By Amy

Helen  is back from India and has joined the Barefoot and Soul writing team, and that’s got us talking food. Specifically talking about writing about our passion for ‘real’ food.Because we have a lot to say. Important stuff, we think. Stuff like; what will really help athletic performance, recover from injury, good gut health, energy, vitality, boost immunity, grow healthy kids. We want to write these things mindfully, in a way that is helpful,, encouraging , accepting of limitations and inspiring.

Real food should be really simple. Gayle summerised it perfectly yesterday saying ; ‘I never find eating what I do to be stressful in any way, I don’t ever care if I make “wrong choices” I don’t even rate right or wrong. I eat what makes me feel good, and I feed my children what makes them behave well. I believe in putting as much good stuff in as possible, and then not worrying about the other 20%. Food is what lives and grows, not what’s made in a lab. Mostly that’s what counts’.

When you put it like that it does all seem rather straight forward doesn’t it? So why is it that NZ has one of the highest levels of childhood obesity in the world? Why is it, that if you step back and look at global obesity rates you will be horrified. Particularly when you consider the likely long term impact of that on our society, healthcare system and environment.

Why are so many people struggling to feel really good? Where do all the food ‘issues’ come from? How come you can walk around a supermarket and fill your trolley with foods that are high on complex and scientific sounding ingredients and low on nutritional value, way cheaper than you can fill it with real food?

The reality is that in the Western world, we live in a society that is geared on every level towards over consumption of foods that feed the obesity epidemic and generally just aren’t that ideal for optimum health.

So where to from here? As real foodies we could just shut ourselves off and sit in an organic meadow somewhere, living the sweet good life, drinking raw milk from pasture fed cows, and wait for our vegetables to ferment whilst hoping for the best. Or we could engage in a little real food activism. Not in a preachy over-zealous nineteenth century missionary kind of way (we hope);  but in an accessible, sharing of ideas kind of way. Sound good?

Let’s get started with the sharing of ideas then. It’s been a sunny Saturday  which means sport, sport and more sport …so this post from Helen might be helpful;   Nutrition to Prevent and Treat Post Exercise Muscle Soreness.