Wellness Wednesdays: Rethinking Health. A Series, Part II
If we are to take a holistic view of our general health, we must presume that our state of wellness goes far beyond our physicality. Our mental, emotional, and spiritual health are crucial parts of our overall state of well-being, and we recently investigated ways in which this whole health approach can be applied to our understanding of mental fitness. As we continue in our series to rethink health, we must take into consideration those practical habits we have from day to day such as nourishment and hydration.
“You are what you eat” goes the saying, and this could not be more true. I grew up with a better than average awareness around food and its impact on our health (I offer a shout out to my amazing mom who was teaching healthy before it was cool and recycled before it was a thing). The more time I dedicate to being a student in the complementary fields of fitness and nutrition, the more I honor that the health of our diets is deeply intertwined with the health of our planet. It’s not just a question of whether the apple we eat is organic or not, but whether the soil the seeds are planted in is rich, the rain that falls from the sky or rises from the ground is non-toxic and if there is a large amount of processing or travel that has to happen for this food to reach me. And lest we think the story ends there, let us momentarily contemplate what happens when we throw away the parts we do not eat.
Our collective story around food will take much time and effort to unravel. But like many things complex, if we can find the end of a single thread we may begin to unravel the individual parts and pieces and improve the story of our health.
So where do we begin? Let’s start with the big picture:
Learn about food: According to a source quoted by Feeding America, in 2018 "an estimated 1 in 9 Americans were food insecure, equating to over 37 million Americans, including more than 11 million children.” Food insecurity is a source of great stress and chronic ill health. In the last year, COVID-19 has only served to heighten the impact of food insecurity in vulnerable populations. If we can gain insight and understanding of the scope of the problem we can then work towards …..
Be[ing] a part of the solution: From sending notes of encouragement, to donating money and resources and volunteering our time, these sites have links to helpful resources and offer practical advice for how we can be a real part of changing this story of lack both locally and nationally.
Feeding Colorado
Feeding America
Acknowledge the extent of the problem: Educate yourself about the impact of climate change on agriculture. It is only with real and true scientific information that we can be armed against false stories and a lack of accountability. We each have a roll to play.
So what do I do with this information? On a daily basis we can make better choices beginning here:
Stop wasting your food: Food is one of the largest sources of material that end up in our landfills and its decay a strong generator of methane - a very potent greenhouse gas. For the sake of our planet and for those who do not have enough to eat, let us stop wasting our food.
Learn how to compost, indoors or out: Composting can divert a surprisingly large percentage of our food waste and scraps away from our garbage bins. And you don’t have to be an expert gardener to begin efficient composting.
Consider growing your own food: Indoors and out there are options to reduce your reliance on external food sources.
Buy food locally: I’m not sure that this requires much additional explanation, but if you need one maybe head to your nearest farmers market and talk to the purveyor about how they earn their living.
This is a big topic, with equally big consequences. From the smallest effort to increase our awareness and understanding to the actual change that we help to cultivate when we make better choices, what we do matters. And the quality of our own lives - needless to say that of humankind - relies upon on our willingness to act accordingly. Our health depends on it.
Thanks Mom.