Food Octane

I have been living in a hotel long enough now. Last week I was sick for 4 days. I was able to make it to class but other than that I felt like all I could do was sleep and eat soup.

Its actually been a blessing in disguise. I have had my head in the sand about a particular issue for too long now. When you are sick you have lots of time to think and I have been thinking about my health and how really fragile a persons health is.

I have forgotten the fundamentals. We are all biological machines. The difference between chugging along and humming along comes down to the basics. Rest, Fuel and Oxygen.We need a premium fuel to perform at our best. Pretty simple and I have always taken pride in the fact that I shop for healthy foods and try to cook healthy meals.

Eating out and shopping from one small grocery store for the past three weeks has been a wake up call for me.

There is a buzz about the latest documentary "Food Inc." , It was playing on the airplane and I have read an article in the Time magazine about the "Agricultural Industry" and surfed the Internet regarding the nutrition quality of food. I have had a gut feeling about the lack of nutrition in our raw foods for a while but I have chosen to ignore the issue. Why? Simply because it means more work on my part.

For years I have gone grocery shopping, sticking to the outside aisles where all the raw or fresh food is kept. I refrain from purchasing processed or canned food. I read the labels, where is the food imported from, where did the oranges come from, where did the bread get baked, etc,etc.

Due diligence right. Healthy shopper, right?

I have been duped, like so many trying to make the right choices, Corporate greed takes over and the food in your basket is just a empty image of what it used to be.

I know the effort to shop more diligently is worth the end result. Ultimately it is the consumers dollar that will make the change that is needed.

So, I need to take the time and research the food I purchase, look more closely at the sources and the processes.

On a more interesting note, I was watching the news last week and they were doing a feature on urban gardening and how its starting to spread rapidly. Its not just a hobby. There are areas in inner city districts deemed as "drought zones" meaning you have to travel outside an excessive radius within the city to find a retail outlet that supplies raw foods. The fast food is highly accessible unlike the grocery stores. The people are making a stand and taking control of their neighborhoods with the "garden projects" and making sure to involve the youth in the initiative.

The Food issues need to change. Once again the consumer is manipulated. This time ignorance is not bliss. Education and a demand for change is in order. It starts right now for me.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada