March 19, 2009

In The News: Michelle On A Mission

Terrific news!

"On Friday, Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of White House lawn to plant a vegetable garden, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II," reports today's New York Times.

Alas, this is not a one-person job.

"Twenty-three fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington will help her dig up the soil for the 1,100-square-foot plot in a spot visible to passers-by on E Street. Students from the school, which has had a garden since 2001, will also help plant, harvest and cook the vegetables, berries and herbs."

This is no small garden, either. Fifty-five vegetables will be planted, ranging from arugula to cilantro to kale and spinach; berries (and even honey!) will also have their place.

Mrs. Obama's parting words of dietary advice are music to my ears. Forget crash diets, low-carb nonsense, Master Cleanse ridiculousness, or "no food after 8 PM" hogwash.

Mrs. Obama keeps it simple: "“You can begin by eliminating processed food, trying to cook a meal a little more often, [and] trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables."

I love the message -- eat more fruits and vegetables. Simple, concise, and relevant.

Thoughts?

8 comments:

kb said...

Do you have a source for her comments on dieting? I didn't see that in the article you linked to. I would love to pass that along to a few people.

Andy Bellatti said...

Kate,

Her comments are the last paragraph of the article I linked to. I simply shortened them a bit by taking out a few words.

kb said...

Ah, I got it. I thought she also talked about crash diets and cleanses. I was quite impressed!

Andy Bellatti said...

Oh, I see what you mean!

No, that was my commentary on how refreshing it is to see a public figure who is in shape say something simple -- and helpful -- like "eat more fruits and vegetables."

Too many times, when celebrities are asked about healthy eating, we get responses that have more to do with disordered eating than healthy eating!

Anonymous said...

"eliminate processed foods" is a much stronger, much clearer, and much more impactful statement.

Great to "incorporate more fruits and vegetables" but in our modern environment lets eliminate the things that do the most harm.

Courtney Ostaff said...

I've been a member of Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI) for years now, and I am proud to say that I was a member of their White House Garden campaign from the GetGo. I even donated $20 through PayPal to buy a theoretical piece of the White House Lawn on which to garden. ;) I think the White House is setting a great example. Now....let's make sure they comply with NAIS and all the organic gardening laws. *grin*

wife2abadge said...

Lovely! I hope many people follow her example.

Anonymous said...

Why is the principle of not eating late hogwash? Doesn't the digestive system interfere with sleep if it is still working full-time at bedtime?