Eating Disorder

People are so trusting they can be convinced anything. Food is one of the deepest vulnerabilities of human existence. Without food, you cease to live. What I am concerned about, however, is how some people around the world have decided to promote certain food habits that is downright disturbing.

In some parts of the world, exotic food choices are expensive, taste horrible, and are highly over-rated. These animal products are not nutritious and are, sometimes, illegal, such as shark or other endangered species. They are hyped for their aphrodisiac and longevity-promoting qualities, but all of this is pure hogwash! Scientists will tell you that many of these bizarre foods sought-after by desperate and naïve people are just money-making schemes by con-artists. It does not matter what country you are from or what food traditions you may have been brought up with, common sense should prevail. Even kids brought up in dubious environments have been known to ask themselves questions that then wakes them up to strive for better living conditions than those found at home. Food choice, as a young child, can be an inherited normal, but one that some savvy and sophisticated palates have grown to scorn. Many have asked themselves why the food they are eating tastes so bad or does not seem to satisfy their hunger.

At the end of the day, there must be some kind of reasoning behind food decisions. My question is, why would you want to eat fish eggs, snails, octopus, chocolate-covered grasshoppers or bugs, guts, Pufferfish, or testicles! Besides the chocolate part, none of it tastes good going down and when it gets down there, the stomach says, “What the hell is THAT!? It’s a wonder you don’t puke your guts out trying to get rid of it! Just because you can eat it doesn’t mean you should eat it. Some things on this Earth were not meant to be digestible. Would you eat paint? Some kids would. I remember in kindergarten watching with horror as some little red-headed boy squeezed a half a bottle of glue into his mouth! I thought to myself, ‘Oh, yeah, that tastes yummy.’ I slowly put the glue bottle back down onto my table with new eyes. To me, it had become a kind of enticement that I wanted no part of. I mean, if it could hold construction paper together, what would it do to your innards?

People around the world need to ask themselves serious questions about their food intake. Does it meet the edibility factor? Does it taste like chicken? Is the price too high? If so, are people too embarrassed to acknowledge that it tastes like crap because they paid such a high price for it? Or are you eating something on a dare to keep from looking like a chicken? These kinds of food are spicy, like volcano-hot peppers. They burn your hands if you handle them, yet people will chuck them down as if they are invincible. If you get a third degree burn on your outer skin, what do you think it is doing to your throat, stomach, and intestinal lining? Also, it is my personal experience that the food that I was eating affected my health. Before I cut out the offender foods that I was allergic to, I had severe asthma, panic attacks, heart palpitations, muscle aches and pains, and skin conditions. Now, I am completely clear and asthma free. But to achieve this phenomenon, I had to give up those foods that caused it, cold turkey. You, too, can give up foods that you believe are bad for you.

Have you ever eaten an opossum? I have. When I was a child, my family shoved a plate of fried opossum my way. I did not know much about this animal except that it was grey, stunk to high heaven, and sulled up if you poked it. What I learned after one bite is that opossum meat is greasier than a grease-monkey’s hinny towel, chewy to the point of rubber, and it definitely does not taste like chicken! From that point on, I made it a habit to find out exactly what was on the menu and if it met decent human consumption standards.

Get a grip, people! It’s okay to change your eating habits or traditions even if you grew up eating that way. Save yourself from possible ailments associated with eating funky animals or their parts. Google the food item to learn more about what it is you plan to eat. You may be surprised to learn that there are many better foods to choose from at the market that do not make other people gag as they watch you eat it. I know the shock factor is trending on social media, but it should make you feel guilty encouraging bad eating habits to a gullible public, especially young children. For those of you who eat abnormally, you know who you are. Do you really want to eat that octopus? It doesn’t taste good, and from what I’ve heard, it writhes around in your belly after it goes down. Really?! What are you thinking?! I forgive you, but your gut may not. I hope you puke. Serves you right for thinking snails are a food group.

©Copyright, Eating Disorder, April 6, 2017 and 8/8/2022, April Graves-Minton, Love MoonEagle. All Rights Reserved.