Many of us greatly underestimate the power that our food has on us, on a daily basis. The average American eats less than the recommended 35 grams of fiber a day, runs on caffeine day and night, obsesses over any food product that boasts the word "protein", visits the gym excessively (as if health and weight loss is dependent on exercise alone), and is addicted to CHEESE! (fermented breast milk of a cow intended for its baby). We neglect our health striving for beach bodies, wanting to have our cake and eat it too (literally), and watch our friends and loved ones destroy themselves alongside us. We don't care about fair and unbiased nutritional research - because last week rice was considered good and now its said to be bad, and you should apparently put sticks of
butter and coconut oil in your coffee for maximum energy! (yes, someone actually advocates this)
In the past year you may have seen the word VEGAN pop up more often. Maybe its a hoax, or a conspiracy, or just a bunch of whiny activists crying for attention.
Or maybe its sensible. About 4 years ago I started college with my soon to be wife. We enjoyed a smoothie as much as the average person but never paid much attention to diets or health food. We then became vegetarians, (still eating eggs and dairy products) and started looking more into whats in our food. The word vegan came up on occasion as we desired to try it yet received kickback from friends and family urging us to keep eating dairy and eggs for the 'necessary protein'. I became tired of these unfounded claims and one day came across a video that changed our lives forever:
Gary Yourofsky is an animal rights activist that raises moral and scientific questions about why we continue to eat animals and their byproducts when its unnecessary to do so for good health. My fiance and I converted overnight. Although it raised more questions in my mind: What ARE we designed to eat? Surely athletes like myself could not sustain themselves on broccoli and spinach alone. I was getting bored of snacking on almonds, and at the time, I didn't want to spend $13 a night on a veggie stir fry or burger I had to drive halfway across town to enjoy. After searching for more answers, it suddenly began to click. As if common sense was in my face all along.
Everybody knows fruits and vegetables are health foods. But in today's world they're often limited to snack time, in between a tuna sandwich and fries or before tonight's steak dinner (Why meat is toxic to human health: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/meat/). They're put on a small side platter alongside some bacon and pancakes. Their flavors are extracted to make sodas and candies. When was the last time you saw a banana commercial on TV? An apple ad? (non-computer) A celebrity promoting mangoes?
Fruits and greens are human foods, meant for consumption in large quantities. Hence why the average person eats two bananas and a handful of berries then quits on veganism due to being "too hungry"!
I start my day with a smoothie made of 5-6 bananas and whatever other fruits and juices I find
Lunch: seasonal mangos or a pound of black grapes with a lint of lime
Dinner: Large salads with potatoes, or even more fruits if I crave it.
Never have I felt so alive by eating abundantly, and eating from the earth. Never have I felt so at peace with myself and others by adopting a lifestyle that avoids harming animals and avoids harming myself. Some ask if i'll ever go back: but the truth is, I simply could not. Eating and living this way is a progression of self. Similar to how I'd never go back to wearing diapers or riding a bike with training wheels. If you're interested in a plant based diet high in fruits and greens, i'd recommend these websites for science, ethics and valuable information to help get you started. Cheers!
http://www.nutritionfacts.org/
http://www.wthfilm.com/
http://www.cowspiracy.com/
http://www.adaptt.org/
http://www.vegansidekick.com/
http://www.thefruitarian.com/