I’m intrigued by the idea of sustainability. When I go to the Healdsburg Farmers Market, it makes me happy to buy local produce and meats that have been sustainably grown and harvested. Last weekend I even bought ground pork – which I rarely do – but I’ve gotten to know the farmer, I know that it’s naturally fed, and it looked pretty lean. When we think of sustainability with foods, it implies healthy food without chemicals, and raised or grown in an animal and earth friendly way.
Why not extend this idea to our own habits? When we develop healthy eating habits, sustainability means that we can live with them over time. I like to think of sustainable habits as those that feed not only our bodies, but feed our soul as well. What does this mean?
For me, a way of eating that I can live with needs to be primarily healthy, but with room for birthday cake or a special anniversary dinner. Diets or strict eating plans are tricky because you can restrict yourself for awhile but eventually you are going to eat your old favorites. Then what? Sustainable habits make room for that. With a restrictive diet, once you are “off” of it, it can be pretty hard to get going again. With a sustainable way of eating, it’s not even an issue.
But there is something even more important with sustainability. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability) defines sustainability as “humanities investment in a system of living, projected to be viable on an ongoing basis that provides quality of life for all individuals of sentient species and preserves natural ecosystems.” So not only is it important to find a way that is ongoing, but it needs to provide quality of life as well.
Part of eating in a sustainable way is how you think of it. It is not just a matter of eating the right foods because you should. Instead, you choose to eat this way because of how it makes you feel, how it enhances your life and your vitality. For the joy that eating can bring when you do it mindfully.
Just like sustainable agriculture, when you eat sustainably you are choosing based on a bigger picture and not just for the ease of the moment. Eating chips or cookies can feel pretty good while you are doing it, but afterwards you suffer a series of consquences. Afterwards you may feel guilty, uncomfortably full, and generally bad (I’ve heard it described as sluggish, tired, sick to stomach, etc). When you choose fruit instead, it is like a clean system that that may take a little more work up front to obtain and prepare, but it feels good when you eat it and stays feeling good afterwards.
Here is my challenge to you: Pay attention to how sustainable your eating habits are. Can you continue to support them over time (and do you want to?) Do they add to your quality of life, nourishing you body, mind and soul? What could you do to make your habits feel more sustainable? Please share. I’d love to hear what comes up for you.
Speaking of sustainability. There’s a lot of controversy over the use of “organics” vs locally produced food. Sometimes we’re faced with the choice of purchasing organic food items that are grown or produced hundreds or even thousands of miles away vs something that is from our own local backyards but may not be designated as organic. There are many things to consider when we look at all the factors in producing food in a sustainable way, just as there are in eating. One thing I know. There’s nothing like the melons, the Kiffs grow, not more than a half mile from our house. That’ the kind of sustainability I like.
I believe that my eating habits are sustainable as possible for the time being since I am a raw vegan. I go to a local coop and in season I buy from the local organic farmers. I’d love to have my own garden, and I will be moving soon and will start one, although it will be late in the growing season (Massachusetts). I try to live as consciously as possible in every aspect of life, but especially with food.
Dawn – sounds like you have some great sustainble habits, especailly for the environment. Do they feel sustainable to you personally – do they feel nourishing and pleasurable?
Dawn, I love the concept of sustainable eating. I am very much into health, wellness and fitness, so this is a great blog site for me to read. (So much to read, so little time!)
I’ve always wanted to get into eating raw foods — go high raw, like at least 80% raw. I wonder, would you consider that to be sustainable eating?
Hi Cheryl, Good question! It seems to me that if you eat in a way that feels healthy to you and it makes you feel good – that that is sustainable.
I’ve been riffing on what sustainable means when applied to eating. So it would need to be something we can live with and it needs to make us feel good – improve our quality of life. So it seems like that fits what you are describing.
Kathy
Thank you for your article, I am interested to know more scientific knowledge about this subject (Sustainable Eating Habits)