Recently, I had a kind experience with a stranger. I was approached by a woman who needed to get rid of her fruits, as she was about to get on a ferry to Canada. She offered them to me, and I gladly and gratefully accepted.
The fruits were not organic. This was not the typical produce I would purchase. However, my philosophy is that the energy field makes an impact on all things, including food. Therefore, food that is gifted, made with well-intentioned love, or shared – all of this blesses the food. Even though I personally make sure I buy organic, local produce as much as I possibly can, I am not in a space to judge others’ and their perspectives and financial means.
How did I come to this perspective?
In 2011, after a year of working as a nurse and after taking some amazing classes at the University of WA to further my nursing education, I was awakened to the fact that many problems existed in our country, and in the world, and a lot of it had to do with corporate greed and power. Around this time, I had the opportunity to travel, and my soul knew I had to go for it! The nursing industry had shocked me – almost nothing was by the book, the staffing crew was a skeleton crew (and that was normal), and the rush and priority of providing pills to dozens of patients was clearly not my idea of holistic wellness. I chose to leave my “safe” life behind to travel while experiencing a transient life.
I was in my early twenties and still quite naive, when I decided to travel. I thought I knew it all – and I made the choice to only eat organic food. We would stop at natural food stores, we stayed on a farm in wine country, and I learned so much about seeds, plants, gardening, and healthy food! It was a blast!
During one point in the travels, we headed to a very remote, desert area to visit family members. This is where my attitude towards food shifted. When it was time for dinner, the host prepared a typical American meal: it was greasy and not organic. I became very uncomfortable, and I am sure that my nonverbal communication indicated that. The next day, we went to the only grocery store in town. That is when I realized that the only food available was processed, non-organic and mostly from the Western Family company.
This deeply humbled me. I felt guilty for being so judgemental, for looking down on these folks who tried so hard to make a delicious, welcoming dinner meal. I realized that many people have no choice! They are not even provided with organic, fresh foods or the education as to why this matters. I also discovered that our health is not only directed by the food and fluids we drink. Our health has so much to do with our attitudes – how many blessings we count, the simple gifts we pay attention to and treasure, the connection we make with the humans that surround us.
Since that experience, I now believe that any food or meal that is shared with me is a blessing. Yes, I can choose to grow my own organic food or purchase it locally, and that is what I extend to my loved ones. However, I accept others’ where they are at and choose to believe that the love humans pour into their meal creations and purchases is healing, loving and okay!
I finish this blog with an ask. I ask you to pay attention to the food you eat, and where it comes from. To slow down and be honest with yourself – how does it make you feel? As someone who is a recovering compulsive eater, I have spent thousands of hours sitting with food, eating it, overindulging in it, growing it and healing with it. As someone who is genuinely concerned with the health of our collective society, I have chosen to educate myself about what real, organic food means, and this helps me invest in it. I hope that sharing this encourages reflection upon these aspects, as well. If you have any thoughts to share or questions to ask, please do so.
Wishing you a healthy journey with food!
Radishes from the garden! Radishes grow very quickly and the seeds are cheap and hardy. Great plant to start with if you are new to gardening.
Collard greens from the garden. Also, grows very quickly and produces a lot! Yummy cooked or fresh.
Some of the staples I regularly purchase organic. I am now growing most of these in the summer garden (not growing ginger, apple and lemon).
Article written by Val Artamonova, BSN, RN, CHPN