Western society is now at least aware that the human race is having a detrimental impact upon the health of our planet. However, the scale of that impact is often misunderstood or underappreciated.
At All Dieting we are of course concerned with what we eat, so let’s open our eyes to a shocking food fact: almost all developed countries have a food dependency that far outweighs their ability to produce. Take the Netherlands, for example, which is 33,920 sq km. Based upon worldwide averages, the “food footprint” of our Dutch friends is in excess of 100,000 sq km.[*] Such excess is not sustainable in the long run.
And this is where the 100 Mile Diet comes in. In essence, it relies upon you sourcing your food exclusively from within a 100 mile radius of where you live. In principle, not only should such an approach mean that your eating habits take far less of a toll on the earth, but you should also be eating far more healthily.
Origins
Although the idea of sourcing your food locally, or becoming a ‘locavore’, is not new, the 100 Mile Diet was popularized by a book published in 2007 called ‘Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally‘. If you are interested in the idea of sourcing and eating locally-produced food, then we highly recommend that you read the book. In fact, we would go as far as to consider it essential reading for anyone wishing to undertake the 100 Mile Diet. Quite frankly, until you try this diet, you have no idea what you are letting yourself in for, but in reading the book, you can at least prepare yourself to an extent!
Restrictions
You will probably be shocked by how the 100 Mile Diet restricts the foods you have to choose from. Sugar is almost definitely out the window, as are possibly foods as basic as flour and non-seasonal fruits and vegetables (or fruits and vegetables that do not suit your location’s climate). It is a diet that requires enormous reserves of willpower, and you will likely question your commitment to it on more than one occasion.
One way to circumvent the temptation to give up is to give yourself a realistic, fixed target. Say you set a target to eat as a locavore for two weeks – that should be attainable for anyone who is truly interested in the concept. And after that two weeks, you can decide if you would like to set another goal (say another four weeks), or abandon the idea.
Sustainability
Is the 100 Mile Diet sustainable? Well, in theoretical terms it certainly is, but whether you would want to make such a lifestyle choice on a permanent basis is open for debate. There are practical considerations, such as cost, that can make the diet impractical at best. We however consider it a noble undertaking, and whilst you will probably not adhere to the diet 100% in the long run, it will probably teach you a great deal, and change your attitude towards food for the rest of your life.
Photo courtesy of Wally Hartshorn