.jpg)
Being raised in a small town in Kansas and having the
privilege of enjoying fresh homemade meals most of my life, I thought everyone
was as lucky as me and knew how to cook and cared about their food. Being the
baby in the family with older siblings and working parents I grew up at grandma
and grandpa's house. How lucky was I? 2 meals there and then dinner at home that
was equally as good.
I observed and
later participated in food prep that most kids and adult these days don’t ever get
to experience. My grandparents were both
my short order chefs to delicious food and special packed lunches, I refused to
eat school food ewww! That was when it was actually edible, I had no idea how
spoiled I was, didn’t everyone have it this way?
Now as a personal trainer,
nutritional consultant and wellness coach… the answer is a huge screaming,
overwhelming …NO, NO, NO!
As a child I had no idea that my “love affair” with food
would shape my life so much as an adult. I didn’t realize that the garden fresh
veggies I helped grow and hours of snapping green beans would affect my choices
as an adult. I hated snapping all those
damn green beans but the fresh buttered sweet corn cooked straight out of the
garden, totally made up for it.
Man I could go on all day taking about food and
memories but my point is that as a society we have devalued our food. I am
continually shocked when my clients tell me what they are eating on a daily
basis. I would say 80% have not a clue where their food came from or really
what it is even doing for them. Did society and our schools really fail us this bad
in nutrition education, obviously so!
When I tell people I grow chemical free veggies/herbs relatively
cheap and easy they look at me like I just invented the light bulb. This makes
me very sad but not as sad as all the overweight kiddos running around who eat
something prepacked or fast food for several meals a day. The fruit and veggies
are virtually nonexistent or when I ask about veggies the reply is canned corn
and potatoes :( what? Kids today are missing out and not only that, the nutrition value of the
food that most are eating is crap…… just drive by your local school yard and check out the size of children these
days. It breaks my heart! The problem
will not just fix itself if we ignore it.
I understand we live in a crazy world these days of go, go,
go but what people don’t understand is that fresh healthy food is possible in
the amount of time you can cook a frozen pizza, it is just as cost effective if
you know what to look for. Planning ahead, learning to cook as a family, buying local, shopping for what’s in season, getting to know your local farmer and not buying into main stream media or major
food corporations lies. Yes, lies and the sad part is that they know what they are saying are lies but most don’t care. Money talks :(
Maybe it is my passion for food, my compassion for
everyone struggling with being overweight, unhealthy, depressed or disease ridden, or
maybe it’s my fierce anger at major food corporations and the governments AG
system that tells us what to eat and we do it without questioning….Grrrr!
But
the good news is this can be stopped and reversed with some effort (ok alot of effort). Start
caring about the food you and your family consume, educate yourself, read and share, ask questions, stop believing
the major food corps lies and take back control of your kitchen, your food,
your health and your lives. If you don’t who will?
I love to end my rants with a personal note but the pic below says it all! I love food and love, love, love to eat it even more :) Have a blessed day! -Carey
