Hi Everybody,

This evening I had the pleasure of speaking at The Women’s Council Event, sponsored by Morgan Stanley on “Relationships” and how they define us. Of course, I was there to talk about our relationships to food, and how intertwined our likes and dislikes can be, depending on our memories and experiences around that food. For many, myself included, food is love, an extension of one’s heart and an expression of caring, no matter whether you are the child receiving, or the parent giving. Our food memories define a lot of who we are, and connect us to our families and community. I was raised in a family that celebrated every happy occasion, every school concert, every sporting activity, and every show (and with 4 kids in the family, there were many) with a trip out for ice cream. This was a tradition passed down through the generations, and it was a hard one to break. When I gave up meat, and in my quest to make healthier choices, I found replacements for many of the foods I no longer?wanted to eat. Over the years, in talking with people who are trying to transition to a more plant based diet, one of their greatest fears is giving up the foods that they love most, the ones that they have a relationship with. I am hear to tell you that you can have both! You can fulfill your food memory, while choosing healthier alternatives. And it all starts in the kitchen! We all need to get back to cooking, so that we can have control over the quality of the foods we eat. Our food system has been so manipulated by the food industry, that we really have no idea what we are getting when we eat out. We need to eat real food, not processed foods and not GMO foods. Foods that are free of added sugars, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, artificial preservatives, colors or additives. I suggest joining a CSA (community supported agriculture) or finding a local farmers market to shop at, so that you are getting the freshest, organic produce possible. This allows you to support your local, organic farmer, while supporting your local economy. We all know what we need to do to improve our diets, and building relationships with the people growing your food is a great way to start!

This week, on the Progressive Radio Network, I will be interviewing Mike Curtin, the CEO of DC Central Kitchen, a non profit, social enterprise, that runs a Culinary Training Program, and distributes food to local shelters. Mike has expanded DC Central Kitchen’s revenue generating, social enterprise catering, to include locally sourced, cooking from scratch meals, at ten DC schools and Healthy Corners, which delivers fruits and vegetables to corner stores in DC’s food deserts. They employ over 150 people, with 40% from their own Culinary Training Program. Please join me on Thursday, and learn more about DC Central Kitchen and the great work that Mike is doing there.?

Remember, my show is recorded live, every Thursday, from 10-11 am, EST.? To tune in, navigate to?PRN.fm?and click the ?Listen Live? button on the left. Also try downloading the?PRN mobile app, and take the station with you wherever you go! If you want to call in during the show with any questions for me or my guest, the call in number is 888-874-4888.

If you can?t tune in at that time, you can listen to the show in the?PRN archives,?or on my website, or through iTunes. You can also access the show by calling in to?The Progressive Radio Network?at 619-550-0869. Please ?like??iEat Green?s Facebook page?and feel free to?rate the show and leave comments on iTunes and on my website. Thank you all for your support.

With love and gratitude,

Bhavani