Between sessions of launching myself off diving boards and logging miles on the pavement this fall I slogged my way dutifully through my first formal nutrition class. A prerequisite for nursing (and pretty much any health field) I was introduced to the finer points of medical nutrition therapy and met again the USDA recommendations for a healthy diet. It's not the first time I've heard this information, anyone who's been through health class in public school has been subjected to the rigors of what to eat, how much to eat, and what to do if you eat to much.
But for some time now I've been struggling with the big agency of what really constitutes a healthy diet. America is notorious for being a "melting pot" society, an overly used descriptive phrase if there ever was one yet one that still accurately describes our situation. However our blessing of diversity and government mandated policies regarding our food has manifested itself in a food culture that has basically become a display of the magic of product processing.
Biologically humans are driven to two ends: reproduction and eating. It's wired into our evolutionary centers to feed ourselves and pass on our genes and we honor millions of years of fine tuning every time we sit down to a meal or smile at a pretty partner. But while we've placed extreme care in selecting the right mate it seems like for many of us choosing what we consume has taken a back seat. How could we have let eating become a chore instead of the life-sustaining activity that it really is.
There is a tangible feeling to consuming simple foods. Clean water, fresh baked bread smeared with plain butter, crisp fruits, vegetables roasted within an inch of their lives, and meat coaxed into flavor spectrum with just herbs. It's a beautiful thing and there are few activities more pleasurable than enjoying good food.
But it's rare that we really take the time to appreciate the foods we have. In a system designed for mass production and additives I'm forging, and foraging, a path to good tastes and simplicity. I love eating and food way to much to listen to government recommendations any longer and subject myself to "diets".
So I challenge myself to eating for life again. Not eating for a diet, not eating for a vision or a cause. I'm sick of hearing about how I should go organic to avoid pesticides or save the planet. I don't want to be a foodie or a chef. I just want to eat and nourish and enjoy what I'm putting into my body. To tap into that deep seated part of myself that is connected to the act of feeding for life. It's going to be a fun trip.
So thanks for the memories USDA recommendations, but I think I'll figure this one out on my own.
