I was challenged to eat locally , from within a 100 mile radius of where i live earlier this year, so for 100 days Sher and I are consuming only 100 mile food
this includes every ingredient, of every meal every day.
that means no coffee, no beer, no chocolate,no sugar, including every boxed good you can buy in a grocery store!!
we have even added the challenge of no leavening agents as well, except sour dough starter.
Owning a produce store helps a great deal, as i can find out exactly which product is produced by which farm.
With spring coming on late this year..it was tough getting started by we are doing ok with it now.
Although it is a tall order making all your food from scratch we feel a lot better eating this way, and most likely will continue in winter albiet not 100 percent

That it so awesome.

We're not that crazy, but living in the country and no take-out handy we do cook most of our own meals from scratch and we buy at the local farmers market.

Not going to do without coffee....don't need to do any trainspotting....

and no beer?????? are you mad man????!!!!

Good on ya Pete. I would never go to that extreme but it does focus on how much transportation is in our food. Particularly in produce, I at least give preference to Ontario grown but beyond that it is really difficult because of labelling. I could have product of USA that is in the 100 km zone and product of Canada that is grown 3000km away. There are some no brainers though. At the grocery store this week I saw apples from South Africa. Why the heck would anyone fly apples from South Africa when they grow in our own back yard! Save the oil for the teeners

Very cool you guys. It sounds like you guys found flour. Was it out on the islands? You getting salt from sea water? I have to admire you guys. I know I'm not disciplined enough for that kind of commitment. Doing without some stuff would be hard for sure. Time might be the killer for us.

Dave

Excellent idea. I found that I had to change my food intake when I wanted to start an exercise routine. I work out each morning, except Sunday,regeneration day,and I eat fresh produce and fruit from local growers.
I have never been a fast food addict. Sometimes the icon type of drive-in XXX or Bobs Big Boy, etc. will draw me in, just so I can say I have been there.
My wife has always been a great cook and one who shops the local farmers markets in the sumer and really goes out of her way to find locally grown items to serve for our meals.

I have been wondering how you guys are doing on this diet...How many pounds (kilos) have you lost?

tough to go without beer...unless you brew it yourself from local stuff. Hmm, pine needle beer?

i have lost probably about 20 lbs...
but feel great! except my clothes don't fit any more
the most amazing thing that has happened health wise....
Sher had a bowel problem that docs and specialists could not figure out
after a week and a half of eating this way ...voila...it was gone
we do have local wine that is good
and we can make a mean rasberry strawberry wine spritzers
but i think the neat thing is the food tastes *SO* much better

Great Steve!!

Monique and I went to India for a wedding in June and stopped eating meat. I lost 8 lbs and felt fantastic...hard to do here especially with 18 family members staying with us for 2 weeks and always wanted to BBQ steak!

Sounds like stuff written about in the book
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.

He also wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma and I highly recommend both.

He's to the point and really entertaining.

Paul

I just finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemma! haha good book!

Lucky me, I'm within 100 miles of the San Joaquin Valley, the world's most productive agricultural area.
I used to hit the Farmer's Market almost every Monday but the shop I just rented is right next to an organic farm with a self-serve veggie stand right out front. I'm forced to drive past it at least twice a day. Tomatoes eaten the same day that they were picked just can't be beat. I've tried to grow my own (tomatoes you boners!) but it's just too damned foggy here.
I won't ever choose to live without coffee and my wife wouldn't let me. I'm too much of a dick in the morning already. Does locally roasted count?

Geoff we did find a bunch of wheat, actually the authors of the book 100 mile diet found it for the families on the challenge....two big sacks for each of the families.
fresh bread or buns made from fresh ground wheat ....
it is like the difference in grocery store coffee, and fresh roasted coffee...

Wow. Interesting concept. Hiya Steve!

OK. I guess I'll be the first smartass. I never go more than 10 miles for food. The grocery store is just around the corner. Right next to the Hardees and the McDonalds.

In Defense of Food is just as entertaining but pertains to the 100 mile challenge DIRECTLY.

Oh yeah, Talking Heads, More Songs About Buildings and Food: the last song, The Big Country goes perfectly with this topic...

Paul

I guesse i got lucky today...
the CBC(Canadian Broad Cast network)
will be doing an early interview with me about the 100 Mile Challenge
tomorrow at 6.20 pacific time on the Early Edition radio talk show

Slow news day?
Canada should go start some wars in far away countries that the Canadian citizens can't even pronounce so that the news people can fabricate sensational stories.

I looked and looked for a interview but I can't find it. So, how about posting a linky to it, Steve.

20lbs, wow, you must look like Paris Hilton now.

Mmmmm... Blondes.

When you stop eating garbage, you realize junk food really is junk.