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Turning Over a New Leaf





I love to eat. I do it at least five times a day because I am what they call a “snacker”. I have eaten a regular American diet most of my life, which means I have excluded no food from my diet (meat, plants, sugar, cooked, raw, etc). I love the taste, texture, cultural experiences and the warmth and comfort food provides. If you know me than you know 60% of my diet consists of raw plants anyways.
On my recent visit to China I have found myself re-working what my food intake and aftermath experience means to me and have come to the conclusion that food is not just good; it is fuel and my main living source and something that I love to share.

I have been experiencing changes all year, included but not limited to the country I live in, the job I have, the friends I surround myself with and the places I travel (inevitable the food I eat). I have grown exponentially this year constantly challenging myself to live a different place, take different jobs, make different friends, eat different foods and be more intentional about all of them.


 I went to China and came back traumatized (physically and mentally) from seeing the horrid and grotesque conditions the animals were in before they were being slaughtered to eat for human consumption (and what they looked like after). I also saw the Chinese not waste any part of the animal…literally. The brains, the eyes, the feet, the neck…all of it was eaten. I could not find a sliver of white meat anywhere in any of my food at any time and became ill by the thought of eating unidentifiable animal parts. After a few days I couldn’t stomach eating meat at all.




<---- I think this is what the animals looked like right before they were skewered and heated to look like this -->






My new challenge: Eat vegetarian.

Besides my stomach causing me some grief and my mind not being able to shake the picture of the animals squished together in a small container waiting to be killed and gouged with an iron rod skewer to be placed over a fire there are health and environmental reasons to convince me going veg is the best choice for me right now.

Although I am not afraid to die I also don’t want to live until I’m 100 (this is not a direct challenge to the universe). It is not possible for me to ignore the research that I have read and heard about that supports the phenomenon that animal protein fertilizes and encourages the growth of cancer cells (liver, breast, lung, more) per Pleneat. Plant protein (wheat and soy) does not do this. Protein is an essential part of our diets, especially if we are active people so it is important for us to consume. Nobody wants to fight cancer and we don’t have to. This and it aligns with yoga practice of being physically well, spiritually thoughtful and universally intentional. 


Research has further shown that the slaughtering of animals increases greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and the discharge of reactive nitrogen that increases dead zones in the ocean that contribute to the unnecessary mortality of many sea creatures. Not okay. If this doesn’t get you, think of seeing nothing when you choose to snorkel. Not cool.

Furthermore, it has always been important to me to make a difference and if I can do it a bite at a time I am happy to.

Ghandi encourages us to “Be the difference you want to see in the world.” Bring it, Ghandi. I want to see people live with more intention, sincerity, generosity and communication. What better way to start or incorporate this living-working model than through the common love language of food?

 Andrew and I happy to be eating loctus root in many different varities (pickled, fried and chillied). Look how much fun we are having eating veg!

A ripe and beautifully fresh sunflower plant given to us as a snack in the mid day in China. 

I can’t wait to learn and share new recipes, try new ingredients and challenge myself with daily intention in my quest to become a vegetarian.

Recipes guaranteed to excite anyone's tastebuds, creative ideas and inspiration will come from these blogs (at least initally).

No Food With a Face

Veggie Belly 

Herbivoracious 

Chubby Vegitarian 


Comments

  1. Mich ^__^November 20, 2012 at 1:59 AM

    Not only are you an individual making a difference, but you are the ripple of hope: It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.- Robert F. Kennedy South Africa, 1966

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