Food Thoughts

Lately, I have been thinking quite a bit about nutrition and what we (as a society) put into our bodies. It is interesting that as I have been working on educating myself, a new show has recently aired on network television, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. The most interesting thing for me about this show is that it is focused primarily on what kids eat in public schools. When I worked in an elementary school (now about 5 years ago), I was assigned to cafeteria duty in the mornings since I was a specialist and did not have students coming into my classroom first thing. I was appalled by what I saw on the kids’ plates every day. Almost always, it was food packed with sugar and fat. At the time, I started doing some research on the connection of diets high in sugar to “symptoms” of ADD and ADHD. I thought that this was going to be a future topic for a graduate level thesis; however, I never got there since I left the public school system and did not end up pursuing graduate level work.

As I get older and am aware of health problems that those around me face, I become more concerned with the foods we are putting into our bodies. While some things are certainly diet related, I wonder just how many health issues could be avoided or improved by some simple dietary changes. Here are some of the observations that I have made:
* Not only do American diets have too much fat in them, we get far too much added sugar and salt in our diets without even realizing it. It is added to so many items we don't even think about. Ever checked into the sodium content in canned beans, soups, vegetables?
* We don't eat enough fruits and vegetables that are packed full of essential nutrients.
* If you eat out a lot, you have absolutely no control over what is in your food.

Over the past year or two, I have become very intentional with meal planning. I essentially plan a month's worth of meals at a time, and I do the bulk of my shopping in one trip. Yes, we do have to buy things throughout the month such as milk, bread, and some produce, but these are always quick trips, and I don't worry so much about stopping somewhere for convenience rather than the store with the best price since I have already saved a significant amount of money in my big monthly trip. In doing this, we hardly ever eat out because we have a plan (this contributes even more to our savings). What I like best about this is that I have control over what is going in my food and in my body.

I am not saying that my diet is as healthy as it could be. I certainly need to work on cutting back on sugar...it is my weakness; however, I am becoming more and more aware of how important it is for us to be thoughtful about what we are eating.

To add to my conviction, consider 1 Corinthians 6:19..."Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" What responsibility do we have if we are to view our bodies as a temple of the Holy Spirit?