The question in the title above seems rather simple: Why choose to source your food locally - i.e. use a Farmer's Market? Right? In fact, if you were to type the following question - "Why choose to source your food locally - i.e. use a Farmer's Market?" - into google you would find an abundance of articles and professional organizations providing information on the matter. What should we make of these results? These articles are worth reading and filtering through to get a more informed opinion -- if that is your goal. In keeping with our mission of education for overall wellness, this is a good practice and is aligned with our mission: we aim to provide sources of information regarding wellness based on our own practices and experiences. Yes, we are normal people who work and struggle to achieve wellness on an enlightened level daily. Alright great...so what?
What does this have to do with Farmer's Markets, bicycles, and walking?
Over the last couple of years, my wife and I have chosen to place a great emphasis on incorporating active transportation into our day to day living. I must admit (as I have done in the past on this blog) that I am a little stubborn and was resistant at first. Although, both sides of my family are deeply tied to the medical profession (nurses and doctors over a few generations), therefore the importance of an active lifestyle has been ingrained into my head since an early age. Kayla (my wife) has always been an advocate for active transportation coming from Nebraska -- where for months at a time -- her family would be stuck (due to weather warnings) in their houses. As a result, during any wonderful weather period (which us residents of California take for granted) her family would take full advantage of the great outdoors. Therefore, active transportation has always been in the background waiting to be elevated in prominence in our relationship. And -- it has!
As a result on a larger scale of engaging in active transportation, there is a tremendous room for growth. Which is why the second part of the title of this blog is gaining importance in our lives and those around us (a slow process) -- "A case for growing the #BikeInstead and #WalkInstead movement!" We believe that there is a movement that is emerging in the Southern California region that is worth discussing and promoting to other regions and beyond (national level). Incorporating active transportation into all facets of your life should be your goal. Does that sound crazy? As my mother (who is a nurse) who works at a Heart Institute --- Loma Linda Hospital -- advises/reads cholesterol levels used to say to me: "Do you want to end up immobile? In a wheel chair? Life is a choice and you need to decide how you are going to proceed on a daily basis." Wonderful words of wisdom Mom -- Thank You.
Why engage in active transportation? In a blog post titled "What are the health benefits of engaging in active transportation?" I started discussing the health benefits of engaging in 'blended commuting'. This type of commuting invovles the use of a bicycle and train on a daily basis to travel to and from work. Of course, a person could mix different types of modes into their transportation (bus + bicycle + walking, bicycle + train, walking + train, etc.). As part of the motivation for such a change, I used an image of a 'figure' out of a recent "Reader's Digest" article that was truly motivating. I show the figure below:
source: http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/are-aging-muscles-why-youre-tired-all-time-and-gaining-weight
What is shown in the right-hand panels (pictures) is truly astounding and motivational. In the first panel (#1), the image is a cross-section of a thigh of a 40 year old triathlete. The second image is of a 74 year old sedentary man. In the third panel, the image is of a 70 year old triathlete. WOW. Look at the differences between the images. The first and third panels have the same amount of muscle (dark tissue), whereas the second panel has a much lighter tissue (fat). This is enough motivation for me. This was just one of a few examples given in that post.
What does this have to do with the Farmer's Market? Well, after realizing the benefits of incorporating an active transportation component into our commute, we decided to extend this to our local shopping habits too (naturally -- not really -- but we want to change that perception). To source your food locally and on either a bicycle or by walking is the next level of incorporating active transportation into your daily routine. At least, for us this was the case. Each person is different and has different tolerances for engaging in active transportation. What we have noticed is that there are inherent benefits that are realized by transitioning to shopping using active transportation. Let me use a recent example from this weekend to illustrate the point.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been showing up at the farmers market in Burbank near the end of the day -- at 12 pm. I have been trying to get a certain type of 'humus' to spread on my flat bread -- which I enjoy on a regular basis. Each time, I have been told by the sales person, "Sorry, I sold out 3 of those this morning." Frustrated, I settled for another choice of humus -- a non-garlic flavor. All of the products are great. The brand name is 'Mothers' and I highly recommend trying their flatbreads and humus along with their spreads. As I said, I was getting frustrated with this answer. Last week I decided to inquire into the time that he sets up shop for future knowledge. "The early bird gets the worm." Right?
