The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet (25 page)

Of course, life is full of opportunities to practice meditation. By relaxing when I’m stuck in traffic, waiting in line, or facing a frustrating situation, I drop my inner tension and just enjoy the moment. I’m certainly not perfect at it, but life is so much better when I am able to sink into my body and ride the waves.

LOSING MY WAY

Sometimes I forget to put myself first; all my goals and responsibilities come before basic self-care. I had one of these times recently; I was taking care of my dogs (one of them is incontinent, the other blind and unable to walk), writing this book, rehearsing a play, campaigning for our new president, advocating for the release of elephants from the L.A. Zoo, going to auditions, and trying to be a decent partner to my husband . . . not to mention handling all the random stressful surprises that pop up in life. And that’s all without mentioning the endless to-do list staring me in the face. It was a real struggle; I felt like there was no way I could do it all, and yet I had to.

It’s at times like these that I start to make shortcuts: I scarf sandwiches at the computer, eat while having stressful conversations, and make other cuckoo choices. Meditation gets the heave-ho. Exercise? Forget it. My journal gets lost under my bed as taking care of myself drops off the to-do list.

Suddenly I’m on the floor, sobbing.

I’ve lost my way.

But thank
God
I have a way to lose. So I remember to:

• Make clean, healthy food
  
• Sit down while I eat
  
• Take a deep breath and say a prayer of gratitude before eating
  
• Remember that I don’t run the world, and then I cut my to-do list in half
  
• Restructure my time to put myself first
  

And I find my way again.

The second I structure my time to allow myself to eat better, I feel completely different. My whole body changes. Drastically. That’s what’s so amazing about this way of life—one day of clean eating and my throat stops hurting. I feel rested. I’m surprised every time it happens, and it happens
every time
.

I know you have a million excuses for not taking care of yourself. It’s easy to feel pulled down by the ball-and-chain of the to-do list. But if you don’t stay centered by doing the basic things, everything and everyone in your life will pay for it. I know it may feel naughty to acknowledge (even to yourself) that you are putting yourself first, but think of it this way: A mother must eat good food to produce good milk for her baby. There are no shortcuts there. So be a good mother to all the beings and creative projects in your life by taking care of yourself first. Know that when you lose your way—and you will—you will always be able to come back home.

Our lives are not in the lap of the gods, but in the lap of our cooks.

—Lin Yutang

13

We Are All Activists

Eating a plant-based diet is the most ecologically friendly thing you can do. But there’s always more to be done to help our collective home—the environment—so please don’t stop there.

Each and every one of us can be an activist for change, and you don’t have to pick up a sign or march at a rally to do it. Just start to think about your choices and vote with your dollar. For example, every time you shop at a farmers’ market—or buy organic food—you are supporting your community. Every time you purchase organic plant-based food, you are protecting the quality of the soil and participating in a more equitable distribution of resources. Conversely, every time you buy a mass-produced steak—packaged in Styrofoam and plastic—you are feeding a huge, unsustainable, toxic death machine. This may sound harsh, but it’s the truth! There’s a whole world of consequences behind every decision we make.

I consider every choice an opportunity to make positive change, and every change matters. Yours, mine, and the queen of England’s. Throughout the course of your daily life, you have the power to make real and important changes in the world just by being mindful of your choices.

And it’s easy. For example, when I need to dispose of something, I can choose whether to throw it in the trash or in the recycling box. One choice makes more landfill while the other keeps resources circulating. Just deciding which box to throw my trash in is a little choice with enormous consequences. Little choice; big impact.

If I have to go a 7-Eleven, chances are there’s not much there that I want, but I can walk out of there making the best choice possible: maybe sunflower seeds and apple juice. Yes, I’m bummed about the packaging and that they’re not organic, but it’s my best 7-Eleven choice. I walk away being kind to my body instead of hurting it. I did the best I could under the circumstances, and that’s what we’re looking for: the best choices under any circumstances. And those little daily choices can turn a lot of things around.

The world is changing very quickly. Because I’ve been paying attention to the food/animal/environment issue for a while now, let me tell you that there has been
enormous
movement in this area. Organics is the fastest-growing sector of the food industry. Vegetarian joints are opening up every day and thriving. Suddenly it’s not only cool but also financially savvy to be green. In 10 short years, it’s like the whole world has awakened. So, making what used to be radical choices is now just plain smart and the right thing to do. How great is that?

Sometimes it’s hard to get perspective on the really big shifts, but as time marches forward, the little things can show us the impact we are having. Christopher and I started our compost heap about 6 years ago with a handful of worms. As time went on and we threw scrap after scrap onto the compost, they multiplied. Well, now it’s a freakin’ worm factory! They’re so vibrant and amazing, doing their noble work. And because of them, there are new types of birds coming to our house as well as little lizards, and butterflies, and hummingbirds, and other animals. Nature is smiling on us because of the little choices we make every day. It’s amazing to watch the earth bounce back.

