My name is Sam and I once was a college student attempting to lower my carbon footprint by trying to eat all locally-grown, whole foods. In the midst of one of my college seminars in Fall 2010, I was given the task to create a personal goal in the realm of environmental sustainability. This is what I came up with...
My rules:
· I will attempt to eat most, if not all, local food
· I will eat no animal products
· I will eat no animal products
· I will also try to purchase most, if not all, unpackaged foods (produce and bulk items)
· I will save all waste generated by these said items (not including food waste)
· Food items that I will not limit to local sources include spices, tea, coffee, and items that I already own (the "pre-challenge stash")
The result:
I completed my semester long challenge and continued on. Only to meet the harsh Michigan winter and believe that I could "conquer" this challenge because I was strong and disciplined. This led to malnourishment, cheating the hard and fast rules, and feelings of guilt. Also, it led me to suddenly separate myself from the Low Carbon Diet blog due to overwhelm and defeat. I learned so much from this challenge - like my love for cooking, meeting local food advocates, and - also the dangers of labels (i.e., being "vegan" or "vegetarian"), the courage of admitting when something just isn't working, and that everything in life is an experiment.
The result:
I completed my semester long challenge and continued on. Only to meet the harsh Michigan winter and believe that I could "conquer" this challenge because I was strong and disciplined. This led to malnourishment, cheating the hard and fast rules, and feelings of guilt. Also, it led me to suddenly separate myself from the Low Carbon Diet blog due to overwhelm and defeat. I learned so much from this challenge - like my love for cooking, meeting local food advocates, and - also the dangers of labels (i.e., being "vegan" or "vegetarian"), the courage of admitting when something just isn't working, and that everything in life is an experiment.
This "About" page is very much in the works because I am just now (Winter 2012) after a 2 year hiatus from blogging, stepping back to blogging. I am ready to redefine what this all means to me - as incredibly vague and undefined as it sounds.
As an ever-changing individual in an ever-changing food system, I look forward to what the future will bring. But for now, I will cook and I will like it. Thanks for reading my blog. Enjoy!
