Looking around online I see Im not the only person out there who has trouble with concious eating when abroad.  While I was amazed at the abundance and the quality of life in Europe (something everyone readily talked about- a few doctors I met whod lived in the states for residency or school said they would choose Italy anyday- because there they work to live where in the states they would have to live to work), I wasnt impressed with the food.  The produce was generally old and of very low quality.  I noticed a lot of people just didnt look healthy and carried around a lot of excess weight.

Also, the pollution headaches were insane- worse than NY.  Totally gross, I know, but I was coughing black crap for a full week after I got home!  I think it's all the diesel they use- I ended up on Amalfi and it was the worst down there, for some reason. 

I read an article while I was there that this wasnt always the case.  Their typical mediteranean diet was being replaced by Americanized franfoods like mcdonalds and chemical prepacked junk like twinkies and chips. 

It seems ironic that we have one of the most unhealthy nations in the world and also some of the best most healthy options available.  And also, how common knowledge the importance of health and nutrition is.

I think out of frustration about availability of healthy unaltered foods and watching our friends and family members become sick because of what we're cosnuming is leading more and more people to question whats really going on.

Im really grateful for the people who didnt drink the kool-aid- pun intended- and decided to really question what was/ is happening in this country to our farms and farmers and our agriculture. 

I for one, enjoy apples that are actually apples and not clones, non irradiated, non GMO.  If I had kids I wouldnt want him to eat these things that could potentially alter his dna and create cancerous cells- or watch him suffer through a weight problem or various psychiatric disorders that are increasingly proven to show nutrition, or lach thereof as the root cause.  Things like add, adhd and autism, depression...