Consider us, the average American consumers: couch-bound, sluggish, overweight, grazing on a steady diet of heavy meats, hormone-laced milk, and refined sugars. An economically required fast is the best thing that could happen to us.

Thanks to drought and various geopolitical factors that will do nothing but bore action-oriented American shoppers, food prices are on the rise. The Wall Street Journal reports:

In the U.S., much of the rise in the food cost comes from higher meat and dairy prices, due in part to tight cattle supplies after years of drought in states such as Texas and California and rising milk demand from fast-growing Asian countries. But prices also are higher for fruits, vegetables, sugar and beverages, according to government data. In futures markets, coffee prices have soared so far this year more than 70%, hogs are up 42% on disease concerns and cocoa has climbed 12% on rising demand, particularly from emerging markets.

More expensive hogs, beef, milk, chocolate, sugar... hell, you, the consumer can barely afford a bacon cheeseburger and chocolate milkshake any more. Which is great, all things considered.

Drink some water and call it a "Blueprint Cleanse," America.

[Photo: Flickr]