“There are roughly the same number of Americans who are obese as those who don’t know where their next meal will come from.” Kimberly Burnham said that and it blew my mind.
Obesity is the result of a wealthy culture who can indulge in opulent meals. But the United States’ obesity problem is also the result of the quality of food available at prices the less fortunate can afford. With dollar menus on every corner, those pinching pennies are more likely to choose a fast food high fructose corn syrup burger than investing in organic produce. Although this may save them money in the short term, it may be doing damage to their future health.
Kimberly Burnham
The quality of the food we eat is so important to our wellbeing. There are 18 million Americans with diabetes, some due to genetics and some due to the quality of the food they are consuming. What we eat not only affects our physical bodies but also affects our ability to think, reason, relate, create, and manage stress. The food we eat directly affects our brain’s function. Poor input equals poor output. I have experienced this myself again and again. It is more fun, easier, and less expensive to make the easy choices of pre-packed foods versus grabbing whole organic food. There is no problem grabbing one’s favorite comfort food now and again. But I have noticed personally that when processed foods become the majority of my diet that my mind slows and sadly my emotions are less stable.
Thankfully there is a resurgence in the desire for and availability of healthy, organic foods. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is beginning to be more widely known. CSA’s are a direct line between the farmer and the consumer. This not only provides healthy, locally grown produce to families, but also supports the small family farms which provide the food. I have been a CSA member over the last few years. Sometimes there is a weekly pickup of produce or fresh meat at someone’s home or there are some CSA’s that will deliver directly to your house. It has been exciting to be part of the program. First, it makes meal planning easier. Every week I receive a bushel of fresh produce and that becomes what we eat. No thinking of what to buy; it just shows up. Second, it has introduced me to foods I may not have tried otherwise. I never would have dared to buy a kohlrabi and now it is one of my favorite vegetables. Finally, I feel better. Having an abundance of healthy vegetables at every meal makes me feel better.
Join me on September 3 to learn more about sustainable foods and how where your food comes can affect your life, when I am joined by Kimberly Burnham. Kimberly, also known as The Nerve Whisperer, is the contributing author of Pebbles in the Pond/Transforming the World One Person at a Time and Communicating.Across.Boundaries of faith, work, culture, values and more. Kimberly joins us from the 330 mile Cross-USA Fundraising Bicycle Ride in support of Hazon sustainable food and transportation solutions.