Thanksgiving celebrations have left me somewhat introspective. Well, the holiday and, judging from the blogs of participants past and present, peeking behind the door that PCP seems to crack open. It reminds me of when I first started exploring yoga and a teacher told me,"go carefully, this practice will change your life." Funny, where some paths lead you.
In the last few days I've witnessed family members stuff themselves silly, stumbled upon the Sundance documentary "The World According to Monsanto" (that one will break your heart) and started reading Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food". All of which have me feeling sad for the food choices that most people seem to make, fearful for my country's nutritional future and, as has been said before in the PCP blogs, a little lonely as I climb closer to this peak.
Family warmth aside, Thankgiving dinner was another double barrel reminder of how the majority of America eats. While I'm politely asked about the details of my diet and the foods that I've brought with me, I count far too few vegetables on the main table, enriched breads, and not a whole grain in sight.
For dessert? There were diabetics having not one but two slices of cake, the overweight debating the obese over which ice cream store has the best offering when they both hand mix the candy of your choice into the serving dish. (The winner? Why the store that offered the largest serving at the lowest price, of course.) I won't even get into all the processed foods and, UGH!, non-dairy creamer with "Eggnog" or "Island Rum" flavoring. You choose!
I hope you will understand that this mini-rant comes from a place of concern and not superiority. It's just frustrating that these are my family members and I can't say anything to them that will impact their choices. They will only change if and when they're good and ready, and probably only after a health scare of some kind. At a certain point, it's just hard to watch.
Things will change. People in 2050 will look back at how we ate in 2010 and scratch their heads in bewilderment, the same way we look at the attitudes towards smoking in 1960. And it all starts with people like you saying no to excess and yes to wellness. It is sad when you see it in your own family though.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience. Thankfully, I hosted the feast this year so I had some control over what we served. It really is a fine line b/w sharing your knowledge and overstepping boundaries. But I'm sure that your being there as an example of another approach to food made some small impact, even if the effects take hold when you're not around to see it.
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