Last night was the sneak peek of Jamie Oliver's TV show, Food Revolution. He's well known as the "naked chef." Now, he is travelling across America to help people eat healthier to improve their lives.
His first stop was Huntington, West Virginia, which is reputed to be "the unhealthiest town in America." He spent the day at a local school investigating what kids are served for breakfast and lunch. He was quite shocked and disheartened by the "breakfast pizza" and litany of processed foods. Most of it was food that resembled food (pressed meat into the shape of meat and little pearls that jell into potatoes). It is likely that it made viewers think about what they were served as kids and how it may have impacted their healthy 20 years later. Or, if you are a parent, it's likely you were thinking about what your kid's school is serving them for lunch.
What seemed to be the most shocking to Jamie was the resistance to the help he was offering. Not only was the cafeteria crew put off by his plan but the local DJ took offence by Jamie's desire to inspire people to change their health. He asked, "Who are you to tell us what to eat?" He made clear the black and white thinking many people have about healthy eating. Eating well isn't just about consuming lettuce (as the DJ suggested). Hopefully, Jamie can dispel the myth that healthy food is boring.
Jamie has his work cut out for him. Not only will Jamie show America healthier food options and how to cook them up in tasty ways, but he first has to inspire the desire to want to change. The cafeteria crew had a system that "worked." We can understand their initial resistance to changing the way it had been done for ten years. Yes, technically the foods they were serving fulfilled the FDA food guidelines and they did their job well. Change is scary for everyone, even if it promises you beneficial results.
We all get stuck in our own habits. Mindless eating and overeating are often behaviors we do on autopilot, automatically without even thinking about it. If you are thinking about trying to eat more mindfully, start with making a list of the reasons that changing these habits would be beneficial to you. So when the voice inside you that wants to resist change starts to act up, you can remind yourself why it is worth the effort.
See the Sneak Peek at Food Revolution below.
Free Video by Jamie Oliver can be found here.
By Dr. Susan Albers www.eatingmindfully.com Psychologist and author of 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food, Eating Mindfully, Mindful Eating 101 and Eat, Drink & Be Mindful.