Control. It's such an illusory thing. Yet, we all want it, at least some of the time. Even if it is illusory, the feeling of having some over our own life gives us a feeling of empowerment and maybe even of hope. Yes, I’d like some of that back, too.
We're 18 months deep into pandemic life and things are still quite messy and out of control. Rules are different in different places. Relationships have been damaged, some beyond repair. Anxiety and depression are skyrocketing (a problem we already had in the U.S.). Our kids have had constant (damaging) disruptions to their school life. Isolation, quarantine, once words du jour are now quite the norm. Segregation is being embraced and enforced...again (differently yes, but segregation is still segregation).
For those of you that know me or have followed me, you know I don’t talk politics. I talk about food and that’s quite controversial on its own.
And it's food that I always come back to.
I recently visited NY for the first time in a long while and I was astonished at how everything I ate tasted sweet, how the portions somehow got even bigger, how nearly every processed product I picked up (including organic bread with sprouted flour, organic crackers, etc.) had some form of sugar in it. Most had multiple forms of sugar! There’s a new study out, published in JAMA showing that ⅔ of calories consumed by kids and teens comes from ultra-processed foods. This isn’t new but the numbers keep getting higher and the results are just as dire.
Do you REALLY want some control back? Really, for real?
Because you can get it through your food. I promise.
All you have to do is make a tiny food commitment to yourself or your partner or your kid(s).
What does a tiny food commitment look like?
Well, it looks like
1 new vegetable in your shopping cart this week or
1 less boxed/canned/bagged food in your cart or
buying something organic or from biodynamic/regenerative farming or
learning what those things mean or
a trip to the farmers market where you get something you love and something you’re less sure about or
trying a new (whole, real) food (sauerkraut would be happy to be your first) or
replacing (insert any other drink) with good ol’ plain water or
instead of reaching for that cookie for a snack, you reach for a date or a banana or a handful of nuts...sure with a few dark chocolate chips if that helps or
a conversation with someone about any of the above or a new recipe or
confessing to someone you trust that you have no idea what to do with a/an (insert real food here)
We all have to start somewhere. There are no judgments.
When that tiny food commitment becomes a habit then you’re ready for the next tiny commitment. And repeat.
What do you gain control over?
I’m so glad you asked.
You gain control of YOUR HEALTH. Your IMMUNE health, too.
You gain control of your mood, your sleep, your CHOICES.
Food at its core has the ability to heal, awaken, empower, and connect. It will connect you to others in your home and outside of it. It will connect you to your ancestors and to the Earth. You will feel less alone. You will feel less anxious about the current state of the world. You will feel hopeful. You will contribute to doing something good for our home, the planet Earth.
Processed “food”, ultra-processed “food” will do the opposite. It will dull your senses, cloud your hope, put you to “sleep” and yet rob you of actual restorative sleep. It will depress you and make you anxious. Over time, it will plague you with sickness. It kills our soil, seas, and planet.
I’m not being dramatic. The choice is yours.
Do you want control back?
Then, take it and feed yourself without corporate branding making the decision for you.
I’m here to help. Visit my website for easy recipes. Take a cooking class (with me or elsewhere). Send me a message. I just may be able to connect you with the right people, places, whatever will help. I know a lot of chefs (I’m one) and clinical nutritionists (I’m one) and foodies (yep, I’m one), and people who are dying to help so we can all take control back.
We can do it together but we each have to take the first step and make a tiny food commitment.
Where will you start?
Photo credit: Caroline Attwood @ Unsplash