Not so Clueless...

I recently bought and read Alicia Silverstone’s “The Kind Diet”. It caught my eye from its initial release this fall, but having mixed feelings about veganism – I held off. Well I bit the bullet last week, and I read it last night – all of it – in one go. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at meat or animal/ by-products the same way again... I’ve read many books on diet, wellness, cleansing and so on – but this one really resonated. Animal cruelty issues are one thing – but the hormones and other toxins in the highly processed food we eat are another. I haven’t eaten red meat since I was 15 (aside from a few unenjoyable instances I can count on one hand) – I initially cut it out for health reasons. And then as you can imagine, if you try eating something your body hasn’t seen in over a decade – it well – rejects it. Ewa. I don’t miss it, and I rarely crave it. Although filet mignon was my favorite meal until age 15.

Having issues with dairy, I’ve wanted to become vegan for a few years. My main concern being that also having sensitivities to corn and gluten – once you take out chicken, fish, turkey, eggs & anything with animal by-products - there isn’t much left. Reading Alicia’s book, she said a lot of people who adopt a vegan or macrobiotic diet are able to reintroduce whole wheat and gluten products after they’ve practiced clean eating. I’ve never seriously considered macrobiotic. I know Gwyneth and Madonna are fans and clearly look fantastic – I also know they have personal chefs and the extraordinary resources to hardly notice such an extreme and dramatic change in everything they put into their bodies.

Without quoting the entire book – Alicia raves that she easily lost excess weight when she changed her eating and has more energy than ever. Her struggle with acne vanished, she sleeps better and hasn’t been sick once. The list of health benefits seems is endless. The lighter footprint of organic and locavore eating (making an effort to eat only foods grown or harvested within a 100 mile radius of your home), and the cruelty-free animal existence are all added benefits.

So after careful thought and consideration, I’ve decided to try going macrobiotic, and primarily vegan for 2010. A close friend was diagnosed with celiac last year and swears she doesn’t miss the foods that used to make her so sick – food for me is a daily struggle and I’d love to get to a place where it offers more than taste. If you’re going to do something do extreme with everything you consume, LA’s the place!! I’ve looked into a macrobiotic meal delivery service – for a somewhat reasonable price you can have 5 entrees delivered each week – allowing you to add variety, convenience, and ease to your new clean existence.

Some notable celebrity vegetarians, vegans and macrobiotics are:

Macrobiotic fans: Kim Kardashian, Madonna, Gwyneth

Vegans: Ellen Degeneres & Portia de Rossi, Woody Harrelson, Ginnifer Goodwin, Tobey Maguire, Alanis Morrisette (also Canadian!)

Vegetarians: Anne Hathaway, Anna Paquin, Brooke Shields, Claudia Schiffer, Kate Winslet, Brad Pitt (yum)

So yeah - I’m officially LA crazy... Go clean or go home.

k