Mexican Coke-It is the real thing!

I was in a Mexican restaurant that prides itself on having only the freshest ingredients.  Instead of the usual cheese covered Mexican food that we all know, it was clean, crisp and delicious! My husband asked for a Coke and the question came back, “would you like to try Mexican Coke?” Mexican Coke? We didn’t know there was such a thing. So, being the adventurous travelers that we are, we tried it. Wow! I was instantly transported back to my childhood. Back to glass bottles, and the simple sugary taste of Coke shining through without the bite or aftertaste that all sodas seem to have nowadays.

It got me thinking, as most things do, about why American food and drink is so often second-rate in the ingredient department.  We seem to be the only country that accepts without question questionable even dangerous ingredients and ingredients that are genetically modified. The only reason Mexican Coke tastes different, going by the list of ingredients on the label, is that it has replaced high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar, an ingredient that is more natural and not modified. I assume the reason that Coke uses high fructose corn syrup is because it is dirt cheap, coming from the thousands of acres of genetically modified corn fields and because, frankly, we accept it where other countries don’t.

As it takes hundreds and thousands of years for species to change there is no way to know what the effects of genetically modified food is having on us, is there? It just seems to be common sense that it will have some effect as we are ingesting things that are not natural. How long will it take to adapt to the myriad of chemicals and alterations that are being thrown at us every day? It reminds me of the film the Incredible Shrinking Woman and instead of shrinking what do we see but high incidents of cancer. Does high fructose corn syrup and genetically modified food cause cancer? I don’t know, do you? Young, middle-aged and old people are getting all sorts of cancer, the prevalence is taken as normal now as cancer rates grow exponentially and we throw our hands up in the air and give millions of dollars to research as if it is such a great mystery. How can we take in all these chemicals and think it wouldn’t affect our systems? Again, I don’t know what the effects will be or have been but how can we just accept it without knowing?  I have noticed lots of these Frankenstein additives such as high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, sucralose and propolene glycol-a synthetic liquid petroleum, used in making plastic and anti-freeze and oh, it happens to be cheap and sweet and therefore used in ice creams, drinks, mustards, bacon and loads of other products. Next we’ll be seeing commercials taunting  “Don’t be silly, your body doesn’t know the difference between petroleum and sugar” Really?

I bought nuts one day and then threw them out when I realized they had sucralose on them. Why on earth would a nut need an artificial sweetener on it? There must be a reason they do this right? What is it I wonder?

Other countries have refused to have chemicals and GMOs in their foods and their governments have responded by banning them. Let me say it again. People in other countries said that GMOs scared them and that they didn’t want it in their foods and foods were pulled off shelves and banned as governments listened and acted on behalf of their people. But no, we allow them all, no matter the consequences.  For a country that is supposed to be the epitome of Democracy, why aren’t OUR voices heard when we say we don’t want Franken foods? There are some organizations out there screaming about this.

So, now we are importing an American icon, Coke, from Mexico because it IS the real thing! Thousands of people want it and stores here are already stocking it. While Americans stick their head in American sand, corporations are raking in millions on inferior products using cheaper and potentially dangerous ingredients. They are benefitting from our increasing tolerance of unpronounceable concoctions. Why don’t companies do the right thing and make their products with the finest ingredients they have access to, to begin with? I think we think that companies will really choose safety and health over greed.  It’s not going to happen people. Look what we are importing from China-lead, pesticide and chemical laden products that are making people sick every day.  I know Coke is not equivalent to carrots and celery but bravo to Mexico for providing a product people can trust and enjoy and for showing America how it’s done. That mentality is refresco! OLE!