What should I eat? And why daily habits are the most important skills to solving food crisis.
To start, this blog post definitely needs refining and a little tweaking but these thoughts that have come together are a great representation of what is going on in my brain everyday. Every day we are faced with choices and food and eating is one of those choices. So let’s talk a little bit about the state of our food system.
There is no better time than now to start learning about food. We live in a world where there is so many choices with what to eat that sometimes we take the easy way out and just head to the local fast food restaurant to satiate our desires and let me tell you this is not so wise.
Making the quick decision with our food is what is costing our health and destroying our planet.
We need to start caring about where our food comes from or I’m afraid to say that food is only going to continue to look “better” but have zero nutritional content and in reality be faker.
In the next 5 years the majority of restaurants will be engineering food on sight or it will be on the menu in some way. I need to more research on this topic. (Here is an interesting article I found that is not exactly what I was looking for but definitely important to know what is going on with the GMO label.
Important Label: This was a screen shot from the food and wine article, please look over this list of GMO , bioengineered foods. These are very important things to eliminate from your diet whenever possible and know when they are GMO/Bionenginnered. FYI: Canola and soybeans are commonly found in dressings, condiments, processed foods and protein powders check your labels and go with small batch non-gmo products whenever possible.
As far as the prediction of making meat, I think they are implying that at some point we might start having fake meat available for purchase and then get to a point where it’s “grown in house”. According to the guardian last November, The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will allow a California company called Upside Foods to take living cells from chickens and then grow them in a controlled laboratory environment to produce a meat product that doesn’t involve the actual slaughter of any animals.
(Read in sarcastic voice: ) Oh this sure would lower the “CO2” emissions by not having to truck in the meat, right? Transportation of meat is not the cause of global warming. Here is the truth and real kicker they don’t want you to know, Big Ag, CAFO and Government Affiliated Organic Farms are the main cause of environmental destruction, environmental pollution, pesticide ridden food, overall food system degradation, and extreme CO2 emissions. None of these operations are running with the idea of protecting the animals, the environment or the people, they are purely ran for profit.
As we head into the future of food, I think it is more important than ever that we take a step backward into how things use to be. Just around 100 years ago our government was advising us to grow our own food in our oven kitchen gardens, have our own backyard chickens, churn our own butter, create community in our community with the trading of homesteading products and resources amongst each other. e would even get a tax break for doing such things. Now they try to instill fear in us, that makes us afraid of each other and the very food we love to grow and that which keeps us healthy. And just years before all this government control , native, indigenous people were cultivating this land, this world, with sprite, and sacred intention and action. THE RIGHT WAY and we should return to their ways ASAP.
The future of food is in our hands and in our decision making skills people.
It is up to each individual to care enough about their own health, because that in turn helps one feel better which helps one make better decisions. When it comes to food that enters your home and body it is up to you not remain ignorant but educated one’s self on what you our supporting with each purchase decision.
Starting this year it is important you start doing all 5 of these homesteading ideologies below and/or at least try for 2 of them if you are intimidated by this list.
These “ideologies” are how you can reconnect with our food system and help restore the nutritional value we are all missing.
- Start composting at home and/or join your cities composting program. Wasting food is a major cause to our top soil depletion, nutritional degreadation and the destruction of our food. Throwing food down the sink or in the garbage aka landfill needs to be the number one thing you stop doing in 2023. Try getting the bokashi if you don’t have a city program because it will help eliminate the smell and breakdown your compost quicker.
- Get Backyard Chickens and/or research and find your local farm or chicken keeping’ neighbor and buy their eggs. If your HOA doesn’t allow chickens it’s time you start a petition. Most counties do allow up to 8 chickens (no roosters, too noisy) or ducks and 2 goats once you fight the system and get it approved. Did you know? Chickens are great garbage disposals, compost turners and soil builders too for all those food scraps, so reconnect with the food chain my bud.
- Find and Support you Local Rancher and CSA. These are the people who deserve all our money. They are the true organic farmers of our world. Those who raise grass fed, grass finished cows; pasture raised chickens and/or ducks; pasture raised goats and pigs should also be on your list of farmers to support for your milk and bacon needs. You will find this is a pretty small list of choices these days that is why it is imperative that your hard earn dollars go to the right places. If you are in Colorado check this cool site out connecting people to local farms. https://www.gofarm.org/localfoodsharefarmers. If you live out of Colorado just do a quick google search for “local (insert your state) farms” and you will probably find a resource just like this website.
- Learn how to grow Microgreens. The state of our grocery store produce is not good. The amount of nutrition lost during transport is the number one reason why you need to know how to grow this superfood. Our ebook The Superfood Growers Guide will teach you how. It is free on kindle unlimited or just $9.99. Plus, most grocery store produce is not in season which means the nutritional content is also not at its peak. Try to shop and eat seasonally when you don’t have fresh microgreens growing at home.
- Start Intermittent Fasting and Drinking more Filtered Water. Overeating and Dehydration is one of the leading causes to disease. The majority of humans wake up dehydrated, so start with a nice mineral packet plus a 8oz glass of water. Also, before you eat something always drink a little more water. You are more like thirsty and dehydrated, then hungry and starving. So here is a quick rundown on how easy it is to start intermittent fasting: So, If you stopped eating at 8pm that makes 8am a 12 hour fast, going to noon makes it a 16 hour fast. There are several ways to incorporate fasting into your life and I am no expert. So I recommend doing some research, there are lots of book, and I have not read them yet but they our in my queue, they are called “Intuitive fasting” and “Fast like a Girl” There are also several podcasts out too about the benefits of fasting just do a quick search on Spotify or apple podcasts and go down your own rabbit “fasting” hole. You might be asking Traci how is fasting apart of Homesteading. I believe fasting helps create will power, mental clarity and mindfulness. Plus, you eliminate an entire meal if not two meals per day if you fast all the time which saves food, eliminates waste, saves money, makes you healthier in more ways than one. These are all important traits of a good homesteader.
There is much more to the future of food and our health but this is a good start. Part 2 will be coming soon. Until then try to start doing one of the 5 ideologies and try not to overthink it, just do. Life is only meant to be lived one day at a time, so enjoy it but with mindful movements and peaceful actions towards yourself, others, and all of nature.
Keep booming life my buds,
@thetracimitchell | @theboomstead
