Eat Your Way to a Better World...

Food is a sacred item of magic equivalent to medicine. In fact good food is medicine. With it we can prevent disease, reduce the effects of aging, improve our quality of life, restructure unjust economies, help solve our long term health care problems, fight global warming, promote cultural and biological diversity, and so much more.

It's perhaps the easiest and most accessible form of activism anyone could possible perform and unlike political change, changing our diets is relatively simple. (We get just about three votes each day.) By being more mindful of what we eat anyone can help make the world a little better. Sounds empowering doesn't it?

Well here's how...


1. Choose whole foods over processed foods whenever possible. The rule is that the less your food is processed the less energy is wasted in the form of shipping, marketing, and restructuring the original molecules of your food. When your food is processed its nutritional value is being substituted for portability, shelf life, and all the traits which are valuable to the marketing industry. Plus by buying whole foods you're more likely to master your culinary skills which in turn brings you entertainment, a chance to be creative, and is guaranteed to help you win both friends and lovers.


2. Choose foods locally grown and in season when possible. This may be a little trickier and might require some research but the benefits are HUGE. Local/seasonal foods are more likely to be fresher and picked at the peak of ripeness. In other words, they contain more nutrients and flavor than produce grown 2,000 miles away and 2 weeks before you found it at your local market. This also means that when you go to your local farmers market you'll find a much greater selection of produce simply because local farmers aren't limited by the number of crops which are capable of surviving such a long journey through time and space. Which brings me to the next great benefit, they require less fossil fuels for shipment and energy for refrigeration. Finally, by purchasing local foods you are also contributing to the health and maintenance of your local economy and therefore your community. (The same is true with local art.)

Here is a nice seasonal food guide to help you on this quest!

Bonus points - If you want the absolute best foods in the world, grow it in your own backyard. Nothing is more local and less wasteful than homegrown food. You just can't compare the taste of a salad made with lettuce and tomatoes you picked 5 minutes earlier with anything else. Plus it saves you money and has a whole universe of intrinsic benefits of its own.


3. Choose organic over "conventional" foods. I have to admit that the use of language here is a little absurd. There just isn't anything conventional about "conventional" foods. Up until the 1940s, the whole history of human food was grown organically. It wasn't until then that we started turning fossil fuels into pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers for the purpose of converting our farms into industrial food factories. Which brings me to our first benefit, organic foods don't require fossil fuels and toxic chemicals created from them. This benefits the natural balance of the surrounding ecosystem and improves the working conditions of farmers. Organic farming also conserves water and preserves the soil health and nutrients instead of wasting them. By amending the soil with organic matter farmers in turn feed microorganisms, your food (in turn us), and in doing so prevent plant disease and the need for pesticides. Finally, more nutrients in the soil means that there are more nutrients in your food. Organic foods are known to contain 50% more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals than "conventional" foods. Which in the long term saves you money and stress by preventing the need for massive doctor bills in the future.



Next time you're feeling hungry try not to let the price tag or the lure of "convenience" be your only guide in deciding which foods to eat. The super market price does not often reflect the true cost of irresponsibly produced foods which are ultimately paid by taxpayers, including billions of dollars in government subsides, water contamination, loss of bees, soil erosion, and other hidden costs. These 3 basic tips will help you avoid the pitfalls and will help encourage the growth and accessibility of responsibly grown foods.