Creature Comforts

Last week I wrote about the effect of Nature on aligning our perspective, but I focused more on the flora than the fauna. This week I'd like us to reflect upon our role of food justice for animals. [See earlier post about food justice for people] This is not a post to convert anyone to vegetarianism (I love a burger!) but to gain an awareness and an opinion about the source of your food.

We've all heard the expression, "there's no such thing as a free lunch." An opinion article by Nicholas Kristof contends there is no such thing as a free breakfast either. I'm referring to the true cost of producing your food, not just consuming it. Mr. Kristof writes about an investigation into the atrocious and inhumane conditions of egg-producing hens. The results speak to the larger issue of treatment of the creatures we eat and our sense of entitlement when it comes to meeting our needs. Are we willing to pay the price as perpetrators of cruelty for a few dollars saved on a grocery bill?


Here is a very short clip of a farm featured in the documentaries Fresh and Food, Inc. This farmer is FU3Led by stewardship to love his animals and farm sustainably. If you want to learn more, there are longer videos on YouTube and I highly recommend watching either movie.



When we were given dominion over the earth, it was not intended as license for thoughtless plunder but rather to impart responsibility and ownership. How do we take steps toward this end? It starts with asking questions of our food sources and re-evaluating the cost vs. worth of poor quality food. Then make minor adjustments in your shopping list that reflect your values.

Living a FU3Led life is never a one-size-fits-all model or an instant fix, but I believe commitment to the small-scale (ie your own life) has a lasting impact on the big scale.

Nature Calls

Having spent some extended time away from the city, I've been reflecting on how nature reveals to us how the world was intended. We can gain valuable perspective for FU3Ling from creation and living closer to the land. If you are interested in reading an opinion much more eloquent and knowledgeable than mine, I highly recommend reading a few of Wendell Berry's essays in the collection titled What Are People For?

What are practical ways you can FU3L closer to nature? Food is the easiest one to answer - by looking for quality ingredients where you know the source or are assured they are whole and unprocessed. A life of Fitness comes more easily when your activities of daily living are incorporated with nature. Our ancestors never stepped on a treadmill because they were working the land. By spending more time walking, biking, gardening, hiking, swimming, or other pursuits in the wilderness you will become healthier effortlessly. Finally, one can strengthen their Faith by reflecting on creation. Being surrounded by nature gives you perspective and proper humility, which is "not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less." The cycles of the seasons and the harvest demonstrates the power of incremental but consistent change to lead to transformative growth. 

Do you agree? How do you think one can maintain this while living plugged into the current century and in a city? Leave a comment to start the discussion.

Constant Craving

Many people would say they want good health but to earnestly pursuing it feels like a chore.  In order to recruit your friends and family to a FU3Led life, they need to see how  healthy food can be delicious, fitness can be fun, and faith is joyful. When put into practice correctly you will crave food, fitness, and faith in your life instead of considering something to suffer through.

This topic was inspired by a NY Times article that centers on the importance of taste in preparing healthy food with the lead doctor stating, "Flavor is a health issue." There is a joint program between Harvard School of Public Health and the Culinary Institute of America to train health professionals how to cook healthy foods in such a way that their patients won’t find their new diet a hard pill to swallow. Doctors learn about techniques and ingredients that will revolutionize their patient's palates. 

In the same way, fitness is not one-size-fits-all. One needs to find the type of exercise that they enjoy and makes them feel invigorated so the work out is its own reward. For some that's a group class because they are motivated by those around them while for others it's a solitary bike ride where they can use the time for reflection.

Faith is the easiest to crave because the Bible promises us when you "Delight yourself in the LORD,/ and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4 ESV). We are commanded to seek our joy! God will transform your heart, if you let him, so that you  relish the things He already wants to give you.

So find that sweet spot where passion meets purpose and get FU3Ling! Leave a comment to let others know how you have found your bliss in following a FU3Led life.

FU3Ling? Do Tell!

Earlier this month I tweeted about the latest incarnation of the Nike+ device, Nike Fuel.  Long before I started this blog, I thought about the interconnection between food, fitness, and faith in regards to the role of accountability when I read the June 2009 issue of WIRED focused on self-tracking, specifically the articles titled "Know Thyself" and "The Nike Experiment." The article discusses the power of information to motivate people to make a change in their health. However, tracking your progress only takes you so far. It's when you share your advances that you see growth become exponential compared to your solo efforts.