What I did not realize in my frustration was the benefit of sourcing your foods locally (at least one of the many benefits). Shown below is a map of my bicycle ride to the farmers market. I show the map to hgihglight that the trip is a commitment on my part -- which is another benefit. Why would I do this? Remember the picture above? Three of the benefits of committing to shop at the farmer's market while using active transportation are: 1) Realizing the 'barrier' of using a bicycle or walking, 2) Implementation of a healthy lifestyle (eating and stress reduction), and 3) Building community relationships for a better planet. Lets talk about each below using my sourcing a specific type of 'humus' -- a choice of healthy eating.
Realizing the 'barrier' of using a bicycle or walking
Coming to the realization of the 'barrier' between yourself and engaging in active transportation is a major step. Each person is different. In my case, I had been riding to the farmer's market late in the day by bicycle and missing out on a specific item (garlic humus). Saturday mornings are reserved for talking to my father by phone. Only after our conversation do I realize that the time has come to go shopping at the farmers market. Although, today I have realized that my schedule is going to change or not depending on my priorities. Each of us need to change our lifestyle to accommodate our choices (bicycle riding, walking, bus, train, etc.) and needs (food choices, lifestyle preferences). The illusion that most people live under is the following: That the transition toward incorporating active transportation into their present lifestyle is going to involve alot of time and stress. In reality, this is not the case at all -- as I will show below.
The icon in the google maps image above shows the time it takes (10 minutes) for a car to travel one way to the market which is 3.2 miles away from our house. According to google maps, one way on a bicycle takes around 20 minutes. Notice -- Realize -- that the difference between traveling (bicycle compared to car) to the market one way in time is only 10 minutes. Do you need that extra 10 minutes? The picture below displays where that 10 minutes is going to most likely be spent (at least shopping at the Burbank farmers market).
Please excuse my finger -- I was trying to be 'stealth-like' and not be noticed photographing the cars. Good thing that I do not depend on photography to keep food on the table. Yes, you can spend the extra 10 minutes (or longer) frustrated in traffic. Or, you could realize that the 10 minutes might be used for shopping. In the picture below, notice how I just rode up to the vegetable stand -- no stress and no parking.
Realizing that the possibility exists and the difference in travel time is super important. The main reason is that the realization process leads to the implementation process. Implementation is motivated by the health benefits that are achieved throughout the process of engaging in active transportation.
Implementation of healthy lifestyle (eating and stress reduction)
Riding to the farmers market this morning was difficult for me. Remember how I was determined on securing a specific type of humus from 'mothers products'? Well, I was having a difficult time deciding between driving or riding a bicycle. That might sound strange based on what I was just talking in the paragraphs above. But folks -- anxiety is real and gets the better of me from time to time. What was going on in my head at this moment?
As I was riding my bicycle (yes, I decided to ride and chance it), I had a bunch of thoughts running through my head. Mainly centered around this 'humus'. I was thinking "What if I get there and that lady beats me and buys all of the humus?". Not a completely irrational thought. I just kept on riding and changed my outlook with the hope that everything would turn out just fine. Why am I telling you about this observation? The answer partially lies in the picture of traffic above.
The anxiety that I was feeling while riding my bicycle was small in comparison with the anxiety I would have experienced had I driven and had to park in the parking lot (above in the picture). Benefit number one: realizing that the possibility exists to choose a healthier mode of transportation that results in a lower stress level. Choosing active transportation is less stress overall and leads to a healthier and happier Mike!
When I arrived at the farmers market I found the vendor of 'Mothers Product' in the process of setting up shop. Every other vendor was already set up and selling products. Here is a picture below of the market at 7:50 am this morning.
Vegetable Stand -- packed ...
Line for the Egg Stand -- Wow!
This is a very encouraging observation. To see other shoppers choosing to locally source their food was awesome. I wondered how different the situation might have been had every shopper chose an active mode of transportation? How would that affect the amount of groceries purchased? Part of changing a lifestyle habit is becoming more aware of the amount of waste that is processed each year. How much do you contribute? The U.S. wastes a large amount of food annually. I will leave that for an extension of the following post I wrote a few months ago regarding 'food waste.' Being mindful of the amount of purchased goods is a direct result of using active transportation. You will probably not shop excessively if you have to carry the weight home by bicycle or walking (an indirect health benefit -- weight reduction).
