The real definition of conscious eating

There’s a lot of buzz these days about conscious (or mindful) eating. This usually refers to being fully present and conscious while you are eating, paying attention to the taste and texture, as well to your body’s fullness signals.  A very important part of having a healthy relationship with food.

But how conscious are we really of what we’re eating? My mom sent me an email today warning against buying chicken from China (http://www.snopes.com/photos/food/chinachicken.asp), and while the jury is still out on the validity of these claims, it does raise some interesting questions.

When picking out your produce or animal protein, do you ever ask yourself:
* What were the conditions in which the animal lived?
* How was the animal killed, and under what kind of conditions?
* What kinds of chemicals was the food exposed to (fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, toxins in the earth/ocean/food chain)?
* Where was this food grown?
* Were there enough nutrients in the soil in which the food was grown?
* How was the food harvested?
* Was it ripe when it was harvested?
* How far did the food have to travel before getting to your supermarket, and under what conditions?

Food for thought, indeed.

Julia Di Nardo