I’ve been on a vegan diet (was eating seafood before) but ever since I watched Paul McCartney’s video produced by PeTA “If Slaughterhouses had Glass Walls everyone would be vegetarian“, I indeed became one. This time, I’ve given up even seafood. It’s hard not to order my favorite sashimi, raw oysters, shrimp cocktails, tuna tartare, grilled fish or broiled lobsters… aww. But they are contaminated with mercury anyway, so it’s about time.
I wanted to be vegan, now that I’m not having seafood, I thought I should continue to eat dairy for protein. I’ve added vitamin E too, on top of B6, B12, D3, Iron, and Magnesium for my anemia that my neurologist had told me to take. I’ve heard that since doctors are not required to learn nutrition, I’m not sure if those combinations could cause me any harm… when I asked the doctor about dosage, he just said I could have even more.
Since the last time I was VG, there are so many more products available in the market. I’ve also been Gluten-free because I’m allergic to wheat, but GF products have even more variety. The VG butter I found at the health store Provisions in Sag Harbor is made mostly from coconut oil and it tastes just like real butter, and I love it. I’m allowing myself to have real butter too, but this is healthier.
I almost forgot to say that I’ve been avoiding carbo too, but this became a little difficult to go alongside a vegetarian diet. I can go without brown rice because I can eat Quinoa, which is actually in the seed family instead, but I LOVE rice noodles in soup, salad and stir fried vegetables, especially when I’m having a hangover. Ever since I stopped having red meat (before I gave up on chicken, turkey and duck, I stopped having cute cows and pigs), I feel like my body can not take alcohol well. I couldn’t drink too much anyway to begin with, but I get headaches and nauseous more often. Again, alcohol dries up our brain and deplete our energy, so it’s better not to drink anyway. However, I don’t seem to stop drinking.. maybe drink less.
When I go shopping or eat out, I always try to choose organic or pasture-raised cow’s dairy products without any chemicals have been added. It was beautiful this morning, so my family and I had a very tasty, clean healthy lunch at Babette’s. The beautiful owner, Barbara Layton has been a great supporter for my effort with the East Hampton Group for Wildlife, and she is eager to help us to have East Hampton Town to ban one weekend day from Hunting in the season. She gave me a strong hug and a piece of her signature vegan carrot cake to go. It was literally a heart warming gift!
I also enjoy tasty healthy lunch at Harbor Market, Provisions, Estia’s Little Kitchen, Organic Krush, Hampton Chutney and Naturally Good Food & Cafe.
I believe people who care about their health naturally cares about environment as well. It’s so great to see most of the grocery shops stopped using plastic bags and charge for paper bags. More take out food restaurants are using echo friendly containers with recycled materials, such as paper straws, which I find useless. I just don’t use straws anymore, and I almost never buy a plastic bottle of water or juice, and I try to remember to bring cloth shopping bags and a thermal cup. I don’t drink fresh orange juice in the morning because my stomach can’t take too much acid, but my family does a lot. Recently, I finally bought an electric citrus juicer which is very easy to use and clean. A plastic bottle of O.J is pretty expensive, so it’s saving us money and reducing plastic garbage. I really feel great about it!
I don’t know how exactly our plastic garbage ends up in the ocean and killing poor sea creatures, but it is a huge problem that we need to solve now. It starts from a personal level. If we think about how we were kids, it’s not that difficult, and the more you do it, it will become your habit.
I’m sure picking up garbage on the beach is a mindset to all of my readers, but my dear friend Dell Cullum’s Imagination Nature has organized another Shoreline Sweep on Saturday, April 27th from 9 a.m-1p.m, and my daughter and I will join as usual. If you’re in the Hamptons, I hope you’ll join us! I guarantee you will feel great afterwards. If you can’t come, I hope you’ll find a beach cleanup near you or organize one in your community!
