Whitney and I both opened a fridge door and sighed that what-can-I-graze-on-sigh. I spotted his face down already opened package of individually wrapped cheese slices and asked, "What's that?" "Swiss Cheese," he answered. I asked him, "But where are the holes?" to which he replied that it was processed cheese. I said, yeah "cheese." He said yeah but it wouldn't sell if they called "cheese" (quotation marks in the air..snickering and giggling followed).  We talked about putting some videos about "food" on the Net (can't go too far with the "___" concept since "the economy is 'basically sound'" was already taken).

I ended up having just a cup of coffee.  I want some real food...and preferably locally produced at that!  No processed "_____" products, no "fruit" drink, no "creamer" (I do skim milk actually) full of corn syrup solids and whatnot...

I've been all over Europe and have lived in America and I'd say that many or most Americans have a marked consumerist mentality and nowhere is it more visible than around our waistlines.  I was thinking about that while traveling Wisconsin this weekend.  Experiences like the _____ restaurant we went to for brunch kind of cling to my consciousness because most patrons were not just mildly overweight but most were in the upper 200 pound to 300-something range.  I suffer hypothyroidism (on a fixed dose of artificial thyroid hormones instead of the natural need-response cycles) and I felt positively svelte (I could still stand to loose some even after the 40 lbs. I dropped).

Unfortunately, that kind of human scenery was repeated at the hotel breakfast and anywhere food was served/sold.

Instead of celebrating quality American/locally grown (as much as possible) foods (doesn't mean I don't have the occasional protein shakes though) and frequent periods of hunger...and just really good conversation...we still celebrate bulk and never feeling hunger of any kind for too long.  Our kitchens and pantries are full of "food," meaning processed "cheese," "fruit drinks," and "bread" and our houses are generally full of crap we settle for because the stuff we really want is too expensive.

It's a distinct cultural difference.

I thought about this as we ate at the MREA (Midwest Renewable Energy Association).  All the plates will heaped full.  Those were the standard servings whether we got a plate from the Indian Foods Booth, the Korean Foods booth, or whatever.  I know they don't eat like that in their native cultures, the asians don't.  I also have Danish and French eating attitudes and customs to compare this too.  They just don't have huge portions like that (or at least they didn't when I was there in the 70's and 80's).  People took pride in eating just enough and no more.  It was part of being a person of good character even.  Yes.

I don't think Americans are happier for filling our homes or tummies up with stuff we settle for but that then rules us, coloring our lifestyle choices between our walls, between our ears and from one end of us to the other.

Yes, I'll try to remember that next time I find that leftover bag of gluten free chips in the back seat on the way home from shopping after having forgotten to eat breakfast.  I just have to plan better than that and mindfulness is another deep topic.  I'm generally good at it except when it comes to food...I get so into whatever it is I'm doing...to a fault.  That makes me a great worker and a sometimes aspiring artist...but adds enough regretful shouldn't-have-eaten-that calories to my healthier-than-most-diet and well, I don't have wiggle room like that with my metabolism.