You Can Change the World with Your Fork

It’s easy for me to get up on my soap box when it comes to healthy living, food and the environment – and I really believe all of these things are intricately connected. I can go on and on about real food, the difference between healthy fats and killer fats, how we can raise good eaters and prevent chronic illness.

I get angry when I think about how corrupt it is that the USDA is in charge of promoting American agricultural products as well as setting the dietary “guidelines” for schools, hospitals, etc.

I get so frustrated when I think about the medical system. I overpay for something as simple as an office visit to the doctor (who typically only treats symptoms, and not the whole person or the root cause) when millions of people in this country are spending government money on preventable disease caused by diet and lifestyle choices (to be clear, I’m not blaming the people suffering from these illnesses, I’m upset about how we have been unfairly set up to easily fall into this trap of chronic disease).

I find it unbelievable that preventative care through a functional medicine doctor is not covered by our “disease care” insurance system.

I am saddened by the way our soils have been destroyed, leading to everything from climate change, to disruption of our gut microbiome, to produce that is lacking in basic minerals needed for us to thrive.

GMOs and other modern farming practices like spraying chemicals, tilling the soil, and creating large monocrop fields devoid of all other life are NOT feeding the world as many of the big science and agriculture companies are trying to have us believe.

It’s important to be aware of these issues, but it’s also important not to dwell on the negativity they induce in me. Instead, I educate myself and fill myself with hope when I see all the GOOD that is happening in the world. We’ve realized we’ve made a mistake. Things aren’t working the way they are now. Sustainability is no longer the answer, we need to regenerate in improve. And it’s possible.

Here are some things you can do to help ensure ourselves and our children live long healthy lives and feel connected to this planet. We need to work with what Mother Nature has provided us, not try to conquer it.

1. Know where food comes from. Visit farms and farmer’s markets. Get to know your farmers and their farming practices.
2. Work with nature. Plant some herbs or a few vegetables. Talk to your kids about how food grows. Stand barefoot on the Earth. Hug a tree!
3. Start noticing, wondering, and asking questions. What happens to these food scraps when I put them in the trash? What is phenoxyethanol and why is it in so many things I put on my body?
4. Find a cause and donate. EWG.org, Kiss the Ground, Slow Food USA, Kimbal Musk’s work, or something local to you!
5. Stand up for yourself and what you know is right. Be proud of going against the norm, stop serving artificial dyes and factory-processed foods at kids’ birthday parties just because that’s what is expected.
6. Vote with your fork, 3 times a day!
7. Educate yourself! Read books, watch documentaries, and listen to podcasts.
8. Join me in making a change, whether it’s as a member of The Nourished Moms Community, as a wine-world revolutionist with Scout & Cellar, or just a loyal fan and friend – we are doing important stuff that is contributing to change, let’s make our money matter, our actions seen, and our voices heard!