Of course, there’s more to do. Go ahead and volunteer to help dig wells in Africa. Please give your extra money and time to worthy charities. Yes, write your senator and march on Washington. I need you, the animals need you, and all the people who have yet to be born need you. But remember that simply by abstaining from meat and dairy, you are doing so much. Making that vital choice supports every form of life on the planet, from microbes in the soil, to your fellow human beings, to our precious atmosphere. And as you continue to eat whole grains and vegetables, saying good-bye to crazy, toxic foods, you will become stronger and stronger, more and more powerful; and protecting the earth will feel like second nature.

LIFESTYLE TIPS

Here are some simple and super-easy steps that you can take to truly help our planet! You can find more info about these lifestyle choices, and many other small changes that you can make in order to be kind to the planet, by going to
www.thekindlife.com
. Just type in the keyword
lifestyle
and you will find loads of info, programs to get involved in, and links to other helpful Web sites.

• Reuse things: Save both money and resources by reusing stuff like paper, jars, and containers. Paper especially is everywhere. Used paper is great for shopping lists or your kids’ artistic creations. Print and fax on the back of used paper, too.
  
• Buy secondhand: There’s almost nothing you can’t find secondhand these days. I buy most of my
  clothes
  at vintage stores and always cruise the Internet for other necessities to avoid creating more stuff. Look for furniture, books, appliances, bikes, and cars secondhand. I just bought the cutest purple kettle from craigslist! Be sure to watch an amazing video by Anne Leonard at
  thestoryofstuff.com
  .
  
• Give stuff away: When Christopher and I are done with something, we put it out on our street with a big sign that says “FREE.” It’s always gone within the day. I believe there is a happy home for every unwanted or unneeded possession. Do the work to find that home, and you’ve slowed the creation of a landfill. And you will benefit, too; lightening your material load frees you up on all levels. To give stuff away via the Internet, go to
  freecycle.com
  .
  
• Recycling is great, but it requires a
  lot
  of energy, so try to reuse before you recycle. That said, recycling is better than making landfill. Live by the adage “Reduce, reuse, recycle.”
  
• Use natural materials whenever possible: Modern products can be toxic; between plastics, vinyl, flame retardants, and pesticides, furniture and clothing can leave a dangerous mark on you and the environment. When you’re buying new things, try to find items made as naturally as possible; for outdoors, it’s good to buy used items or products made from recycled materials. That way, you’re delaying waste, and any remaining funkiness can be released into the open air and not inhaled by you!
  
• Use
  natural cleaning and personal products:
  Household items such as all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergents, and even feminine products are now made with biodegradable, nontoxic ingredients. For an in-depth look at keeping a green home, read
  The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green by
  Starre Vartan.
  
• Use nontoxic, biodegradable beauty products: There’s no reason to trash your health or the planet just to get gussied up.
  

Water

Bottled versus tap: Because tap water is regulated by the EPA and bottled water is regulated by the FDA, they are subject to very different standards of purity. Actually, it’s more like the EPA
has
standards, and the FDA does not. Bottled water can get into your gym bag without being filtered, disinfected, or even tested, therefore possibly containing levels of bacteria much higher than its lowly cousin from the tap. And it’s risky for the planet: Bottled water requires tons of energy to pump, bottle, and transport, which makes it a carbon-heavy business. Not to mention that the plastic bottles it comes in take
1,000
years to break down. Yes, they’re recyclable, but it’s estimated that 90 percent of them get thrown out in the trash as opposed to the recycling bin. Plus, Pepsi and Coke finally admitted in 2007 that their products, Aquafina and Dasani respectively, were actually just . . .
tap water
!!! So we’re buying back our own public resource at a 700 percent markup. Hmmm. I think if you scramble the letters of Pepsi and Coke together it spells “S-U-C-K-E-R.” Get a good filter and fill up stainless steel or glass bottles from there.

• Give thoughtful, practical gifts: I love to give food, kitchenware, books, and beauty products as gifts. I love the thought of my friend actually
  using
  something I’ve given her.
  
• Get a good water filter for your tap. Stop buying bottled water.
  
• Stop using plastic bags and invest in a canvas bag for shopping. Americans use 380
  billion
  plastic bags per year. We can put a dent in that number, one bag at a time.
  
• Reduce your electricity use by unplugging appliances when they’re not being used. Get compact fluorescent light bulbs. Turn off lights when you’re not using them.
  
• Burning candles is a sexy lighting choice, but use soy candles. Conventional candles are made from toxic petroleum byproducts, the
  palm wax industry
  is responsible for destroying orangutan habitat, and beeswax—unless you’re getting it from a local, groovy beekeeper—is bad for bees.
  
• Walk or ride your bike when you can.
  
• Reduce paper waste by getting your news online. Reduce junk mail by signing up at
  mailstopper.tonic.com
  .