Grateful for Organic

I am so thankful to have in my presence those who not only appreciate organic food but also understand the significance of its existence on this fragile planet. My children being first and foremost to grasp this concept. For us eating organic is more than a choice - it is a priviledge and a way of life.

The holidays were more simple than usual this year and I like simple but there were twinges of uncomfortability as we struggle to cover the basic operating expenses for all my "visions" in a community that does not quite get what we are about yet. So when we sat down to our holiday meal tears came to my eyes as each of my children expressed their gratitude for being able to eat an organic meal knowing that was the extent of what I was able to give them this year.

Wow. My children were most thankful for my choice to feed them organic over everything else. The depth of their understanding of how important this is (from
six to sixteen) struck a chord. I felt such gratitude to have children that are able to grasp not only how important it is to me...but to their future as well. Granted they are exposed to the battles of choosing organic over conventional every day at our cafe.

Running an all organic food business has had its challenges....the biggest one primarily being the inability to profit (much less cover operating expenses) to run such a place. They see us working long hours, day after day and help out a great deal as well so we can live our dream in hopes that others will soon understand. Our dedication to feeding others as we feed our family has been a tremendous (and often challenging) learning experience with a cost.

This season I am more grateful than ever to have children that appreciate the most basic gifts life has to offer and it is my hope that the freedom to eat such foods remains theirs forever.

The Absence of Soil

The BIRTH day of The Absence of Soil - introducing the Intro & Chapter One...more to come!: http://tinyurl.com/l4vst2

REAL Food

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 in this country like no other.

Here in the US we have the highest rates of obesity and diabetes resulting from growing a nation of children disconnected from where there food comes from or what real food even is for that matter. We assume the packaged edible matter with a nutritional label attached actually is good for us because that is what we have been mis-led to believe the unreal.

A hundred years ago our grandparents ate the food they grew in their garden, the wild edibles that surrounded them and products that came from nearby farms. We see the rage for raw food, local food and farmers markets growing as more and more people begin to see the light. Yet as we begin to incorporate more of these REAL foods into our diets, the real challenge is to fully obliterate the unhealthy products from our diets....


Join us for one of our RAW FOOD BASICS courses at our cafe (new series starts next week) if you are in the area (http://www.alchemyjuicebar.com/) or check out http://www.foodmatters.tv/ AND do your part by signing on to the latest campaign sponsored by Corporate Accountability that is urging more states to follow cities and states such as NYC and Massachussets who are enforcing madatory nutritional labeling from fast food restaurants. Connecticut could become the latest state to ensure fast food chains provide customers with nutritional information on menu boards! Take action: Tell Governor Rell to pass strong protections for Connecticut fast food patrons - and our kids!

Perspective

It's all in the way we look at things that shapes our paths. I have been thinking a lot lately about the vision behind the co-op we are launching and the impact it will have on the surrounding community. I am also envisioning the kinds of people that will be drawn to the project and what will motivate them to get involved.

There will be obvious benefits from being either a consumer member or business member of our co-op and with the existing economy many folks will be seeking to join in search of savings. But I also think we will be attracting others who are seeking a different way of life. There are those out there much like ourselves who are more willing to pay the price for organic, local foods that are more sustainable - even if it means cutting down in other areas of our lives.

The idea of growing our own local economy and building community is of utmost importance. We are buying into the vision of a different way of life and the cost may have an initial price tag attached. Nnetheless, we beleive that in the long run the benefits reaped will be ultra cost-effective and manifest a better quality of life. The choices we make today will pave the way for future generations to follow.

Those of us who have been paying for organic food all along already have a more realistic price of the true cost of food. For others, the increasing food costs predicted over the course of 2008 and coupled with fuel costs might come as a shock to the budget.

Being that our family spends probably over 50% of our annual budget on food (including supplements, body care & home cleaning products), I have been surprised to discover how little most families actually allocate to this most essential "piece of the pie".

I was skimming a copy of a mainstream magazine that targets a more simplistic way of life and it outlined one moms monthly budget of $7,100. I was astonished to see that the amount spent on food was way less than the cable bill, pampering fees and entertainment costs. That amount excluded the outrageous cost of daycare and au paire services. The main concern for this mom was figuring out how to pay for private schools, and most likely a private school more concerned with what is being put into kids heads - not into their mouths.

I think this is a common theme for most moms today. We have settled for empty, packaged, processed food that is incapable of nourishing both body and soul. Food, the fuel that feeds both the bodies and minds of our growing children, is not valued with utmost importance. Children of today are developing substandard to the children of generations past - during a time where they need more strength than ever before to fast the challenges of the future.

