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eating away at me


everything eventually morphs into the way the world is
-gene kahn, founder of cascadian farm


a couple weeks ago i found myself struggling to stay asleep. on multiple nights i awoke at 2:30, and fought to get back to sleep. the problem? i was worried about making the right food decisions for our family.

i've always tried to make conscious food choices, preparing plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and having a few meals a week that don't involve meat. after reading barbara kingsolver's latest book, animal vegetable miracle, i started thinking a lot more about what is in what we eat. then i dove right into michael pollan's book, an omnivore's dilemma. i also started doing some research on green living, especially in regards to common household products that are harmful to us and mother earth. can you see where i'm going with all this?

after the fourth night of wacky sleep, or non-sleep, john saw the need for an intervention:"you know, you've really gotta take a break from all this - you're making yourself crazy"


me:"i know, i'm all torn up about the fact that the meat industry is INSANE, produce is saturated with chemicals, and everything around us is probably giving us cancer... not to mention that EVERYTHING we eat is, or was, corn! i know it's all about finding a balance, and doing the best we can given circumstances... not to mention, we can't afford to shop only at granola-crusty-organic-free-range-earth-mother-nourishment store"


john: "what you need to realize is that it's all part of the game. think about it like The Wire. there's always some cop who wants to make a difference, or a politician who really believes in change. but in the end, there's only The Game, same as it ever was. you think you're saving the world by buying locally and eating organic. but to afford that kind of food, and fight the game, you need to be deep into the game, and therefore a part of the problem. who can afford local/organic? rich people. who causes the problem? rich people."

the wire
is arguably the best show on tv. if you haven't seen it, rent it now! i've known john long enough to know he has a tendency to oversimplify things (he admits, "that's how i roll"). but the analogy really did get me thinking. substitute food for drugs, corporations for kingpins, and it really just comes back to the money.

so, i put the books down, and went back to costco for some basic groceries and have been supplementing with produce from the farmer's market. i also got some good ole fashioned fiction from the library. let's just say, i have slept like a baby for over a week now.

Comments

mama mia said…
that slaw looks pretty healthy! :)
martha said…
OHMYGOSH! I do this same thing I have to be careful about what information I am getting, because it affects me!!! I am responsible once I know this truth and then I feel the need to get everyone else up on the scoop and no one really wants to hear it so I drive myself crazy!
Anonymous said…
the mid-westerners are infiltrating my brain and taste buds. i was telling someone about my trip to visit and i realized i systematically turned down thai food 3 times. WTF?! the only thing worse than mid-westerner food? mid-westerner food served to you as part of a meal at a conference in a convention center. bleh, blah, bluh. i am going to dream about sausage-asparagus-goat cheese fritatta, fresh pineapple, sweet potato fries, that super smooth hummus with carrots and snow peas and pita chips and those crispy green bean things that were the texture of fun-yuns but somehow good for you. can't wait to come back and see you!

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