From Macrobiotics to Raw Food Vegan to Ayurveda

Food Styles

Over the past several decades I have explored macrobiotics, raw food, vegetarian, vegan cooked and raw, Ayurveda, among other food styles and traditions - so that over the years I have cycled though a lot of information and a lot of different ways of relating to food.  Each time I began to explore a new food system I wondered if I had found the perfect one.  What I learned is that there is no perfect diet and that even if we are eating a perfect diet today – the same food will not be perfect tomorrow – because health is not static – but a dynamic, ever changing thing.

I like to think that through my adventurous and enthusiastic dietary exploration that I was able to cull the best from each tradition.

Macrobiotics

I learned to LOVE sea vegetables.  To this day some of my favorite comfort foods come from the macrobiotic tradition.  Macrobiotic cuisine is always soothing and calming to me and I return to those time honored dishes again and again, especially when I am sick or under the weather.

Raw Food Vegan

Learning to prepare tasty raw vegan food was definitely an interesting challenge.  It was like learning a new language with food.  Colorful and completely fun.  The raw food vegan world is impeccable when it comes to food quality - insisting on the highest quality sea salts, fats and oil, organic fruits and vegetables.  I learned all about soaking and sprouting nuts, seeds, making awesome dehydrated flax crackers, and the like.

Ayurveda

It was fun to learn about the three doshas, vata, pitta, and kapha.  There is a lot of intuitive resonance with foods that support and nurture the three distinct doshas.  For instance, one can intuitively and easily reach for a vata-calming food remedy when the autumn winds are stirring around and one begins to feel less grounded.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian dishes are truly the color and excitement of the food world.  A plate without vegetables, fruits and the like would be a very dull plate indeed.  Creating a delicious array of vegetarian dishes is very instructive and will definitely take more time and TLC than throwing something on the grill for dinner, for instance.  

Weston A. Price Foundation

The evolution of a diet is a fascinating subject.  My personal dietary evolution ultimately lead to the Weston A Price Foundation where I learned about the important role of fat-soluble vitamins in human nutrition.  In addition, when I read  Sally Fallon's cookbook "Nourishing Traditions" I enthusiastically began making and eating all sorts of fermented food - which the plethora of posts on said subject attests to.

The dietary guidelines of the WAPF make the most sense to me because the parameters are very wide and easily accommodate various food styles, metabolic differences, individual needs and preferences.  Learn more about the Weston A. Price Foundation dietary guidelines and real food.