Thoughts About Eating

Over the past couple of days I've encountered three mentions of the movement to eat local foods. Apparently there is a challenge going on this month in Maine, where you can sign up to prepare and eat at least one meal of entirely local foods. Some people are doing it for Thanksgiving; an acquaintance of mine and her family were featured in the local newspaper. More of a challenge in New England in November than it might be in, say, California. I think it's a cool thing. Focusing on sustainability, and eating foods that haven't been shipped hundreds or thousands of miles using fossil fuels, is a good practice.

BlackLion has been interested in starting a garden next spring, and we're planning to do that on the family land here. Our soil is very acidic, which is partly why our gardening project a couple of years ago didn't really work. So we need to treat it with lime and manure this fall. He's been talking to organic gardeners and doing a bit of research. I imagine we'll get the kids involved, as part of their unschooling.

I've been eating a mostly vegan diet for quite a while now. It feels much better to me, both physically and emotionally, than when I ate more dairy and eggs (I've been vegetarian for years, though I did eat fish occasionally up until about 2 years ago). I think that everyone needs to figure out the food that makes the most sense for them personally, and also take into account where the food is coming from. Each body is different, and what works for one person might not work for the next person.

But I would urge everyone to be aware and conscious of what you're choosing to put in your body. I like to bless the food before I eat it. We do a gratitude blessing at dinnertime as a family, and at lunch I have a little blessing I say. I think the energy with which the food is eaten (and prepared, for that matter) contributes to the nutrition and pleasure it provides.

Many people eat so automatically and without considering what value it brings to them, where it came from, or its impact on the environment as a whole. I'm glad that more of us are becoming aware of the fuel we choose to give our bodies. Even just the awareness that we do have a choice, for those of us fortunate enough to be able buy or grow the foods we want, is an important step.