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Saturday, June 5, 2010

Eating Fresh

In everything I've been learning lately about eating whole foods everyone says it's super important to eat local foods because really the food you're buying at the grocery store was picked several days ago, probably before it was ripe, and trucked across the country or internationally and then sent to your local store, and in that process it lost a lot of its nutrients, by the way. Case in point, my ORGANIC grapes from Whole Foods are from Mexico. Really? I mean I know Alabama isn't the best grape growing climate, but Mexico? I can't get at least some grapes from the U.S.? While we're on the grape subject I would like to say there are some wineries in Alabama  and one of my friends has a very successful grape vine. I'm just sayin. Aaanyway, I've been trying to find more local food lately. Birmingham does have some impressive farmer's markets. I have to give it credit for that.
Today we headed down to Pepper Place, an awesome farmer's market that happens every Saturday downtown.  They have people from farms from all over central Alabama. They also have artists, musicians, chef demonstrations and people who bring the cutest dogs you have ever seen. It's really fun. So we went and we perused. Andrew got some lemongrass and he was so excited. We use that a lot to put in Thai recipes. Well let's back that up and correct it, he uses it in Thai recipes. I don't cook Thai food really. I think it's cool that he cooks it and then I eat it. I was happy the other day when I made a successful omelet. This e-course I'm taking is very needed, let's just say. :)

The only frustrating thing about the market was you couldn't tell whose produce was organic and whose wasn't. I know, I can use my mouth and ask people. I did that the other day at a smaller market I went to and I felt like I had personally offended the woman and then felt like I had to defend my need to ask her about whether or not she uses pesticides on her plants. I wish I could get over the pesticides thing. Well, I guess I just wish there weren't pesticides. I just can't get over knowing what they do to my body and eat something knowing they're there. My hormones are so out of whack and I'm exhausted a lot and I know a lot of that is caused by my diet and lifestyle the last 9 months, but I think what we eat or not guarding the chemicals on our food and in our food is part of that. I just can't get over it.

And let's face it, trying to eat fresh and locally is frustrating. I just want to eat like my ancestors did. I want to eat whole foods that were grown from the ground (without toxic chemicals sprayed on them!) or animals that were not given hormones to make them so big they can't stand up. I'm so glad I've learned everything I have to change the way I eat, but it's overwhelming and it's difficult and expensive at times. I'm not giving up and I totally think it's worth it, but I just needed to express that it's confusing and frustrating that it's cheaper and more convenient to eat out of a box from the store than to eat from a local farmer. When did that happen? Probably sometime before I was born. Ok I'm done complaining now.

I just needed to get that out. We will press on and keep trying to eat local, whole, sustainable foods without hormones or pesticides. And I will eat less sugar and more vegetables! Amen? Amen!

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