Eat My Feelings
Food is portrayed in pop culture and the Mass Media as sustenance, luxury,
status, sin--and so on. The Food Network, Top Chef, and comparable programming
thrive--suggesting a human obsession that continues to grow in spite of warnings
and admonishment to treat food as nothing more than a flavorless tool. Additionally
food is ascribed so much power in Health Communication--it kills you/it cures you.
French fries are a source of shame; yogurt keeps your bowels regular...
Food is undeniably political, whether it is viewed in terms of abundance or type.
Populations with little food are often marginalized groups, discounted for flawed
political, economic or social systems. Certain populations are designated McDonald's
consumers, while others are the caviar elite. Who eats what and why? It's an
undeniably fascinating topic.
I've loved and hated food for a very long time. Like most people, its a challenge for
me to enjoy my favorites without occasionally overindulging. Do I sometimes
'eat my feelings'? Um, yeah. But that's better than punching some clerk in the face,
or drinking a pint of vodka during rush hour. So what if I wind down from a rough
day with a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal? I'm not hurting anybody.
That being said, for the most part I strive to use the best possible ingredients. If I
cannot make the trip to Findlay Market on the weekend, I make a point to shop the
outside edges of the grocery store: primarily produce, dairy, and protein. And when I
need pasta, bread, or cous cous--I choose the heartiest whole grain selections. I'm
constantly surprising myself with interesting meals based on these parameters.
My relationship with food is dynamic, constantly in flux. One day I am restricting my
diet, eating nothing but bananas, almonds, lean beef and plain spinach salad--the next
day I am contemplating recreating outrageous dishes just mentioned on Man vs. Food.
Whatever the day, I know I'm getting better at this stuff (except for the occasional
chill-out bowl of Cap'n Crunch).
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 at 4:22 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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