This story was originally published in the first issue of Radicle, our interactive print publication which centers Black voices and perspectives in sustainability and the environment. Radicle explores a range of topics including environmental justice, indigeneity, sustainable homebuilding, and plant-forward home cooking. The publication was designed to spark curiosity and celebrate community, all while healing our people and the planet.
An exercise for mindful eating. Observing and envisioning makes connection inescapable and makes the fruit tastier.
In a fast-paced world troubled by many crises, slowing down to enjoy a peach is a radical act. Mindful eating engages all your senses, opening you up to flavors, sounds, and textures you may have never noticed before—the soft fuzz against your nose, the foggy musk cascading into a tart burst, and the gush from your first bite.
During this meditation, give gratitude to the sun which sweetens the peach. The branches grow outstretched and fanned to capture the most sunlight and photosynthesize efficiently, locking sugars into the globular fruit. Give gratitude to the peach, as well as the farmworkers, warehouse workers, grocery store employees, and the many hands the peach tumbled through before reaching yours, its final destination.
This activity was inspired by Ericka Huggins, the former Director of the Black Panthers’ Oakland Community School. During a panel discussion at the Museum of the African Diaspora, Huggins shared that students of the school learned to be mindful by slowly eating a single raisin with intention, respect, and curiosity.
Step 1
Find a sunny spot (like a window). Cup the peach in both hands.
Step 2
3 breaths: Tap your fingers against the peach. Feel its texture.
Step 3
6 breaths: Rotate the fruit in your palms.
Step 4
Rub your CHEEK against the skin of the peach.
Step 5
Take your first bite. 4 breaths: Let the peach chunk sit in your mouth.
Step 6
Eat the rest of the peach with intention.
Step 7
When left with the pit, notice the deep grooves. 3 Breaths: Feel the energy buzz through you.
Step 8
Lift up your face to the sun, real or imagined, with gratitude.
![Did you know you could be buying fake honey? 👀🍯
According to @detroithives co-founder Timothy Paule Jackson, “ninety percent of most honey that you get in big box stores is fake.” To make sure you’re getting the real stuff, he suggests checking out the nutrition label. Fake honey will have ingredients like “high fructose corn syrup, peach syrup, [and] it’ll have some type of sugar.” Avoid honey labeled as “pure” or “pasteurized,” and instead look for words like “raw” or “local.”
And with winter approaching, it’s the perfect time to stock up — not only is it full of vitamins and minerals, but real honey can also be used as a remedy for sore throats and coughs. Swipe to check out some of our favorite Black-owned bee farms and Black beekeepers selling the good stuff 🐝🍯](https://earthincolor.co/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/314552686_126502226881255_7598404171432106028_nfull.jpg)
