The food that fuels us
Life is about balance. And how we choose to fuel our bodies matters! With that being said, we shouldn't restrict ourselves from the foods that bring us joy. Instead, we should be mindful of what we are consuming and how often.
“If it feels good, do it.”
Or in this case... eat it! Completely restricting ourselves from the foods we love so much isn't healthy. Of course, this isn't a green light to eat pizza 3 times a day! But when we are mindful of where we source our food and how much or how often we are indulging in our favorite foods, we find that life can be balanced.
The source of our food.
Knowing where our food comes from is important. And as a chef, I'm lucky to have access to so many beautifully and ethically grown ingredients. But you too, have access to these ingredients. You just need to know where to look. Check out your local farmers markets, search the internet for farmers in your area and get in contact. Getting as close to the source of where your food comes from can help you connect, not only with the food, but the people growing it.
When I first visited Italy I was in shock at how different the food tasted. Even things as simple as spaghetti e pomedoro (spaghetti with tomato sauce). The reason the food taste so much different in Italy is a combination of things. One being, there is no such thing as "Italian Cuisine". There are 20 different regions in Italy and each region has its own culture and cuisine. Italians eat the food that is produced in their specific region. Not only do Italians eat locally, but they eat seasonally. So if something isn't in season...they just don't eat it. Basta! (which translates to "that's it!") If it's November or December...you won't even come close to finding strawberries. That said, in America we can find just about any ingredient at any time of the year. So just imagine where or how those ingredients are produced. Packed full of chemicals and grown inorganically, we think we're eating healthy by snacking on strawberries, but are we really?