I recently watched two movies that have greatly altered my perceptions about two things I love to do: shop and eat. One movie, Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price, was a documentary. The other, Fast Food Nation, was a movie based on a best-selling book.

I've been shopping at Walmart for many years. Let's face it... they are cheap and sometimes they are even fast. It's easy for me, since Walmart is only 2 miles from me, to pop in when I need an item or thirty. It's been a convenience. And a crutch.

I watched the documentary, Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price, and have yet to re-enter a Walmart. It has been one month now. I no longer contribute to the dealings that I watched in that documentary. I am free of the crutch. Yes... I still go to Target for the items I cannot get at the grocer or produce section (let's face it, Marty's Produce doesn't have the latest shade of pink!). But Target and Walmart... well, that's like comparing persimmons to fecal matter.

Several weeks ago I watched Fast Food Nation. It is not a great film, but it is an important one. It showed, in shocking fashion, the sad reality of what corporate America has done to our food supply. And although my husband and I have always been watchful that our children drink organic milk... we now see the importance of taking this healthy habit further. We have been increasing the amount of organic and local produce in our weekly shopping. And we now only purchase meats that are hormone/antibiotic free and that are raised humanely. No... I'm no PETA unductee. Far from it. But I do not see the necessity of keeping animals in crates simply because we need more cheap burgers and more hormone-deformed chicken breasts.

I won't give details of either of these films because I think they need to be seen - not just regurgitated.

The important thing for me is that I am no longer supporting companies that put money before the health and livelyhoods of our nation. I now shop at local grocery stores and healthful food markets. I'm supporting the little guy again... and I feel pretty damn good about it.