I was able to get my humus -- long story (tangential story) short. Here is the photograph of Joe (of Mothers Products) below:
I was talking to Joe about my mission of getting humus (garlic spread) this morning. I was telling him that I was frustrated about arriving late to find that he was all sold out in past weeks. Joe is not a psychiatrist -- but probably has to fill that void throughout the day working a farmer's market. Feeling great about securing the food (local food) that I wanted, I realized through my interaction with Joe the third benefit: Building community relationships for a better planet.
Building community relationships for a better planet:
Throughout the process of realizing the possibility of using active transportation to locally source food, other benefits are realized. The greatest benfit of shopping at a farmer's market is establishing a relationship with your vendor -- who provides the food that ends up on your plate. Understanding the care and process behind the arrival of produce/products to the farmer's market 'demystifies' the process (hidden) when shopping at a chain store. Another benefit is helping reduce the adverse effects of traveling carrying large amounts of food to the market -- greenhouse gas emissions. What?
This morning I realized that all of the anxiety that I had experienced while traveling to the market was unnecessary. Especially, since Joe stated that he would be willing to bring any amount of humus for me if I could promise to show up and purchase the requested amount. Wow! Commitment -- sound familiar? In committing to a healthier lifestyle, I realize that I am also committing to showing up to purchase the requested amount of humus(requested by me). Sounds good. Otherwise, he goes home thinking about the waste of his time in hauling food only to haul it back at the end of the day. What is my part in all of this?
My part is to change my lifestyle to incorporate the farmer's market into my weekly routine. I.e. Committing to showing up means changing my schedule. The benefit is getting the food product that I want. Further, I can adjust the time with a promise to Joe. Great. Plus, I get to experience the health benefits with a further reduction of stress by knowing my humus will be there. And last but not least, I get to burn more calories by hauling the products home on my bicycle while reducing my carbon footprint. Win--win situation.
And....
Vegetables!
Where do we go from here? Having made the transition ourself is great for us (my wife and I), but what about those other people at the market. Here is another person that had the correct concept in mind -- #BikeInstead.
This person has the right mindset -- bike instead -- all around as it appears. What about the rest of us?
"A case for growing the #BikeInstead and #WalkInstead movement!":
There really is no dispute that the U.S. is a nation dependent on oil. I wrote a blog titled "How do we reduce our (the daily U.S.) oil consumption of 19 million barrels a day? How does one visualize this number?" that was multipurpose in scope. First, visualizing the daily oil consumption in terms of the world's largest pool demonstrated to the reader the magnitude of the dependency. Further, I discussed the possibility of reducing the dependency by making choices like engaging in active transportation (to and from the farmer's market).
We believe there is a 'movement' emerging in Southern California centered around the concept of 'active transportation.' Even our governor -- Jerry Brown -- agrees -- see the Caltran page with proposed changes for the years to come. Active transportation is emerging as an alternative to the growing population of people here in the state of California. More importantly, why don't we think of the emergence of active transportation being attributed toward healthier living? Each of us can make choices to influence ourselves and those around us. The choice to incorporate either a bicycle or walking into our daily life has to come from within.
We would hope that you would join us in shaping the movement toward more bicycling and walking instead of driving cars. In no way are we encouraging you to get rid of your car. Just be mindful in your daily decisions. If you live within walking or biking distance of a store, why not choose to use an active component and realize the health benefits. Join us and take photos and post them on social media (twitter, facebook, instagram) with the hastags #BikeInstead and #WalkInstead. Show us different ways that you are contributing to a reduction in obesity (which leads to diabetes and cardiovascular disease). Show us new methods of incorporating a bicycle or walk into your daily life -- photodocument it for us. Join the change. Are you convinced yet? One more motivational thought...
One thought that is stuck in my mind from the post on oil dependency -- is the extra amount of weight that the average american carries due to obesity and the extra oil consumed as a result. We are not conditioned to consider extra weight in terms of added fuel consumed in transportation. One of the many benefits of a healthy active lifestyle is the weight and stress reduction. What if everyone chose to travel to and from the farmer's market by an active transportation mode? Imagine the change in the healthcare system if everyone one chose to be proactive in their weight management? Seem far-fetched? Not really. I would argue that incorporating active transportation into one's life can have a large impact on the system (not just your own).
I will leave you with one of my favorite facts from the American Heart Association: for every $1 spent on pedestrian/bicycle paths, there is a nearly $3 dollar savings in treating cardiovascular disease. Wow. Ask yourself the following question: What is stopping you from engaging in an active lifestyle and realizing the tremendous health benefits? Lower the barrier and get on a bicycle.