Where the Left and the Right Come Together

In my ongoing journey into the world of nutrient-dense foods, I've become aware of an interesting phenomenon: the folks who are attracted to this lifestyle come from some surprising places. You see, we liberals tend to assume we're the only ones who give a shit about the planet, the well-being of the creatures who provide us with our food, and the health of our children. Imagine my surprise...nay, shock....when I began to investigate the nutrient dense movement and uncovered--gasp!--a huge number of card-carrying Libertarians, Conservatives, and hard-core Christians in the mix.

The fact is, there are a HUGE number of right-leaning folks who are passionate about local and organic produce and humanely-raised, pastured farm animals. I see quite a few of them on the various holistic lists I subscribe to and when I pick up groceries at my monthly Azure food drop (imagine if Costco and Whole Foods had a love child with wheels). Many of them are smack in the middle of the ongoing fight against factory farms and the industrialization of our food chain. These people may have come to this movement via a different path than I did...but they are no less dedicated to keeping their children and the planet as healthy as possible. I confess it's taken me some time to get accustomed to purchasing goods from people who have bible quotes as email signatures...or who take our Constitution's Second Amendment to heart. But ultimately, I've come to realize while I may not always agree with the politics of these folks...they are just as concerned about our collective future as I am. And boy is that a relief!

So how is it that the left and right are comfortably rubbing elbows in the world of food? Well, while you probably won't find many conservative raw vegans out there, or left-wing duck hunters, you won't have to look hard to find people of all stripes who simply love to eat quality meats, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and everything in between. The "green" aspect of the nutrient-dense movement appeals to the liberals, the "(sub)urban homesteader" aspect appeals to the libertarians, the "look to the past for food inspiration" aspect appeals to the religious folks, and the "remove the middle man AKA government regulators" appeals to the conservatives.

Fact is, if you've got two eyes and a brain, it's pretty hard to miss how detached we've all become from the source of our food. And many believe this is to blame for the current state of things: the less interaction we have with the farmers who produce our food and the animals who provide it, the less we really understand how it all works, and the more we rely on big corporations to connect the dots so we don't have to. So whether you arrive at this "diet" via Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions, Nina Planck's Real Food, Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, Jordan Rubin's Makers Diet, or the Slow Food Movement, we're all heading in the same direction and hopefully, the end result will be healthier people, animals, farms, food supply chain, and, ultimately, planet.