foraging

Foraging is becoming popular again. Or at least I would like to think so. It’s blackberry season and on an evening walk we have been taking a few pitstops to reach into the brambles for some succulent treats. I wondered just before I picked the ripe juicy fruits, which were being visited by the insects at the time, was I eating more than I bargained for? Had those insects just come from the field next door and brought with them the traces of bovine excrement. (!) How sterile our diets have become to avoid any hint of micro organisms that may potentially harm us! This food sterility is having the opposite effect and autoimmune conditions are a by product of such careful processing of food.
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Obtaining food as close as possible to the source is part of the solution. My appreciation for the foods in their natural environment has grown in recent years. Yes I savoured the sweet succulent taste of the seasonal berries there and then. At this stage of my life I am welcoming the extra diversity of fauna and flora. In a world reminding us to be inclusive this may be a good start.  

Anne Maher