The Wise Lady

Happy February 15th! I am still feeling the love and am going to keep this feeling going :) Anyhow- yesterday I had the pleasure of chit chatting with grandma on my way into work (reality: as I crawled in traffic to work) and she had some profound insights I wanted to share and possibly unpack. On the subject of food- we began to discuss the wide spread obesity epidemic and its bratty little cousin, diabetes, in this country. Not realizing how difference her perspective might be, my grandmother began to explain that in the 40s and 50s, soda was essentially non-existent in her household. She explained that refined sugar itself was truly not a popular food item of the time (with the exception of a sugar cube in your coffee). Additionally, nothing in her home came from a package. Though possibly putrid in color, green beans paired with a meat and potato was a most common dinner delight. Again, these foods may not be high in nutrients, but saw no preservatives present in their contents. I am certainly not glorifying the health methods of the 40s and 50s in our country (drinking in your office and smoking while your pregnant...how did these slip by?!) but what my grandmother so eloquently made me realize was that her generation was never trained to eat these sorts of foods. Let me explain. For years on end, the American human body became accustomed to the foods that were readily available to feed it. When this happens over time, our bodies form a hereditary relationship with the foods it is able to eat, process, and digest. With the explosive introduction of refined sugars and preservative loaded foods into the diet in later years- our bodies naturally went into shock. Never having consumed high amounts, or any amounts at all of these ingredients, the body went into shock, not knowing where or how to process these ingredients. Case and point, diabetes, obesity, heart disease. Additionally, how was anyone to know these foods were bad? Like I said, people were throwing back scotch and taking a drag in the delivery room- oh my stars! In present day- preservatives and refined sugars have become a main stay in our diets. Foods containing sugar and preservatives have become almost addictive in nature to us. We are constantly bombarded by pictures of cute cupcakes, commercials sensationalizing taco flavor chips, and diets claim the health benefits of chocolate coconut water (which contains nearly 20g of sugar per serving). It can sometimes feel like we are being chased and there is no escaping! Here is my solution- and proof...open mindedness. My grandmother- being of an age I will not speak because she would kill me, and because it would surprise you looking that damn good- has opened her mind to new food ideas. Celebrating the Chinese New Year with her gals yesterday, they enjoyed East Asian dishes for lunch and are constantly experimenting with different types of grains, veggies, smoothies, and whole food big city (Queens!) restaurants. If they can do it- we can do it! We haven't been here long enough to be set in our ways, to be "too long gone." So the quest for healthy foods- that feed and nourish your body- not deplete and cause disease  is possible! And can be fun when done with a few old friends :) Where to start? Try a new fruit or veggie! My new fave veggie- bok choy! Try to cook dishes  in your own home that you love to eat- so that you know EXACTLY what ingredients are going into your dish, and then into your body. Remember, you've only got one...so treat it well :)
xoxo AA