Food Desert on The Gulf Shores

Fortunately, I had the privilege this past week to visit and rent out a house on the gulf shores for the week with friends. Unfortunately, the area we were located in was the complete definition of a food desert. At the same time, the experience was so enlightening, as I have been in food deserts before, but never have had to shop and cook for myself in these places. The closest food market of any sort was over twenty to thirty minutes away, and they sold almost exclusively processed food products. As a result, we spent the week eating packaged guacamole and eggs that were sold in crates of sixty eggs. For the first few days, I did not care and couldn't tell the difference between the impact of these products on my body compared to the fresh and unprocessed products I usually buy. However, on the third or fourth day eating the same packaged meat, eggs, chips, and similar products, I started to notice the negative impact on my stomach and even more so in my mood, which was sluggish and made me want to sleep indefinitely. If I were used to that type of dietary pattern, I might not notice such affects from the products, but the transition between my diet before and during the break was so dramatic it didn't settle with me at all. Faced with such a limited supply of fresh food and a limited amount of money really limits one to a strictly "food thing" diet. I wonder how I could've changed my diet or shopping options in such a restricted environment.