I think it has become a foundation in our family (Cyndy and I) to pay attention to what we are eating, how we eat, the source of food / groceries / farmers Markets that we now shop at. In short, we ARE changing the world a little bit at a time, because of the choices we make.

Because I am a capitalist, I tend to want to know, “Who is making money here”… and when I shop at Fred Meyer, the entire time, I am wondering how much money “Freddy’s” is making, versus the Farmer, who grew these vegetables… Who made the most profit, and too the most risk ? My bets are that the Farmer growing the delicious berries took ALL the risk, and the grocery retailer is making all the profit.

This is a crappy business model. So… Cyndy and I have started shopping at Farmers Markets, in an effort to preserve the profitability of these independent small businesses. Because of my awareness of the problem now, I am 100% more aware of the source and quality of the food I am enjoying. As a result of “Mindful Eating”, now I am starting to make Buying Local, an important part of all our shopping decisions.

Through Mindful Eating, I am changing the world, one bite at a time

We are over-busy. Over-scheduled lives is a known and growing problem. It seems we put so little time toward spending time together around food because our culture has taught us about that food isn’t worth it. Food is unimportant, stressful, only to be used for fuel, guilty pleasure or as a way to lose weight or treat a health problem. Many other cultures see food differently, and we used to as well. We’d be better off DOING less and spending what time we do have on the things that would truly bring love, happiness and satisfaction into our lives- meals with friends, family and loved ones that are joyful, relaxed and free of guilt/shame or blame is one of the most powerful ones. Good luck to us all.

When family time at the dinner table suffers because of activities we do ourselves, and our families, a disservice. We rush through our meals without thinking about what we’re eating, which means we’re likely to eat more than we should. We’re also then probably not eating as healthy, as I know moms who whip together casseroles so everybody can grab supper on their own as they pass through.

We lack time to bond in our relationships at the family dinner table, and if we can’t slow down and bond with those who live in the same house as us, who do we think we ARE going to bond with? We need to be able to come together at the end of the day and know we have allies in the world. Forget the ‘stuff’.