The Kind Project

"Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food." 

-Hippocrates

Inspired by conversations with one of my clients, I made the decision to spend the month of May as a vegan. I know it sounds extreme coming from the girl who always has venison in her freezer and whose favorite food group is macaroni and cheese. Real cheese, not that fake soy or tofu stuff. But I couldn't help but be intrigued by the positivity this woman spoke of her three-year foray into plant-based eating. Having been an athlete her whole life and spending time around healthy, active people, she decided to give it a shot. Despite some skepticism from her children, she managed to live as a vegan for three years! Her family continued to eat meat, but she got creative and found ways to cook for the whole family and stay on track herself. She now has adopted a kind of "practicality" policy. She chooses vegan or vegetarian foods when they're available and is realistic in knowing those choices aren't always an option. Her optimism and realism have strengthened my resolve to at least give it a shot and see how it feels.

She recommended a couple resources for me to scope out and I got to it right away. I ordered Alicia Silverstone's book, "The Kind Diet", borrowed a vegan cookbook from a friend and dug out my copy of "Eat, Taste, Heal", an Ayurvedic guidebook to nutrition and eating. After reading some pretty crazy evidence and based on my own common sense, I do believe that plant-based eating lessens our carbon footprint and also softens the mark we make on this earth (via farming, shipping, producing, packaging food, etc.). While I don't intend to become a vegan for life, I'm realizing that a more mindful approach to what I put in my body, where it comes from, how it got to my plate and how I go about savoring it can impact not only my health and well-being, but also the environment I live in. Food, along with being delicious, really can be medicine. If we're conscious and aware of how we nourish our bodies, we get to take full ownership of our health.

To kick-start this 31-day escapade, I thought I'd try the latest trend in plant-based eating - a 3-day juice cleanse. I researched a few different shops and ultimately decided on Truce - a locally-owned juicery in the Uptown neighborhood. Along with selling fresh juice by the bottle, they offer two cleanses. They prepare your juice, have it ready for pick-up in either one batch (if you're cleansing for 3 days or less) or multiple (for longer programs), and neatly organize for you which juices to drink when.

I started with my first juice this morning. It definitely takes some getting used to - I know that I would much rather chew my salad than drink it through a straw! However, I'm just trying to savor the experience. So many people testify that juicing makes them see colors brighter, gives them more vitality and energy, heightens their senses. I can definitely agree on those fronts. My tummy feels a bit empty but it's also nice to give my stomach and intestines a break from digesting all the heavy food that I eat. Imagine how I'll feel on day 3!

After my 3 days of juicing, I'll undoubtedly be ready for some solid foods and I can't wait to experiment with a few of the recipes in Alicia's book as well as some awesome recommendations from friends. I'm also stoked to try out the vegan menus of a few Minneapolis restaurants that I so enjoy - Cafe Barbette, French Meadow, Tao Foods. If anyone has more recommendations, please pass them on!

So here goes nothin'! The Kind Project. 31 days of eating from the earth, being mindful of and gentle toward the creatures that share this globe with us. I can't wait to see how it resets my body and my mind. Who knows, maybe I'll even end up enjoying vegan mac and cheese... ;)

I'll keep you posted on my progress!