FOOD. For me, food is such a “heady” subject. I use it for sustenance; for social engagements; as a reward; and at times, I use it as self-punishment. I know what I should eat to fuel me through this wonderful life that I have been given; however, what I do end up eating is often very different. My relationship with food, like all relationships, is a work in progress.
Food in the 21st century is … well, a pain in the ass. Seriously, in the 18th century, food was used as fuel; treats, like ice cream, candy, fruits and pies, were treats because they were special—they weren’t so readily available. Yet in 2016, a pie is as close as your local bakery; and you don’t need a churn to get great ice cream, considering there is a Baskin-Robbins on every corner. The problem with this? It is now solely up to us to make sound decisions when it comes to food. So, how do we do this? First, we need tools to help us make good choices, such as education, time and loving ourselves enough to exert some good old-fashioned willpower.
While NALI can’t really help you with willpower or time, we hope that this month’s enlightening food content will be of assistance. This issue is chock-full of important information on food and how to have a good relationship with it. We point out that simply munching an apple prior to grocery shopping may help you make better, healthier purchases; we let you know about an indoor aero farm in Newark that can produce 2 million pounds of herbs and veggies annually; and we even point out the value of … wait for it … eating insects! It seems it’s not just for frogs anymore. The heavier subject of meat consumption is tackled in the feature article “Meaty Truths,” where author Melinda Hemmelgarn sheds some light on the many issues that make conscious eaters wary of the industrial meat corporations while steering our omnivore readers toward smarter choices, such as grass- fed beef.
Important note: We here at NALI have a nonjudgmental stance with regard to food and love all our readers—both herbivores and omnivores. We offer these articles for education purposes and hope that readers will utilize the information to make wise choices on how they fuel their bodies.
So once educated, where do we go from there? I think it probably starts with forgiveness. Forgive yourself for yesterday when you ate a quick processed meal or drank more than a glass or two of wine. Wake up each day and tell yourself, “I love you self, and I am going to fuel you so that you have the most amazing day.” Then when you nd yourself in a position to make a food choice, say it again, and then look at your food choices and make the best possible choice available to fuel you. You will fail, and you will love yourself right into two slices of pizza at times. But, for the times you succeed, you will feel propelled and will shine; and when you wake up the next day, you will remember that feeling and will say, “I love you self … .”
Malama Pono!
Kelly Martinsen, Publisher
