Figure 1 “Click Americana: Memories and Memorabilia.” This is Click Americana. Synchronista LLC. Web. June 24th, 2017. http://clickamericana.com/topics/food-drink/have-a-summer-spree-with-lipton-onion-soup-mix-1966
What was my grandmother eating? This is the question posed by Michael Pollan’s book, and is a query I found myself investigating. For me, I transposed the question onto my grandfather, who grew up on a farm. This farm, on which the family subsisted throughout the Great Depression, allotted him a status as a young man that few in South Georgia had; namely, that he never went hungry. He had to work long hours, and hunt small game if they wanted meat on the table. My grandmother describes him as young and handsome and “fit as a fiddle” (her words, not mine). This would change dramatically when he returned from his service with the Merchant Marines.
Apparently, the abrupt change to a sedentary lifestyle and diet of mostly processed foods, did not treat his young body well. But Nanna liked him anyway, and they started a family raised in the manner of the 50s, which was off-farm and incorporated a lot of canned goods. Nanna is no great cook and I have her recipes to prove that most concoctions were a combination of cans and spices. Pollan was certainly not speaking of my grandmother when he posed his question, but he could have been referring to the changes my grandfather experienced.
His body, which was once a gifted athlete, aged into a diabetic and morbidly obese state. He became notorious for leaving shoes behind, which were sacrificed for the comfort of his chronically swollen feet. The four daughters he and my Nanna raised inherited a complicated relationship with food. Three of them struggle with severe morbid obesity and the fourth struggles with Lymphoma; all have a diet high in processed foods. As I read through Pollan’s text I found myself thinking over how my grandfather ate as a young man, and how I could regain some of that knowledge my family has lost. I am intrigued by the idea of reclaiming my genetic inheritance as well. I wonder what changes might manifest within my body if I found my way back to the proverbial farm.
Your post was indeed filled with memory. The role of food has grown and its effects
on people have been noted to become distinct when people are concerned. Food remains a
problem in society because of how it can contribute to the prevalence of disease and other
complications. The story you shared gave insight on how dynamic food has been and how
influential it is in the role of managing perceptions. The “proverbial farm” you mention is an
indication of how we should be self-sufficient and focused.
Your blog post was certainly filled with memory. The role of food has certainly grown and its effects
on people have been noted to become distinct when people are concerned. Food remains a
problem in society because of how it can contribute to the prevalence of disease and other
complications. The story you shared gave insight on how dynamic food has been and how
influential it is in the role of managing perceptions. The “proverbial farm” you mention is indeed
an indication of how we should be self-sufficient and focused.
I really appreciate your use of linking your own life and ancestry to the readings of Michael Pollan. Though I don’t know that my grandmother ate a lot of processed food growing, I know that the way she cooked was far from healthy. Before moving to California after the great depression, my grandparents both grew up in the south. As a result, she cooked (and passed on her recipes to my mother and her other children) southern dishes. These meals consisted of big portions that could be done on a budget in order to effectively feed a large family, such as heavy comfort foods, casseroles, etc. In turn, I grew up eating the same thing as my mom cooked the meals she grew up on, but I also had a high volume of packaged and processed foods, making my diet far from healthy.
I somehow escaped childhood and adolescence unscathed by the food culture I was raised in, but I developed bad eating habits that have carried into adulthood, despite my vegetarianism and best efforts to eat organic. We have become a society (In the US) that thrives on convenience, even at the cost of our own health. In many other countries, you will see a culture of daily trips to the local farmers markets to buy fresh produce and meat to cook and eat for that day and maybe the next. People do not typically go on a “two week shopping trip” the way my mom used to do. We definitely had more boxed and canned food than fresh. I have tipped the scales in my own home, but not enough.
Lastly, I am glad to see the connections you made to your own life and wanting to reclaim your genetic inheritance and make your back to the proverbial farm. That is what education and self-awareness are all about, and it is the only way we will ever change as individuals and as a society.