There has never been a better time to eat right. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as the old saying goes.
.
So why is it so difficult to commit to eating healthy? I think there are a number of factors in play here, but we can’t really start to unpack this issue unless we take a close look at our food culture.
.
What is food culture? Food culture is the connection, beliefs, and experience we have with food and our food system.
.
Like anything else we all have different experiences that shape the culture we have around food. Some of us had Moms that loved to cook and expressed love through food. ❤️
.
Some of us come from families that have deep family heritage around meals and eating. 🍯🍰
.
Others come from families that don’t put much emphasis on food, but viewed it as a necessity.🤔
.
No matter what your personal experience with food is we are all subject to a bigger culture that’s reinforced through our society.
.
Convenient, fast, plentiful and disconnected are four words I would use to describe our food culture. Many advertisers seem to agree. What impact does this have on our food culture and how does that impact our commitment to eating healthy?
.
Convenient food is offered mostly in the form of fast and packaged food. This food is typically not known for its nutritional value, but for its availability, accessibility and the way it can be consumed. It can be eaten on the go.
.
Fast is a word that is used heavily when marketing foods. Every family needs a fast meal according to our commercials. Ready in minutes! Grab a quick bite.
.
Plentiful, sit and observe a school lunchroom. Instantly anyone can get a full demonstration of just how plentiful food is in this country. Entire sandwiches, whole bananas, unopened cartons of milk can be found in the garbage each and everyday. The belief is there is no shortage.
.
Disconnected. There is much preparation in putting together a meal. It doesn’t start in our kitchens, it starts way before that. It starts when the seed is planted or the animal is born. Feeding, watering and raising food takes effort. There is very little regard for this effort when food is thrown away without a thought. The way our food is manufactured and distributed is largely unknown to most people.
.
What do you get when you add all this up? An unhealthy food culture. We are immersed in a culture around food that does not support healthy eating. How we value our food does not align with the results we want in our health.
.
Our actions must reflect our values in order to get the results we want. When looking to build healthy food culture maybe we need to exchange convenient, fast, plentiful and disconnected for better culture.
.
Purposefully designing meals for nutritional benefit. Making meals timely with intention and eating regularly on schedule expresses priority. Showing gratitude by recognizing that there isn’t an endless amount of food that comes to our tables without work and preparation from others.
.
If we want health we have to recognize there is more value in prevention than there is in the cure.
.
#naturallyinspiredpodcast #tammycuthbertgarcia #anounce #prevention #cure #eat #foodculture #culture #culturewar #itsnotinconvenient #itsworthit #lifestylematters #fruits #vegetables #meat #foodmatters