Practice Makes Perfect
Practice Makes Perfect
by Gordon Clevon Alert
"Solid food is for the mature, who by way of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14
Fresco Life has undoubtedly been a process of discovery for our family. I admit, for many years I believed that making consistent healthy choices for myself (and moreso on a family level with varying tastes and limited time) was a difficult and onerous task. I probably put it next to impossible, especially if the word “consistent” was thrown in.
But I know now the balance of truth: everything has a learning curve, every preparation takes skill and persistence to master.
Step one of our journey was to get regular, affordable access to fresh ingredients. Once that challenge was solved (thank you Fresco Life Market Bag Service!), we then needed to make good use of what we had. This has taken some practice and persistence, but our habits are changing.
I watch hungry kids roving for a snack now gravitate towards picking up a Portugal or Tangelo (our current favorite!) instead of opening a cupboard in search of less healthy alternatives.
With veggies, when I consider what the preparation of vegetables are, I simply select, cut and serve. Some require cooking but for less than 10 minutes most of the time. Ground provisions may take a little longer (20 minutes), but if you want quicker simply cut into smaller pieces. This means we have vegetables with every meal. Whether it’s cutting up a tomato to quickly add to a meal, or cutting up a piece of kale to add to some rice, we’re finding ways to add more vegetables – easy.
What I am zeroing in on here is the practice. There is a place for the mature human being making healthy choices in the midst of a world inundated with bad options. This maturity comes not by age but by practice and the practice builds habits. The Fresco Life is a culture of overcoming and by our personal commitment as a small group of citizens we believe we can change habits for life.
Let me consider this conversation from another perspective for a moment. Non-communicable diseases (NCD's) are responsible for the most fatalities upon the planet. These are diseases that are not infectious or transmittable like HIV, Ebola, Zika etc. but arise from chronic issues, many related to dietary choices.
Here is a direct quote from a related study referenced below:
“It is now established that the burden of diet related ill-health is a serious global health problem. Analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that five diet related risk factors - high blood pressure, high blood glucose, overweight/obesity, high cholesterol, low fruit and vegetable intake – are combined with lack of exercise, are responsible for 19% of all global deaths and 57% due to heart disease, the world’s leading cause of death.”[1]
Is all lost?
No. But our practices have changed over generations, and we are faced with some choices. Our lives are no more demanding than that of our immediate ancestors in the last century, but their culture and practice of eating were very different. In the last 10 years in the Caribbean, our eating products and practices have also changed and as such we are one of the leading the obesity rates in the world today. This is despite the fact that we are surrounded with abundant resource and the ability to grow things year-round (we have no blizzards to worry about).
As a whole, we have reduced or eliminated fruits and vegetables; opting for high calorie carbohydrates laden with saturated fats and high levels of salt, and all washed down with sugary carbonated beverages. The perfect storm was made complete by the drastic reduction in exercise participation across all ages. I know, because I was there not too long ago. Please know that I make these statements not from a place of condemning, but rather from a place of seeing things from another side, and bearing a message of hope and encouragement.
This is the time for action and different choices, by a matured people who commit to practicing different ways. Fresco Life is committed to discovering this together. As you join our movement, whether by contributing to our postings of healthier meal preparations, purchasing our freshly delivered fruits and vegetables or by reading this blog; you are already beginning to change your paradigm and build healthy habits one at a time. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
While the information in the article is rather dense, I hope to encourage everyone in the journey. It is truly a journey and it comes one step at a time. My wife has a favorite quote, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (anonymous). Here's an (attainable) challenge for you to consider: have a vegetable with every meal. Here are some ideas from our kitchen:
Breakfast = omelette with pimentos, onions, tomatoes
Lunch = Jerk Chicken, Lightly sautéed squash, sweet peppers, tomatoes, apples and bananas.
Dinner = Cornmeal crusted shrimp with shredded coconut, brown rice with kale, fresh salad