The 100 Mile diet is not so much a diet program as it is a lifestyle. The 100 Mile revolves around the idea of eating locally raised or grown food.
It maybe the because of the “home” theme, but the 100-Mile diet has “struck a deeper chord” among its practitioners which now involves whole communities. Home raised and produced foods are now being called “the new organic.” In the 100 Mile diet website, they are saying that their foods are “better tasting, better for the environment, better for local economies, and better for your health.”
Why the name?
Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, innovators of the 100 Mile diet, started a one year experiment on local eating in 2005. According to them 100 Miles is an easy way to begin thinking locally. It’s actually a unit of measurement referring to your locality. The creators of the diet explains that “a 100 mile radius is large enough to reach beyond a big city and small enough to feel truly local.”
100 Mile diet difficulty.
According to Smith and MacKinnon, doing the diet was quite difficult because they had to look for people who actually produce foods, e.g. farmers who grow wheat, etc. Smith and MacKinnon recommends that a more realistic approach is to plan a single, completely 100 Mile meal with friends and family and see where you want to go from there.
Meals and malnutrition.
The creators of the 100-mile diet admits to eating pretty much the same meals over and over again in the beginning of their diet adventure. Eventually, as they discover more and more local food sources, their meals grew more and more and interesting.
“For one year we ate only the freshest food that had traveled the shortest possible distances and was eaten or preserved at its seasonal peak. Most of it was organic, and everything we ate was prepared from scratch and nothing came out of a box. Does that answer that question?”
Costs and preparation.
Non-practitioners pay a huge premium for a pre-packed lifestyle and for being able to enjoy foods that are not in season.
But for practitioners, the 100 Mile diet costs them less because they can take advantage of foods that are in season by buying in bulk. And usually, they preserve enough foods for the winter so they rarely need to go grocery shopping.
As for finding food sources, the creators admit that it does take time. Preparing meals from scratch also take time.
Weight loss.
Regarding the question of weight loss, Smith and MacKinnon makes no claims that the diet will make you lose several pounds, but rather, it can help you lead a healthier lifestyle or at least help you have healthier food choices.
I was aware of the obvious impacts various foods have on the environment, such as transportation costs, pesticide and herbicide use, and genetically altered crops, but didn’t realize how significant a difference eating locally can make. In fact, a study in Iowa found that following regional diets like the 100 Mile Diet requires almost 20% less fuels than a typical North American diet.
Here are some other reasons Alisa and James share for the 100 Mile Diet:
The taste.
Alisa and James shopped primarily at farmers’ markets where produce was usually picked fresh and not sprayed or stored in order to prevent spoilage.
You know what you are eating.
By getting to know local providers, they were able to learn about the farming methods used in planting and harvesting various produce, or in raising livestock. They could see first-hand how the animals were treated, or how the fruits and vegetables were harvested.
Social opportunities.
Alisa and James found they were more likely to socialize with vendors and other shoppers while at a Farmer’s Market than when they went grocery shopping. They tended to connect with others who had the same desire to support the local vendors while lowering their carbon footprint.
Seasonality.
Each season is known for certain foods. In fact, some health practitioners claim that certain foods are available in certain seasons to align with our respective health needs.
Experimentation and variety.
When limited with choices based on availability, they found they experimented a bit more with recipes. And, often, local farmers know their crop better than anyone and will produce a number of varieties of a type of crop. I know that local farmers here sell a variety of purple cauliflower that I have not seen in any grocery store.
Exploration.
The 100 Mile Diet web site is full of stories of 100 Mile Dieters having fun touring local farms. Check out your local township office for guides to local farms. We recently found a book that highlights meat, poultry, and produce farmers in our local county.
Support your local economy.
One study found that investing in local food businesses allows the money to be reinvested in the local economy. The value of doing so is almost twice as great as when you spend the money with a grocery store chain.
Lose weight and get healthier.
James and Alisa both lost weight, found they were eating less processed foods, and ate more foods while they were at their nutritional peak so they got more benefit out of each one.
I talked to my husband about the 100 Mile Diet after I researched it a bit more. We came to the realization that we have been doing this to some extent as we were getting frustrated with the packaging and quite honestly, the cost of healthy foods at the grocery store. This past summer we began frequenting farmers markets, and met local farmers where we purchased our meats and eggs.
We have a long way to go but at the very least we are having fun discovering what options we do have in our community and meeting some great people. Our favorite discovery was the local dairy that produces the most amazing home-made ice cream and at a fraction of the cost of store-bought. How perfect!
If you are interested in learning more about the 100 Mile Diet, please check out the links below.
See Also
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