“By taking care of your body and consciousness, you will impact everyone in your life-whether you see it or not.”
Alicia Silverstone, The Kind Diet
Many people are changing how they look at food. It is so exciting. Celebrities are promoting vegetarian and vegan diets for so many reasons. The reasons to go vegetarian or vegan are too vast to fit into a blog post. But I can tell you my story and my reason for going vegan.
My husband’s cholesterol was way too high. It was scary. I went to the doctor with him. The doctor told us to watch the movie Forks Over Knives. We watched it that night. I told my husband I would never eat meat again.
The reasons to go vegan were just too strong for me to ignore any longer. I have had this goal for inner peace way too long. I always knew that taking care of my body was bringing me closer to this goal. I felt something good when I knew I was eating right and exercising. I also knew I could still be pretty healthy if I consumed animal products. What I was not thinking about was the connection to the earth and environment I would gain by switching to a plant-based diet and eliminating animal products altogether.
Religious leaders for centuries have taught non-violence. For that reason, many religions today promote vegetarianism. I am not here to try to make anyone feel guilty for eating animals. I ate animal products for years and gave them up pretty recently. I do not even want to convince anyone to go vegan. That is not my purpose. Everyone has to do what works for them. I just want to talk about the benefits going vegan has given me.
I like to be mindful. I like to think about from where my food is coming. Paul McCartney says: “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian”. His 20 minute video “Glass Walls” can be found by a simple youtube search. I will not post it here, because it is very graphic. If you decide to watch it, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
I can no longer promote that kind of violence. Ethical living is part of most religions. The reason for ethical living is so you can keep your mind on God. When I do not consume animal products, I feel at peace with my actions. I feel lighter. I feel closer to God. The connection is made.
There is a reason I wrote this post on a Monday. Paul McCartney started a movement called “Meat-Free Monday”. He says if you can’t give up meat entirely, then just do it once a week. Hence, “meat-free mondays” were born!
Most sources say that you save over 100 animals a year by going vegetarian. That number is actually small when you consider that says it takes about 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef (www.vegsource.com). The statisics are endless.
If I am doing my numbers right, that means one person could save 14 animals a year by participating in meat-free mondays. That number is nothing to laugh at, especially if you compare it saving your family pet’s life! If I look at it that way, one animal a year would be worth it!
“According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the livestock sector is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global” (www.meatfreemondays.com). Meat free mondays can be a fun thing with which to experiment! Try it and see how you feel. Let me know with your comments below! You may be like me and feel more connected to God and our beautiful earth. It is fun to search new veggie recipes and to think of all the vitamins you are putting in your body when you eat healthy. I love it.
I went to a vegan restaurant this weekend called, The Chicago Diner. Check it out at http://www.veggiediner.com. The food is OUTSTANDING! It just goes to prove that you do not need animal products to enjoy food. Below are pictures of what we ordered. It was absolutely amazing.
I am categorizing this post under “Holistic Health”. I define holistic health as ways to be closer to God, so it could also be posted under “How to Sight God”. I just want to create a separate category for holistic health tips and healthy recipes. It is more of a sub-category of “How to Sight God”.
Alicia Silverstone dedicates her book, The Kind Diet, to “those who do their best to tread lightly on the earth”. That sticks with me. I want to tread lightly on the earth. I believe we all can tread lightly with our actions and thoughts. It is not only about being kind to other creatures but being kind to yourself. Eat things that do your body and mind good. I find that when I do this, God is right there.
Peace, Love, and Animals,
Elizabeth
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photo credit:
Flickr creative commons: Paul Rowe, Kunekune Cuteness, Small inquisitive Kunekune piglet at Karamatura Farm Park, Huia, Auckland. https://www.flickr.com/photos/armchaircaver/4468567199/in/photolist-4vZkCb-7NSzm4-8z5r9t-8z8y6J-8z8xeW-4syGAY-7DW5nT-e8LG9z-anPQjo-57Cc2R-57CbFR-57CcH2-6rq2jr-ojK152-ar1oss-9QgAaX-5gChaM-4nt81w-cPBz1Y-nhMxjo-57Cbr2-9BeQ8c-e9VpGf-nbSCoX-5BP4Dp-8REL7T-5vWWWG-f9o37e-5vhxTw-81Efzp-5anP27-51do6f-dzwAh-3oAYGa-2d5NfZ-8hKSN5-4WwQb4-dPtxR-5UtT71-LVfU9-4aDifC-nUf1Q-5BP4Nt-3Uouxd-dxvWEP-8qPwMh-8qPxAq-aqXKoR-ar1qwf-8JpK3C.
Flickr creative commons: le vent le cri,
oink =), https://www.flickr.com/photos/leventlecri/2308436086/in/photolist-4vZkCb-7NSzm4-ar1oss-8z5r9t-9QgAaX-5gChaM-8z8y6J-8z8xeW-4syGAY-4nt81w-cPBz1Y-7DW5nT-e8LG9z-nhMxjo-57Cbr2-anPQjo-57Cc2R-57CbFR-57CcH2-9BeQ8c-e9VpGf-nbSCoX-6rq2jr-ojK152-5BP4Dp-8REL7T-5vhxTw-81Efzp-5anP27-51do6f-dzwAh-5vWWWG-3oAYGa-2d5NfZ-8hKSN5-4WwQb4-dPtxR-5UtT71-LVfU9-4aDifC-nUf1Q-5BP4Nt-3Uouxd-dxvWEP-8qPwMh-8qPxAq-f9o37e-aqXKoR-ar1qwf-8JpK3C