To market to market to buy a fat fig

I must admit that I have an unhealthy obsession with health. I spend hours every week reading about health and wellness, from disease prevention to synthetic vitamins to fitness fads to organic farming. I am most interested in nutrition, good nutrition, something that is hard to come by in a society like ours where the food supply is largely controlled by corporations more interested in maximizing shelf life and profits than promoting national health.

I try hard to impart nutritional wisdom to my children, but I’ve found it difficult to make information about phytonutrients, enzymes, amino acids, and glycemic indices interesting or understandable to them.

I finally decided to teach them to rely on common sense and intuition where food is concerned. Mother Nature is not uncaring, nor is she irresponsible. She has given us all we need to be healthy, and has provided some clues for us to help us decide what to eat and in what proportions.

First of all, if it comes in a box, can, or is shrink wrapped, it is likely processed or preserved in an unnatural way and should be avoided. We should try to eat food, organically grown, in its most natural state. Vast fields of wheat, corn, and rice indicate that these grains should be a dietary staple. Brightly-colored fruits and veggies are highly nutritious and should comprise much of our daily diet. Amazingly, different colored foods generally contain different essential nutrients. A good rule of thumb is that our plates should be filled with color.

I tell them to take into account the size of particular foods. Apples, pears, bananas come individually packaged in a perfect portion size. Nuts, berries and seeds are small and, in their natural form, more difficult to come by. They are full of nutrients, including essential fatty acids which play a key role in many metabolic processes. Does this mean we should we eat an entire jar of roasted peanuts or handfuls of salted shelled sunflower seeds? No, we should eat these foods as though we were picking and/or shelling them ourselves.  A little goes a long way with seeds, nuts and berries.

Most cultures are much more attuned to the natural world than we are. They eat foods in season, in their natural state, usually freshly harvested. They make breads from freshly milled flour. They use fresh herbs and fresh perishable oils. They find medicinal uses for indigenous plants.

When I travel, I always visit the local food market, whether in a French village, a rural farming community, or a South American town. The array of color, texture, and variety excites me to no end. I love to see produce that I’ve never seen before—yellow pitaya, jujube fruits, mangosteen to name a few. Vendors often have a sample sliced open for display so shoppers can see the treasures hidden within. I often grab the most unusual items I see, rinse them with bottled water, and dine away.

Travel is always an adventure, and local markets enhance my appreciation and understanding of different cultures. If only I could be as open to trying carnivorous delicacies—guinea pigs, snakes, Japanese blowfish—the world would truly be my oyster.