Happy World Food Day

Celebrate Your Food!

Today is the day that we celebrate what sustains us, nourishes us, and brings us great joy and satisfaction; we rejoice in what is the foundation of cultures, the focus of celebrations, and the excuse to take a mid-day break; what excites our taste buds, fills our stomachs, builds our muscles; what develops our brains, energizes our beings, and protects our bodies. It is the single most critical thing to our existence, yet arguably one of the things most taken for granted: our FOOD!

October 16^th was named World Food Day by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945 as a day of action against hunger. So while we celebrate our food and all that it contributes to our life today, we must also recognize the following devastating realities:

• 1 in 9 people (795 million) around the world live with chronic hunger
• Almost 5 million children under the age of 5 die of malnutrition-related causes every year
• Nearly 50 million Americans are food insecure, meaning they lack adequate and consistent food for means of a healthy life
• Nearly one third of food that is produced is wasted

I ask you today to be more than just thankful for your food. Think about its impact on your daily life and celebrate the pleasure and energy it gives to you. Before you eat, observe your food; recognize what went into it’s preparation, whose hands helped it get to you, the miracle of digestion and energy utilization in your body, and really try to focus on tasting your food, rather than just eating it.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy World Food Day!

World Food Day Appreciation Exercise:

On this global holiday, created as a day of action to address hunger around the world, let us give thanks for our food by celebrating one simple and delicious food:

THE BANANA

1.     Consider the banana tree in tropical regions and how far the banana has traveled to get into your hand                                                      

2.     .….then appreciate how beautiful is the banana tree’s flower 

3.     Next, peel the banana and observe the fibrous peel. Acknowledge its duty as protector of this delicious fruit.

4.     Look closer at the banana itself. Marvel at its bright yellow color and the patterns on its skin; smell its sweet scent.

5.     Focus on your mouth (salivary glands). Feel them begin to start the digestive process as saliva is released and ready to start the breakdown of the sugars in the fruit.

6.     Take a bite. Chew slowly. Feel the texture of the banana and taste the multiple layers of flavors it is offering your taste buds: sweet, tangy, tart.

7.     Continue this process with great gratitude and enjoyment as this miraculous plant replenishes your depleted nutrient stores and gives you energy to take on your next challenge of the day.

Tessa Acker, MPH, RD