However, it was a raining-sideways day yesterday in Seattle so I watched the DVD Forks Over Knives, and was convinced by some mighty strong arguments that most of our health problems could be alleviated by eating in this way. Since I am now at an age when feeling healthier has become an attractive proposition, an overhaul in the way I eat seems more palatable than in the past.
A surgeon and a scientist, both raised on farms as kids, talk about the knowledge they have gained over time, and other health care professionals also share their stories. The most compelling stories in the DVD concern several people who have reversed serious diseases by eating a plant-based diet, as well as a group of firemen who eat this way and have become healthier and increased their fitness, despite living in a state where meat consumption is practically mandatory.
During the course of my kid-dom at various times we raised and ate rabbit and chicken. I was too young to have any idea how the rabbits ended up on our plates, but I did participate in the plucking of chickens a few times and it was truly awful - smelly, messy, distasteful in every way.
The big issue for me is how to make such a huge shift in my shopping list. I'm not much of a chef, so perhaps simpler is better. Giving up the eating of meat doesn't alarm me, since I have already discovered some excellent non-meat substitutes (there are some tasty items available now). I've already shifted from milk to soy milk, but I do love a good slice of cheese and an occasional scoop of ice cream. I've already shifted from butter to Smart Balance, but it will take some work to wean me off of olive oil and Smart Balance.
There is a cookbook out now that provides a range of recipes to help those of us who have absolutely no idea how to shift our eating. That will be helpful.
I did have vegetable only Chinese food last night, but somebody else cooked it for me. It was, however, perfectly satisfying - so there is hope for me. And if there's hope for me, you can't be far behind.
