Reduce, Reuse, Rejoice: A Spiritual Guide to Waste Management

Several months back I published a post about the waste we humans produce due to our eating habits (Click Here To Read). A lot of what I learned while writing this piece has stuck with me, influencing the way I think and feel, and consequently, the way I eat. At times I'm overwhelmed by this knowledge; I struggle with guilt brought on in part by my own, and in part by my fellow species, decision to exist in a way not consistent with nature. But as I continue to ponder these decisions, I'm beginning to realize something quite extraordinary.

Eat To Live & Live To Give

Now that I have cable again (uggh!) I've been bombarded with cheery commercials all promising unparalleled holiday joy. As a wise woman once sang, “I am a material girl” and it’s painfully obvious that I am “living in a material world”.

Every year we spend billions “making merry”. As a culture we tend to overdose on materialism. I think it's okay to enjoy the finer things in life, but in moderation. After all, what are we working for if not to be happy, enjoying food and gifts with our loved ones? 

With that being said, I still empathize with those that have grown disenchanted by the holidays, those that look around and see selfish, instant gratification-obsessed, unhappy people. So while I think nothing wrong with the enjoyment of giving and getting the material things in life, it’s no secret that for many people, the holidays have become the least wonderful time of the year.

Foodlosophy to Fill You Up This Ramadan

Azim Azimzade. Ramadan of the poor people. 1938

Food is tied to everything we do and everything we are. This is true even when we abstain from eating it, as is the case for the millions of Muslims who are currently fasting for the holy month of Ramadan. In addition to the nutrition and enjoyment derived from consumption, food can have an even larger impact when it’s used as a spiritual aid. And by used, I mean not used, or at least withheld for a significant period of time. Sacrificing food and other indulgences can mean strengthening one’s spirit while ensuring a profound appreciation for the nourishment so easily taken for granted.

Photo of family preparing to enjoy Iftar in Bejing, China (Huffington Post). Check out more photos of Iftar from around the globe here: Ramadan Iftars From Around The World

It’s no wonder that food has the power to transform both personally and politically. In the course of his lifetime, Mohandas Gandhi fasted several times. In his fight against political injustice Gandhi called his fast “a god given opportunity” (History.co.uk). In addition to an opportunity, fasting became a powerful tool in the fight for caste equality in India. Furthermore, fasting is a valuable method integral to “passive resistance”, a philosophy that calls for peaceful progression towards achieving goals, often in the face of violent opposition. Of course, not all fasting is done in such dramatic fashion, nor is it solely intended to bring about political change.