Over-Abundance, Over-Consumption: Over It
In some cultures and religions, it is common to pray before you eat a meal or even give up food altogether for periods of time as a demonstration of gratitude for the food on our plate. We do this in the glory of the divine that we believe in. This is important and beautiful in so many ways, and, in my opinion, it is potentially incomplete. How often are we also thanking the tangible source of this abundance - the earth beneath our feet? Have we lost this gratitude because we are surrounded by this abundance, and only feel the need to appreciate it when it feels scarce? Why is it that those who have the least are actually the most grateful when it comes to them, versus those that have a steady stream of abundance lose touch with that gratitude? We have, by and large, lost great touch with our food sources. We no longer have to tend to our land, harvest our food, hunt our own animals, prepare them to be consumable, worry that a bad weather season will impact our ability to feed our families. And so, we have lost touch with what we really have in front of us. I would challenge us to say - this is all the more reason to give thanks to this seemingly, but not truly, unlimited supply of nourishment.
In the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmer, she speaks of The Honorable Harvest, which is essentially a set of ‘rules’ or guidelines that we can use to create and maintain a relationship with the land that feeds us rather than viewing it simply as a resource for our own unlimited use. It encourages building dialogue with our land, treating it like our own home. You’d never walk into your family’s house and not say hello, go right to the fridge and take food, or not say thank you after being prepared a meal. Kimmer is suggesting that we treat the land with the same dignity - ask permission before taking, abide by the answer, never take the last, take only what you need, and express gratitude for what has been taken. Imagine a world where we all abided by these guidelines! We’d perhaps see less issues with overharvesting, depletion of land, climate change, and starvation amongst our fellow citizens. I for one would like to see this world continue on providing and growing for generations to come, so I will be taking steps to help it do so. Will you join me? Here are a three easy ways we can all get started:
Say ‘thank you’ to the land where the food you are about to eat came from. Taking a moment to express gratitude for your meal and the abundance you have shows respect for the land that gave it to you. Did you know that showing gratitude actually helps rewire your neurological pathways, literally making you healthier mentally and physically? Studies show that when we feel gratitude, our brains release serotonin and dopamine - happy hormones! This helps us balance and manage stress, which leads to a healthier heart, better anxiety and depression management, and helps us better avoid physical injury.
Only take what you need when you need it. It’s easy to get swept up in overstocking our pantries, whether it be for a good deal or ‘just in case’, but consider this: what if every extra bit we take actually takes away from someone else? And what if that superfluous ‘demand’ is actually driving overconsumption and overdepletion of natural resources by the companies supplying that food because they want to keep up with this vanity demand? By planning out your meals and taking inventory of what you already have to work with, you can be more tactical in your food shopping and buy only what you really need - this helps your wallet AND the environment, a win win!
Find ways to reduce how much food you waste. Take stock of the ways you waste food, and then slowly start to find ways to offset that. For instance, do you throw away a lot of extra fruit and veggies at the end of the week because no one ate them? Could you freeze what’s remaining after a few days, or purchase a composting bin (likewise find local farms who could use it for free for soil!) to turn them into something useful? Do you reach in the back of your pantry every now and then only to find expired items? What if you took a look once a month, and if something is coming up for expiration in the next month either pull it forward and make a plan to use it, or donate it to your local food pantry for someone in need.
You want to know the best part of these three easy wins? They are all FREE. Worst case, you’ve saved some money on the excess food you were buying or wasting. Best case, you’ve helped protect the earth that feeds you. So the next time you get to experience the joy of eating a tropical fruit that comes from a far away land, enjoy a root vegetable you picked up from a local farmer down the street, or simply experience of a full and satisfied belly - give thanks, because it is truly remarkable the access and abundance we have all around us!
Sources:
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmer
