This morning I had breakfast at the Portage Bay Cafe on Terry Ave. in Seattle. It's tagline is "Eat Like You Give a Damn" and "Local. Organic. Sustainable." I loved this place, not because I ate something incredibly healthy - scrambled eggs, spinach, chicken sausage, potatoes and a thick piece of toasted whole wheat bread; it's that tagline that gets me.
Although there are times when my job or soccer have totally depleted me and I'm standing at my kitchen counter stuffing calories into me as fast as I can, most of the time I have an awareness of the food that I'm eating. More importantly, I have an awareness of the energy of the food that I'm eating and the energy of the cook who has prepared it.
Did you know that food absorbs the energy of the cook? That's my one big hang-up about eating out. I want the cook to care about me or care about the food. Either way, I'm going to benefit from those good vibes.
Most imporant is my awareness and attitude toward food. Is it my enemy or my friend? Am I living to eat or eating to live? Am I more worried about how I look or about how I feel? Is this energy efficient food or comforting, make me sleep food? Am I eating with a sense of joy and appeciation or am I filled with guilt?
You cannot feed your body a local, organic, sustainable diet, and fuel your mind with toxic, negative thoughts and feelings. So eating like you give a damn is more than the food you put into your mouth; it's what you think and feel about it too.