Please note: I am NOT saying my readers are food elitists, far from it, just wanted to strike up a dialogue on a topic that means a lot to me and hopefully to you too!
One thing I have never understood is people’s desire to judge people according to the foods that they eat. I have pretty much done the gambit when it comes to food. I have been a vegetarian, I have cut out dairy for a time period, I have gone without carbs, I have juiced vegetables, I have bought organic and you know what? None of it worked for me. None of it made me feel that much better. In fact, all it did was help me lose my desire to eat. Food became about rules, not desire. It cut off my passion for food.
Above you will see my last attempt at trying to bond with chickpeas. Out of the peas/legumes family, chickpeas are the least offensive to me. I roasted these with garlic powder, onion powder…and you know what? They still tasted like chickpeas and I don’t like them.
When I was a vegetarian I still cooked meat for my husband. Why? Because I know all of our food journeys are different. We all have different blood types, we all have different dispositions. My husband is a hunter-gatherer blood type and overall human being. He is just being true to his nature. I am more like a bird, I like seeds and fruit and sometimes claim my inner eagle and allow myself to dive down and connect with the hunter inside. Then there are pacifists with gentle spirits who do not want to hurt anyone or anything.
Why can we not honour all the different paths? And accept that sometimes the path changes. I knew that for three years I had to give up meat. I got a lot of flack about it too, a lot of judgement. I hated that. So why would I judge someone for eating meat?
Sometimes it also comes down to money and situation. I would love to go to the market and buy right from the farmers but you know what? All I have is a Superstore here and I am not allowed to drive. Just finding a place to live where I can get any food was a huge challenge for where I live. As much as I would love to buy organic, I can barely afford fresh produce at the prices they are right now. Do I judge people for having more money than me and being able to pay a lot more money for healthier food? No way.
It’s your money. It’s your life. It’s your choice.
Don’t we have enough trouble with judging people for what they look like? Who they love? Who they worship? Why is this kind of judging OK?
Well it isn’t. We all have different desires and needs and dispositions.
I hope that we all just get to enjoy our food, whatever that ends up being. You know, my mom loves foods that for years I judged as a kid as being weird. Most of those foods my grandmother fed to her in Latvia, sometimes for fun, sometimes for survival. Her visit her reminded me to stay open, to not judge and to give everything a taste.
Oh, Suzie, exactly!
I was a veg for about 10 years and Marcy still wonders to this day how I survived it. I can’t digest nuts or beans and I’m allergic to soy.
And when I hit my late 30’s, I was desperately tired all the time. I needed meat! Period.
Now I am a much happier omnivore than I ever was a veg. As a veg, I was never judgmental of other’s choices, so this judgment thing of which you speak is a bit of a pet peeve of mine!
And the organic thing — we are lucky in that it is available and we can afford it but not everyone can!
There was a great essay on the Gaiam site about a new eating disorder called Orthorexia — an obsession with eating PERFECTLY. There is no such thing.
It’s interesting because we have often thought that a lot of eating types are just excuses for eating disorders. Just another way to limit yourself and not listen to your body but to the outside world, look like you are doing the “right” and “good” thing.
(Sorry this was so long. You’ve touched a nerve!)
Orthorexia — that’s a good term. I agree — our bodies tell us what we need to eat, and usually how much.
Suzie, I am a big proponent of eating local and organic food, when it is available and I can afford it … but I really hope that I haven’t come off as judgmental, because I believe that everyone needs to do what they need to do. I am lucky that in my city, and indeed my neighborhood, there are so many options.
You are one of my current food heroes. I love to see what you’re up to in the kitchen.
Loved your post. As a former food judger, I think I did it to feel good and righteous about my own way, perhaps because of insecurity. it was silly, but it was my general orientation to life as well. I judged people for pretty much everything. I think that most people who judge are very insecure. It is sad. I feel very, very happy not to be in that prison and way of life any longer. I guess I just grew up a bit. Got older, more secure with who I was.
A book I read that changed me a lot is about orthorexia: “Health Food Junkies: Orthorexia Nervosa – the Health Food Eating Disorder” by Steven Bratman and David Knight. It is excellent!
Again, I appreciated this post, Suzie,
Love, O
Suzie, great post. It is interesting how people are judged by what they choose to ingest. Strange really. I wonder why feelings run so passionately about food. Like faith and spirituality, it is up to each individual. There are many paths that lead to the same destination.
Cheers, Shelagh xo
Interesting topic. I’ve always felt a bit odd going to other people’s houses for dinner, because they don’t eat the same things I do. We eat the food we do in my family because it’s what we like and what we can afford. Seeing what other people eat is like a window into their lives. It’s very personal, kind of like religion.
I agree with Suzy, you’re a food hero!
well said suzy! i loved this post a lot~i so know what you mean by food elitism.
i was a veegie for 15 years, stopped, started, stopped again, a never ending cycle. now i eat mostly vegetarian, with bouts of carnivore~i tend to eat what my body asks for and boy do i love my food! like you i would love to go out and spend my money on all that amazing organic food available out there but with bills to pay we do have to make compromises, a lot of them, although we still eat very healthy. we are lucky as there is a farm shop nearby that is much less expensive than supermarkets and i have swampy to drive for me.
For someone like myself, who battled with dis-ordered eating all my life, in the past several years I have come to learn that I eat and drink what my body is telling me it NEEDS and the desires or wants, are extra for me. There is so much to worry about, I am not about to judge another person on WHAT they eat. If it makes one happy to be vegetarian, great, or if someone is more a carnivore, great for them too!
I find it utterly ridiculous to judge a person on what they are eating. I enjoy certain foods, so I eat them but am mindful of moderation. I am not a huge red meat eater, although I like a grilled burger at times, my favorite though is Salmon. Salmon I can eat any way and I love it! I prefer fish and seafood and then behind that chicken and turkey.
Can’t eat gamey meat like lamb, or venison since it truly messes with my stomach.
Bottom line is this; what nurtures one’s Soul is what we should be eating. Taking care of yourself, however and whatever that form is, is what is right for the individual!~
Excellent post Suzie! This was really well written and I definitely could not have said it better. Sometimes I think the media plays such a huge role in making us believe a certain way and we don’t even realize it. You’re right, when food becomes rules instead of desire, it’s not fun anymore.
Well said! I tried hard to be vegan, but it would seem I need meat. Sometimes I start thinking i need to be vegan because of yoga and ahimsa, but that’s just getting dogmatic.