on food consumption

i've been thinking a lot about food consumption recently.

if you know me, you know i LOVE food.

i love it.
i love it.
i love it (!)

but, i know that i indulge in ways that i don't need to, especially when considering the needs of all the people in this world. and yet, when i let my belly (aka "baby") get to the point of sheer hunger, i get so self-focused that i can only think about getting something into my mouth. i can't even concentrate on a conversation. (and that concerns me).

my point is that my relationship to food is often evolving. it went from an unhealthy relationship of overconsumption to what i believe is a much more understanding friendship. and as i've observed and talked to people about eating (and choices they make around eating), it's clear to me that most people have somewhat of a dysfunctional relationship or miseducated view of food. me included.

it's not just about food though; it's about holistic health.

there is a disconnect between mind.body.heart.soul. there's a hurt. there's something painful that food has become the medicine for. whether it be a small alleviation of an emotional sadness or a major means of avoidance and denial, food seems to be a source of pseudo healing.

what's scarier is that it doesn't just happen on an individual level; it also happens on a corporate level. and that's where "more developed" countries - especially the U.S. - literally starve others in this world. ... ..in the pursuit of alleviating whatever hurt it is we're feeling, greed, power....etc. and as a sad result, we here die of obesity (and related diseases) while others die of malnutrition and hunger. what does this say about us?

i've been thinking more about food consumption because of a couple reasons:
A) I'm wrestling with what it means to live in abundance amid a hungry world.
B) I'm trying to consume more protein, and this has raised questions of my meat intake.
C) I'm trying to live simply; and that for me, ties in with not just how i live, but also how i eat.

and asking myself a few questions:
how do i find a balance of getting the nutrients i need and incorporating redistributing nutrients that my global (and local) neighbors need?
what role will i take?
how do i get creative with how and what i eat?
how might i support local growers w/o maxing out my budget?
what in my heart needs to change, to gain clearer perspective and to respond to the need?
what does it look like to authentically love people in this context?