Non-Hydrogenated Life

One of my go-to foods from childhood is peanut butter. I am saddened that many children these days have a deadly allergic reaction to this humble and oily legume. I cannot imagine childhood without peanut butter. If George Washington Carver were alive today, he would no doubt be sued to bankruptcy like an opiod manufacturer. The Humble Peanut: Death In A Shell.

Yesterday, I opened a new jar of my Costco Brand Creamy Peanut Butter. Two ingredients: Peanuts and Sea Salt. That is it. I wish I could get a Crunchy version of it but it is not available at the local store. People usually are strongly in the Creamy or Crunchy camp. I am pro-Crunchy and only eat the Creamy because it is difficult to find the non-hydrogenated option, as I think  most consumers prefer the Creamy version. 

About twenty years ago, I started buying non-hydrogenated peanut butter when I read that hydrogenated fat is bad for the body. It makes sense. The same quality that makes it shelf-stable makes it hard for the body to digest I assume. And so it builds up in the circulatory system and causes heart and health problems. The downside of course is that non-hydrogenated peanut butter has to be stirred as the oil separates from the peanut butter. It is a messy affair.  

That got me pondering, as many things do, about in our desire to make life unnaturally-stable, we're are actually making it more dangerous and deadly. Think of all of the labor- saving devices like snow-blowers, leaf-blowers, ride lawn-mowers, and a thousand other devices and tools that essentially save us time, avoid exertion and exercise (one thing we most definitely need), just so we can  sit on our ass and eat garbage food and consume inane media. Video games, the illusion of exercise. Obesity and negative health-outcomes result. That is without question.  

Now this is not meant to be some homage to John Henry or the Amish up around these parts but I do think it necessary to scrutinize progress and make sure it is not actually resulting in regression. Be stirred, not stationary.