How do we value things, and how can we shift our value system in the material world to one that truly serves our better selves and that of the Planet on which we live? These are the questions that I find myself asking almost daily.

My humanWaking journey, led me towards food as my tool to awaken my family and me, in making better choices in all aspects of our lives and in addressing what true value means to us.

What, how and where we consume, has been a powerful way in which we are able to co-create a deeper awareness of our health, well-being and simultaneously our connection and relationship with the world in which we live.

This is not easy given that we are urban dwellers as, in a world dominated by consumerism and convenience, the urban environment acts as a perfect container to hold and captivate the attention of all unwitting consumers.

Our patterns or programs are not to be underestimated as incredibly powerful driving forces within each and every one of us. What I am learning is in order to step into anything new, I have to break away from these old patterns that do not serve me.

A great example is when faced with the choice of purchasing food that is organic versus non-organic. This has become a considered, conscious decision. Besides the price being more expensive, I did not grow up eating home grown vegetables so have had to “unlearn” many false perceptions around fresh produce.

A lot of “unlearning” has shown me that labelling is seriously mixed up. Surely all organic fruit and vegetables should be the ones without the label and anything grown using pesticides, herbicides or grown from a genetically modified seed should have a label informing you of this?

This has further led me to question the true cost of value. I am no more enthusiastic to find a worm in my apple than the next person; yet, the perfect looking apple is presented to me at a cost. The cost is not only the pesticides but also the damage to the quality of our soils and environment. In our desire to control and present an aesthetic, and all year around produce, we do so at a cost of our personal and environmental health and well being.

The question is whether this is really worth it?

More and more people are waking up and seeing the connection between disease and the quality of our food.

As a food manufacturer, it has been a big wake up for me to unlearn asking why food is expensive and to start questioning when food is cheap. Trust me, no one is making big profits in quality food, because they are competing with offerings that are often relatively “cheap”. Cheap is dear.

You don’t pay now. You pay later.

Every choice we make today in terms of what we spend our money on has an impact on our quality of life in the long term.

Because health is one of my highest values, I have prioritized seeking out as much organic, less packaged, consciously sourced and produced food rather than trusting that all retailers have my best health interests at heart. I definitely don’t achieve this all the time, because organic, for instance is not the norm. When I do, I am aware that this can cost a little more at times, but I have also observed that in eating quality, we need less quantity.

When we as a family started to make choices to support the highest quality that we can afford, we have been amazed at the ripple effect it is having on all other aspects of our lives.

Choosing quality doesn’t always have to cost more. It can be a step away from processed and refined foods to whole foods. This alone is a massive step towards considered quality of personal and environmental health as processed foods are always packaged.

Choosing quality over anything else may impact our wallet today, yet in making these choices we are investing in our family’s future health and that of our only home, Earth.

An urban life offers it’s incredible conveniences alongside some inconspicuous challenges. We are faced with so many daily choices. I challenge you to seek out the retailers and producers who are trying their outmost to return our ways towards being aligned with nature.

My invitation to you is to bring your attention to quality in your life. Less is more.

Mini list of ethical suppliers:

UrbanFarmer – Kenilworth

Organic Route – Hout Bay

http://inglenookapp.co.za/app.php – for organic locally grown veggie box deliveries

Shop Zero – www.https://shopzero.co.za

Nude Foods – https://nudefoods.co.za

Organic Zone – Lakeside

Think Organic – https://thinkorganic.co.za

Low Impact Living Waste-Free Grocer – Glencairn

Faithful to Nature – online