why Jamie Oliver is awesome.

It was really only a matter of time until Jamie Oliver’s show Food Revolution would make me tear up.  Some would say I get a bit over emotional sometimes….there’s an oft remembered college incident involving my roommates and then boyfriend walking in on me watching ET alone one afternoon…bawling my eyes out. Whatever, I’m not ashamed!

But no seriously, this is different. Food Revolution will move you unless you don’t have a heartbeat. Jamie took his healthy foods program to a highschool in West Virginia on last friday’s episode. Did you know french fries count as a vegetable in schools? Gross. Jamie worked with a group of teens who were passionate, inspiring and brave. It’s fascinating to see all the dynamics at play in bringing radical change to not only the food served in schools but the entire approach to health and diet in a community. You can watch the latest episodes here and sign the healthy food in US petition here.

My blog isn’t the bastion of healthy eating; a brief scan of the menus I describe reveals quite a love affair with eggs, butter, cheese and chocolate…and steamed dumplings…oh steamed dumplings. Yet in spite of this, I believe very passionately in eating real food made with real ingredients, in supporting local farmers and local restaurants, and enjoying the pleasures of good food in moderation.

Jamie Oliver’s show is bringing the importance of healthy living through mainstream media in an enlightening and entertaining way. The effectiveness of this can’t be overstated in building awareness and creating connections between the concept of healthy eating and people’s own lives. First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign further elevates this critical cause to a national policy issue and can mobilize a country to change our whole viewpoint on quality of life. I know I sound optimistic, perhaps even Pollyanna-ish, but when you see first hand the damage done by poor quality food and unhealthy attitudes towards diet and exercise, you can’t but hope for a better alternative.

I have several brothers and sisters in grade-school and high-school, and I feel passionately that they and every kid in this country should have healthy and affordable food everyday at school. When I think of the horrible things I ate in school lunches, I shudder! Chili cheese dogs, french bread pizzas, chicken patties, chicken wings….had it not been for the food my mother made at home, I probably wouldn’t have had a veggie until I was 20.

My poor eating habits continued well into college; when left to my own devices I just didn’t want to make good choices. I have a high metabolism, put on weight slowly and have a small frame,  a blessing sure, but I also don’t always know when to stop. I ate and drank more than my share of toxic foods and toxic alcohol, and by the time I was 22, I developed high cholesterol and fat deposits on my liver. I didn’t look overweight, I didn’t smoke or do drugs. But I was already causing serious damage to my organs.

Four years later, I’ve made huge changes to my lifestyle. I still have a high metabolism and a commendable appetite, but I learned my own limits. My indulgences are small and my drink orders short. With the help of a fantastic health coach, Sarah, I finally got to a place where I look forward to the fruits and veggies on my plate just as much as the desert that follows. I discovered a passion for dance and now exercise almost every day…realizing that once I found an activity that I loved, it wasn’t work anymore. I don’t know about my liver or my cholesterol, mainly in part because I’m afraid all the changes I made maybe didn’t do anything. But that’s changing too….I’m ready to find out now and know that if I don’t check how I’m doing, I’m not giving myself the care I deserve. Of course, I still slip from time to time, but I don’t allow myself to feel guilty. I just put myself back on track and move forward.

I think our country is really at a sea change, as we’re becoming more passionate about sustainable food sources, ethical farming and agricultural practices, and re-framing our collective consciousness around not just quality of food but quality of life.

Rock on Jamie Oliver and everyone else committed to supporting better food and better living to kids, schools and all the rest of us.

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