Is It Food?? Was It Really Food?? What Was It?? Do We Care??
On February 5, 1997, I decided to try an experiment. Al and I had attended a nutrition presentation in which the speaker described the “preservative” qualities of McDonald’s hamburgers, buns and French fries. The speaker told us of her McDonald’s hamburger that appeared to have the gift of eternal life. She had had it for years and there was no sign of mold or spoiling. We had learned, from a wonderful teacher of health and nutrition, if it doesn’t spoil don’t eat it, but eat it before it spoils.
Soooo, on February 5th, 1997 we bought a McDonald’s hamburger and an order of French fries. (The hamburger was dry – that is no ketchup or sauce to prevent the oils in the mayo etc. from allowing the meat to mold or rot quickly.) We expected that our experiment would be pretty short lived because we had experienced foods spoiling, getting mold, and developing horrible odors over time, (does anything smell worse than spoiled raw potatoes?).
PLEASE, be sure to watch the video of our hamburger and fries thirteen years, four month and thirteen days after we bought it home and left it in the McDonald’s bag at room temperature. (While these were purchased from McDonalds, the same results would probably be true of other Fast Food Chains.)
As you can see in the video, the hamburger, bun and fries are all very dry now. They hardly encourage one to salivate. But what is important is that they never spoiled or got moldy. I know that I am not tempted either to take a bite, or to try a new fast food hamburger.
Now, back to the three questions in the title of this blog.
Question #1 – Is it food? Answer – Definitely not now! I really don’t know what I should call it. Maybe artificially petrified something!
Question #2 – Was it food 13+ years ago? Answer – A qualified yes.
The hamburger definitely had some meat and fat along with a healthy dose of antibiotics. The bun was made of refined flour, and the French fries were potatoes that had been immersed at a high temperature in some type of oil. Frequently the oil that is used is rancid but it is legal to use it.
The second part of this question is: if they were REAL foods, why didn’t any of these items spoil? Because the preservatives were designed to preserve the food and it did! There was no consideration of what the preservatives might do to our bodies over the long term.
Question # 3 – What was it? Allow me to name a genre of processed foods that we will call, “well preserved edibles.” Edibles in this genre are not designed to provide or preserve nutritional value! They are designed to enhance shelf life prior to eating or preparing the food. This leads us to the last question.
Question #4 – Do we care? I wish I had more time and room to provide a lot of specifics. Suffice it to say that the preservatives used in these foods are chemicals that our bodies are not designed to process. Here is a generic statement that I pulled from a web site Called “Bright Hub”.
“Preservatives are added to foods to prevent decomposition
from chemicalchanges and microbial growth. They keep
food from spoiling duringshipment and prolong shelf life.
Common food preservatives act as either antioxidants or
antimicrobials. Antioxidants prevent the oxidation of
constituents in food, keeping it frombecoming rancid or
from developing black spots when exposed to oxygen
(like an apple does when you cut it open). Antimicrobial
preservatives kill or prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Some preservatives used in food can be considered to fit into
the same classification as poisonous drugs. They are harmful
to the body and can cause a number of health problems,
especially if consumed in large amounts. Some common
food preservatives used in the United States have been
banned in some other countries because of the harm
they can cause.”
Sadly even fresh fruits and vegetables may have been chemicalized to the point that there are very unhealthy compounds that we are eating right along with what should be pure unadulterated foods for life! We have stopped supporting big “agribusiness” where we can and try to focus on buying more locally produced and organically raised foods that will help us to continue with good health even though we are growing older and at an age that some people consider to already be elderly.
I believe that, because of our awareness and of the supplements that we use that are also guaranteed to be free, not only of pesticides, but of ANY contaminants whatsoever, Al & I have not needed any prescription for somewhere close to 20 years now.
I feel strongly that knowing the above, we should be aware that “well preserved foods” come with a risk that we should consider before we take a bite
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Hi Sandy and Al,
You REALLY opened my eyes today, I have to admit: WOW!
I didn’t even know that this could happen with a hamburger from MacDonalds.
Once again really good post, with quality information. I think that I really have to be more careful with the food I am eating.
Wish you both the best,
Yannick van den Bos
Yannick van den Bos´s last blog ..Performing My Lastest Zouk Song (rare)
Hello Yannick.
I so appreciate that you took the time to let me know that what I wrote has value for you.
I’m glad if it makes you more careful!
Thank you,
Sandy
Hi Sandi and Al…
I’ve been vegetarian for years and a raw food vegan for about the last 18 months. You certainly don’t have to convince me that McDonald’s isn’t even food – but a whole lot of chemicals and preservatives! Lol
Thanks for sharing this post! Your video was super cute
xo Colette
Thanks Colette,
I appreciate your comments. I’m glad you liked the video it was fun to make.
Thanks again,
Sandy
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Hi Sandy. Thanks for this eyeopener. You are not the only person who has done something like this. In case anyone challenges you to say you did something weird to the hamburger and fries, they can go to YouTube and find the same experiment (and others) with the same results. Thanks agan.
What an excellent presentation Sandy! I cannot imagine people actually STILL eat this kind of food. Being away from it, I know the difference. I am so excited that you did this demo for people who are clueless of what happens to food they eat. I recently heard that buried bodies now are not decomposing at the normal rate due to preservatives. Yuck!
As they say: you are what you eat!
Thanks Sandy
Donna
Donna Merrill´s last blog ..Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone!
Thanks Rosalie for pointing this out. I know that many people have done the same thing and we’re all working to get the same word out. Eat healthy food and not junk food.