The connection between health and diet is overlooked. Instead our culture connects more with the idea of over-medicating and over-consuming. The same magazine featured an ad by Target now offering color coded medications to help family members identify their personalized perscriptions. How insane is this? Yes, Target, we are a culture on drugs misled by savy marketing tactics like yours to convince the masses whose minds have been numbed that being "drugged" isn't such a bad thing! I say throw away the meds, turn off the tv and feed your children some food with real nutritional value. Now that's simplifying the budget.

The Best Food On The Planet

Its not about where you are, but rather the course you have charted. The only rule: In order for your family to live a sustainable life – you HAVE to have a plan! This stage requires us to ANALYZE our behaviors and develop tangible strategies.

Mothers for the most part are natural planners. We make multiple decisions daily. Living a sustainable life requires a lot of planning – especially when you have large family with diverse needs! We have found that by establishing core values to live by we are able to define the parameters to work within.

For example, transitioning to eating all organic food was a deliberated process. First we had to get around our preconceived ideas about organic food – “it costs too much, it doesn’t taste as good…”. We had to determine eating all organic food as a priority. Once we unraveled our misperceptions we realized that what it would require is some adjustments to the way we were used to eating. Figuring out how to make this happen in our lives was the next step.

We also don’t shop or eat the way most American families do these days. For example, we eat very little packaged or processed foods. Sometimes we have to be creative, but in the long run ,we probably save a ton of money by eating whole foods that we cook or prepare ourselves - even with the high cost of organic produce, which is what we primarily eat.

Every once in awhile I have one of those days where I get frustrated at the lack of options available to us as an organic family. After much hard work and effort we have all reached a consensus on what we will and will not eat and we live our lives accordingly. We are all in agreement that we will only eat organic with exceptions to some locally grown foods for our own health and that of the planet. This resolution has limited us to only one place to eat out in our state that is within our budget and something we all enjoy (besides our own organic café). Going out to eat is a special treat that we savor only on special occasions.

After homeschooling six kids and preparing three meals a day, seven days a week, some nights I just want a break. Perhaps I didn’t plan our dinner options well enough in advance and would like to have something ready to go with little thought involved. Last week I had one of those nights with my oldest being picked up from dance class at 8pm. We had few interesting food options to work with. My husband and I are eating all raw living foods. Our oldest is eating vegan with no wheat; the second oldest, vegetarian, and our only boy - no dairy. This leaves only three with no specific dietary needs or requests, and one of those three being my pickiest eater. Augh! It was looking to be some kind of “special” night for sure.

Our one “special” place to eat out is a twenty minute drive one way without traffic. That’s a lot of CO2 for us because we have designed most of our activities around the central location of our home and business which are a five minute walk away from one another. It is 5:30pm and everyone is hungry. I pull myself together and devise a plan, and quick. It always seems to work out and the kids deal with it. Tonight’s best option would be a simple meal of cooked quinoa and steamed veggies. We might not have the most interesting meals every night but we do eat what we refer to in our family as “the best food on the planet”.

A look into YOUR life

We are at a critical and stirring point in our history. We know this to be true. No longer can the earth regenerate and replace resources at the rate we are consuming them. What do we do? It is time to change our ways and we are just the generation of mothers to do it!

Making the change may seem daunting or difficult at first. But as we recognize the imperative link between our behaviors and what is going on in the world, we begin to accept our role in the big picture and are motivated to shift our habits.

As mothers, there are several ways to begin implementing more sustainable practices into our homes. Let’s look at how it is possible to integrate concepts of sustainability into a typical day of an average family right here in the US...

“The wind-up alarm clock that has long been out of style but you still very much like rings, and you are up, ready to take on the day. The water in the bathroom runs cold, but quickly the solar thermal water system delivers it steaming hot as you splash it on your face. Ever since the installation of the new water filtration system the smell of chlorine and fluoride that our government adds to all municipal water is now just a memory.

In an effort to conserve water, your husband installed a low flow shower head and everyone in the family has agreed to keep their showers to five minutes. You dry your face with the towel that you had just yesterday washed with your non-toxic bio-degradable detergent – its surface still stiff from your very own solar clothesline. You save energy by line drying but switching over to renewable energy was probably the biggest sustainable accomplishment yet.

You brush your teeth with your recycled plastic toothbrush, and wonder how many yogurt containers it actually takes to make one of them. Your bathroom now showcases all non toxic body care products & cleaners these days. You committed to purchasing only environmentally friendly products after hearing a talk on the watershed issues not only facing your own town but the entire nation as well. It really sunk in knowing that everything we wash down our drains ultimately ends up contaminating our water sources and affecting all of us.

Likewise, once the realization that you were able to do your part just in the ways you shop took hold, you began to look at other ways you could have an impact through your every day purchases. Why support big corporations that are wreaking havoc in the environment when you can support the local economy by buying close to home? There is power in knowing that you can change the world simply by the way you shop!

