My non-conspiracy theory, non-paranoid, non-obsessive post that should scare you

People who know me know that I tend to prefer natural over synthetic for health reasons. I don't subscribe to the "somethin's gonna' get ya'" line of thinking, but neither do I feel that we should be lax in being aware of what is being put into our bodies. God has ordained each and every one of our days here on earth, so to be fretful over "what's gonna' get us" is not productive...and neither is sticking our head in the sand. We are called to be good stewards of our bodies. For some of us, that is a daily personal challenge (referring to myself). My selfish tendencies cause me to want to eat what tastes good. I struggle with sugar intake, and I struggle with my weight. I have health issues. Yet, I know that I am called to be a good steward of my body because I need to function optimally to do God's calling while I am here. "You can't do that effectively if you're not taking care of yourself". I know this, yet I am usually my least important priority on the agenda.

I do have a tendancy to be a consumer watchdog. Part of that bent is my attempt to be a good steward, the other reason is that I need to focus on what is just and right which stems out of concern for others. Especially children. I have come across two headlines this week which deeply disturb me.

The following report addresses food dyes that are commonly in American food products yet not permitted in their international counterparts. Why is it that other countries are more stringent with their standards, and yet American consumers are willing to accept substandard or even dangerous ingredients? We should all be complaining a bit!

Report on Food Dyes

This article addresses Bisphenol-A, a chemical compound found many American consumer goods. BPA has been banned in Canada and is in the process of being banned by the European Union. Just last month, our own FDA released a statement that this compound is safe. That should anger you, considering that BPA is in just about everything including the polycarbonate drinking bottles, infant bottles and sippy cups.

Common chemical BPA under scrutiny as study links it to diabetes, cardiovascular disease

This list goes on with products that are allowable and even embraced by the FDA. One of the more notable products is Nutrasweet (also known as aspartame). This should have been banned long ago based on consumer complaints, side effects and lab studies. Most in my circle of friends will not touch the stuff, but I still know people who welcome the chemical into their bodies for the sake of cutting calories and eliminating sugar from their diets. So, okay..."No sugar, just chemicals for me in the name of health?" I don't get it.

And who can recall the recent slew of Chinese products that were tainted with lead or toxins? It's a quite common occurrence, and we should all be demanding to know why. The Cold War ended before I was born (ref: communism in the 1950s), but I still do not believe for an instant that a communist nation has the best interests of the United States in mind when they export millions of dollars of tainted products to the U.S. monthly. China has different quality control standards for products shipped to the U.S.A. than they do for products exported to Canada, Australia and European countries. It's a fact.

To check for the latest food and drug recalls, click here.

To check for the latest toy and product recalls, click here. Test me in this: click on individual recalls and note the manufactured in information in each listing. Guess where?