Day 4 – Earth Week Challenge

Pam says:

I started reading The Plant Paradox by Dr Steven Gundry. Trying to stay away from Lectins and just bought grass fed beef through a new local service in our community called Homegrown Hamper. Dr Gundry recommends cooking with an Instant Pot to kill the Lectins in some foods. But it doesn’t work for grains or grain finished meats. Tomatoes, potatoes, beans… these kind of vegetables are best in it apparently.
My son just moved out so I find it easier now to cook, and eat what I like instead of trying to keep him happy. I cut out bread and use a cookbook called The No Grain Baker, written by a local woman. Great recipes using almond flour, ground flax, coconut flour and psyllium instead of wheat flour. Use coconut oil for these recipes too.
We have a great cheese factory in our community so that is hard to resist, but that is about the only dairy I eat.
Wash all my fruit and vegetables with vinegar and water or baking soda in water to remove pesticide residue if I can’t find organic. Can’t remember where I picked up that tip, and not sure it actually works but better than nothing!
Trying!

Sacha says:

This is an interesting topic for me with so much to unpack. Growing up my mom invested a lot of time into nutrition so while other kids were eating pudding cups, I was munching on carrot sticks and granola, learning about probiotics and antioxidants. And then when I was a teenager, she led us all into a vegetarian lifestyle.
It wasn’t nearly as tasty as it is now. No creative blogs to draw inspiration from or Copper Branches to dine at. I was vegetarian for 10 years…and then I met my husband. I can relate to the conflict different food opinions can have. Now it seems like we swing back and forth depending on who has the most energy to take on the food chores/groceries/cooking. Because like you with your in-laws…if I come home after a busy day of work or yoga training and he has put the effort into preparing me dinner…I say thank you.❤️
I have thrown out any concept of perfection out the window. I try to eat lots of plants and mostly unprocessed foods. I love Michael Pollans books and philosophies on food. And Anthony William (the medical medium) is fascinating.
For vegan restaurants i also love the Copper Branch and if you are ever in Durham…you have to eat at Matilda’s. Yum. I’ll join you. 😘
Sorry to hear about your loss, Ally. Your bravery and vulnerability are an inspiration. Sending you my love.

Angie says:

The topic of food is a tough one for sure. Baby steps and more often than I care to admit its 1 step forward 2back. The things that seem to stick are shopping the farmers market first than going to other shops to get the things I couldn’t at the market. This helps with seasonal eating for sure. I also choose organic whenever possible. I like the Buddhist chef for easy vegan recipes. Love to you Ally 💓💓💓

Sarah says:

So sorry for your loss ally!

Thanks for approaching this subject with grace, respect + intention! Food comes with a lot of baggage. My whole world is food + nutrition and it can be empowering and overwhelming at the same time.
One thing I’ve learned from working with others in nutrition, is that no one diet fits all. I’ve worked with vegans who are superheroes and feel amazing. I’ve worked with vegans who do all the right things to support their health, and they have tooth decay and are loosing hair.

I’m totally not for eating one diet. I am all about intuitive eating, no labels and fuelling our bodies in a way that is right for us.

Personally, I’ve been a vegetarian for 17 years, I go through big cheese moods, used to live off eggs for years but developed an allergy recently. I feel good this way. I’ve never liked meat, and I am healthy and feel good without it. Some people feel very ill on a plant based diet (interesting is researching the blood type way of eating! I’m a+ which is the “vegetarian”, some are more paleo, etc)
But in this world (esp with Instagram) everyone is telling you what to eat, not to eat, etc and that’s overwhelming. I think we all need to stay in our own lane!

I strive to eat local, organic when possible (dirty dozen), and no or limited processed foods.

I find eating healthy and using all the yummy things like coconut oil/coconut butter/avocado oil/ etc complicated because, environmentally, it’s not the most sustainable. So how do we bridge the gap between eating for our bodies, feeling good etc and eating sustainably? Eating more simply I guess!

It’s a balance, like anything else.
I also have a lot of feelings about the demonizing certain foods (even vegetables or fruit) that is occurring these days, because really, it’s such a huge privilege to be able to choose what we eat, cook and even buy food!

