If You Won't Eat Your Cat or Dog, Why Will You Eat a Cow (Pig or Chicken)?

Today is March 20th, the first day of spring and also marks the 27th year of Meatout, an international, grass-roots campaign that encourages people to kick the meat habit and explore a wholesome, nonviolent diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

To me it's fitting that it also falls on the day after I attended Melanie Joy's presentation to discuss her book, Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows, which has had me reflecting on my own journey towards a plant-based diet ever since.

Almost four years ago, I gave up meat and most dairy (kicking dairy completely was a more gradual process) in pursuit of better health. But along the way, my eyes were finally opened to the moral and ethical issues associated with consuming animal products that I'd been blind to for so long. Looking back, it's hard to believe that there was ever a time when I didn't see meat for what it was (dead animals).

How is that possible? How could my animal-loving self have spent hours caring for my horses, cats and dogs - each of whom had such a distinct and fun personality - and never wonder about the personalities or lives of the animals that ended up on my plate? Why was it okay to eat a cow or a chicken or a pig when I would be physically ill at the thought of ever eating one of my pets? Why were some animals friends while others were food?

Dr. Joy spoke last night about the gap that exists in our culture that perpetuates what she calls carnism, the ideology in which people choose to eat animals. From the time we are young, we are taught to categorize a small number as animals as being acceptable to eat. Over time, we become desensitized and detached, seeing beef as something that comes in a package at Publix rather than the sentient being called a cow that it actually is. Disconnecting us from the source of our "food" is the only way to perpetuate the myth that eating meat is normal, natural and necessary.

Myself with Jill of Vegan in the Kitchen, Dr. Melanie Joy, Regina of Motherhood University and Gretchen of What a Health Family Eats.

To me, what started out as a quest for better health has resulted in so much more. Moving towards a way of life that inflicts less harm on animals and our environment has has allowed me improve more than just my physical health but my emotional and spiritual wellness as well.

My biggest challenge in this process has been understanding that not everyone has seen what I see - yet. The more I learn, the more I have trouble keeping my mouth shut about it, and struggle to find the fine line between advocacy and pain-in-the-ass. I know that I can't change anyone's mind - that's something only they have the power to do. I just hope I can play a small role in helping people realize they need to reclaim that power, do their own research and decide for themselves what feels right for their hearts (and bodies).

Many thanks to Dr. Joy for a thought-provoking evening. For more details on the content of last night's presentation, be sure to check out the great post at Vegan in the Kitchen.

Food for Thought Thursday - Disease Proof Your Child

Nutritional research is what made me realize how important our food choices are to current and future health. On Thursdays, I'll be sharing the latest articles and research on how nutrition affects our health.

So did that title get your attention? It certainly got mine the first time I heard it. But before I share about this book, I'm going to give you a little back story about how I came to care about nutrition.

I can pretty much sum it up in four words: I had a baby. When it was just Jim and I, and we were - ahem - younger, it was easy to feel invincible. We worked out like maniacs because we enjoyed it, and while we thought we ate fairly well, we really did not. And then Big Sprout came along . . .

During my pregnancy, we did everything possible to ensure the healthiest, most natural beginning for our son. After much research, we decided on a natural childbirth at home, exclusive breastfeeding, cloth diapering . . . the works. I made homemade baby food from organic produce - which incidentally, he declined, preferring to wait on solids until he was old enough to eat off our plate.

And about a year into his life there was a moment . . . he reached for something I was eating to have some for himself. I can't remember what it was, but I do remember that there was no way I was letting it go into his perfect, pure little body. And that's what I knew that we had to make some changes.

About the same time, I learned from my midwife and my pediatrician about a whole food nutrition product called Juice Plus. Our pediatrician said that he saw a drastic reduction in viruses, asthma and overall illness in the children in his practice that took it. That, of course, was music to our ears and our entire family has taken it ever since. But more than that, it triggered my interest in learning more about the link between nutrition and our health . . . and over the next few years, that's what I did.

So when my friend Gretchen, a wellness coach and author of What a Healthy Family Eats, recommended Disease Proof Your Child by Dr. Joel Fuhrman in her newsletter, I ordered it that same day. How do you resist a title like that??? In the book, Dr. Fuhrman explains the importance of establishing healthy habits for our children, covers the prevention and treatment of common childhood illnesses with food and includes an entire section of kid-friendly recipes. I also ordered Eat to Live, another of Dr. Fuhrman's books, at the same time, and thus began our journey towards a plant-based diet.

Although I know we still have much more to learn and many more steps to take in our journey towards health, I couldn't be more pleased with where we are right now.

At 7 and 4,  neither of my kids have ever had an ear infection or other illness requiring a sick visit to the doctor. Neither had ever had a prescription drug until Big Sprout needed antibiotics last year for a tooth infection due to bad dental work - and it's probably been over a decade since Jim or I have had one. None of us have been sick with anything more than a runny nose in the past three years - and when we are sick, it usually lasts only hours or days.

Are we lucky??? I'm certain of it. But I also can't imagine that we would be enjoying such great health without a plant-based diet, Juice Plus and an active lifestyle. I feel like I've discovered what is - for us, at least - the formula for great health . . . and I'm sticking to it!!! And if I've totally jinxed myself and we all get the flu next week, I'm blaming it on the blog!