In honor of October being
Vegetarian Awareness Month, I wanted to use this Foodie Friday to share my "food story." I've really enjoyed reading other people's food stories; I find them so interesting. Just like so many parts of life, the way we eat often evolves and transforms. It's a process of evolving tastes, health, and of learning more about where our food comes from.
Obligatory disclaimer: My aim is not to proselytize or suggest that my path is the "right path," or that I've even figured it all out. Far from it-- I'm still evolving. I believe that we make the best choices we can with the information we have available. If anything, I'd only encourage people to become more informed about their food and lifestyle choices, so that they can draw conclusions of their own. [It goes without saying that I don't believe that "ignorance is bliss."]
So onto my story. I love food. I've always had a somewhat discerning palette, turning down kiddie-food favorites like hamburgers and pizza in favor of things like Greek salads and shrimp pad thai. I learned recently that my mom made my baby food from fruits and veggies from a local organic farm-stand (Thanks Mom!), so perhaps the tendency to enjoy good food was ingrained in me early.
But, like the majority of other young adults, I did not have the healthiest eating habits once went off to college and was living on my own. A combination of lack of funds, a stressful schedule, and probably a few-too-many nights out on the town led me to often eat cheap, packaged, crappy food (a sleeve of saltine crackers and some peanuts were my dinner on more than one occasion... and let's not even talk about Ramen).
And it didn't stop with my first job, which was an incredibly stressful position in the advertising industry. The overflowing basket of candy bars and chips in the break room became a reward for making it through the day. Even if I was eating healthier fare most of the day, I'd still treat myself with indulgences through snacks or meals out at restaurants.
During this stressful job, a few things began to happen. I realized that stress was making me sick in body, mind and spirit. I started to think about how to make myself well again--and I quickly saw that it was more than just needing exercise, or just dieting, but rather a holistic approach to the way I live, work, eat, think, sleep, etc, and the interplay between all these things. Also, with a brother with Type I diabetes and a mom with food sensitivities and other health issues, I began to see how the right foods could be healing and balancing. My interest in cooking as a hobby became more of an interest in nourishing myself and my loved ones, putting me back on the path to healthier eating--and it was a great way to de-stress after work!
My growing interest in food and health combined with the distaste I was feeling for the advertising industry led me to watch several documentaries that really started to shape my current view. Films like
The Corporation, Super Size Me, Food, Inc., and
Killer At Large were eye-opening and thought-provoking. I was angered by things like corporations' and lobbyists' influence over the USDA and other agencies (and how their influence shapes food policy--for their profit, not our health); how government subsidies for commodities crops have led to the artificially-cheap pricing on highly-processed foods and factory-farmed meat; and the horrific conditions of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)... Etc, etc, etc. [For further reading, I highly recommend
Food Matters by Mark Bittman and
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer as good introductions to the issues, and
Food Politics by Marion Nestle for a deeper look.]
With my new knowledge, I knew that I couldn't stick with my old ways. My meat-eating tapered off (except for when I was with family or otherwise not in charge of my food options), and then a year ago--almost to the day--I decided to forgo meat indefinitely. I felt a million times better once I cut out processed foods and then meat and most dairy, replacing them with more greens, beans, vegetables and whole grains. I feel lighter emotionally knowing I am not supporting industries that contribute to many Americans' poor health, do an incredible amount of damage to the environment, and keep animals in abusive conditions for their entire lives.
Since making these holistic lifestyle changes to my body, mind and spirit, I have lost weight, my blood pressure is awesome (the doctor said so!), I haven't gotten sick in more than three years (*knock on wood*), I no longer have digestion/IBS-like issues that I had eating meat and I don't have sinus problems-- when I am able to successfully avoid diary, that is--the occasional bit of cheese still slips in, especially when on vacation! I LOVE that I support local farmers by
buying a CSA and shopping our
local farmer's market, and I've become much more conscious about supporting local businesses in general. The food I eat is SOUL food whenever possible--Seasonal, Organic, Unrefined, Local. Love that acronym. :)
Now, one little interesting detail-- I definitely don't call myself a vegetarian or a pescatarian (although I *TOTALLY* support those who do). It's partially because I don't like labels, but also because it is A CHOICE I make about the food I eat, not something that I AM. Theoretically, I
might eat fish--or possibly meat--if it's sustainably-raised or comes from a small, local, non-factory farm. Personally, I haven't found it productive to use a label because so many people make assumptions about me when they hear those words. And besides, the food I eat is not restricted to pescatarians or vegetarians or vegans. It's real, whole food that is damn delicious and makes you feel great inside and out. And that doesn't need a label! :) (Bryant Terry, author of Vegan Soul Food, has great thoughts on this very topic
here.)
If anyone is curious about my diet or has any questions, please let me know. Thanks for letting me be so wordy today :)