We see this hold true in all areas of FU3L. It isn't hard to draw between Weight Watchers, a running club, and the Biblical model of church. All have a personal component and a community component. Weight watchers requires you to log your food/exercise points at home, in a run club you have days where you train alone to focus on personal weakness, and as part of the church you spend time in the Bible and prayer alone to strengthen your relationship with God. In the group meeting (usually a weekly affair) you then share with the group your stumbling blocks and triumphs and together you engage in the practices that reflect the goals which you are striving for - whether it be a long run, food portion strategies, or worshiping God through song.

This concept is best expressed in the oft-referenced African proverb: "If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." Have you found this true in your life? Do you track and share and to what ends? If so, please leave a comment for discussion.

The Role of Rest

Now that the summer solstice has passed and we are officially in season of vacation, I thought we should discuss the utility of rest as a source of FU3L. If we look at food, fitness, and faith we can see that taking a break is something that unifies all three areas.

• The natural food cycle has a period of rest between sowing and reaping that is the time of growth. Also, many recipes call for a dish to "rest" for a period of time to allow the flavors to blend and balance out. 
• In the world of fitness, taking a day off gives the body time to heal and restock glycogen. According to a Runner's World article titled "The Importance of Rest Days" it allows the muscles time to adapt to the work for optimal performance. 
• As for faith, The Bible commands us to Sabbath, or take one day of rest per week. This is to give us time to reflect on what God has done for us that week without distraction. In an era of 24/7 connection to the grid, it is humbling to see that the world will keep moving forward even if we are not participating in it. We are not necessary, but rather privileged, to be a part of His kingdom.

Taking a word from the food lexicon, rest gives us time to digest. It gives us the proper perspective as we re-enter our week refreshed. While it can seem like a sacrifice to give up time, in fact we are the better for it in the end as we become well-balanced and better adapted for the next challenge. Jesus says, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). As with all of God's commands, the call to rest was designed for our benefit. 


So enjoy your time at the beach and comment on how taking a break has helped you re-FU3L

Brain Boost

Many of us grew up being told that once we lose brain cells, they never grow back (so no head banging to heavy metal!) but neuroscientists now know that is not true. Adults can undergo neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons. Even better news is that we can enhance the effectiveness of these new connections by simple exercise, like a walk or a swim. Translation: FU3L makes you smarter and science proves it :)


In an April NY Times magazine article, the author explains that,  "exercise... does more to bolster thinking than thinking does." Although the brain is not a muscle, it gains benefits from exercise of the musculoskeletal system. And before you are discouraged thinking you have to run a marathon to become the next Einstein the article notes that, "Whatever the activity, though, an emerging message from the most recent science is that exercise needn’t be exhausting to be effective for the brain." 


So what are you waiting for? Get moving! Summer is upon us which means it's the perfect time to get outside and start moving. You can integrate the other areas of FU3L into your exercise by listening to worship music as you work out or walking to a farmer's market for fresh produce (more brain food!) Leave a comment about how you are keeping your mind and body sharp. 

Healthy harvesters: Good News for everyone

Hello FU3Led friends!
Did anyone try out mindful eating this past week? If so, leave a comment or send an email! This week I wanted to highlight an article that brings about the topic of food justice. I'd like us to reflect on how stewardship affects our bodies, our communities, and our environment. There will be more posts on this issue but today we'll with the term "fair trade." It is easy to become cynical and assume that this label is yet another ploy to cash in on the trendiness of being Green. How is "fair trade" coffee different than conventional - and why should you care?

Let's start with the definition. Fair trade refers to food produced in a way that the workers are given a living wage for their labor and the food is harvested sustainably. And yes, this means in order to pay the workers a fair wage the food will cost more. We should care about the people who provide our daily bread as stewards of this earth but if you have a hard time translating heart motive to your wallet, consider how unfair trade must affect the quality of your food. NPR's food blog, The Salt, recently published a piece on the health of the food workers (Read Full Article). Think about your own career: how do you perform at work when you are unwell? If you are EATING the literal fruits of labor of workers with poor living conditions, how is that going to taste?

The Good News transforms our world for believers and non-believers alike. How we care about our food preparers will redeem the quality of life for them as well as the quality of food for us. Stewardship is not sacrifice if you take the time to think about how we are all lifted up together by demanding justice for others.