By Ashleigh Perdue
Native Foods Tribe Member
Growing up on the typical Midwestern diet consisted of meat and potatos... no questions asked. I didn't know anyone who was vegetarian and had not a clue what being vegan entailed. Everyone participated in the same traditional activities with the menu consisting of hearty homemade (not-so-nutritional) cooking with backyard barbeque's after church, summer potlucks on the lake, and casseroles galore for the holidays. You needed breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday regardless and it was always a three course meal until your pants didn't fit. It never occurred to me that the quality of the food, and what I was ingesting is an aspect of a healthy diet everyone should be aware of.
I never worried about weight in school both highschool or undergrad because I played 2-3 sports year round and the balance between what I eating and burning off in games and practice were a considerably good balance. Then I moved out to California...and for the first time in my life became a bum. At the beach, at the pool, I was used to not taking sun for granted and for 2 months. I soon summoned the number for the moving company we'd used to ask for a reimbursement for the broken scale in my bathroom. I couldn't believe how bad my eating habits were and how hard I would have to work to keep being active in order to maintain my health. I've been with Native Foods for less than a year and have a complete 180 with the way I see and categorize food. After countless conversations with Chef Tanya about eating trends, biology, yoga, I realized how my perception of food combined with my up-bringing was very much skewed.
Being that both of us are secret science nerds I had another epiphany, I loved biology put never applied the principles I studied to the core religiously for the last four years, No need to bore with Latin names and historic theories but it gave me one of those "A-ha" big picture moments. I learn so much from the people I'm surrounded by both staff and guests alike. I have never felt so content and healthy in my life, and its not because I still exercise constantly (yes about that...) it's just a better knowledge base, a break from anxiety about calorie counting or health conscious decisions. Knowing what your body needs and what your putting into it is as simple as (chocolate love) pie.
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