food and privilege

I am not feeling well at all today; I have a cold and little physical energy. This is all swell timing because this is my week to study for finals and complete final projects.

By 1 o'clock, I could still not effectively get out of bed, and I felt my weak body craving wholesome goodness so that I would be able to replenish myself.

So I got in my car and made my way to a favorite cafe, complete with extremely fresh and a lot of organic ingredients. Not to mention it is impeccably clean, has great ambiance, uplifting decor--the whole experience is just a very pleasant way to feed your body healthy food and lift your spirits.

As I ate my vegan vegetable soup, organic baked bread, and munched on my fresh and colorful salad...I really could not help but think about how fortunate I am that I a) am able to rest when I am sick--instead of dragging my helpless body to work b) can readily access incredibly healthy food to help me feel better c) can pay to sit in a great (and pricier) cozy spot to eat it--instead of say, spending energy I don't have to cook for myself.

Undisrupted access to healthy, organic, and fresh foods is certainly an extension of class privilege--not having to think twice about the availability and preparation of highly nutritious foods is a luxury. We should all know that; I am sure we do.

It's just that I could not help but think about this as I ate. Which is a good thing, because I am SO APPRECIATIVE that I have the luxury to be so selective about what I put into my body.

I owe a lot of my gratitude to adopting a vegan lifestyle. Surprisingly, minding the origin and health of my food has really forced me to have a deeper connection with my body. By paying attention to what goes into my body, I have a much greater sense and appreciation of it. I am so thankful to find, afford, and eat healthy vegan food. It really is a nice sense of awareness, although it makes me sad because mine is a minority experience, with deeply entrenched class relations (although you can find vegan and healthy eaters across all classes--it's just easier with more money).