Eating Our Way To A Sustainable Future

Our organic café has blossomed over the years and continues to attract people struggling with food related issues. Throughout the years, I have noticed the disconnection people seem to have with their physical bodies. For example, most people have lost touch with their innate hunger response. Here in America, we eat just for the sake of eating- crazy schedules, boredom, loneliness and habit.

Our culture has reinforced this concept with bottle feeding. We use food as a way to pacify children rather than comfort them with the breast or physical attention. It is easier to stick something in their mouths to shut them up rather than to deal with their specific needs at a particular moment in time.

But with what result? We now have a nation of overweight and emotionally starved children who turn into adults with the same issues in various forms. Food, sex, shopping - one addiction is linked to another. We are a compulsive society aching to fill the insatiable emptiness within. The Age of Consumerism has created a chasm between our inner wisdom and what we are told we need.

Here in the US we have the highest rates of everything: obesity, rape, suicide, drunk driving, prison inmates, depression. You name, we have it. Yet we are the forerunners in this materialistic way of life that is now successfully infiltrating the rest of the planet. Countries around the world are adopting some of our worst habits. Yes, we are the leaders in this downward spiral.

I began to see the full spectrum to this picture soon after we opened our cafe. We began hosting free film showings which we still do to this day, every Friday night. The first film we showed was The Future of Food by Jeffrey Smith. The information presented in the documentary about genetically modified foods was terrifying. I was outraged to discover that genetically modified foods have filled the majority of grocery store shelves here in America without consumer knowledge or consent for the past five years.

Other countries in the world are opposed to GM foods. Here in the US, where most of the GM crops are grown, the FDA allowed the inclusion of GMO’s in most of the products fed to our children without any mandated labeling. These money hungry mad scientists truly believe they can feed the world with GM crops, heal the world with GM vaccines and clothe the world with GM fibers. Even crazier are the recent attempts to push products from cloned animals onto consumers, without telling them of course.

This world that they are “creating” is sterile and surreal. It is a world absent of soil, of trees, of nature as we know it. Growing food will become yet another lost art form as there will exist no land left on which to farm. Our “food” will be grown in stacked towers and chemically infused. Children of tomorrow will spend even more of their days inside than kids of today.

What kind of “evolution” is this? I want my grandchildren to be able to walk outside and feel the dirt beneath their feet and to have a relationship to the earth. I want them to be able to look up into the sky and see real clouds – not particles of metallic matter that leave wispy trails spreading as far as the eye can see. Our planet has been permanently altered in the past decade alone.

We are not participating in the evolution of our species but rather a (de)volution of our kind. We are driving ourselves to extinction. Nutrient dense foods are dwindling in number. Pristine places void of toxic contaminants are scarce in number and the available fresh water left on our planet is decreasing rapidly in every moment. There is definitely not enough for the growing numbers populating our planet but few people seem to notice these “small” details.

When the big picture is finally visible to all, it will be too late. We will be told that only GM foods, cloned animals and nuclear power plants will be able to save the day. These are insane solutions to the insane circumstances we are living each day of our lives. It is time to wake up! This is a call to mothers everywhere to heed the warning signs.

Somewhere, deep down, I always knew that I knew something. I just wasn’t quite sure of what it was exactly that I knew. Now I do. In choosing to feed my family organic foods I am not only making a statement but I am taking action. Foods labeled organic cannot be genetically modified.

Knowing this, one begins to question the connection between the recent growing epidemics and conditions (diabetes, obesity, soy/wheat/gluten intolerances) and the genetically modified foods people eat.It is more accurate to assume that every processed, packaged “food” product on the market (especially products containing corn syrup and soy based products) contain some genetically modified ingredient (even dairy or meat if the animals were fed GM grains) than to assume otherwise.

Now, years later, with even more facts and figures to back up my position, I feel cornered by the limiting choices surrounding us. Genetically modified foods still continue to legally infiltrate the marketplace at a rapid pace. I find myself becoming frustrated especially around the holidays when I have to more aggressively protect my children (especially my youngest) by the onslaught of good intentioned adults offering junk candies from Halloween to Valentine’s Day.

It’s like an insane game of Russian Roulette with my kids the potential victims. I begin dreaming of a life far away in the mountains - away from all civilization – but know that disappearing isn’t the answer. This past holiday season I decided to take action. I searched out organic candy canes in an effort not to break my four year olds heart. She was enchanted at first sight and we seemed to see them everywhere we went in the month of December.

I successfully tracked down Pure Fun Organic Candies out of Toronto only to find out that they had sold out of their organic candy canes (good sign I suppose for the market but not for my little one!). I ordered the traditional round red and white mints instead and all of our kids and customers LOVED them, especially our four year old. Next year I will get my order in early!

My Stance: The only foods I feel I can trust are those that are labeled organic and non-gmo or food that is grown locally by farmers I know (that might not be certified organic).

Intuitive Clue that something is up: Many products on the shelves today are beginning to label themselves as NON-GMO! Aha!

My Commitment: To serve my family only organic, non-gmo foods with the intention of growing the healthiest, strongest and most mentally adept kids I possibly can.

Your challenge: Clean out your cupboards and see if any non-organic food items contain corn syrup, canola or soy. These are all GMO products. Throw them all away.

Sleep tonight knowing that you are on the path towards honoring your wise woman ways and that you, your family, humanity and your planet will reap the rewards!