In life there are moments where you literally wonder - "How did I get here?".
How did I get to a place where I feel comfortable and satisfied and balanced WHILE sitting at my computer eating a pile of red river cereal, topped with kale which was blanched in the miso soup I am drinking from my favourite coffee mug? And loving it?!
I have been travelling for the past two weeks, and this is the first chance I have had to blog about the healthiest vacation I have ever taken.
Enter "Holistic Holiday at Sea", a vegan cruise designed to rebalance and subtly reboot body, brain and soul. I first learned of the cruise in a great magazine called "Veg News", a contemporary vegan magazine. Great articles - great recipes (another batch of brie is culturing on my kitchen counter right now!), and great and provocative ideas.
We weren't able to go for the past two years for a host of reasons. But we did make it a priority for 2013. This cruise was exactly where we needed to be.
I am 100% vegan about 94% of the time, and I am comfortable with that. There are some times when I yield to a familiar, yet non-vegan edible, but it really isn't often any more. I have noticed such a huge improvement in my overall health that I don't want to go back.
I have more time.
I have more disposable income.
I have a better figure
I have a healthier spouse
I have a healthier child
I have perfect blood pressure and perfect cholesterol levels
I have better dental checkups
I have a smaller environmental footprint
My body eliminates toxins more easily and can focus on those which I can't consciously avoid, like air quality and VOCs.
I sleep well at night knowing that no animal or fish suffered for my sustenance
I recover more quickly after workouts
I have cleaner, more efficient energy for my workouts.
and...here's the kicker...
I eat food that is more delicious than before I went vegan.
The cruise was spiked with the most intellectually delicious lectures I have ever attended. My friend Andy described the guest list of lecturers as "Vegan Rock Star Royalty".
T. Colin Campbell, Neil Barnard, Warren Kramer, Rory Freedman, Coleen Patrick-Goudreau and Jessica Porter to name just a few.
To hear Dr. Barnard's simple explanation for why humans are literally DESIGNED to eat colourful plants was one of those "lightbulb moments". We have colour vision! Dogs, cats and other predators are colour blind. They are designed to catch their prey through sensing and seeing movement. And scent. Anyone who gardens knows that the ripe fruits and veggies literally beg to be picked. They are bursting off the plant, vibrant with fresh smells and ripe juices. It's like one giant STOP sign that says "EAT HERE!" It's why fast food restaurants draw you in with red and yellow signs, not to mention a rainbow of other colours, and then proceed to serve you white and brown food.
Our eating impulses are driven by colour.
Even our teeth, flat molars and all, don't have the fangs and ripping power of even the most docile cat or dog. And people have an extremely long digestive tract designed to assimilate plants, and perhaps the occasional scrap of animal food or insect, unlike our carniverous friends whose digestive innerds are much shorter.
Point is, this cruise was extraordinary for me. I slept at night, awoke at dawn, meditated, exercised, ate regularly, stretched my mind, made time for loved ones and nurtured friendships. I let go of some baggage and about five pounds.
I can't wait to get back to these blogs, write recipes and meal plans for my friends, and share photos of my offerings. For now, though, I will get through my kale porridge, and polish off the last few sips of miso soup.
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