Posted by hanlie | Posted in My Long Walk to Health | Posted on 30-06-2010
Sometimes we get really caught up what other people in the blogging world are doing. We see how their lives are changed and we clamor to adopt their ways. Not surprisingly, we find that hoeing other people’s furrows can be exhausting and difficult to maintain. Yes, we may experience the benefits, but we may also be struggling in the process.
I believe in a plant-based diet. I’ve been convinced by the research that our health suffers because of our over-consumption of animal products, the environment suffers because of the greenhouse gasses and the need for ever more water and land that animal farming generates and my gut tells me it’s wrong to treat animals the way CAFO’s (Confined Animal Feeding Operations – whatever happened to farms?) are treating them.
I even love eating mostly plants. I love how it makes me feel, sleep and smell. I will gladly campaign for more vegetarian restaurant options.
I applaud vegans and vegetarians. I just wish I could be one of them. I’ve tried. Lord knows I have. But once in a while, usually when out and about or dining with friends and family, I love something meaty or fishy. I don’t want to worry about whether something is vegan (beer is not, most wines aren’t, honey isn’t, Worcestershire sauce isn’t) or not.
And I’m done feeling guilty about that. Having something of animal origin once or twice per week is not going to ruin my health. It would be different if I had a serious illness (like cancer or heart disease) and were trying to heal from that. Even Mary-Ann Shearer, my guru (who doesn’t eat any meat) says that 1-2 times per week is all right.
Obviously it makes sense to ensure that anything of animal origin I eat is grass-fed, organic and free-range. And if it’s only once or twice per week, you’re still following a plant-based diet.
I love how this guy (Graham Hill – founder of Treehugger) puts it. (You may have to click through to watch the video – he’s very good!)
The same can be said for raw food. I love raw food and I believe that our bodies need lots of it. I also believe that it’s possible (and healthy) to live exclusively off raw food. The only problem is that I like cooked food too. So, instead of eating 100% raw, like many are happily doing, I am quite content with about 75+% raw. Some days might go up to 90%, but some days may only be 50%. I’m okay with that.
So that’s me. Not perfect. But perfectly all right and perfectly happy for now.
In which way have you adapted your eating habits to get the best of both worlds?














