I think sometimes you can judge someone by the company they keep. I also believe you are what you eat. So when you combine those two ideas, I like to think that what food I choose and who I buy it from says a lot about the person I am and the person I want to be.
Clearly I choose the food I eat because I think I will be a healthier person for it. And by healthy I don't mean skinny. There are plenty of people out there who are sick and skinny. I'm not referring to those with illnesses or diseases, but there are a lot of people who are skinny and malnourished, skinny and tired, skinny and eating foods that are destroying their insides. I want energy, a clear mind, and an overall "good" feeling in my own skin. I'm starting to find more of a correlation between not just the physical impact of food, but the mental and spiritual aspects as well.
Case in point: the book I am reading about animal ethics has me looking at my food sources with a much larger magnifying glass. My research over the past few years has shown me that factory meat is not in the same realm as my local farm's meat when it comes to nutrition. Eggs in a carton in the grocery store offer a fraction of the vitamins, protein and other essential nutrients that a farm fresh egg does. But now there's more to the story for me. Now when I look at a piece of commercial, factory produced chicken I think about the backstory of that bird. Of the suffering it went through, of the horrific conditions it lived in and the unethical treatment it may have received. It literally makes me gag and I don't want to eat it. I can take this to produce as well. I think about all of the chemicals put on those plants and then those chemicals going into my kids and suddenly the food doesn't seem appetizing.
In my dream world, where I have an abundance of time and money, I wouldn't buy anything from a grocery store. I would only shop at my farmer's markets, grow some of my own food, and make almost everything I could from scratch. There's something about having a truly personal connection to my food that feels good. I thoroughly enjoy going to my farmer's market and talking to the farmers about how they picked the vegetables that day or how the lack of rain is really hurting a particular crop. I like talking to my meat gal about what cuts she'll have in weeks to come, or why the ground beef selection is low this month. I'm not totally naive, I know that farmers are human and can lie and maybe some do to try and make a buck, but a lot of these people invite you to their farms to check out their methods. This level of transparency makes me feel better. Most factory-based meat plants do not let anyone in their doors. That alone makes me feel safer putting my "food faith" in the hands of my local farms.
I don't see my dream world coming true anytime soon so I do shop at grocery stores. I try to choose the ones that are the most in line with my food philosophy: eating food that is as close to its natural form as possible. For me in Charlotte, these stores are Whole Foods and Earthfare. There are numerous products in these stores that I don't think are particularly healthy or smart choices for people. But you can find some top notch companies who are doing their best to help people living in this modern society achieve their food and health goals based on a more traditional approach of eating. Many of the products in these stores are made from high quality ingredients and are minimally processed.
Quick update: I'm doing pretty well with my shakes. I've made a few and like having them to sip on throughout the day. I'm still struggling with my fruit intake and overall food consumption.I am actually researching magnesium supplements to see if they will help me with some of my health troubles. I try not to get too caught up in all the supplement advice out there (if you listen to everyone you would be taking 100 pills a day!), but magnesium has been on my mind for awhile now and it feels like the right time to take some action. I'm actually sitting at Earthfare now typing this while my sitter watches the kids and I'm going to head into the health section to investigate some options. Going to see if I can get the Hubs to take something as well. That will take some persuasion. I may have to sneak it in like I do the liver : )
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