My approach to food: simple

I eat a green smoothie nearly every day and have since December of 2008 when I purchased my Vitamix blender you see pictured here. What I love about green smoothies is that it starts my day off right: when else would I eat 1 whole banana, 2 mangos, 2 oranges, a salad, and some seaweed, all in one sitting?!! On the days that I sleep too late, have a breakfast meeting, or am not at my house, I have to intentionally make sure I eat my green veggies and fruits throughout the rest of the day, otherwise I feel less energetic, respond and think slower, and have trouble with my intestines. I don’t eat the same smoothie ingredients everyday and some smoothies are tastier than others (I constantly experiment), but that, actually, is part of the simplicity.

In season: the earth cycles through seasons and as it does, the plants change to match. God designed this so that we humans could thrive in each of these seasons. We don’t have watermelons growing in the winter, we have squashes, hearty green leafy veggies, and citrus. We don’t have pumpkins growing in the summer, we have juicy melons, plump corn, and cherries. In the fall and winter, our bodies need to protect themselves and prepare for the colder temperatures, darker days, and less activity by “fattening” up, so to speak; the earth grows denser and heartier foods to help, citrus to provide the extra vitamin C we need. In the summer we are active, we are outside playing, we are sweating in the heat and so nature provides juicier foods to compensate for the sweat and perspiration, the activity and quicker paced life we have and so we grab some nectarines and run off to the lake.

Simplicity: I am a huge fan of whole, organic, real, food. It is what we have always eaten and is built into the earth by design. It takes me nearly no time to peel a banana, some oranges, pour in some frozen mangos, wash some greens, sprinkle in some seaweed (or maca powder, or cacao, or goji berries, or soaked nuts, or whatever else you have or want to try), pour in some water, and hit power. I like juicing, but hardly ever do it. The blender provides the fiber our body’s need to help with digestion and cleansing, and the sugars in the fruit get absorbed slowly, it saves money by eating the whole food, plus, I love the ease of clean up. I stick the Vitamix under the faucet, pour in some soap, stick it on the base, turn it on for 45 seconds, and use the suds to wash it and my other dishes from the day. MUCH simpler than a juicer, with less of the sugar rush, and easier on my wallet.

How: I get a food box from my local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) once a week and it takes the brain work out of grocery shopping. It brings me fresh, in season, whole, real, organic food and can be delivered to my door (I pick mine up). The difference in this food is incomparable to the grocery store kind. It feels alive. You can see, smell, and taste the difference, and, it’s so simple! I go to the grocery store for my organic eggs, cheese, butter, meat, (or if I run out of stuff) but I can get those from the CSA as well (even a larger box). I also enjoy that I am supporting a local farmer who is not only providing for me and his/her family, but also isn’t thinking short term gain: s/he is taking caring of the planet by not polluting it with pesticides, GMO’s, and chemical fertilizers.

New diets, the next “highest antioxidant” food craze, and packaged convenience products will keep coming, and going, and I don’t completely knock them. These things are important in helping us understand the relationship between the body and it’s needs, what the earth and God have provided for us to flourish, and in making our lives simpler; but so often, we just need to get back to the basics. Marketing and business play a huge role in all of this and it is something to be aware of: who is gaining $ at the expense of people. It may not always be obvious, but sit back, enjoy a whole food smoothie, drink a cup of tea (or coffee) and watch the seasons change. You’ll see who has your best interest in mind with their company/service/product, and you are powerful enough to do something about it. Money talks.

May you live, fully alive.
Namaste!