Knowledge Worth Knowing

I believe in food education and the right to enjoy every last bite.

Anywhere you go, anything you do, there are endless advertisements towards portraying “the perfect body.” To me this only causes people to restrict their freedom of choice. Many people are clueless about their food choices. Many people make the choice to improve their appearance by manipulating the role food plays in their body. By all means you are entitled to do this.

If you are educated about your food and you are aware of how it may affect you then that is all you need; From that point onward you can choose to eat it or not. If you are aware of the consequences, nobody can tell you that what you eat is wrong because you either already know it’s wrong, or you have a completely different opinion on the subject. Remember that your knowledge is your fortification.

So many times during the past year I have found myself lost in déj– vu. I am fixed into the same scenario, a false replica of an exasperating dinner party. Once again, I find myself gazing into the intricate patterns of another glossy tabletop. The classic words, now so repetitive, still escaping my lips once again. “Sorry, I’m vegetarian.” Why an apology? I always pause, waiting for the inescapable question to reach my waiting ears. “Why?” I expect it but each time I recoil at the word. In my imagination I snap it right back in their face retaliating with an overly confident, “Why not??” In reality my mouth utters a slow stream of regularly practiced lines. I want to encourage people to never collapse under pressure. There is no reason not to defend your choice; after all you’re the one who made them, right?

I think it’s time to forget “why?” and attempt a “why not?” I wonder how people can be so judgmental. So what if you want to live solely on ice cream or eat nothing but macaroni and cheese. If you want to eat it, eat it! Okay, there IS a limit; I’m not saying to be unhealthy, only that it’s strange that some people are so concerned with the diet of other people.

It is good to be healthy, but who’s to say you have to? Would it really be such a noble act if someone forced you to do it? There is physical health and there is mental health. I choose my diet because it is right for me physically AND mentally. I can eat food and feel good about it because the choice is my own and I have knowledge to support it. I think it’s time that everyone forgot about what everybody else thought. Live a little! Eat something of your choice. Feel the joy of self-decision. Relieve your mind of all that influential nonsense. Eating is always your choice AND your responsibility.

I believe in food education and the right to enjoy every last bite.