Would You Walk 100 Miles?

In honor of the first 100 hits on my blog, I decided to commemorate the event with a post about the 100-Mile Diet. This diet has proved cost effective, environmentally friendly, and delicious for centuries but only recently, has become somewhat of a fad. Something actually cool and in style. In an attempt to understand more about its benefits and the diet itself, let's explore a bit, shall we?

History:

In 2005, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon:
began a one-year experiment in local eating. Their 100-Mile Diet struck a deeper chord than anyone could have predicted, inspiring thousands of individuals, and even whole communities, to change the way they eat. Locally raised and produced food has been called “the new organic" — better tasting, better for the environment, better for local economies, and better for your health. From reviving the family farm to reconnecting with the seasons, the local foods movement is turning good eating into a revolution.

My Take:

I was introduced to the whole "100 mile-diet/challenge" a while back, and recently watched the first episode of the TV series on Food TV. (The series follows 6 families for 100 days while they try their very best to eat completely locally). I think that the idea is brilliant, but I can't help but wonder, what are these guys going to eat during the winter? There is so much more that we could be doing to help the planet and our bodies, and if it takes a challenge like this one to get people motivated, then great!

I think that sometimes we think, I don't eat locally often, so why bother making an attempt at doing it a lot? That would be too hard. It would be hard! But can you imagine how creative and resourceful you would become if you knew the ins and outs of your local markets? You would know, say, that on Monday nights flour at the mill is half price. Or that the local butcher's beef is certified organic, and only travels a few miles from pasture to plate. What interesting information you could acquire!

I was personally inspired by the challenge because it forces a family to work together, think creatively, and work towards a similar goal. If children are raised to understand that things like the 100-mile diet are important, and that it is possible to live by it, who knows the impact it would have!

I feel as though I am getting excited over this diet just by writing about it. You should try it too! Talk about it, share the idea, see what others think. Maybe there are a few people who live near you who would be willing to pitch in for a local milk delivery.

Read the 100-Mile's local eating tips here.

Images courtesy of http://image.radio-france.fr/franceinter/_media/diff/395033857.jpg and http://images.theage.com.au/ftage/ffximage/2008/06/27/diet_narrowweb__300x481,0.jpg