Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
14th January 2023
Vegan Make a Difference
If you haven’t been tempted to try Veganuary yet, there’s still time. And by signing up at www.veganuary.com you will receive loads of encouragement and recipe ideas and can also download a celebrity cookbook with lots of tips, meal plans and motivation.
Veganuary is a non-profit organisation that encourages people worldwide to try veganism for the month of January and possibly longer. In January 2022, 620,000 people from over 220 countries signed up to be plant-based for the month. A large proportion stayed that way – or significantly reduced their meat and dairy intake – because they felt healthier.
I was plant-based (I prefer that description to ‘vegan’), for five years but I finally decided that I didn’t want to keep my rescued hens and give their eggs away, so I am now slightly more flexible and without a ‘title’. Don’t get caught up in all that pressure. People wanted to label me a ‘vegan who eats eggs’ a ‘flexigan’ or ‘mostly vegan’, whilst other more creative friends called me ‘veggan’. I think it is far more helpful just to focus on the food. There is a huge range of plant based foods to choose from now, making it simple to avoid animal based products, but try not to overlook the most basic staples – vegatables.
Most of my friends who have switched to a meat-free diet said they struggled with ‘learning to love veggies’ and tended to default to baked beans and chips in ‘panic’. I think you do have to learn a different way of cooking to make a plant based diet sustainable. And, like everything, preparation is key. But just get a few of your favourite veg dishes under your belt and you’re there.
One food poll showed that 70% of people eat the same seven regular meals every week and usually on the same day. The main reason cited was a lack of time and confidence to try new recipes and many admit to lying to friends to make their diets sound more exciting. It’s not surprising that trying to sustain a whole new ‘diet’ can be tricky for some.
From a gardener’s point of view I think one of the best things you can do to help yourself make the shift is to grow your own herbs. They are obviously a boon for any kind of cookery, but fresh herbs really add that something special to plant-based dishes. Most can be grown on a windowsill throughout the winter too, but don’t be discouraged if you can’t keep the supermarket herbs productive. They are grown so quickly they don’t have time to establish a substantial enough root system to support the top growth. You are better off buying small pots of herbs from a garden centre. And if you’re not already, get acquainted with your local garden centre as I bet, after Veganuary, you will probably be more inspired to try growing some of your own veg too.
Walking Back(wards) to Happiness
According to the American College of Sports medicine worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2023, ‘wearable technology’ is a fast growing ‘trend’ – and is something that I just haven’t managed to embrace on any level. I can understand how people would find it helpful to have their steps counted, their sleeping patterns logged and other personal information recorded for them, it’s just not for me.
Strength training with free weights and body training weight training are also highlighted as two ‘trends’ likely to gather momentum through 2023 – and which I can fully embrace.
I love my Zuu classes and whilst it is promoted as ‘the world’s hardest body weight training’, I love the spirit in which it is taught and the results it yields. Do have a look at www.zuufit.com or contact certified partner, Scott Morris for more local details and classes. Tel: 07549943231 or email scott2mod@aol.com
Fitness programmes for older adults, functional fitness training and outdoor activities are also in the top 10 ‘fitness trends’ for this year. And of course are all things I embrace and live fully. Nice to be ahead of the curve for once – and obviously in something that doesn’t involve technology.
Interestingly, some of these old favourites have been given creative names, presumably in an attempt to attract a new audience. Biophilia Training, for example, is the new ‘buzz’ title for training outdoors. Exercise Snacking refers to ‘bite-sized snippets of activity’, which in turn promotes quality over quantity, and therefore – something I bang the drum about a lot – good form.
Apparently, Reverse Running is, er, ‘picking up speed’ and is basically what the name suggests. I have actually been walking backwards up steep hills as part of my training for a while, but I’m not so keen on the thought of running backwards for obvious reasons. Wise Walking, which is also known as or 12-3-30, more descriptive but not so catchy, is a treadmill-based workout where you set the treadmill to an incline of 12 and a speed of 3 miles per hour and then walk for 30 minutes.
And finally, what every newly qualified Pilates teacher (like myself) wants to read – “Pilates: The endless benefits and variety of different ways to enjoy Pilates mean this really is the one trend you can’t ignore in 2023.”
Time to Repair
During extreme weather of any kind, Dad always used to say that ‘nature will always balance itself out’. Had he been alive last year he would definitely have said that the drought would be balanced out with a lot of rain at some stage. I don’t think it’s the most technical prophecy but it does seem to be accurate. The ground is far too wet to work on at them moment, and we are having to choose our jobs carefully in work. There are always repairs to be made – especially as we seem to be getting stronger and stronger winds – so we are repairing fences, replacing trelliswork and re-felting shed roofs – and spending a lot of time drying out our wet weather gear.
It’s good to remember, this too shall pass and we’ll soon have our feet firmly on the ground again.
Something many people don’t realise ‘about plant based food’ is that it’s far cheaper to produce than meat based product. It is sold at either the same price as meat products, or at a greater mark up. It does make me wonder if greed isn’t the real motive behind the great push to promote veganism. Stay dry!