Can You Say Enough?

We recently watched the film 'Regarding Henry' again. After being shot in a robbery, surgery and rehabilitation, Henry goes back to work at his law firm. On the first morning, Henry's secretary brings him a cup and pot of coffee. She pours coffee into the pot until it spills over the sides because Henry forgot to say 'enough.' Not saying enough is common in modern society. No matter how big the house, how fancy the car, how large the income, we seem to have difficulty saying that simple word. However, if we take a look at the types and amount of food people in other countries have stocked on their shelves, then compare that to our own cupboards, perhaps saying 'enough' might be a bit easier. The family pictured lives in the country of Chad in Africa.

If you look at what this family lives on for an entire week, then compare it to your family's consumption, it might help you understand what a society of consumers we have become. I'm not advocating for Americans to attempt living on such scant foods but it sure wouldn't hurt us to eat a bit less on a regular basis. We might also think a bit more about being less wasteful. In our country, the average family throws out more food per week than families elsewhere in the world consume.

There really is enough food in the world to feed every man, woman, and child. The problem is one of distribution and how food is produced. It takes approximately 9 calories of fuel to produce 1 calorie of beef, a product consumed by the pound in America. If everyone in the world was put on the average American diet, it would take four planets to support our appetites.

Water, another commodity fast become scarce, is another consideration in food consumption. For example, you can grow a pound of potatoes with 60 gallons of water. If you grow a pound of wheat you will need 110 gallons of water. Beef, a favorite in American, requires 12,500 gallons of water to grow one pound. It may surprise you to learn that President Eisenhower warned against yielding to public pressure for wasteful public funding of agriculture. He saw, long before most of us, that such funding would lead to the loss of small farms and a takeover by huge corporations that care only about the bottom line.

Some of my friends and family members have told me my insistence on a healthy, organic diet is silly. I learned the hard way 50 years ago that food additives were not good for me after eating a salad dressing containing MSG. I've been beating the organic drum ever since. Organic food has more flavor and nutrients. It takes less to satisfy my body's needs. In my opinion it makes sense to eat healthy food prepared at home. It costs less, tastes better, and supports local farms. That is a win-win situation and one I hope will be replicated across the country as more families take a taste test for themselves.

We recently joined a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to assure a supply of organic meats and produce for our needs. With an organic garden in the yard as a supplement, we will have all we need for ourselves and visits from friends and family. On delivery day, if our produce box has more of an item than we can use, it is easy to donate the excess to a neighbor, family in town, or the local food bank.

I hope you are one of those who joins the healthy eating parade. It is never too late to begin for each day is brand new, a gift from the universe to live in the way you choose. Remember, there really is an abundance of everything we need on our planet, we simply need to learn how to share.