Spaghetti & Moose Meat

Wild Alaskan Salmon on a Stick

     The retreat center (where I'm working this summer), serves pescetarian meals for the guests and staff. Stepping off the retreat campus, many of the locals hunt for their dinner. I have been cordially invited to try moose ribs, spaghetti & moose meat, and even bear.

As a yoga lover, I am often assumed to be a vegetarian. In reality, I relate most to being a "flexitarian," with a strong preference for organic and locally grown food. So yes, I did try the spaghetti & moose meat! I didn't completely savor it, (unlike the salmon on a stick we made the previous week), so I stayed with the small sample, and relished the experience of sharing a dinner with the generous hosts. This worked out especially well, since I then had accommodations for a locally made rhubarb pie.

I'm intrigued by the diets people choose for themselves (in places where the luxury of choice exists). One of our staff members went from being a raw food vegan for over twenty years, to a now paleo diet (from no meat, to mostly meat). Research and experimentation has led her to what she feels is best for her body. I have also met people who claim to live on coffee alone, and others who are happy getting every meal at a restaurant. Some regularly deprive themselves of food, while others consistently overindulge.

In a New York Times Magazine article, Our National Eating Disorder, Michael Pollen questions the common practice of anxious and guilt ridden eating. It turns out that obsessively counting calories most likely interferes with the wisdom of our senses, causing stress instead of enjoyment at meal time. Unfortunately, stress and proper digestion do not work well together. So what is the "right" way to eat?!?

Surely there can not be one "right" plan for everyone! Personally, I believe that a meal obtained with compassion, cooked with love, and consumed with gratitude is the most important criteria for a healthy diet. What works best for you?