Give your body quality and help it to thrive.
thanks again,
Sandy
Thank you so much Donna. I can easily imagine people still eating this kind of food because every time I pass a Mac Donald’s or other fast food, they always have people there and often a big line.
I have heard that about bodies too.
Thanks again,
Sandy
Sandy,
What an eye opener that was! Not only the hamburger & fries, but the bun also looked like it didn’t have any mold. If that doesn’t say it all, nothing does.
Thanks for sharing this. I read Donna’s comment about preservatives & decomposing. Doesn’t surprise me.
By the way, you did a great job on the video!
Val
Val Wilcox´s last blog ..When the Why is Big Enough…
Hi Sandy,
Shocking!!! Doesn’t suprise me though! I am very aware of what I feed myself and my family. My kids laugh at me because I even buy organic ketsup…LOL!
What does suprise me is the people that will watch this video, say ‘gross’…and then keep on eating or using whatever it is they were eating or using, no matter how bad it is for their health! I don’t get it.
Keep sharing…hopefull people will get the message sooner than later!!
Regards,
Sharon
Sharon Hartman ´s last blog ..Don’t Stop Being Who You Are Because Of Fear!
This is truly scary stuff! And to think — my kids LOVED happy meals! Yuck! Wish I knew this when they were little!
Cheri
Hi Val,
There isn’t a trace of mold on any of it. just more and more crumbs as I show it and it crumbles a bit more each time.
Thanks so much for commenting and for your compliment.
I, too have heard about bodies not decomposing as quickly now. YUCK!
Sandy
Hello Sharon,
Thank you so much for commenting and sharing.
Unfortunately, you are right about people watching and continuing, but some people will actually change the way they eat at least a little and that will help our cause of helping the world get healthy, one person at a time if need be.
Good for you for the way you are caring for your own family’s health! Keep it up;.
Thanks again,
Sandy
Thanks, Cheri,
Well, now you can pass this on and help other moms feed their children better. Show your own kids as well.
Thanks so much for commenting!
Mom
Oh my….great job on the video Sandy…..fabulous work in keeping the hamburger and although I’ve watched ‘SuperSize Me’ you tend to forget these amazing facts. I know someone who will say ‘gross’ and then buy one for dinner tonight! Sometimes we have to be ready to receive truth before we can accept something as truth so we’ll never give up trying to help shed light on important topics.
Powerful visual, thank you.
Kellie
Kellie Frazier´s last blog ..Two Kinds of Leaders; The Honorable Ones and The Dishonorable Ones – Which Do You Want To Be?
Hi Kellie,
Thank you for the kind words about the video.
Unfortunately, people will often do just as you predict but as you say, we will keep on trying to get through to them.
Thanks again,
Sandy
Hi Sandy,
I so enjoyed your video and your blog. You should do very well with this on the internet. I think what you’ve done by keeping that hamburger and fries was incredible.
I’m looking forward to getting to know you.
Blessings,
Shirley Hoke
Hi Shirley,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the video and blog. I do hope that it will be spread widely and that people will come back to learn about nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. I really want to make a difference with what I teach and the nutrition products that I use and recommend.
I am looking forward to knowing you as well.
Blessings to you too, Thank you,
Sandy
I watched Super Size Me movie several years ago. What a great video and thanks for sharing, pretty scary when you think about it.
Our food chain has been so impacted by industrialized agriculture. I am so grateful we got off that treadmill many years ago.
Growing our own gardens and buying locally make such a big difference.
Fabulous job on your post and your video. You are a pro!
I look forward to reading your future posts!
Faith
Faith Barnard´s last blog ..The Power of Online Connections When You Take Them Offline- Meeting Kary Rogney in Person
Hi Faith
I appreciate your take on this. People need to become informed about how the food chain has been so badly impacted by big agribusiness. If you haven’t seen the documetary Food Inc, I highly recommend it. Because of it, we now only buy organically and humanely raised meat. We are close to being vegetarians, but not all the way. We want tio be sure that the animals are treated humanely right up to the time of their death. There are two reasons for that and the first is simply the right thing to do, the other is that stressed and sick animals that are so often sold as meat are unhealthy for us to eat because of the toxins that are used in their lifetimes and the ones that they make in their own bodies friom the stress and pain.
You are so wise to be growihng your own and buying locally.
Thank you for your kind words,
Sandy
GREAT Video, Sandy.
I remember hearing the story of the McDonald’s burger and what happens after years of sitting there … a bit scary eh?
Thanks for such a great visual! Should have a warning before watching the video – may be too scary for some LOL
Janet Legere
Internet Training Expert
Janet Legere´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at
Hi Janet,
I’m glad you liked it. I hadn’t thought of the “too scary” aspect! You could be right!
Thanks for commenting.
Sandy
Hey Sandy: Interesting. The types of foods we should eat are growing and consumed within 48 hours of being picked. Fresh foods are consumed sometime soon after 48 hour of purchasing it. Cooked and processed food are bad stuff. You certainly know of your nutrition! Thanks.
Hi Arlan,
You are so right about the importance of fresh foods. One time a friend of mine drove past a field of vegetables as they were being harvested and she noted the bin that they were using to transport them behind the truck.
She drove by every day for a week before they finally filled it up and took it to the wholesale markets.
When we think we are getting fresh product because they tell you it came off the truck that day, it could be a week or more old.
Just think of how the light and air are depleting even what little nutrient value may be there!
Thanks again for your comments.
Sandy
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