Healthy Eating Healthy Planet: Oprah

Welcome to Nature Maven's Healthy Eating Healthy Planet Blog

Welcome! If you're a vegan, you'll find support and suggestions you may be able to use here. If you're a vegetarian as I was when I started this blog in June 2008, reading my archived posts may be of interest to you. If you haven't gotten here already, I hope you'll consider trying the vegan way of life, too.

As I try new recipes, learn to eat in restaurants, entertain non-veg friends and make the changes necessary to bring my life into greater harmony with the planet, I share what I learn. And little joys and other thoughts get thrown into the mix here, too.

In March 2009 after starting to read The Engine 2 Diet by vegan firefighter Rip Esselstyn, I became fully vegan, to the best of my knowledge and ability, and I post entries here as I live and learn in this lifestyle. It's definitely a process of experience and discovery.

Please check out the Vegan News Headlines supplied by Google News Reader down on the right, and see my Blogroll for just a few of the choice blogs and websites I've found useful.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Starting the Journey

I began my change in eating on June 11, 2008 after hearing that Oprah was experimenting with a vegan lifestyle. I went to her website, then her blog on this subject, and off in search of more information. Then I stumbled upon a vegan website that showed a graphic and very disturbing video documenting cruelty in the raising and slaughtering of animals for food. I knew there were ugly truths inherent in eating meat, but this time I had reached a tipping point, and thus begins my life as a vegetarian heading toward veganism.

I posted this on June 13 here on the Daily Kos website. I received scores of supportive comments, and I am very grateful for the suggestions I've received thus far. Today is my birthday, a day I spent with family hiking in a boreal bog and learning about plants that have adapted to living far south of their intended range. I feel even closer to the nature that I love having made the decision to abstain from eating meat and avoiding dairy and fish as best I can. I will chronicle the experience here.