Managing the end of an unsustainable way of eating
J. Morris Hicks, eating 4-Leaf for health, hope and harmony on planet Earth
We have all grown up during an era of abundant food; with almost anything we desire, we can have — anywhere, anytime. The only drivers of our food choices have become the big three: taste, cost and convenience.
The problem is that a great many of us have never given much thought to some of the other VERY important factors that should also be considered. I call them the “4-G’s” of responsible dining — Good for you, Green (as in environmentally friendly), Generous for the world’s hungry and Gentle on the animals.
Conveniently, without compromising the taste, cost and convenience — we can all do so much more…simply by choosing to eat a lot more whole plants every chance we get.
- Good for you. We now have scientific and clinical proof that a whole foods, plant-based diet promotes vibrant health, reverses chronic disease and makes weight-loss an effortless fringe benefit. The way we’re now eating drives chronic disease, out-of-control cost of health care, and unprecedented obesity.
- Green. Everyone claims to care about the environment…yet most simply don’t realize the incredible damage that our typical western diet is inflicting on all facets of it — rivers, forests, oceans, climate, topsoil, fossil fuels and biodiversity. Eating green is a really big deal and, as Dr. Campbell says, “If we eat the way that promotes the best health for ourselves, we also promote the best health for the planet.”
- Generous. With roughly one acre of arable land on planet Earth for every human, we simply can’t continue to consume a diet that requires over three acres per person. By eating more whole plants, each of us can get plenty to eat on just 1/6 of one acre…freeing up vast amounts of arable land to feed everyone a green, health-promoting diet.
- Gentle. There are 60 billion animals that live a miserable life and are then slaughtered each year so that we can enjoy eating their flesh. Almost everyone cares about animals; by eating a health-promoting diet of whole plants for ourselves, we can take giant steps toward ending this totally unsustainable way of eating…and needless suffering of so many innocent animals.
Adirondack Dining at it's Best. Warning! Eating all you want of delicious, nutritious and beautiful food can be habit forming. For best results, hang onto that habit for the rest of your vibrantly healthy life.
But what about the big three…taste, cost and convenience? Not a problem; we are creatures of habit and our way of eating is a habit, even though sometimes it seems like an addiction.
Once we shift to a whole foods, plant-based diet; our tastes do change and it only takes a few months. Then, as we begin to experience the numerous health benefits of an optimal diet, we soon reach the point when we’d never consider returning to our old way of eating.
As for cost, a healthy — and very tasty — plant-based meal can be ordered in almost any restaurant for about half the price of the other entrees. And if you factor in the cost of health care, medications, or environmental damage — it’s not even close. The diet we’re now eating is the most expensive human diet in history — it’s also unsustainable.
For more info on the optimal and sustainable diet for humans, check out the “big picture” page. If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.
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—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com
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J. Morris Hicks, engineer. writer. big picture guy. 