Food Appreciation

Two nights ago I heard a disturbing statistic on the evening news which stated that one in every six Americans suffer from hunger.  Think about that statement as it is really appalling to think that poverty in this great country results in one out of every six persons going to bed hungry each night.  This is a sin, is it not?

Do we appreciate our food?  I find that I am appreciative of it more and more as I see the hunger that exist in the city where I work, Camden, NJ. Camden is the shame of this nation, along side of New Orleans.  It is a city no one wants to believe exists in our nation, yet it does and I see it every day, even though I only work on the edge of the city and not in the worse areas.  Camden is like a third world country with poverty, gang violence, deprivation, and basically a hopeless environment that is very dangerous throughout most of the city; it has been forgotten and thrown away and so has it's inhabitants.   Even though I work only on the edge of the city, believe me, I see enough to depress even the best optimist.

I made this statement to my husband recently, which is very valid.  "My dog Hannah eats better and more often than over a quarter of our nations' children."  It's true.

Where am I going with all of this?  As usual I get off on a tangent, but it occurs to me that no matter what faith one has, most religions of the world say a blessing, prayer or rite over food, revering it, sacrificing it to God, and basically giving thanks and respecting what has been provided.  For example, even Jesus likened his own body to "Bread and Wine," and churches throughout Christendom have performed this ritual ever since as a symbolic symbol of unifying with the Lord.  I can't speak for other countries, but it is a rare thing to see people take time to stop and give thanks for their food in the form of a blessing in America.  At least not in public.  Some people may do so in their homes, although I am not sure of that either.  Most people today are either in such of a hurry, or they may feel embarrassed to bless the food, or they don't believe in doing so, but more often I think they just don't give it any thought or concern.

Regardless we have become a nation of waste.  We throw so much food out, that it has also been proven to be one of the causes of global warming.  We should be donating unwanted food to local food banks, or if nothing else, we should be composting it back into the earth; not filling dump sites causing more greenhouse gases.  If any one of us were one out of those six people, I bet we would be thanking the heavens above to have something to sate our appetites, we would be treasuring each morsel.

Now I am not trying to sway anyones believes nor am I saying that you must say a blessing each meal, but there is something to be said for respecting our food enough to take the time to eat it slowly, savoring each mouthful and being thankful that we are so fortunate to be one in five out of that six.  It is a fact that eating slowly helps digestion and we can recognize when we are full.  If we eat too fast, we gorge ourselves before our bodies even know we have eaten.

Besides, eating should be a ritual.  Whether it be an animal or plant, something has given up its' precious life to nourish us.  Also, family life seems to be going to pot these days and I believe one of the reasons is that families no longer sit down together at the table, to enjoy their meals without multiple distractions. Televisions should be shut off while eating! Cell phones and texting should not be allowed either.  Families need to use this time for nourishment and for bonding.

NOTE:  Now as far as television goes, I am guilty of this one.  I love to eat with the TV on and so does my husband.  But then I identify food with TV, not to mention the multitude of commercials enticing us with various processed foods, encouraging the public to eat more and more.  And of course they are not encouraging us to eat healthy either, as they try to push Fruit Loops and Twinkies down our throats!  This is a problem that I need to work on immediately, although it will be hard as my husband will probably want the television on.

The bottom line, what is wrong with incorporating some of the old laws from the good books into our lives?  Nothing at all!  There are many great ancient laws, even washing your hands before you eat.  Now, we need scientist to tell us this so we don't get the H1N1 flu virus.  If we made a habit of respecting our food, appreciating it, and giving thanks, maybe it would respect us back and not become addictions or health issues for us all. We create our own sins and we reap them too.  Food is a double edged sword, we can't live without food, we need the nourishment, but we should enjoy the variety Mother Nature has given to us without being a gluten.  So many of us today abuse and use food, then we suffer in the form of fat and health issues.  Maybe we need to re-evaluate some of the old laws and think about and appreciate what we are putting into our mouths.