Garden Inspiration

I made a solo journey to Vietnam in March/April 2008.  It was an incredible journey; I filled an entire notebook in those three weeks.  The way I felt at the end of my trip and when I returned to the U.S. is a big reason I want to grow my own food.  I am a runner and had completed three marathons at the start of this trip, but I did not run or do any type of traditional exercise while I was in Asia.  Yet I felt healthier than I have ever felt in my life at the end of the trip.  Many friends and colleagues over the years have talked about "cleanse" programs and diets that are designed to clear the body of toxins. With my background as a registered dietitian, I was always skeptical of these programs for a variety of reasons.  However, the best way I can describe the way I felt after experiencing Vietnamese cuisine was cleansed!  I realized everything I ate in this amazing country was local, fresh, and organic. There was no other option but fresh, colorful, delicious food!  Though I read recently in Kelly Brownell's Foodfight that obesity is on the rise everywhere, including Vietnam, I definitely did not see any obese people.  We live in a toxic food culture here where we have to make an effort to eat healthy; in Vietnam, you would have to make a concerted effort to NOT eat healthy!  Maybe we can move back to that type of culture, one garden at a time.

So, Vietnam is a huge inspiration, along with Michael Pollan books and the countless food documentaries I've seen, SLU classes about food.  A huge inspiration, of course, is that I have a 5-month old son, Seamus, who will be starting to eat delicious table food in less than a month, and I want him to know where his food comes from!