nutrition as self care
One of the most common reasons I hear (and have said myself) for not preparing more nutritious food at home is, "I just don't have time". I get it. I really got it when I had two young children, a full time job, 5 horses and 2 dogs. More about that another time- let's just say that I did keep trying, and it has been a process to get where I am now, which is also not perfect.
When my youngest son was 17 years old he had a serious medical crisis. His recovery has been nearly complete, but this experience brought him face to face with his own mortality at a time when that's not typically on a person's mind. Driving home from one of his two hospitalizations, he had a talk with me about our eating habits and his hope that we could put more time and effort into preparing healthy meals. We had recently started ordering from an online organic grocery service in our area which had been a good start, so we built on that, and really went to town a few months later when the farmer's markets opened for the season. His commitment and concern for his health was hugely motivating for me, as was his willingness to help make it all happen. This year plus of making this a priority together has remained a connection we have as he has moved on to college.
It takes time to eat better. There is no way around that reality. Whether you take the approach of preparing some things ahead, packing nutrition into a smoothie or carving out more time for at least one meal a day, time is involved. At first this felt like a luxury that maybe I couldn't afford. Sometimes it felt like a hassle. With time and practice, and consistency, and some general effort to slow down a bit overall, it began to feel more like a necessity, maybe even a responsibility fulfilled.
There is no better time than the present (July in Northern Michigan!), to take a step or two towards this particular act of self care. The days are long, and fresh, nutritious produce is plentiful and accessible. My favorite vendors in the area are:
- Providence Organic Farm located in Central Lake, Providence offers a variety of ways to access certified organic produce (as well as eggs, beef, lamb and pork), including CSA memberships (in the winter too!), investor shares and presence at several area farmer's markets. Aside from the incredible quality and variety of their produce, they have amazing customer service.
- Spirit of Walloon Market Garden located in Boyne City, MI. Spirit of Walloon practices sustainable farming. They grow wonderful veggies and herbs, and LOTS of beautiful flowers. They can be found at the the Boyne City and Petoskey Farmers markets, and they have a farm stand on location that's they've been renovating (open soon!).
- Bear Creek Organic Farm located in Petoskey, MI. Produce and honey can be found in a number of locations including the Boyne City Farmers Market, Grain Train in Boyne City and Petoskey and Toski Sands in Petoskey. They offer a year round CSA membership. They have the most beautiful organic vegetable and herb plants if you're growing your own. Their selection of micro greens is amazing, and I have loved some of their more exotic offerings such as chive blossoms.
Remember that successful change is very often built one small step at a time. Here are a few ideas for a place to start or a next step to take:
- Bring some fresh produce home each week- fill up a bag with what's available at the farmers market or farm stand and appeals to you most. Salad greens (including micro greens, and anything you can add to them in a salad are great because they don't require turning on the stove or the oven.
- Start by committing to one nutrient packed meal a day. Set yourself up for success and pick the one that's easiest for you to manage.
- Leafy greens such as collard, spinach and kale are packed with nutrients. They are really easy to chop up and stir fry in a skillet with some olive or coconut oil with a little salt and pepper. Add in some fresh scallions and and egg on top for breakfast.
- Toss spinach or kale into a smoothie. Here's a great recipe at oh my veggies (I use 10 drops of liquid Stevia instead of honey)
- Buy one or two new or exotic ingredients and build a dish around it.
- Cook at home using real food more days than not. Following this general practice will improve your over nutrition significantly.