Seasonal eating
Once while riding the train into school I picked up a local publication which had a interview with John Doulillard. He is considered a Ayurvedic expert and I found his advice in this interview great. It felt like a breath of clean air. Something that made sense to me, but I could never put my finger on it before. In the article he says:
”Another thing that’s important to realize is that we’re connected to cycles of nature, and we can’t swim against the tide forever. [...] But we insulate ourselves from those cycles. We can get back in rhythm by eating with the season’s cycles, eating more protein in the winter and more greens and berries in the spring and summer to detoxify after a long winter of eating meats and grains and soups and stews and heavy, warm winter food. Detoxifying food is what nature gives us then; greens are alkaline to open the lymph system, berries and cherries are high in antioxidants and proanthocyanidins. Then, after you clean house in the spring, you get energy for the long days in the summer with your high-carbohydrate foods.”
While I am not perfect in this practice, I have been striving to follow what the cycles of the earth have taught us. It has been over a month and a half since I have had any meat. The first response I get from people is “where do you get your protein from?” People are really surprised when I explain to them that vegetables contain protein. The experts also remind us that we only need about 50 grams of the nutrient a day.
Now, my body was not ready for this change. I come from a meat and potatoes family. My dad would be out in snow storms on occasions just to grill something. And in the summer we enjoyed a grilled dinner more than 3/4 a month. So the change was hard for me. But once I made it a part of me by committing my mind to the idea it became easier.
Will I eat meat again. Yes I will. But during the summer I am on a plant based diet. I will not eat another summer sausage, but a hearty stew will do good. The best advice I have ever heard to to eat meat sparingly.
