hello everyone
Posted by nina L on Dec 03, 2010 · Member since Nov 2008 · 1 posts
Hello. I am not a vegetarian, but would like to make my life healthier. I don't eat meat a lot, but can't seem to fend it off. Have any suggestions? What are some of your favorite recipes that you think I might like. I live in Birmingham, Alabama and we just finally got a Whole Foods Market in town. We seem to be a good bit behind in the health markets over here.
Hi Nina! Welcome! I am new to this site also, but have found it be full of helpful information! I really recommend getting a few good cookbooks, check out the cookbook lab. I was overwhelmed at first with the choices and I was clueless as to what to get. Quintessence Challis has a 2-book set Radiant Health, Inner Wealth and the Two-Week Wellness Solution that I am really enjoying. I also got a cheap copy of Supermarket Vegan from amazon marketplace and 1,000 Vegan Recipes. And I downloaded the Recipe finder to my ipod touch. You are SO fortunate to have a Whole Foods market! I live in a rural area of East Texas and we have a very small Jack's Natural Foods and a few rows of organic stuff inside a Drug Emporium and that's IT. Make sure you eat a balanced variety of foods
Hi & welcome!
I'm herbivorous in Arkansas... that's kinda like trying it in Alabama, lol! Definitely not the resources of SanFrancisco at our disposal, but it gets easy anyway with a little practice...
As to fending off the animal junk... look past the forces of habit and momentary taste sensations: what if baby chimpanzee tastes really good (some assert that it does); what if human brains taste really good (some tribes have thought so); what if everyone around you sees no problem with eating it-- even considers it a delicacy!... is it still gross to find the severed hand of an infant primate floating in your soup? or to eat scrambled human brains?
YEP!!!
I don't care *what* it tastes like, or what everyone else is doing... some things are just too gross to eat.
The more I learned about how similar human animals & other animals are neurologically (especially mammals! but all critters with a nervous system); about how animal cruelty that would get you arrested if you did it to your dog is rewarded if you're an agribusiness corporation doing it to a cow or pig or chicken; about how industrial animal ag trashes the land and air and water for miles and miles around, and wastes resources at a level unprecedented in human history; about how an animal-based diet chops years off your life, and quality off your years (stroke/ diabetes/ heart disease/ hypertension/ osteoporosis/ Alzheimers/ cancer/ etc etc etc etc)...
Man, that stuff is NOT appetizing anymore! (blech/ heave!) That is just some *nasty* shit, and I can't believe I ever ate it.
It's just a perspective shift, based on what you know and what you value... taste is habit, to large degree, and once your palate identifies with a veg diet, it's *that* food you crave... that's been my experience anyway.
So I'd say, yes, read! but not cookbooks (or at least not JUST cookbooks)... Jonathan Safran Foer's 'Eating Animals' and John Robbins' 'Diet for a New America' are two of my favorite summaries of all the health/ environment/ ethics issues supporting a plant-based diet as a fabulous idea... pcrm.org, vrg.org, & godairyfree.com are good resources too. There's a good video available on amazon.com called 'Eating, 3rd edition' (produced by Mike Anderson) that does a good job of presenting the reasons an animal-based diet is a disaster in progress, for Western countries & anyone who copies their diets... T. Colin Campbell's 'The China Study' is also an excellent read, regarding the health benefits of being herbivorous (especially re: cancer).
There's more reading recommendations here: http://www.shelfari.com/groups/59543/discussions/227065/Vegetarian-Librarian-Must-Have-Veg-n-Media & food/ cooking tips here: http://www.shelfari.com/groups/59543/discussions/227068/Article-Brave-New-Food...
That's a lot of info-- don't mean to overwhelm! Hope it's helpful some... mainly just explore the reasons people go veg; and explore new recipes & veggie food blogs & new foods like kale chips/ cashew cheez/ nutritional yeast (mmmmmm!)... and have fun with it!
Let us know if we can help in any way... & welcome to VW!
:)
Whole Foods is great for an occasional treat or specialty ingredient, but all-in-all, I find them to be overpriced without real variety. Compare their produce prices to Organic Harvest and they'll probably be higher. Lots of veggies with some fruit and legumes and a bit of grains is a good mix and available at all grocery stores.
All the best! Nice to see you here!
Welcome! I find that making meals in advance and buying things in bulk have helped me to keep food costs low. Good luck!
:)>>>I 'm not also a vegetarian nor meat eater but since I'm a health conscious and beauty consultant. I should have to be choosy or picky in eating and preparing food to my family and friend.
hello,I'm new here,this is the frist time I'm here :D,something I don't know I need your help and guidance.