‘It’s just one day’
I hear it all the time. It’s Easter, it’s Christmas, it’s Fair Day, it’s my best friend’s birthday, Aunty Jane is getting married, it’s end of term, it’s start of term, you’ve worked so hard, it’s sad, it’s happy…well it’s almost everyday.
Food, culture, memories, norms and happiness are all rolled into one. Treat food is immersed in our culture. We can’t seem to get by a day without it, but what if you want a day without it? What if you want to encourage a healthier version of normal?
When I ask, “Do we need that?”
The response is almost always, “But, it’s just one day”.
I am starting a 365 day journey to track how often myself or my children are offered/eat unhealthy food we are trying to avoid. I want to get a sense of the occasions we use food and we come into contact with it without seeking it out. The “new” normal of junk food being everywhere. Accessible, available, cheap and enticing. How is it affecting me and my family?
A 97 year old I know, remembers, with joy, getting an orange for Christmas. A symbol of wealth and prosperity, during a depression. The exotic orange came to England from Spain and was luxurious and special. In 2019, things have changed. I live in a society where I can get nearly anything, whenever I want it. We are wired to seek out and want high sugar, high fat, high salt foods. What happens when it is everywhere? How do we use these foods? Enticement? Bribery? Generosity? A mood enhancer? A gift? An acknowledgement? All of the above?
I want to track how many days myself or my family are exposed to junk food (e.g. lollies, chips, ice blocks, cake, fizzy drinks, and other high sugar low nutritional value foods) when we are not seeking it out. This is not about judgement. I don’t want to judge events or people. Food is complicated, emotional and cultural. I am doing this to find out why, when, and how often it happens to me.
I will track each day, share my experiences and after 365 days log the stats. This is a learning experience. I will develop my methodology as I go. I will start today.
Day 1. 14 November 2019.
The challenge has begun. Wish me luck.
D.
Nutrition advocate and parent to an 8 year old and a 10 year old.