The Omnivore's Dilemma

In the past few weeks, I have felt happy and peaceful a great majority of the time. More so than most times living in the US. I'm sure it owes partly to the fact that I work only ~20 hours/week while still making enough money to live comfortably, and I have little stress.

I read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan while I was in Pai, and something else has occurred to me. The food I have been eating is largely produced locally, much of it organic, and prepared freshly. I eat almost no processed foods here. Which means no HFCS, few additives and preservatives, coloring or myriad other unpronounceable ingredients that the FDA says are fine but I have trouble believing really are. 

I just generally have a greater feeling of well-being here than I have in a long time. It's really nice. I'm sure it also owes to my abstention from alcohol and the addition of a daily yoga practice, frequent exercise and a good community of people. I believe it's all connected though, that one things feeds another, and all these factors lead to an increased sense of wholeness and well-being. 

I highly recommend "The Omnivore's Dilemma" to anyone who eats food in America :) For more books about Industrial Agriculture, alternatives to it, and related nutrition, check out "Real Food" by Nina Planck, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver and (the slightly more depressing but still good) "Harvest of Hope" by Jane Goodall.