THE EVOLUTION OF MY FEEDING
When in 2013 I decided to change my eating style I started an incredible adventure of experiences and learning that I still enjoy today. The evolution of my food so far has been a process, for me, very beautiful and very enriching.
I chose to lead a lifestyle as free of animal products as possible, especially for ethical reasons. Then came the sustainability and health reasons, which reinforced my choice.
The decision was quick and shocked everyone around me - even myself, to some extent. It was a great challenge. I, who had never been a lover of vegetables - rather had a problem of "disgust" with them - nor a very fan of vegetables, I went on a diet based on plants. The faces around me were a poem. And the truth, the first few days I was a bit lost. Basically, I did not know what to eat. But, fortunately, we live a wonderful time in which we have access to a huge amount of information - determine the quality of the same and contrast findings and this task of each - and little by little I have been learning a lot.
At first I focused on learning to cook varied dishes with vegetable ingredients, looking for alternatives to traditional dishes, to experiment with new flavors and textures. I needed to train my taste buds. And little by little I was expanding my repertoire of food and dishes adapted to my taste. It was quite an accomplishment, I was astonished myself when I ate food unthinkable for me.
Over time, this trend was evolving to lead a healthier and more balanced diet. It is true that a vegetable diet has the potential to be healthier than omnivores, basically because the intake of animal products is associated with various health problems (I do not say so, a lot of research and the WHO say). But beware, a vegetable diet is not always good. That is, however vegan or vegan it may be, it will not be healthy if it is not balanced or if we fill it with processed products, harmful fats, refined sugars, sweeteners, flavor enhancers, etc. So I started my own research-experimentation in this regard. The main learning was very basic and simple: more market and less supermarket. That is, more natural and fresh foods (vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts ...) and less processed foods. This was great, because I married great with my purpose of reducing trash and leading a greener life. By buying more fresh and bulk food, I CAN CARRY MY OWN BOOTS AND FABRICS, AND AVOID PACKAGING. In addition, this basic was extended with another indispensable: better local and seasonal foods. Easy; Nature is wise and knows what comes best to us in each moment and according to the place. So the ideal is to listen to him - at least once in a while;) -
Another of the results of my own personal research was to eat more raw foods and opt for the least aggressive cooking options possible. There was a new challenge for me. Luckily, and this I must thank my mother, the smoothies and the "salads" of fruit have always enchanted me. So I regained the habit of making milkshakes frequently and I learned to include more vegetables and seeds in them. In addition, I also introduced the vegetable milks and juices, taking advantage of their remains to make other recipes and throw as little food as possible - EVEN GO TO THE COMPOST, is to shoot at the end.
From there, the evolution in learning has continued and continued reading and research. I love. And every day I learn new things. I have discovered a fascinating and very unknown world for me until recently: digestion (with all its processes and protagonists). In addition to topics close to it, such as the relationship of food and emotions or the diet-health relationship. There are surprising recent investigations and very interesting about it.
In this evolution, I am very happy to find well-informed and well-spoken blogs, as well as publicity publications that bet on sharing recipes and useful information. I find it great to expand my repertoire of meals and I believe that, together, they help drive a change that generates a positive social impact.
Changing eating habits becomes hard, but it is always easier when you can share it with more people and feel that you are not alone.