Knowing my Food

Thank goodness! We are finally seeing a renaissance of food in America. I just heard on my Sirius radio today that statistics show that less and less people in America are dieting. Why do I think that's great you ask? Well, for one thing, during my stint as a fitness instructor, I have seen diet after diet set someone up for failure. One decreases so many calories in order to lose weight, and the minute they hit their goal and start "eating" again, the weight piles right back on. Another thing is, too much regulation is a BAD thing. Yup. You heard me. Everyone's genetic make up is different. If one person cuts carbs then their body goes into "carb crave mode". If another person omits meat, they go into "protein crave mode". The truth is, our bodies need, carbs, protein and yes....a little fat. So the greatest thing about Americans not dieting anymore? Instead of following a standard meal regime, people have chosen to eat....wait for it....healthier. So simple. So easy to do.
A good part of that healthy eating lifestyle has had a lot to do with a resurge in interest in farm market food. So many people are sick (literally sick) of, and from the foods they have eaten for years. Our response to fast food, bad food, mass produced food and factory farming have led to an alarming rise in obesity in this country, and people are "sick" of it.
Now-a-days we want to know; where did our food come from? Was it genetically modified? Who produced it and how much fossil fuel did they burn up getting it to our grocer? These are questions that were rarely asked 10 years ago.
Speaking of 10 years (or even 30 years) ago. I betcha didn't know that eating better comes with a great lesson in history. Gardening didn't happen over night as some youngsters make think. Our fore-father, and great-great-grandmothers worked this land, cultivating delicious varieties of tomato's, squash, corn and many others. They saved seed from the biggest and most bountiful plants and replanted them to reproduce food for their families again and again. So what happened? How could something so simple and make so much sense go wrong? Well, we (Americans) got greedy. "Grow it bigger! Faster! Stronger! More tolerant!" Not thinking once that the chemicals they infused into the seeds would also take away taste, texture, nutrients, and quality. Have you noticed that today's young ladies are extremely...ahem...matured? I don't remember looking like the 13 year old I see today. Think about it. You infuse a seed with a chemical to make it grow fast, and your children eat it, and all the sudden we have 10 year old's having menstrual cycles. Or older women growing more facial hair. I dunno, in my farmgirl opinion, if you stick hormones in a seed to make it mature faster and you eat the seed, are'nt you gonna...mature faster?
Another thing that's happening with modified foods is pollination-or lack there of. All of this modifying is eliminating the need for open pollination. Because large (and small) scale farmers are opting for hybrids that are resistant to disease, yield larger crops, and have longer shelve lives, we have just about exterminated our need for open pollinated or heirloom food. the old varieties have vanished from our gardens just as animals and rainforest's are disappearing from our earth.
So what can we do? For starters, lets shop local. So many of us have local gardeners/farmers that still embrace the old ways. You can support your local community by purchasing local. Or better yet, start a garden of your own. In your backyard, on your porch, in a spare bedroom, or a closet with a grow light. Any corner will do really....
As for little ol' me.... I want to know my food so I grow my own. I like knowing that there's nothing in it but wholesome taste and valuable nutrients. I like the fact that it only traveled about 20 feet to get to my plate. And I love the fact that it's good for me too! Since I have come to "know"my food, I've been blessed with better skin texture, more energy, a nice disposition... and a 12 lb. weight loss to boot!