Authors Tout the Benefits of Conscious Eating: Integrating Mind, Body and Spirit
By Allison Biggar
In a nation where obesity numbers are skyrocketing and cancer rates are higher than ever before, books touting the benefits of a plant-based diet are, fortunately, simultaneously emerging. Often referred to as "conscious eating," a plant based diet can lead to numerous health benefits including disease prevention, increased spirituality, and a reduction of one's carbon footprint.
"Quantum Wellness," a term coined by author Kathy Freston which refers to her book of the same name, describes the integration of mind, body, and spirit.
"Conscious eating means simply this: remaining awake and aware of how food gets to our plate- and then choosing what we eat according to our values." says Freston.
The process and implications of forming such choices are elaborated in Freston's book in which individual decisions are shown to influence the world, for good or for ill. Freston ties conscious eating to the individual choice of cultivating a humanitarian worldview, as well as personal reflection.
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Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, has recently come out with a new book that mirrors Freston's concepts. Food Rules was written after Pollan became inspired by doctors who wanted a nutrition manual to give to their patients.
Some of the rules include #11, "Avoid foods you see advertised on television," and #19, "If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't."
Whether familiar with Pollan's investigative journalism or not, his influence on conscious eating has become widespread. According to Pollan, "After spending several years trying to answer the supposedly incredibly complicated question of how we should eat in order to be maximally healthy, I discovered the answer was shockingly simple. Eat real food, not too much of it, and more plants than meat." What does he mean by real food? He specifically refers to Twinkies, which have a dangerously long shelf life, as the opposite of "real food."
Actress turned activist Alicia Silverstone is also a strong advocate of a plant-based, non-Twinkie laden diet. In her new book, The Kind Diet, Silverstone describes her journey from a typical western diet to a macrobiotic, vegan one.
"By eating a varied, plant based diet, you will strengthen your immune system, beautify your skin, increase your energy and reduce your risk (significantly) of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, allergies, asthma, and almost every other disease," says Silverstone.
Additionally, she says that eating a plant-based diet can have more impact on our environment than driving a hybrid car.
For Silverstone, a plant-based diet is less harmful to the planet as it does not use as much water, fuel, or other resources; in fact, in actually helps the soil, water, and our atmosphere to become healthier.
"Following a plant-based diet is just about the greenest thing you can do," says Silverstone.
Silverstone's ideas on these issues have support from such experts as Pollan and Freston.
Even the lives of such well regarded figures as Gandhi resonate with the potency of such a message. As Freston notes that Gandhi called his life an "experiment in truth," quantum wellness and the idea of "eating consciously" capture this ethos as well.
We cannot foresee the future, but we can make responsible decisions for ourselves and future generations by choosing to eat in ways that truly benefit our mind, body and spirit.
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