Francene - Views on news
  • BLOG
  • About
  • Contact

How you can show solidarity for destitute people.

3/31/2015

8 Comments

 
Picture
Why are we so concerned with eating? Apart from the fact that we need fuel in our bodies, food is one of our main pleasures in life.

This isn't the case for the starving people around the world. They need sustenance to carry on each day. No pickiness for them—no craving for sweet treats. Just enough rice of grain to help them survive one more day. I wish I could help them by prayer and meditation alone. That's the only device I can use, being poor and old myself. But I'm not hungry. In England, when you reach retirement, you receive a pension.

So, how can we equal the stakes? No point in everyone starving to show solidarity. Perhaps we could remove temptation from our kitchen and stick to foods that actually nourish us.

Let's call it a kitchen detox. If you keep the wrong sort of food in your house you will end up eating it. Throw out breakfast cereals which are full of sugar and preservatives, processed and convenience foods, margarine (it's much better to use butter if you can tolerate dairy), canned meals such as spaghetti hoops, gluten grains, salad dressings (make your own with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard powder, fresh rosemary, garlic and sea salt), biscuits, cakes and sweets.

Restock your fridge with protein such as eggs, chicken, meat and fish, feta cheese, pulses, nuts and seeds, salad and vegetables and dairy alternatives such as coconut milk. Use coconut and olive oil for cooking and gluten-free flour such as coconut or rice flour for baking or thickening sauces. Quinoa is a great alternative to rice and couscous.

Another thing we should do is stop snacking. Many of us believe we should eat little and often and spend the day grazing, barely going an hour without consuming something. Constant eating stimulates the production of insulin that can put our bodies into fat storage mode.

The worst offenders are refined carbohydrates and sugary treats but even eating healthy snacks means our body has to work constantly to process them.

It's not a good idea to go cold turkey on snacking. You need to make sure you are eating properly the rest of the time.

Every meal should be made up of fat, protein and plants to help fill you up and balance your blood sugar levels. Most importantly try not to snack in the evening. It is important for your metabolism to fast for 12 hours overnight so stop eating after dinner and don't start again until breakfast.


Picture
Eat foods that make you feel good. These foods have all been proven to benefit the body.

• Fermented foods Fermenting is an ancient way to preserve foods. Sauerkraut is probably the easiest to find but pretty much any vegetable can be fermented if you do it yourself. Fermented foods help to supply the digestive system with beneficial bacteria.

• Healthy fats Coconut oil, avocado, organic and free-range eggs, wild salmon and olive oil are good sources and play a role in brain health.

• Dark green, leafy vegetables Vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli and cabbage contain folate, which studies have shown may reduce symptoms of depression. This is because folate is used by the brain to make feel-good hormones including serotonin and dopamine.


Source: Eat, Nourish, Glow by Amelia Freer.

All these foods are available to us. If something is too expensive, give up another food you can do without. We're so lucky to live in affluent, free countries. Wars going on around the world have left so many ordinary families destitute. Don't disrespect their plight by scoffing rubbish food. Make this effort for the sake of all humanity if not for your own health.





8 Comments
Jess Donegan link
3/31/2015 01:04:06 am

I agree that we should all eat healthier and be more aware of what we are eating, but I don't see how me being well fed and healthy does anything for those who are starving.

Perhaps I was just expecting something about choosing in season sustainable crops for purchase or choosing to buy from ethical farming groups or even reading about how I should buy a bag of rice for myself and another for the food bank.

I don't know how connected you are to people with bad food habits or who have budgets concerning the grocery bill, but your writing comes off as very disconnected. Where I work, most of the team is making minimum wage, and part of how I help them isn't by suggesting food that's way out of their budget. Once every two weeks we have a meal at my house that's healthy and economically sound for their wages. The people who are interested in living a more healthy life come to me and we work out what they can do to add healthy meals to their lifestyles.

I don't know, it rubs me the wrong way to think that someone eating a bunch of coconut flour thinks that they are somehow doing that for hungry people across the world.

Reply
Francene Stanley
3/31/2015 03:11:38 am

Great way to help, Jess. I'm not in a position to do that, but I'd love to join you.
The point I hoped to make was this: Don't stuff yourself with unhealthy food when so many in the world are starving. If you were doing so in front of them, it would be like thumbing your nose.

Reply
Jess Donegan link
4/1/2015 01:11:35 am

Fair enough. It's definitely hard to combine social awareness with healthy eating when so many of the brands have such high price tags. I do admire your bravery to talk about the two together

Joan Harrington link
3/31/2015 01:59:29 am

Interesting post again Francene :) I agree we should start eating healthier not just for our bodies but for our minds as well....we just feel better when we do!

Reply
Carol Cassara link
3/31/2015 02:13:23 am

You have a different view, Francene. I think there is more attention paid today than ever before to healthy eating and am encouraged by that.

Reply
Donna Ward link
3/31/2015 02:24:49 am

I agree, Francene - I had to choose to eat healthier in my 20's because I noticed my moods were much better - and because of starting so early - I've stayed thinner much easier - great post :)

Reply
Kimberly link
3/31/2015 04:11:27 am

I'm lucky to have been raised by a grandmother who grew her own vegetables and fruits. I learned to love healthy foods from the start. The closer to the earth the food is, the better for you. Thank you for your great post.
Kimberly
FiftyJewels.com

Reply
Amy link
3/31/2015 08:30:59 am

Francene, It's always a good idea to eat more whole foods, healthy fats and so on. I know that there are local food banks, Food Nets, etc., in our communities that we can volunteer for or contribute to, to help the plight of those in our area who don't have enough income to buy quality food. Furthermore, for those who have a bit extra cash every month, there are excellent organizations (World Vision and Compassion come to mind, I know that there are more than those too) that will take our monthly gifts and use them to feed and support the poor in undeveloped nations. There are so many ways to help.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories
    news
    earth
    sea
    space
    environment
    people
    animals
    fish
    birds 

    experience 
    writing
    novels

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.