little victories.
12.6.17
My favorite class in college was a class called Applied Nutrition. We learned about looking at food from a holistic perspective. How you eat, where you get your food from, how cultural and social systems factor in.
We learned about this one study where people who sat down and ate food with other people absorbed nutrients differently – like the social aspect of it made a difference. It’s cool because it kind of backs what we learned about the Mediterranean diet, where people in Mediterranean countries have long social meals with friends and family every day. Where they just sit…and be with people.
In Hispanic culture, there’s siesta, which is just magical. When I was studying abroad in Ecuador, I’d get out at noon every day to meet up with my host family. We’d get together with the whole family and just cook, lounge, talk, eat, and read for a couple of hours. And that’s so different from our society, where most people work, document, or have meetings through lunch.
This year has been…tough to say the least. I feel like I’m always rushing. Waking up. Rushing to get ready. Rushing on my bike to class. Sitting through class. Working through breaks. Working through lunch. Rushing home. Eating dinner. Rushing somewhere to do homework. Rushing to bed.
I don’t get to eat at home often. I eat my meals on the run. So whenever I can cook something, sit down and eat it… or better yet, eat with people, that’s a win in my book.
Emily Johnson
Class of 2019