For many, many years, the only sticker I put on my Toyota 4Runner read, “Eat Like You Give a Damn.” I believed then as I do now that most of our issues as humans would be alleviated by paying more attention to our food.
Our own bodies thrive when we focus on healthy eats. We get along better with others. When nourished, children feel grounded and are afflicted with fewer ailments. Farmers and all those along the expansive food chain are held in high esteem, which trickles down to the land they steward. Animals are treated with care and respect. Healthier soils may well be the most effective tool in the reversal of climate change. With satiated people, nation-states wage fewer battles.
The world would be good. The Earth would breathe a sigh of relief. All from being thoughtful with the food we eat.
The upcoming Dirty Movies series showcases three films about others who agree. These select movies are a small handful in an abundant sea about people coming to the same realization.
To solve our issues, we humans often drum up complex solutions — think private space flights, the logarithmic development of technology, and excessive consumerism. Yet think of the possibilities that happen when we circle back to one of our basest needs: food.
It is what sustains us. Without it, we would not survive. The amazing thing is that if we focus on this simple act of everyday life, even to the point of forgetting about all the heady stuff we humans create, we actually thrive.
So savor that moment with your plate, consider where your food came from, how it was treated as it grew, who cultivated it, who transported it, who sold it. Hold every bite in your mouth for a few moments longer than you’re used to. Think of healthy soils, healthy people, healthy planet.
Pay attention to your food and sync with the natural rhythm of the world and yourself. It’s likely you’ll make a big damn difference on the world around you.
