Nourishment

As I continue to leisurely nibble on delicious leftovers from the Thanksgiving feast, I am struck with the love-hate relationship so many of us in the world of the wealthy are lucky enough to have. While so many throughout the ages and across the globe yearn for mere sustenance, others of us see food as an activity, a prize, a comfort, or even a chore (as I manipulate my toddler to eat her peas).

I try to be grateful rather than guilty for the many blessings I have, but I have to admit I am simply gluttonous when it comes to food. The sensory experience of the taste and texture of so many foods send me into vacuum mode. Rather than being satisfied by the experience of a sample I want to attack the culprit of my temptation and devour it so the craving goes away (then there is nothing left to crave of course).
Despicable I know.

I've heard of the "Slow Food Movement", spoken with people who understand food to simply be fuel, and respect that you-are-what-you-eat. Intellectually I agree with those honorable positions, but I have not been willing thus far to confront my dysfunctional relationship with food. So - here it is: I'm using this public setting to start therapy with my gut. Starting now - I get to treat food as nourishment: just as nature has presented it to me all along. It isn't something to use to feel better, close the day, celebrate a holiday, nurse a wound or pass the time... it is supposed to feed my body and soul (duh).

As a toddler watches my every move now, I need to be deliberate about everything I do on the planet. We just invested in a year's worth of locally raised meat and it's time to call a local dairy and research community supported agriculture. I know I won't always be able to eat like the guru of sustainability BUT I can respect my own body enough to overcome the addiction to quick fix gorging and sugar rushes. Why wait for a New Year, I've made my decision - I need to live it. I have my tools gathered and will follow up throughout the week as I adjust - feel free to ignore, cheer me on... or join me!