HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Not me... but HEALing Foodie is turning 1 today! THANK YOU to all 2000+ OF YOU who visited this blog this past year and perhaps have become returning visitors!

A few days before HEALing Foodie's first birthday, I had the phenomenal privilege of hearing Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser speak at USC. If I had a bucket list, #1 is now crossed off!

Dietitians-in-training with Michael Pollan.

... and Eric Schlosser! 

It has been almost a week since the event, and I'm still having a mind-gasm and letting their great wisdom sink it. I don't think I've been utterly starstruck in my life before.

Michael Pollan & Eric Schlosser in Conversation, Moderated by Evan Kleiman

I asked my fellow foodie attendees to share their thoughts. Here's what they have to say:

What message(s) resonated with you the most from the talk? Any changes that you'll commit to now that we've heard them speak?

Yea, I was serenading Sir Pollan. 

Just chatting with Eric Schlosser.. no biggie. 

As for myself, I was quite taken with Eric Schlosser's "call to action" regarding the air of apathy that has swept our nation. There are so much each of us can do about our corrupted food system- from how we decide to spend our food dollars to educating ourselves as consumers to picketing for meaningful causes. And as Michael Pollan said, we all eat so we all should be concerned about where our food comes from. To that end, I'm determined to be more consistent with making healthy and sustainable choices not just at home but also when eating out. I can already foresee the challenges especially at restaurants given how much I enjoy culinary adventures. But with foodservice representing 1/2 of our nation's food dollars, it's about time I forge ahead in the path with more resistance. 

To a progressive Year 2 filled with more momentum, happy birthday!