Eating Ecologically
What does it mean to eat ecologically? To me, it means nourishing your body, mind, and spirit by eating foods in their most natural state, in a way that is not contributing to the decimation of ecosystems, and eating in congruence with where you are and what season it is.
If you live somewhere with a temperate climate you will have more access to a variety of foods throughout the year. This also means eating primarily plant based would be an ecologically sound choice. If you live somewhere with 4 very different seasons you’re eating habits will change significantly with the seasons. If you live in the arctic you will be consuming more meat to compensate for living in a harsh environment (to stay warm and nourished enough to survive and because it’s harder to grow plants in extreme environments).
No matter what combination of foods your eating whether it be just plants, plants and grains; plants, meat, and grains, dairy, no dairy - the same guidelines apply. Eat the foods that are locally, organically, and ethically farmed, caught, hunted, gathered, foraged, etc. (Even better if you learn these skills yourself!)
Eating ecologically also means to do our best not to buy from large corporate companies. Unfortunately, in the west most foods readily available in commercial stores are not grown in simplicity and as nature intended. They are grown/made/supplied for how long they can last and how much they can sell. Often these large corporations utilize practices that decimate soil, abuse animals, over-harvest from a specific area (for example overfishing), use life-altering or killing chemicals or that contribute to social inequity or inequitable labor, etc. This may sound overwhelming, but what we can do to help is very simple. Do your best to eat locally and ethically. We do this by either farming, hunting, or gathering as a personal practice or by trading or purchasing foods from local ethical and sustainable farms, hunters, or gatherers. This relies on having a strong connections in your local community.
This is not only important for the well-being of the collective and the environment as a whole, but extremely important for your personal health.
The most important thing to understand about what you are physically consuming is to know where it came from AND how it was harvested. You are going to be taking in the energy of what you are eating and it is going to fuel your life force. It is going to directly impact how you feel physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I also want to point out that there is nothing wrong with eating a small bit of ethically farmed meat or wild game, but be conscious that eating meat is savage. A life is ending so your life may fueled. This is not something to feel bad about, but something to be conscious of. Nature is, in fact, savage and is eating itself all the time. Life brings forth life. I bring this up because we as a society try to act as if eating meat is fancy or try to ignore where it came from all together or deem it bad and none of these are accurate. If you choose to eat meat just remember to pay attention to where it came from, how it was harvested, and eat with reverence knowing this life is bringing forth life in you.
Eating locally, ideally knowing your farmer, seasonally, and in balanced moderation is a huge benefit for the individual and also for the planet. I hope this helps you in your journey of nourishment.
