It's January. Must be diet time, and here come all the Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers commercials. Here come, also, two mainstream studies championing vegetarian, vegan and even raw-foot eating as paths to a healthy body. Macrobiotic eating is also mentioned in one of the studies, but it doesn't get as many kudos. Both studies rank several diets according to weight-loss success, nutritional completeness, health benefits and ease. Regardless of rankings -- and whether you support popular media or not -- it's nice to see mainstream health professionals publicly supporting lifestyles that start with no meat and go from there. Bravo, U.S. News and World Report. Bravo, Yahoo! 
http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-overall-diets.
This ranking by U.S. News and World Report puts vegetarianism at 10 out of 25 best diets and veganism at 14 out of 25. Vegetarianism is touted for "nutritional completeness" while veganism gets lower marks because it "doesn’t offer built-in social support, and may not provide enough of some nutrients." As for the macrobiotic way of life: "Following the plan is a challenge. It’s an extreme change from the standard American diet. And it’s awfully strict."
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| Smoothie in community with friend and raw-food coach Erin Maroney LaBelle. Smoothie made with spinach, persimmon, apple, kale, carrot (tops, too) and strawberry. |
Keep in mind, when these analysts are considering ease and convenience that not everybody lives in a town like Kent, Ohio, where there is a large community of vegan/vegetarian/raw foodies who support each other in lots of ways -- farm markets, Facebook, green smoothie happy hours, recipe sharing and vegan/vegetarian potlucks. Happy New Year!
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| This is "cheese," made with raw, soaked almonds. "Chips" are thin-sliced Japanese turnips. Made by vegan/raw expert and friend, Molly Aubuchon. |
I think it all really comes down to paying attention to what happens to your body and energy when you eat. I know I will never subscribe fully to any one philosophy, but that I don't feel well when I eat wheat and many other forms of gluten. That too much dairy makes me feel sluggish. That when I eat at least a 50% raw diet, I feel present in my body and have the energy needed to accomplish my work. If I eat factory raised meat, I feel sick, but if I eat locally raised, grassfed meat in small amounts, on occasion, it's fine. But I know other people who can't digest any kinds of grains and can't have fruit or dairy, but do very well with lots of veg and meat. We are SO lucky here in Kent to have such a thriving community of people who care about food and are committed to sharing what they know, to sharing meals, and to supporting local farms and food businesses. What a great way to live! Thanks for posting this D-L, it's great food for thought!
ReplyDeleteI talk about, read about and ponder the right way to eat so much of the time. I have, of late, been questioning vegetarianism, and wondering if we are meant to eat some meat. I have been veg for 12 years (with one year off). For one of those years, I was vegan. About six months ago, I began having an awful urge for chicken. And so I ate my weight in chicken and turkey from about Nov. 15 to Dec. 15. Then I didn't want any more. Makes me think of my Cherokee Indian ancestors, who I often feel myself drawn to. They ate nuts and seeds and plants until a buffalo came along. And then they had buffalo for a month. And then it was back to what was there. I like the idea of listening to your body and if you don't feel well or if you feel better doing something else, adhere. Thanks for your thoughtful post, Kelly. Love to you in the new year and beyond...
ReplyDeleteOooh, I think the idea of eating your fill of what's available in season is so interesting. It's hard to follow such an eating philosophy when everything and anything is available at pretty much any moment in time. I wonder if that's where any strong craving urge originates? No wonder it often manifests as an insatiable desire for chocolate or onion rings. I do tend to eat a little more seasonally now, but I wonder what it would feel like to eat only what's in season. Negatively restrictive, I would think. Still, I'm not very interested in grocery store tomatoes in January. I'm also grateful that I don't have to wait for a buffalo to come along, even though I admit to wishing for a romantic and unrealistic notion of living off the land and sustainability. Welp... time to hit the grocery store on my lunch hour. : ) Love to you and yours as well!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post and engaging comments! I actually just had a conversation on vegetarianism with someone recently. I sometimes have these internal debates about my food choices vs other product choices - for example, I have been choosing not to eat meat because I don't like the idea of factory farming. But at the same time, I tend to buy clothes that are inexpensive but very likely made in a sweatshop in a developing country. While I am fortunate to be in a situation in which I can make better food choices, why can't I make better choices with other products? I do try to support more "artisan" made products like those being sold on Etsy, but by and large it's the small price tag that draws me to the inexpensive (possibly sweatshop-produced) shirt vs the "fair trade" item or the homemade, but more expensive item. Then I remind myself (or try to convince myself) that it's not all or nothing - that every choice counts. And so I turn a blind eye...
ReplyDeleteSorry, that's straying from the vegetarianism discussion...
But on the topic of eating seasonally and living off the land as Kelly wrote above... have either of you read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver? Although not all of us are in the same situation as the author, it was still an eye-opening and informative book.
PS to Kelly: I love what you said about "paying attention to what happens to your body and energy when you eat." I remember when I started practicing yoga, I asked my instructor about yoga and vegetarianism and how it seemed to me that the 2 were inextricably connected. At that time I was interested in further yoga training, and I asked her if she recommended vegetarianism (I had given up red meat and poultry at the time, but not fish). I loved her response - "you do what's right for your own body."
ReplyDeleteI do like what Michael Pollan says: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."
The "not too much" is a hard one for me though. ;-)
(That was a long PS, sorry!)
Bring on the long P.S.ers, Mia. I always want to hear what you have to say. I tried the Kingsolver book, but it was too dense for me. It's very hard for me to occasionally eat meat because my not-eating-meat has to do with the idea of killing the animal to get it to me, more than it has to do with my body. So sometimes I err on the side of not listening to my body to protect the animal. I ponder this often and long, because I don't know what God/the universe/evolution would have me to. I want to do what's right, and I don't know what that is. I like Michael Pollan a lot. I keep trying to adhere. But as with everything, I question. Thank you for your thoughtful post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for beginning, and continuing this conversation! It's something A. and I talk about too. His reasons for vegetarianism are religious in nature, also having to do with not killing the animal. Although he did "rebel" for a while and eat chicken as a young adult. Very occasionally both of us sometimes have intense cravings for chicken (and I sometimes crave fish). I feel though that many times my cravings are linked to particular memories of eating a very specific chicken dish or fish that I grew up eating back home. (Imagine eating a just-caught grilled fish on banana leaves on the beach - it would be hard to resist.) Most of the time though, I really don't miss it - non-vegetarians sometimes ask "well what DO you eat?" not realizing the myriad of options we have available to us as vegetarians!
DeleteI really appreciate your honesty and humor about going back to chicken for a while! I was reading something about how certain body compositions (or is it blood types) actually benefit from eating a little, good-quality meat (in reasonable portions), especially in the colder months. I wonder if that had something to do with your chicken/turkey phase?