of health and life longevity, but do they know what actually happens behind a farm? An LA Times article presented a story about how California handles their animals in a factory farm and the story is truly heartbreaking to read.

The article focuses on the mistreatment of farm animals. Not only are animals being slaughtered in the California farm industry, but they are also being abused. The article states that Proposition 2 should be reinstated within the farm industry. Proposition 2 is a statute that allows animals to have space and prohibits them from being confined so tightly that they can't stretch, move, etc. Farm industries haven't been following this proposition and there is evidence that proves it! Either we don't realize that these animals are being treated poorly or we allow these horrendous acts to happen!

It is bad enough that animals are being slaughtered so they can be eaten by people, but why treat them like they are non-living? These animals are just the same as dogs and cats so why is it okay to mistreat cows, but not dogs? Animals cannot speak for themselves so it is up to the people to substitute for them and we aren't doing a very good job. Animals such as cows, chickens, pigs, etc. are such harmless creatures that they do not deserve to be treated poorly. Most of them probably don't live long enough to see daylight because animals, like chickens, are being crammed so tightly in cages. It is sickening and heart-rending to know that these animals only live for the sole purpose of humans and we are hardly doing anything about the situation.

It is important for people to know what goes on behind the farming industry. If people have more knowledge of how the farming industry works, then we will stop to think, "Is this hamburger really worth it?" It is time for people to treat animals differently and know that their life is just as valuable as humans!

Entry #9. My Take on Thanksgiving Dinner.

When November rolls around all we think of is Thanksgiving. When we think of Thanksgiving we think of all the family gatherings, homemade meals, Black Friday shopping, and special events that are going to take place. Thanksgiving is such an exciting time of the year because everyone has different ways of celebrating it and that's was makes it special. Every Thanksgiving my relatives hosts a family gathering for a huge dinner. I dont get to see my relatives very often sou it also counts as a family reunion. Our Thanksgiving is very different from a typical American dinner that involves turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie, etc.

My mom always makes her homemade Vietnamese soup called "pho" (pronounced as "fuh") for Thanksgiving. Of course everyone has their own ways of pronouncing the word, but there is only one correct pronunciation. Anways, pho is one of the most well-known Vietnamese soup among Americans. There are many restaurants that serves this specific type of soup, but personally I've never tried them. I've only tried my mom's pho because she makes them very frequently. The soup mainly consists of rice noodles, herbs, and meat. I eat them every so often that I hardly get cravings for them.

We also serve spring rolls during Thanksgiving dinner and I'm assuming that most people are familiar with them as it so popular. If not, spring rolls contains pork, shredded cucumber, noodles, shrimp, vegetables, etc. They are usually wrapped with translucent flour wrapper. As for the condiments, there is peanut sauce, lemon sauce, hoisin peanut sauce, and so many more. The great thing about spring rolls is that you can choose what to add in your rolls and decide what sauce you want to dip it in. It is all about personal preference!

These are the two of the many main dishes we serve during Thanksgiving for family gatherings. If I listed all of the foods that we serve every year, who knows when I'll be finished with this post! Anyhow, I'm very grateful for family events and great food. If you are unfamiliar with the foods I mentioned above, you should check them out!

Entry #8. Obesity in Children.

Obesity in children has become more common in the United States and there are no changes being made as numbers continue to increase. There are various factors that contributes to weight gain in children. As parents, siblings, relatives, or friends we need to step in to protect children's health by helping them make the right choices. Each child's health determines his or her future and it is important that he or she lives a long beneficial life.

As most of us may know the many consequences of becoming obese, but what do we have to do to make sure children are avoiding these health problems? This is an obvious one, but we need to alter children's eating lifestyle by limiting their calorie intake. We need to implement more nutritious foods into their diet such as fruits and vegetables. Parents can choose what their children can eat by restricting what foods they purchase, choosing where to eat, and deciding what meals to serve at home. Cooking a wholesome meal is a better alternative to buying fast foods. For instance, instead of ordering a McDonald's Egg McMuffin that contains a bunch of genetically modified ingredients, an omelet can be made by adding bell peppers, cheese, and onions. It sounds way tastier than eating a breakfast sandwich that lacks nutrients. Being able to prepare a nutritional meal for children promotes a healthy lifestyle and attitude.

Another main contributor of child of obesity is the lack of physical activities. We can all agree that technologies and video games are the main reasons as to why children never want to step a foot outside. It is important to encourage kids to spend more time outside to maintain weight and calories. Children should be doing physical activies such as going to the park, going for a walk, playing sports, etc. Kids need to start getting into the habit of doing more outdoor activies as it will be beneficial to their bodies and health. Parents should limit the use of computers, games, phones, etc. Once kids start to spend less time indoors they will have very little chances of having health problems. 

As there are many ways to prevent child obesity, we should take them into better consideration. Preventing obesity in children is not only important for their bodies, but for their health.

Taking a Closer Look at the Food We Eat. (EC)

As consumers, it is our job to find out where our food comes from, how it is being produced, and how it effects our health. Do we really know what the food industries have been up to all these years? Most of us don't even try to find the answer to that question because we believe that food industries care about our health and well-being, but that is not the case. There are many factors that contributes to the food we eat everyday and the truth isn't all that pretty.

When it comes down to meat production, how much do we really know about the chicken, pork, and beef we are consuming on a daily basis? Meat production is a huge deal because meat goes into the hamburgers we eat at fast food restaurants. Fast food restaurants purchases large amounts of ground beef so it is important to know where the beef comes from and how it is being produced. Farmers are being paid to mass produce their animals in a short amount of time so we are not getting the quality meat we think we are getting. For instance, cows are meant to eat grass, but they are being fed corn because it fattens them up quicker. Corn-fed beef contains more fat and calories and they are more consistent in taste which is ideal for fast food places. The cows then get slaughtered when they reach a certain amount of size.

When cows are being fed corn they can be infected with E. Coli. E. Coli is a type of bacteria that lives in the intestines of animals or humans. If one cow is infected with E. Coli then the infection can spread to the other animals and it becomes a domino effect. The disease can easily be spread to humans when they consume the contaminated beef. The virus doesn't apply to just cows, it can also occur in chickens and pigs and people often don't know that the disease can disperse to them. E. Coli is a very dangerous infection that can be life-threatening. Food industries need to put an end to processed meat because it affects consumer's health and society. As consumers, we need to start being aware of what is in our food by educating ourselves and taking a step back to think about what we are really ingesting in our bodies. If we have knowledge about what we are really eating, then we can make the world a better environment.