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Lack of access to healthy foods
Started
by Esperanza D
on March 20, 2011
I come from Albuquerque where healthy food is plentiful and available, so there's no problem for me eating in a healthy way.
However, I spent the last week in an impovershed neighborhood that's very low income and access to healthy food is so scarse. While food is cheap, it is greasy, fatty and not vegan nor healthy in any way. I ate way too much eggs and cheese than I even wanted, only because there was so little to choose from, besides white bread! I couldn't even get a salad or whole grains! I was able to get refried beans sometimes. I couldn't even find rice.
So my stomach paid for it. But I just realized how much I take for granted my access to healthy food and these very low-income areas don't have that! I stayed vegetarian during this time, but not vegan and not always healthy choices because it wasn't available.
Anyway, it made me really sad that poor communities are getting crappy food and it only makes their situation even worse.
As soon as I hit Albuquerque I was able to have my veggies, brown rice and vegan proteins. I wish this was available everywhere.
Oh I did eat salmon one day too. I don't normally eat fish, but I was pretty desperate for something healthy. And my only other choice was a big fat steak! Salad was on the menu but they didn't actually have it. And they were out of rice. Ugh the choices I made in food last week were so not typical. I tried so hard to eat healthy! And on top of it all, everyone else eats omni and doesnt mind greasy, so I was advocating for myself every step of the way.
I feel like I need a detox from last week! help?
Wow! That is quite the story. Just start in with brown rice, veggies, seeds and nuts and you will soon feel "normal". I have had the same experience when travelling to different parts of my own country. There is just NOTHING! But, this too shall pass....grateful that I live in a place with easy access to healthy foods.
Same here, I was also within the United States and still, nada as far as healthy foods go. Thanks, you know I didn't start small, Maybe it would have been helpful if I saw your advice. Because I switched immediately to my healthy foods, like cold turkey from the foods of the past week and I swear, I have felt like I've been in a fog or something! It finally passed 3 days later. That was strange. Maybe my body was used to getting the b12 in eggs/cheese while away and now was getting it by supplement and it wasn't getting absorbed well or something!
Good to hear you are feeling better. I am in Canada......
Even travelling or on holidays, I just feel "yucky" when I don't have my healthy vegan food. Vegan junk food does not cut it! But eggs and cheese - scary!
Again this happened in Detroit recently where there are so many abandoned homes and buildings and you are limited to a handful of stores. There's no groceries around, just convenient stores. What I did like is the movement to grow their own food and there's community gardens starting. But what about winter? Back to 7-11 food? And if you don't have good transportation, you can't get yourself to a grocery store or farmer's market.
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