There are many free internships offered around the web, but as business people we may balk at using our time on non-revenue bringing activities. And while you can’t do every internship or freebie, you should try to do at least one a year. You may be surprised by what you learn about yourself, your business and your lifestyle. Why do I say that? Because it happened to me.
When I volunteered for Kelly’s internship I was hoping to get a technology or small business blog to work on. So, I was kind of disappointed by her request to work on a Foodie Blog. I mean aren’t they a place to put a bunch of boring recipes? But after chastising myself for being so narrow-minded I accepted and it was one of the best things that I could have done for myself and my family.
Before I started blogging on food topics and recipes for an internship project, I must admit that I didn’t give a lot of thought to the foods that I was eating or feeding my family. No, let me rephrase that. I have always been aware of nutritional requirements and for the most part have provided my family with more vegetables and fruits than cakes and ice cream. I make sure that everyone takes a multi-vitamin and that we stay reasonably healthy.
So, aside from blatant bad food choices (i.e., raw salmon colored pink, things high in fat, sugars made in mad scientist’s labs, etc.) I wasn’t into the whole organic movement. I thought the foods were going to be sooo expensive (more propaganda from “the Man”) and I’d be left eating twigs and leaves with a glass of chilled dandelion wine. Where’s the meat (and chocolate!)? LOL!
But times change, along with the willingness to learn more and assume less. I guess you’d call it maturity setting in, but between my blogging gig for a free online eco-edutainment game company and my blogging internship with Kelly my mind’s eye has been opened. And wow, do we have a lot of work to do to educate ourselves and others on how to eat and live healthier lives.
One of the things that has scared me straight about shopping at the local supermarket is that most of the brand names that I’ve grown up with all contain GMOs! Now, a GMO is a “Genetically Modified Organism” for those of you who are as mystified by the term as I was when I first ran across it. It basically means that some scientist has made modifications on a DNA level to make a plant or animal perform a function.
GMOs are everywhere, but if you live in the United States you won’t know if what you’re eating is modified or not because unlike other countries, manufacturers in the States don’t have to put any disclaimer labels on their foods! So, that “healthy” food you picked up at the store may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. GMOs have noted side effects already, and since they are relatively new on the scene, the long-lasting effects are unknown.
What does this all mean? It means that eating well has taken on a whole other meaning for me these days. It’s not enough to cook things that I know to be nutritious. It also means actually getting as many of my ingredients from sources where they haven’t been contaminated with science’s latest brain child.
Thankfully, there are people in the forefront advocating labeling and the need to support organic farmer. They’ve created this great shopping guide called “The Non-GMO Shopping Guide” to help people, like me, who wouldn’t know where to begin to compile the information for my own use.
The shopping guide is easy to read, very informative and has gotten me to actually attempt growing my own produce this year. I’ve been stalling about gardening for a number of years, but once I started reading up on what’s going on in the food industry I’d have to be crazy not to change a few things. I know that I can’t grow everything, but at this rate at least I’ll know whatever I do produce will be real food and not Frankenfood!
Internships pay for themselves in the knowledge and experience that you gain. In many cases, it also stretches your mind to view things from a totally different standpoint, which can really open up possibilities not only in your business life, but your personal life as well. So don’t be afraid to step-out of your comfort zone and try something a little different this year.
