I recently had a conversation with my friend Natalie Murphy about health and nutrition. As we talked about the idea of mindful eating - being conscious
that we are eating, of
what we are, savorring the experience, being
present in the moment - she mentioned an artlice she had written with a similar message. For some, this may seem a bit extreme or perhaps unrelated to fitness. For those looking to take it to the next level, start to imagine the implications and the possibilities for your well being and the well being of those around you. Look beyond calories, grams of fat, protien, and carbos. Enjoy.
For Your Health and the Health of the PlanetBy Natalie Murphy, dietetic intern University of Northern Colorado
Each day we as consumers are bombarded with information about diets and dieting. We are presented with a buffet of choices on what to eat, what not to eat, how much to eat and when to eat. Yet we continue to see a rise in the obesity epidemic and suffer from a wide range of chronic diseases and digestive disorders. Americans now more then ever are less connected to the food they eat.
In years of past families were self-sustainable and grew everything they ate in their garden. Today, it is more likely to eat a meal that consists of foods that came from 4-5 different states or even from other countries. The strawberry you are eating here in Colorado may have traveled 1,000 miles to make it into your cereal bowl. This may put a new twist on your pocket book as the price of fuel continues to climb. In addition to this dent in your pocket book may come a dent in the earth’s ozone from the emission of the fossil fuels it took to bring that strawberry to your spoon.
It may be hard to imagine that the action of one person can induce change. However, change can become contagious. Making sustainable food choices as an individual has the power to reduce the negative impact on our planet. One individual is part of one family, one community, one nation, and one planet. Adopting one to two of these sustainable changes each week has the power to impact your health, the health of your family and eventually the health of our planet.
10 tips to for your sustainable health and the health of the planet:
1. Learn what foods are in season in your area and try to build you meals around them.
2. Buy foods that are minimally processed. Instead of eating foods that come in a box, can, or package choose whole grains and fresh fruits or vegetables. This minimizes the processing it took to produce the food resulting in less emission of fossil fuels into the environment.
3. Use a list when buying groceries. This decreases your trips to the store decreasing the use of fossil fuels.
4. Ride your bike to the store for picking up items you may need through the week.
5. Plant a garden or sign up for a plot in a community garden.
6. Spend time each day eating at least one meal with others and share your ideas about sustainable health. Good things are contagious.
7. Pack your lunch as many days a week as you can. This will decrease the trips in your car to a restaurant and decrease packaging waste often used at restaurants.
8. Become a member of a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program. CSA’s are small farmers in your area that you can purchase produce from.
9. Support your local farmers market. Spend a portion of your food budget on local produce each week.
10. Slow down when you are eating and enjoy each bite. Think about all of the nutrients fresh food provides.
