Big feet?...Don't eat Meat.

Did you know that 37% of American women wear a size 9 or larger shoe? In 1987, only 11% were in that size range, according to a recent study by consumer market research company, NPD Group.

I have become enamored of my latest new idea. I want to design shoes. I know it sounds silly, but shoe hunting for my size 11 feet has become all but an obsession the last couple of years as I have finally resigned myself to the fact that I don't want to have bunions and hammer toes from squishing my feet into ill-fitting size 10's. The problem of finding shoes in my size has definitely improved since I was twelve (yes, I wore a size 11 even then) and had to special order the same old boring pair of Keds from Nordstrom at the beginning of each school year. At some point, I just started wearing the shoe boxes and water skiing required a lot less gear, but as an awkward adolescent, I always felt like a leper on my own island... the big-footed outcast.

Today, however, is a different story as many more people are just bigger than they were twenty five years ago. Why is this??

Here in the United States, a huge portion of our American diet is based on the consumption of poultry, beef, and dairy. It has only been in the past couple of years that I have begun to understand the true horror of the reality of our agricultural system and the ways that we manipulate the mass production of our food sources. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the pros and cons of meat consumption, and aside from the nutritional debate, the fact that our meat, poultry, and dairy are pumped full of growth hormones really gives cause for some serious thought.

Though theoretical at this point, there is reason to believe that the cause of children reaching puberty 5 years earlier than they did just 100 years ago and a major reason that obesity has gotten so out of control is because the animals that we eat are filled with growth hormones that unnaturally increase the rate and size at which they grow and reproduce. It would stand to reason, then, that humans would be similarly affected by these same hormones that remain present in the artificially enhanced animal products that we consume.

When choosing meat, opt for grass fed-over grain-fed beef. Studies have shown that meat from grain-fed animals raised in feedlots often contains more total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories than grass-fed beef does. Products from grain-fed animals also contain less vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and omega-3 fatty acids. Cattle raised on low-fiber grain diets are also prone to a condition known as "subacute acidosis." These grain-fed animals are often given chemical additives along with a constant, low-level dose of antibiotics to keep the cattle from contracting any fatal diseases. When these antibiotics are overused in the feedlots, bacteria become resistant to them, and these bacteria are passed on to the consumer in the beef.

The bottom line is that we must question and scrutinize everything that we are fed in today's day and age, from food choices, to politics, and everything in between. Do your homework and always ask questions! Wishing you health, wealth, and wisdom!

By the way, I sell Real Estate in Los Angeles, so don't hesitate to contact me for any questions regarding the market here in Urban L.A.!