Food for Thought

We are all living in a corporate run world. Most people choose to shop at Walmart, Hannaford, Shaws, and Market Basket for their food. I understand that it can be convenient, and often times inexpensive compared to shopping at a small locally owned business. That being said, you are getting what you pay for.

Food is essential to us, it gives our bodies the energy we need to live our very best lives. I like to think of food as medicine, because in a way it is. We need protein, vitamins, carbs, fats, and even sugars to be our healthiest. Your body is the only one you will get for the rest of your life, don't you want to give it the very best? It does its best for you everyday. Your body carries and supports you through everything you do, the least you can do is nourish it.

Have you ever read an ingredient list on something you bought at a big supermarket? How many things on that list could you pronounce? How many could you identify? Our food is overly processed, and filled with chemicals. Even produce at the supermarket is often times sprayed with pesticides and pumped full of preservatives. Almost all produce is also picked prematurely, which means it doesn't have all the nutrients it would have had it gotten its full growing time.

I work at a small locally owned health food store, and I have to say it has shifted my perspective. We get local eggs and local produce, and I notice when these things are in my diet I feel better both physically and mentally. I am lucky enough to live in an area with lots of small farms, and farmers markets. I get absolutely everything I can from these places, and from my own work, to eat each week. I feel good knowing that I supported someones family, someone local in my community, rather than giving my money to already rich corporations for a lesser product. Not to mention I feel myself having more energy & being in a better mood. This is because the food I am nourishing my body with has no chemicals that effect my hormones or my brain.

I encourage you to shop locally, not even just for food. Support your community. Support your body! And if you are able to, pay with cash. Something else I learned where I work, credit card companies take a percentage of every sale. Say you pay 50 on a credit or debit card, the business gets lets say 47 of those dollars, then the business owner goes somewhere else and uses that 47 dollars on their credit card, which turns in to 44 dollars, and so on. So eventually that entire 50 dollars went to a credit card company. Just something to be mindful of.

You deserve the very best of everything. Treat yourself with love. It is time we get back to our roots and connect with the earth and the people around us. Shop local and feel the difference.

P.S. I made a beautiful pasta salad with local kale, zucchini, tomatoes, and pesto from the farmers market and it was awesome:)