It seems like every year a new diet emerges to help us lose weight, decrease inflammation, or increase our muscle mass for those major competitions.  What they so often overlook are the realities of moderation, the balance of the macro-nutrients (protein, fat & carbohydrates), or the traditions that need little or no revamping to make them healthier.  Sometimes the old fashioned way has its advantages.  The following sections highlight the diversity of food by exploring the Slow Food movement, GMO’s, food deserts and politics and tracking one’s daily intake of foods for nutritional content. 

Slow Food Movement
                I am pretty sure we can all name the closest fast food restaurants in our respective areas.  We know that the burger we buy in our town will taste exactly the same as the one we buy on the other side of the continent.  What may be a new concept is slow food.  The aim of this movement is the preservation of traditional foods and preparations to conserve the diversity which calls attention to culture and tastes.  It is a foundation whose conception was built to oppose the fast food chains and their formula of sameness.  There are even ways to become involved through monetary donations or applying to preserve a tradition or food in your area.  Have a look!

Food Politics
                There are lobbyists in Washington, D.C. who are charged with task of getting their special interests into the hearts and minds (and pockets) of Congress.  Just how far they go to influence the creation of the nutritional guidelines and subsidies is just one of the topics explored in the book, Food Politics by Marion Nestle.  She delivers a troubling account of the big business of making money in the food industry and the effects it is having on the health of the nation and around the world.  Remove the blinders and read this book.

GMO
                The foods we consume today are not varieties of our distant ancestors.  Through cross pollination by bees and other insects and even humans, we have been able to cultivate hybrids through design for a purpose, to improve upon nature.  Genetically modified organisms take this task even further through the use of DNA sometimes from varying, unrelated species to achieve a goal.  Unfortunately, the results of the long term outcomes on the environment or humans have not been explored sufficiently.  Here is a film on GMO’s.  It is rather over-dramatized, but it does highlight some important questions about the safety of these foods.  Click on the cover art to the right to explore the film's website.

What’s in Your Diet?
                Want to know how well you are eating?  There’s an app for that!  We all think we eat pretty healthfully for the most part, but what could you be missing or do better?  The website My Fitness Pal allows you to create an account and begin recording your daily meals and exercises to exactly how you are doing.  Check it out!

This is a great You Tube channel for all yoga practitioners.  There are many levels included in the demonstrations and types, ranging from morning yoga to practices addressing specific conditions like back pain.  I recommend this website to people to help them tone and stretch, breathe better and feel more energized and grounded.  The instructor has a wonderful way of bringing all styles and levels into consideration with a playful attitude.  You will often hear her say, "Do what feels right". 

The Wildmind website is a wealth of information on the subject of meditation.  One of the great things about this website are the online events offered through the center.  All that is asked of is a donation, which is tiered according to financial situation.  They give instruction on the various types of mediation and way to do meditations.  This is a fantastic practice to mitigate the negative effects of stress and stave off the aging process along the way. 

Complementary and alternative medicine have found their way into mainstream healthcare.  However, people (consumers) need to know where they can turn to get accurate, well studied and vetted information.  The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is a great website to begin exploration.  This website is vetted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health.  It not only provides information on the various natural health traditions but also articles on alternative ways to address health concerns.