What I want, is for Americans to be healthy. As an expert in the field of natural remedies and nutritional supplements, what freaks me out is my customers that want the magic pill or potion or "cleanse" for their weight problem, or digestive problem, or their lack of energy. "Look, people" I always want to and occasionally do say to my customers, "there's no magic here. Your health begins with a fresh, simple and nutritious diet; eat some real food, for pity's sake!"
Tragically, good food is not a part of most Americans' lives. There are many reasons (money, time, geography, justice, etc.) why we have lost touch with how to eat well but the unhappy result is that we, as a nation, are facing an epidemic of costly & preventable diseases. Heart disease, diabetes, conditions associated with obesity, digestive failure, food allergies, learning disorders - in fact our poor diet is implicated in 4 out of the nation's top 10 deadly diseases. These are issues that I think about every day and so I want to share this event with everyone: FOOD DAY 2011 on October 24th.
1-Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2-Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
3-Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
4- Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
5- Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6- Support fair conditions for food and farm workers
I hope you'll celebrate somehow yourself and introduce a friend or two to the Food Day idea! I'm going to, with other folks in my union, UFCW Local 21, demonstrate in solidarity with Darigold dairy workers who face terrible working conditions and who are trying to organize their workplace. Decent working conditions for all food workers are a vital part of a healthy, just food system!
(Facebook has some good info on the Food Day 2011 page. When I googled Food Day 2011 I came up with some great ideas, too.)
Some great food writers to inspire you:
Frances Moore Lappe- her Diet for a Small Planet has been for sustainable food issues like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was for environmentalism; an eye-opener for many people. Frances just keeps on writing and speaking and spreading the word! Recent article in The Nation magazine: ____________
Michael Pollan - The Botany of Desire and the Omnivore's Dilemma, both fascinating reads. Very good PBS TV show done of the Botany of Desire, too. See it!
M.F.K. Fischer: prolific food writer of the 20th century. Her wonderful stories about French food and people brought the idea of living to eat, not just eating to live, alive for me. My favorite: How to Cook a Wolf.
Barbara Kingsolver - known more as a novelist than a food writer, but her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a fabulous experiment in eating seasonally and locally and packed with great recipes.
Anna Lappe - Diet for a Hot Planet - Frances Lappe's daughter wrote this enlightening book about the American Diet, health and food justice.
And finally... here are a few of my foodie fantasies for the health of America:
 |
| What if every neighborhood had a community garden for growing food and flowers? |
 |
| What if every backyard had a little vegetable garden and a fruit tree, or vine, or berry patch? |
 |
| What if everyone living in an apartment grew a pot of tomatoes on their windowsill or a container of potatoes on their balcony? |
 |
| Enjoy Food Day, October 24th 2011! |
