Begin at the Beginning or The Omnivore's Dilemma Created One for Me

So innocently, I purchased and brought home my book club selection. Such a small act. Such an unassuming book. I began to read it with the mild interest that I take in all books at the beginning. I have an open mind and I want to fall in love. I found it hard-I found it challenging. Was I really so asleep to what I was shoving in my mouth each day? I try to be an educated consumer. I try to feed my family nutritious meals. I buy organic (sometimes), I read labels (sometimes), but I had gotten tired of putting meals on the table day in and day out that always seemed to have something, someone disliked. I had gotten lazy and complacent and this book would not let me hide from that. Crap!

Now what? Now that I knew. How had this happened? I used to be such a health nut! I used to be aware of everything I put in my mouth. I used to think of food so differently. I actually had a spreadsheet on my fridge when I was pregnant to make sure that I ate the proper nutrients each day, No lie-ask Joe.

Well-no matter how it happened, this was something I could correct. We have a fantastic farmers market in Pleasanton year round. I live less than 15 minutes from Whole Foods and Raley's has a great organic food section. Joe and I began walking to the Farmer's Market each Saturday morning. We talked to the vendors. We found a meat vendor and did the research. Holding Ranch- at our own market each Saturday -sells grass fed meat raised humanely in a sustainable manner! Eureka! We had hit the mother lode. We stocked up each week and also had Holding bring us a quarter of a cow.

Well-this food is good! The meat is fantastic, the veggies and the fruit taste like veggies and fruit! The eggs are fresh, the cheese....I could go on all day. I felt fantastic. Less than 3 months from finishing this book, I was feeding my family healthy food!

Then a month or so later, I ran into my good friend, John Perez at Safeway. He was a personal trainer for our family for many years. He and his lovely partner, Kristi are extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of health: Mind, body and soul. Their business, Body Balance, cares for the whole of their client, and so we are friends many years after we have ceased to be clients. I was so proud to tell John that our family was back on track nutritionally. "That is fantastic!", John exclaimed. "I am so glad for all of you and proud of the changes you have made!" We continued to talk in the aisles and I invited John to dinner. Well, he had to confess. He had just read a book (sound familiar?) and it had changed his mind about the way he was eating. "Get The China Study.", he tells me.

So innocently, I purchased and brought home my book......