Last year you began searching out local food sources and started shopping at farmers markets and even joined a CSA. Now, you and your family are enjoying amazing local and organic foods that do not have to be fumigated, irradiated or transported (usually before they have been allowed to ripen). Eating this way has proven to be beneficial in so many ways – from feeling good about feeding your family such high quality foods to getting to know farmers and others in the community statewide.

In doing so, you realized lots of others were thinking just like you. Farmer’s Markets are popping up all over the place. In fact, Farmer’s Markets are one of the fastest growing segments of the business economy, second only to Wal-mart. This year you and the kids are thinking about planting a garden of your own. You see visions of your kids with their hands in the dirt.

You recall last night’s late night reading on growing sprouts. Amazing that sprouts have more nutrition than even the best organic foods and can be grown in the smallest of indoor spaces – a counter or shelf in your apartment or house! One pound of sprout seeds cost less than one dollar and produce ten pounds of food. Sprouts alone could end world hunger!

It’s lunch time and the kids are hungry – so you cut up some organic veggies for them to munch on while you get them bowls of soup you made earlier that morning. You were shocked to discover that ninety percent of all the foods on grocery store shelves contain some kind of genetically modified food last year and finally switched to buying only organic.

The up front cost seemed higher at first but when you eliminated the packaged, processed foods from your purchases and starting buying bulk whole foods, the cost actually went down. It was a bit challenging at first but after the resistance passed the kids actually seem more calm and focused.

It was also decided as a family to try and support local retailers, including consignment stores (your husband is happy!). The drastic reduction in your spending in these areas allowed more freedom in other areas to buy items on your wish list such as the water filtration system and organic bedding.

All in all, you noticed that your spending habits in general began to lessen as you became more conscious about your purchases. As a family everyone began feeling empowered and even discussed what to buy before hand rather than buying things on impulse that weren’t really needed. The times you do find yourself at a store these days you make sure to bring your own reusable bag and one for each kid.

Off to the capitol for the protest to ban PVC from all kids toys that the local Environmental Justice Group has been working on for some time. You realized that working on issues that impact the environment on the legislative level was an important part of action to be taken as a family. The family hops into your biodiesel Excursion with kids and signs in tow.

Another big ticket item for you was looking at how to transport your family around. Luckily you were able to convert your diesel SUV to biofuels and on warmer days are able to run B100 (pure veggie oil). Even still, you are cautious about the amount of driving you do and try to consolidate all your errands rather than making multiple trips. Buying your food bulk from the co-op every other week helps as does living a close distance to where you have your business.

Looking back over the past year you are impressed with the amount of changes you and your family have been able to incorporate into your every day lives. You feel accomplished knowing that all of the little actions you have taken along the way have not only made a difference in the world but also in your quality of life.”

Becoming a sustainable you! Some simple steps:

*reduce energy usage & support clean energy options
*carpooling, using biofuels, driving a hybrid car
*swap clothes with friends or shop at consignment shops
*support the local economy by shopping locally & at farmers markets
*plant a garden, share your harvest with neighbors & friends
*buy bulk organic foods and limit purchases of packaged, processed foods
*protect your health & the watershed by buying only bio-degradable and non-toxic cleaners
*eliminate your use of plastic, especially plastic water bottles & bags – use reusable ones instead

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!

Eat Green

The first step towards sustainable living for our family began with food. It makes sense in hindsight since food is one of the basic survival needs. Eating local organic food is more sustainable in that it requires less energy to produce, shorter distance to travel, minimal packaging and waste and is grown without toxic pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides that eventually wash into and poison our waterways.

Now it was not always this way for our family of eight. It is important to realize that we are a blended family – one dad and two kids from one household and three girls and a mom from another with a little one who melds us together. Our eating habits in the beginning were much different than they are today – almost six years later.

In the beginning we couldn’t even go out to eat without major controversy and stress (and at that point we had no special dietary needs or requests – just a desire to eat). For the first time in my life, I began to have a first hand experience of the issues so many in our culture have with food.

My girls and I were what I call “intuitive eaters” – we ate when our bodies indicated they were hungry and took cues from them on what we needed to eat. My husband and his kids were just plain eaters and would basically eat whatever was lying around without necessarily having any pangs of hunger.

Thus our battle over food began. It became a race to eat as much food as you could before anyone else, whether or not you were hungry at that moment or not. We soon forfeited eating out all together and made a commitment to eat dinner together as a family at home in an effort to regulate our eating patterns.

Sitting down to dinner together was one of the best things we did as a family that not only addressed our food issues but bonded us a “family” unit as well. Our kids still replay some of those initial memories to this day. The positive imprint we established still serves as a familiar routine that we fall back on when needed. For non-homeschooling families that don’t spend every hour of the day and night together, something like dinner time together is even more important and sacred. Many families have lost the connection that was once a traditional part of mealtime in years past with this stressful fast paced society we now live in.

