Big food companies know that certain combinations of fat/sugar/salt chemically turn off the signal in your brain to stop eating… and that those combinations are completely addictive?

Yep. It’s true. In his book, The End of Overeating, David Kessler talks about the science behind combining fat, salt and sugar, and what that does chemically in our bodies.

He also interviewed people from large restaurant chains and big food companies (anonymously of course…), where, these folks admit that they know this, and they USE it when creating recipes.

Large food companies, and big chain restaurants KNOW that they are creating food that is not only bad for us, but that can also be addicting.

It is time that we took this into our own hands.

We CAN do something about this – and I’m not talking about marching on Washington or lobbying, or organizing protests.

We need to be personally accountable for what goes into our bodies and how we take care of ourselves.

Big food doesn’t care about us… they only care about making a buck.

I was over at Lisa Johnson’s blog yesterday where she posts a couple of menu items from Cheesecake Factory. Both dishes are THREE times the portion size we should be eating… and one of them is a child’s meal (which is just heart-breaking).

I also just saw this news story this morning, where the Institute of Medicine is urging the FDA to regulate the amount of sodium in food. The FDA basically said “Oh, we’ll get around to that in a few weeks, maybe…”

So, clearly, big food stepping up and being responsible for itself is not going to happen any time in the near future.

Jamie Oliver is shedding light on this subject with his Food Revolution. I seriously hope it makes a big impact… and I’m wondering if big food is afraid… somehow, I doubt it – yet.

It’s up to us.

We need to get serious about our health… we need to stop being lazy about our diets – stop buying the convenience items – start cooking whole, real food. And believe me – I was lazy too. I hated to cook, I was too busy… but the more I delved into all of this, the more I knew it had to change. And, I discovered along the way that cooking at home isn’t hard… I’m still just as busy as I was last year (even more so, actually), and I’ve learned strategies that have helped me stop making excuses and start eating better.

We need to vote with our wallets.

If you feel sluggish, brain foggy, tired, fatigued, de-energized, lethargic, if you’re overweight… if your kids throw tantrums consistently, if they are lethargic, if they can’t get out of bed in the morning… there’s a 99% chance your diet has everything to do with it. If you’re eating convenience foods, and not cooking, and not paying attention, your diet is at the center of all of you and your kids feeling crappy.

Record your food for the next three days. Pay attention to what you’re eating and how much you’re eating. It’s eye opening. And I know because I did it last year. I discovered a lot about the way I ate, and how certain foods affected me.

It’s time to stop making excuses for why we can’t eat at home more. It’s time to step up, get real about our food, and take control.