So I am rambling but I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about food/nutrition. But in terms on sustainability, there’s a lot to unpack and talk about how food intersects health and sustainability.
Excited to read all the comments on this one!

Oh! fav plant based recipes/nutritionists is Meghan telpner (she’s incredible!).. I did her culinary nutrition program and it was brilliant! She has lots
Of well written blog
Posts on many subjects and focuses on evidence based research!

I’ll add more recipe / food inspiration later when I have time!

Jamie says:

Thank you for sharing your time, knowledge and insight. Each day I am inspired by your truth about your family dynamic during changes in lifestyle because this is a big topic in our home. I’m excited to read any resources people have on permaculture. We are so fortunate to have land and this is something I’d like to get into. There’s nothing quite like a plate full (or mostly full) of food grown right at home!

Lyndele Gauci says:

For years I was a pescatarian. I wasn’t very good at it, however: I ate a lot of soy and fake meat. I became anaemic. I discovered I have an iron deficiency and no matter what I did with food and supplements, I couldn’t get my iron levels to a safe level. Sooooo I started eating meat again. Then I became paleo and did that for a few years. This was at a time where I was working out a lot and had significant weight loss. But, this also was not sustainable for me. Again, I learned at a very young age unhealthy eating habits from my mum: the diet culture is strong with that one! And unfortunately this psychosis has plagued me and my sister (who developed an eating disorder at a very young age). So i’m now, happily, at a place with my food, where I do my very best to feed my body (and my child’s) with wholesome food. I mainly purchase my fruit and veg from farmers markets, and have recently started purchasing any meat from local farmers too. We have veggie Monday’s n vegan Friday’s. I cook meat 1-2x a week. I live off of leftovers (scottish, Can’t waste food!) I will always struggle with very low iron, my body simply cannot absorb it, but taking an iron supplement and pro/prebiotics helps! I recently purchased Vegan Cookbook for Beginners, from Rockridge Press. The 1st 40 pgs discuss history, health and a how to guide to becoming vegan. Very simple recipes and even a meal plan is included! I too struggle with inflammation, which I’ve recently discovered: when I reduce my bread intake there is a noticeable difference in my pain! Ive also recently given up refined sugar and alcohol (lapsed on the sugar front this past week) . I want to end with a quick response to our “diet culture “: I HATE the word diet. This is a personal issue going back to what I mentioned earlier. I also feel there is great power in language, and if we start practicing using different language it can have great benefits and release guilt around food. I prefer the use of the words “lifestyle” and “meals” to showcase how I feed my body. 😉 I would love to eat seasonally, buuuuuut this is also not sustainable at this time in my life. Eating organic is about half of our food intake tho, and that’s a significant jump inv the last 3 years (since having not child … funny that!)

Jodie Mulder says:

Food is a struggle for sure
Loved your wealth of knowledge
I struggle as I work crazy long hours so I do a lot of grab and go foods… which aren’t always healthy
It’s a work in progress
But it’s a struggle
With three children they don’t love to eat all the healthy foods offered either… that means cooking several meals for one dinner
I am a pescatarian although it’s a struggle lately even to eat fish but I do love my eggs still
No red meat, pork or chicken for over 12 years
But it’s easy for me as I don’t digest those items… they actually make me sick immediately so it wasn’t an environmental give up… it was a feel better give up
Bread items are the hardest as they’re easy grab and go

Another restaurant I recommend is the planet and by the bridge in Peterborough

There’s a new sustainable butcher shop opened in east city in Peterborough so that’s exciting

Ally I’m so sorry to hear about your miscarriage they’re so hard but great attitude about the learning from the purpose

Hugs
Loving this challenge

Lisa says:

I’m so sorry about the loss of your pregnancy Ally. That’s rough. My goal with pretty much everything in my life is to do what I can do. Even little steps..moving forward. Instead of cutting everything not perfect out of my diet, I increase veggie intake. I buy organic when I can. I had started to watch the show “Rotten” on netflix and became so depressed, i stopped. I just try to do positive things and hope they outweigh the bad.