Being that we threw ourselves and our families into relationship quite quickly, some things were more obvious than others right away to me. Although my husband was making every effort to eat healthier before we met, he still had a way to go. For example, sugar was a huge problem. I quickly implemented acceptable and unacceptable food options and began establishing boundaries around food choices. Since I was the one micro-managing our life and my husband was happy to have the help, there was little resistance on his part.

A few months later, we opened the doors of our all organic café. Eating organic was something we both believed in and wanted to have available to our family even more because we felt (knew) it was better for them and the earth. For my husband, this time marked a big shift in awareness. As he began to trust his body’s ability to give him answers, his parenting style with his children began to positively shift as well.

We were excited to be able to eat all organic and share what we were doing with others.
What we soon discovered after eating all organic over time was that we could not eat anything else. Our bodies could tell the difference! Our children noticed that they felt better when they ate organic food and naturally began eating less and less non-organic food even when given an option.

This happened more slowly with my stepchildren as they had more exposure to media-hyped processed, packaged food than my own, including food from fast food restaurants. In time they began requesting that their mom buy organic food. Soon they were taking their own food with them when they visited with their mom and began refusing to eat from fast food restaurants. If they had no choice but to eat “bad” food when they were not with us they would come back feeling physically awful and the whole family would feel the effects for days.

Numerous parents have commented on our children’s eating habits in the years we have had our cafe. They seem surprised to see our kids sit down and eat a plate of steamed kale or ask for avocado. Many have shared their personal struggles of getting their own children to eat healthy foods. Some parents have convinced themselves that their children would sooner starve than eat healthy food like vegetables. I think part of establishing a balanced diet for our kids is from introducing green foods such as veggies and avoiding all artificial sugar products (anything other than real fruit) from the beginning. This may require some extra effort initially.

Someone shared with me a recent study with kids that allowed them to eat whatever they wanted for a period of time. After a few days of gorging on junk food and sweets the children innately began to eat the healthier foods. This makes sense to me. Children naturally choose healthy foods for their bodies, yet exposure to sugar laden “fake foods” and constant marketing tactics are designed to be confusing.

Decades ago, marketers targeted moms because they were the primary ones making the decision regarding what food products to buy. Today, marketers incorporate bright colors in foods and on packaging because kids are now influence parent choices. Specific techniques such as whining, begging and pleading have been studied by these folks because they know they affect parent purchases (and not just in the realm of food – more to come on this later).

Thus, children’s relationship with food becomes a tool for manipulation capitalized on by “talented” marketers (check out the Century of Self on YouTube for a detailed overview of exactly how this happened in our country). The choice of healthy vs. unhealthy food somehow becomes a debate and mothers find themselves making compromises. Multi-billion dollar corporations accomplish their goal.

Overcoming this challenge can be achieved! First, as mothers, we have to have a clear understanding of our own personal values. For example, in our family we value organic food and choose to only eat organic food. This serves as one of our guiding principles that forms the foundation by which we live our lives. Within this agreed upon structure, our children have the freedom to make choices as to which kinds of organic foods they will eat. In our world, eating out at a fast food restaurant, eating junk food or even eating at social events are not even considered. They are not part of our equation. As their mother, it is my role to provide other viable options (I am always prepared with organic snacks) and remind them if need be the reason for our choice (mostly necessary for the four year old). I simply explain to my kids that there are good body foods and bad body foods and that we don’t eat those foods. It seems to work – so much so that they tell other kids.

Witnessing the process of my own children has led me to have even more faith in children’s ability to instinctively eat what their bodies need, even when they have been exposed to and manipulated by the opposite. We merely have to offer them the option to choose and stick to it. Once children have experienced the world of artificial flavorings and the lure of artificial colorings it can be a difficult battle. Sugar plays a key role in the behaviors of children. I have talked to many mothers who were amazed that their child’s labeled “disorder” has been able to be controlled through diet (and the elimination of fake sugar) alone.

Try the following:

*Take a personal (honest) inventory of your families food intake (For example, gauge the percentage of processed foods vs. whole foods your family eats, how often do you eat “out” vs. home, begin reading ingredients )

*Meditate on whether or not your family is truly eating a healthy diet –sustainable for both them and the planet (organic, non-gmo)

*If you were to listen to your instinctual, intuitive self, which foods would it insist be removed from your families diet?

Share with us your insights and revelations and what steps you plan to take to move your family towards healthier eating habits! This could be just one thing like stop eating packaged cereal or eating at fast food restaurants OR something broader like eliminating all processed, packaged non-organic genetically modified foods (www.coopamerica.org – type in GMO and see complete listings of all the companies that hide GMO ingredients in their products) or challenging yourself to eat local (check out www.eatlocalchallenge.org ). Talk with other moms about your choice to eat a more sustainable diet. Good Luck!

Suggested Reading: Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food by Andrew Kimbrell