The Local Grass is Always Greener

Julia Child once said,
                                  
"People who love to eat are always the best people" 

Julia would have really liked me. 

I love good food. I once had a Croque Madame in Belgium that was so perfect, I think I might have teared up a little, and pesto in a fancy restaurant in Spain that blew my mind, but the food that I get really excited about are fruits and vegetables. It's a miracle, actually, that I have any friends at all, with vegetables so high on my list of interests. I can't help myself. If I had to trace back my love of produce, I think it might have all started with childhood memories like picking a ripe peach off the tree in my backyard, still warm from the sun, or popping open a pod, fat with a perfect row of sweet peas, or listening to my dad stand on the front porch commiserating with a neighbor on just how successful the "cuke" crop had been that year. 

There's something sublime about fresh fruit and vegetables, "fresh", being the important word here. Have you ever picked strawberries right from the patch, sweet, flavorful, and so juicy that it stains your fingers red, and marveled at how different they tasted from the strawberries you grabbed from the grocery store? Or, think of summer barbecues made memorable by the perfect corn on the cob from your local farmer's market. You don't have to be a vegetable nerd like me to know that fresh and local produce just tastes better than blueberries from Chile, or cucumbers shipped from across the country.  

 

Buying local fruits and vegetables just makes sense. When we make an effort to buy locally, we benefit in so many ways.

1. Local produce is better for you.

Not only does the asparagus or apple from your local farmer's market trump the grocery store wannabe in looks and flavor, but it's far and away more nutritious too! 

An article on greenopedia.com, explains why:

"When we buy foods that have been grown across the country or across the world, it can take weeks or longer for that food to travel from the farm to your table. As a result, these fruits and veggies must be harvested prematurely, which prevents some of their nutrients from ever forming.

To compound the issue, foods are also treated with special gasses, which further delays their ripening (and their ability to form nutrients) in order to ensure they survive their long journey.

And since it takes so much time for the fruits and veggies to travel from the farm to your table, much of the nutritional value it did have before it was harvested has been lost by the time it reaches your plate."

2. Buying local is environmentally friendly

It's easy to see the benefits of recycling your soda cans, or walking to work instead of driving, but how does buying tomatoes from your local farmer help save the world?

Barbara Kingsolver, in her brilliant book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, makes the environmental impact clear.

“The average food item on a U.S. grocery shelf has traveled farther than most families go on their annual vacations.” 

She continues, 

“Each food items in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of 1,500 miles....If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.”

That's a lot of oil! Who knew that buying local lettuce from farmer field, instead of picking up a bag from the grocery store, could make such a big impact on the environment. 

3. Buying local benefits your community 

"The money that is spent with local farmers and growers all stays close to home and is reinvested with businesses and services in your community." says an article by MSU extension, called "7 Benefits of Eating Local Foods"

Farmers depend on their community's support for their livelihood. When we buy from local farms, our money stays close, benefiting our local economies.

I know that every single one of us has got a lot on our plates. I'm not touting the virtues of buying local food to give you one more reason to feel guilty, or to make your life even more complicated. I know that it can be tricky to buy a local banana, (unless you live in the jungles of Mexico), or to find local produce in December. I am just putting it out there that making a few small changes can make a big impact on our health, our environment, our community, and our taste buds. 

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!

Kara

Getting Serious About Happiness

"I take happiness very seriously. It is a creed, a philosophy and an objective."
Helen Keller


I take a lot of things very seriously. 

I'm serious about having abundant cereal options at all times in my pantry. I'm serious about my kids flossing their teeth, because I never again want to experience the very judgmental look our dentist shot me at our last visit. I'm serious about mayo not Miracle Whip, and Dean not Jess, on Gilmore Girls, and sleeping in on Saturday mornings. But serious about happiness? I'm not so sure.

Several years ago I read Helen Keller's autobiography, The Story of My Life. I think I've always felt some level of admiration for this woman ever since I watched the old movie, The Miracle Worker, in elementary school. After finishing this book, my admiration turned to awe and a desire to emulate, if I could, some of the character traits that made Helen such a remarkable person: Optimism, faith, kindness, conscientiousness, hope. Most of all, I noticed that she was unfailingly happy. She had a lust for life that nothing could take from her.  Helen Keller wasn't handed happiness. Her early childhood was fraught with trial and confusion and challenges. Helen sought out happiness, and found a million reasons every day to feel joy.

                                                                                                          FanPix.net


Can we find a million reasons in our lives to be happy, even when our circumstances aren't perfect? What's stopping us from feeling happy?

I would never wish to diminish the seriousness of depression or mental illness. I know that there are many conditions where just thinking positively isn't enough. I'm just hoping to suggest some everyday ways that each of us can increase our daily happiness through small changes in our perspective.

In Helen's own eloquent words:

"Keep your face to the sun and you cannot see a shadow."

Here is secret #1 to daily happiness! Focus on the good! Neither I, nor Helen, are the first to discover this secret to happiness. Seeking out the good, and positive thinking have long been touted by philosopher, poet, and Oprah Winfrey.

There is power in keeping our focus on the positive! 

I'm forever having this conversation with my six year old, who has a strong sense of injustice. I often tell her, "I know that it's tough when we're out of your favorite syrup, but friend, we're having blueberry pancakes for breakfast, and the sun is shining, there's so much to be happy about! Try to focus on the good!" 

How could making this shift to focus on the good help increase our happiness? 

What if we saw making dinner every night as an opportunity to share some love with our families, instead of the drudgery that it often becomes. What if we focused on how hard our husband or wife or children are trying, instead of on what they haven't done. What if we woke up to see each new day as an opportunity to experience beauty, and strengthen relationships, and gain knowledge, and talk and eat and work and play, instead of another day trapped in the same old schedule. 

This seems like a good segue into secret #2 - Don't get trapped in the same old schedule.

I remember the thoughts that went through my head when I was sixteen, and had my first real job at the mall. I remember standing there, twisting pretzel after pretzel, and thinking, "Is this the way it's going to be? Why am I giving SO much of my time to this meaningless job, to earn money that I don't even have time to spend. What about what I WANT to do? What about happiness?" 

This seems a little dramatic, looking back, but it raises a good point. It's pretty easy to get so caught up in the day to day, that we forget to make time to be happy. I often catch myself forgetting to come up for air. I'm in a constant rush from washing the dishes, to sweeping the floor, chopping up carrots, and running to the store for milk. I forget to sit down, all day long. I forget to stop and really look into the eyes of that little girl who's been following me around all morning. I forget that life is more than just our to do list. We all have the list. There's always going to be appointments and meetings, and chores, but don't get so focused on the small and relatively insignificant, that you can't see past it to the bigger and better.

Secret #3 - Say YES to things that make you happy!

Maybe I should clarify. This is not meant as a good excuse to be selfish, or indulgent, or to give in to anything and everything that appeals to you...eating a the whole gallon of ice-cream won't really make you happy. Instead, this secret is meant to remind us that it's not selfish to have a hobby, or to have interests, or to be happy. Make a list. What are some things that make you deep down happy? Maybe your heart aches with the beauty of a sunrise, but you're always too tired to witness one. Make it happen! Make it a priority! Schedule some happiness in your day. Maybe reading makes you feel enlightened and rested and happy, but who has time to read? Make time! Even if it's just a few minutes while you wait for a kid in a music lesson, or for the water to boil for the pasta. Maybe watching National Geographic Documentaries, or playing chess, or dates with your spouse, or listening to opera make you happy...It's not selfish to seek after happiness. Life is about so much more than just twisting pretzels all day long. Find time for the little things that make you happy.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara