Books are what really got me started down this path of wellness and health. They are the ones that made me want to start growing my own food.
Not gardening books, but books about food, health and the environment.
Here are four food quotes from books that are eye opening and can really get you thinking.
Ideally, a meal should be enjoyed at the dinner table with friends and family, instead of gulped down in front of the television.
From Shift Your Habit
At one time I was definitely guilty of doing this. I’d rarely eat at my kitchen table. Instead I would pull a tray in front of the couch and watch TV while I ate.
It’s easy to get caught in the trap of this. It often leads to mindless eating, as there are a lot of food ads constantly run. This also prevents discussion to possibly happen during the meal. You also don’t focus on the meal as much either because you are focused on the television.
A lot of people eat their food on the run from one activity to the next. Food and meals are seen as a task instead of nourishment.
When you sit down at the kitchen table and eat your meal, it’s your chance to slow down, get grounded and fully appreciate the meal before you.
Is it just a coincidence that as the portion of our income spent on food has declined, spending on health care has soared?
From In Defense of Food
If we were to look at our eating habits over the past 100 or so years and our health, there is definitely a correlation between the two.
I’ve been called a conspiracy theorist by some when I talk about the food, pharmaceutical and government, but in looking at what is going on, it’s hard for me not to think that.
People are more willing to spend money on cable TV or their cell phones than they are on food. People are also willing to take as many medications as they can that their doctors prescribe.
Instead let’s shift that spending to food that nourishes and keeps us healthy rather than puts us on medications.
Growing food was the first activity that gave us enough prosperity to stay in one place, form complex social groups, tell our stories, and build our cities.
From Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
This is one that I often reference in one form or another as to why you should grow your own food. Look back at the early cities and civilizations. They were built around fertile land and access to water.
Food brought people together on so many levels and fostered communities. We are far from that these days and our culture is suffering because of it.
Despite eating more than ever before, our culture may be the only one in human history to value food so little.
From Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally
This is another quote that I reference often as well. We are very fortunate to live in a time where we don’t have to rely on growing our own food or sourcing it locally. The global agriculture system takes care of that (or at least it’s supposed to).
At any time on any day we can go to the grocery store and pick up nearly anything that we want to eat. That is a luxury that we take for granted. There is no appreciation for food and what it takes to get it to our plates.
Not only that, but people are eating cheaper food like products instead of real whole foods. This goes back to the quote above about the healthcare spend.
These are only four of my favorite quotes regarding food. What are some of yours?
