Why Food Matters
I go through great lengths to teach my children about food. I want them to know it doesn't grow at the store. When I started gardening with them, i mostly just wanted to show them food growing. I never imagined it would turn into an annual family project or a real source of food for our family. But, as I've shown my girls, the tiniest seed can blossom a large, beautiful flower.
Lots of people compliment the way we raise our kids and throw out comments like, "oh, that's neat." Like our lifestyle is some novel idea, but to us it is very serious. Food has always mattered to us, a lot. Just imagine for a second never having it again. You would die, right? This is life, and you are what you eat! Not in the childish sense, but sincerely...your image of health is a direct reflection of how you've eaten through your life. Food is life, bottom line, and they are the inheritants of the world. Shouldn't they know what good food is and where it comes from?
Mike and i tend to think so, and so we've been teaching our kids and gardening with them for years. We've seen lots of wonderful things blossom in our dirt over the years gardening, but most importantly we watched our young girls blossom into young ladies who are learning to care for themselves, others, and their planet.
Nutritional guidelines are subject to change...to say the least. As a culture, we've learned a lot through trial and error. The downside to this is that the risk is our children's lives, their healths, their very futures! That's not something worth gambling with.
Fortunately, its not so much of a gamble. Humans have been around for several thousands of years at least, that we can all agree on religions aside. You know what that means? Humans have been cooking and "studying" food for thousands of years, at least. And our ancestors haven't left us in the dark, either. Thousands upon thousands of recipes and guidelines have been handed down over the years and its only in the last few decades people have really started pointing the finger of failing health at food. And before you get those pointer fingers ready, lets consider what is really unhealthy about the average modern Americans diet.
Have humans been consuming soda for thousands of years? No. Have humans lived their lives solely on fast, packaged, and pre-prepared food for thousands of years? No. Have they been able to sit down and eat a plate of meat every day for...well, you get my drift, the answer is a big fat 'no'. What have humans been doing with all this time on their hands? Foraging for wild fruits and vegetables, hunting (working their arse off! Trust me, no matter how much of a hassle it feels like driving to McDonald's at midnight for munchies does not equate to the work out early man felt when he wanted some meat!) meat and wild game, until man was able to settle down into the first communities. No, I'm not talking about the cradle of civilization...I'm talking about the original human culture. Man began to make sense of his migrations for food, i.e. he would want to be near the beach when tide was low and clams were easily obtainable and fish were trapped in shallow pools, near flourishing green areas in the spring when food from vegetation was plentiful, and so on.
Eventually, mankind got lazy (imagine that...) and decided they needed a way to stay in one place and build more permanently..and they began domesticating wild stock, saving seeds, and planting gardens. Not only did this give them the option of staying put, but it gave them growth. Eventually, you don't need all hands helping to feed, and some are free to pursue other useful talents such as creating written language, thinking about the universe around us, and how we all coexist just to name a few. Let this soak in for a minute...this is the legacy of mankind, and of your ancestors...food. Food gave us everything.
So whats so bad about the food Americans eat? Well, everything. Not to be the nag, but sometimes i wonder if there is even food in the "food" at the grocery store. You know things are bad when there is meat at the store labeled "FUD" (pronounced "food"). I know, it stands for something in Spanish, but the irony is too much. Its kinda like the "froot" cup on Futurama with a bone in it.
Now, before you get on your soap box about how busy your life is and you don't have time for real food, consider this : in ancient times there were many people who did not and/or could not cook. For example, a single man who isn't married yet, a construction worker, the blacksmith who's too busy to cook, you get my point. People were busy, and when your talking about cooking real food your talking about a serious commitment, especially in the days before stoves, ovens, and microwaves. Diners and "fast food" was not uncommon, where they would spend all their time cooking and sell their food to other townspeople who were in need of a quick soup and sandwich without the hassle of harvesting the vegetables, obtaining meats and water, or baking the bread. People have always depended on each other. So whats changed?
...The portions? Just maybe. And intake of meat to fresh fruit and vegetable intake..Just saying..9_9
I honestly dont know, and im not going to pretend to. But i know that most of the time when you go to a diner or fast food eatery they really do not care about you or providing you with a service. You are a number, another $5 bill. When i find a restaraunt that doesnt treat customers this way and sincerely cooks real food i become a loyal customer for life.
Speaking of which, there is an AWESOME breakfast diner at 43rd avenue and cactus called Ronnie's Cafe. If you've never eaten there you really must give it a try. They close their doors at 2pm everyday though so..plan around that. You can thank me after you've had the best breakfast of your life!
