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I am what I eat

© Bob Ewing

Spring is a long time coming. The other day, we were teased. It was warm, well, not warm, rather warmer. Today cool, grey, windy and there are snow storms to the west. Well the seeds are in, no beans yet, soil is too cold and damp. Rot would set in. I have planted mostly ornamentals (zinnias) in containers out back, with sunflowers, cosmos and glads planted around the containers.

I have reduced space to work with in the backyard, so am using it for cut flowers for home and friends. I have a plot in a community garden, within two blocks of home. I have done the site prep there and planted some seeds, companion plants, sunflowers, cosmos, nasturtiums, I rely on these three, partially because I like them and they seem to help. I have few pest problems.

One reason or perhaps the main reason I have few, if any, pest problems is the soil is healthy, healthy soil, healthy garden and healthy body, if we eat what was grown in the healthy soil. I mulch heavily and add organic material, dry leaves from the backyard trees and/or straw, for example. The leaves fall right on the raised beds, very helpful.

This year my focus is on the balcony, tomatoes, basil, nasturtiums, and sweet peas. I am looking for a space that serves as an outdoor room and produces some food. I'll be able to pick and eat cherry tomatoes while watching the sky and the lake. It is my, or part of my zone one, and is right off the kitchen.

I am what I eat. So I eat, healthy, nourishing and tasty food that comes from as close to where I live as I can manage. Speaking of being what you eat, I came across the word globesity when I was scanning the enews the other day.

A quick serach gave me this definition: courtesy of World Wide Words.

"GLOBESITY This is a blend of global with obesity and refers to the looming public health crisis worldwide caused by excessive weight gain. A writer at the World Health Organisation coined it in a report in February 2001 on the increasing risk caused by obesity worldwide, which is classed by many health professionals as much more serious a problem than smoking."

Next week we continue our look at the global food system with an eye on obesity, cause and effect.