Resolution #2

In some respects, this relates to my resolution about losing weight. However, there are deeper issues in play here that I want to take a moment to talk about.

I want to eat healthier and more ethically.

To me, this encompasses more than just eating "right" - getting enough fruits and vegetables, cutting down on fat, scaling back on the carbohydrates. It's also more than just eating smaller portions and taking a vitamin supplement. I want to know where my food comes from, and trust the company's practices when it comes to how they handle their workers, their food products, and business dealings. Generally, organic products are also more nutritious than their conventional counterparts.

I want to buy organic fruits and vegetables so I know that my food doesn't have any nasty chemicals or harmful pesticides. Plus, organic produce just tastes better to me. In an ideal world, I'd like to grow a lot of my own food and eat seasonally, but right now that isn't an option.

I also want to purchase organic meats and dairy. I've joked about this on and off with my mom - about the fact that I want to eat "ethical chickens." It just bothers me that many companies will mass produce their cows and pigs and chickens, locking them in cages for their entire lives so that they can never see the sun. Some are even locked in their pens and not able to turn around, and don't have any space to move about. Plus, I don't want the animals I'm eating fed a lot of junk and chemicals and hormones just so they get nice and plump. It makes me so sad...I don't want to support these companies, because these animals are God's creatures too and deserve better treatment (even if we are just going to eat them). Since organic meat is expensive, it'll mean that I'll have it less often (and buy a lot of it when it goes on sale). Similarly with the eggs and milk. Organic milk just tastes better to me, and it doesn't have any of the growth hormones in it. And I like my eggs from cage free hens.

I also want to start making more of my own bread. Ben and I got a breadmaker for Christmas. Right now, it's in his apartment but we've already made a few loaves and they are delicious!

Since I got a coffee grinder for Christmas, I also want to start buying fair trade coffee.

I know switching over is going to take time (and money). But I think it'll make the world a better place.