Sugar

Dr. Robert Lustig is campaigning against a poisoned food supply here in the U.S.. His input into this San Francisco Chronicle article in 2006 is a primer on the enemy, covert and overt sugar additives throughout the U.S. food supply. Processed foods are disabling and  killing Americans.

Diet education and moderation is an essential part of any healthy life practice. Once I accept that mind body and mind are one, I realize that what I put into my body effects my mind as well as my body. To believe that I am reaching my full intellectual or physical potential while feeding my body poorly is delusional. To believe that drugs and alcohol do not significantly alter personality and intellect drastically is also delusional.

If I am eating properly, getting sleep and exercising regularly, I am approaching my peak performance of my humanist practice daily. If I am eating junk, sleeping poorly and exercising sporadically, I am failing myself in my practice. Yes, it is that plain and simple, whether you choose to accept the physical realities of your body and mind or not.

So much of the dysfunction we see around us daily in society or ourselves is caused by improper nutrition, poor living conditions which diminish healthy sleep and lack of physical training. Obese, disheveled people are commonplace. In fact, there has been a fashion trend to highlight obesity, to glamorize it. This is glaringly obvious social dysfunction in a society impaired by obesity and its health consequences.

While Dr. Lustig and others are waging an admirable campaign to get government to do the right thing in schools and supermarkets, the campaign for the minds of the afflicted is another matter. The poisoned mind  is often incapable of recognizing its own toxicity. It falls to those of us who recognize this dysfunction to intervene to make a difference in lives of those around us. This is a worthy humanist practice.