America currently faces many modern challenges, but the one we should be most concerned with we are completely oblivious to. As a country we are allowing our citizens to eat deficient and chemically modified foods which are in turn the cause for many diseases that we then use chemicals again to treat the disease. I believe that we start fixing the problem from the inside out. We need a whole new paradigm in terms of our food, and a new outlook on conventional medicine. The problem is we are eating food like products that are chemically modified to have long shelf life and were manufactured to be extra appealing to in turn generate profit for the company.

MSG a chemical found in 80 percent of modern flavored foods not only has chemicals that trigger your brain to want to eat more, but also excites a part of your brain that is in charge of the fat cells. MSG is hidden behind over 50 names making spotting it tough. The question is: in a modern society with all the resources available to us how is this dangerous chemical found in all of our foods? The irony of the matter is that scientists, researchers and doctors all know about it because when they study obesity they look at fat mice that have been fed MSG. A quick google search of "MSG obesity induced mice", shows many research papers, articles and journals detailing procedures about using MSG to make mice obese.

On top of MSG we are consuming far too much sugar, aspartame, and unhealthy chemicals that have an addictive quality to them. When sugar enters the bloodstream it triggers a beta endorphin rush, a natural opiate with morphine like effects. The effect is pleasing and people often rely on this much like a drug. “Comfort foods as they often are called are sugary foods that short term will heighten mood. Over time the brain will crave more and more of the natural opiate feeling and will overindulge. Many like to call attention to dangerous drugs like heroin or cocaine, but premature death is claiming millions more every year".

With these patterns we are destroying our bodies basic needs for survival, and it’s not your fault. Our bodies are genetically made to seek calorie sources, primarily fats and sugars. When we taste something fatty or sweet it triggers our brain to want more and more of it because in a hunter gatherer society, fats or sugars were essential to put on a little extra fat to prepare for famine. Today's modern society we are not as wary of famine yet still surrounded by many fats and sugars, and millions of Americans are storing up for the winter famine, but unfortunately it never comes.

Even our produce, the life foods that we need to survive on this earth for many years are being sprayed with chemicals depriving not only the plant of nutrients, but the soil as well. It was simply a choice we made as a society. Further depleting the product of nutrients, is the time it takes to get to your refrigerator. At best the produce you are buying is about a week old! How much nutritional value can you get out of week old, chemically modified produce from soil that has no nutrients?

To help improve everything from cancer, to depression it all traces back to what you put in your body. We need to start funding and advocating for our society to stop eating processed foods and get back to eating life foods, superfoods and trading the diet cola for a bottle of water. We need our doctors to start learning about nutrition and focus on treating the root cause of why the patient is sick which is most likely diet and not giving out more chemicals to put in your body to fix the problem. If all you do is treat symptoms and not the underlying problem you won't see any success long term. Our bodies strongly desire to be filled with the nutrients and hydration that our world offers. Give your body what it wants, and you will see fantastic change in not only your physical health but mental as well. Being in college it is important to give my body the correct nutrients to perform well for many hours. You aren't supposed to be tired in the afternoon, you're supposed to be energetic and alert all day, but you have to take care of your body first. Don't fall for the trap, and give your body the tools it needs to succeed for a long and naturally healthy life.