practicing MB

[Guest guest]

Klara, a little while ago you wrote:

> for all newbies - it's hard to understand but there aren't any

rules - really - there are what is better for ME, NOW - and for that

it takes a while

I very much admire your attitude and always treasure your advice.

Maybe you remember we moved from MA to France last year. Was not an

easy step to take. Lots of changes. Lots of new things to get used

to. Lots of things to discover. Lots of things we - still - miss.

Well, I fell of the 'vegan wagon' for cultural reasons. Not eating

meat in France is kind of O.K., not eating seafood raises eye brows,

not eating dairy makes jaws drop, and *not eating cheese* gets you

the same look a serial killer might get.

In some ways, it is easier to live close to the soil here. Open air

markets are everywhere, produce is sold only in the season it grows,

most of it picked on market day, most of it organic. Even

supermarkets don't offer that blinding array of processed prepackaged

microwaveable stuff...

We live outside of Lyon, surrounded by farms, most of them organic,

that have huge pastures where cows, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys

roam as they please. Chickens and geese have their own enclosures and

are outside all day long. And I don't mean a shoebox sized piece of

sandcovered yard, I am talking natural meadow with trees and

bushes... Anyway, seeing animals live like this and taking into

account the local culture and customs, I don't feel as guilty buying

eggs and cheese as I would back in the States. I eat cheese every

once in a while now, and use eggs in cooking/baking. But I know where

those come from: I buy them at the weekly local open-air market at

the stands from farms that are within 20 minutes driving, where I

know animals are treated more than humanely - and I can even watch

them!

Sorry, not vegan at all. My apologies.

What I am trying to get at - and I hope I am not mis-interpreting

Klara - circumstances, life, needs, customs etc. change. Thus do our

dietary choices. A big part of French culture is cheese, bread, wine.

If I want to live close to my environment and use whatever that part

of the world offers without hurting a living being - I believe I have

to adjust. The same way I am using previously unknown vegetables now

that are native to this part of the world I live in right now (by the

way, any of you tried cardon? It's fabulous - same family as

artichokes - very good for your liver) I have to take pieces of the

culture and integrate it into my and my family's life.

I hope this is what macrobiotics is about - otherwise I'm screwed ;-))

ne

[Guest guest]

Oh ne,

I wish I could join you :>)

It sounds so delightful

But you do not have to despair!!! there are some wonderful mb people there, really. A few years back I went to Paris to hear Michio and it was so beautifully organized - and at the same time there was a huge eco fair - I only wish I had brought more money with me - the clothes I got are the best I own, so natural and so warm.

there's a couple I stayed with, his name is Francois - they own a health food store and a restaurant, I think it's called Gran Appetit - or something like that. you'll have to have a little patience, I'm not sure what I did with their contact #

I do remember on one of the discussion groups, may be moderndaymacrobiotics, someone was asking about mb places in France and got quite a list.

and the Francois' also have some land in the country where they grow alot of their squashes - huge!!!! also they have a delicious long tuber like vegetable - I don't think it comes from France - and so so so good.

Enjoy what you got - if you're not feeling badly from what you're eating, it's fine. If you feel - you know, getting sick, or bathroom visits not as pleasant - then adjust your diet. The thing about mb people, we're just not really followers - can't be and stay on this "weird" diet as so many think. It's ok to be different, really.

what I think I meant (see, I change every day, too) was that needs change - some people might feel weak unless they eat animal protein, some people might change their way of life and become more active, or more spiritual - both needing kind of different foods - the changes is more about you than about what the French people think about you. But drop the guilt - I'll bet lots of people who call themselves mb eat very very very wide sometimes - the American culture might be steaks and hot dogs - doesn't mean we must be part of that (now cherry pie is another story!!!!)

Here in Israel people eat alot of oily foods - I can't stomach it, but when I do go out to eat with my family, I will often eat stuff which isn't considered "mb".

How strict or wide you go with mb also depends on how healthy you are - that's the key!!!!

Enjoy. when I was there I rode a bike for the first time in years, and loved it!!!!

Klara> for all newbies - it's hard to understand but there aren't any rules - really - there are what is better for ME, NOW - and for that it takes a whileI very much admire your attitude and always treasure your advice.Maybe you remember we moved from MA to France last year. Was not an easy step to take. Lots of changes. Lots of new things to get used to. Lots of things to discover. Lots of things we - still - miss.Well, I fell of the 'vegan wagon' for cultural reasons. Not eating meat in France is kind of O.K., not eating seafood raises eye brows, not eating dairy makes jaws drop, and *not eating cheese* gets you the same look a serial killer might get.In some ways, it is easier to live close to the soil here. Open air markets are everywhere, produce is sold only in the season it grows, most of it picked on market day, most of it organic.

Even supermarkets don't offer that blinding array of processed prepackaged microwaveable stuff...We live outside of Lyon, surrounded by farms, most of them organic, that have huge pastures where cows, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys roam as they please. Chickens and geese have their own enclosures and are outside all day long. And I don't mean a shoebox sized piece of sandcovered yard, I am talking natural meadow with trees and bushes... Anyway, seeing animals live like this and taking into account the local culture and customs, I don't feel as guilty buying eggs and cheese as I would back in the States. I eat cheese every once in a while now, and use eggs in cooking/baking. But I know where those come from: I buy them at the weekly local open-air market at the stands from farms that are within 20 minutes driving, where I know animals are treated more than humanely - and I can even watch

them!Sorry, not vegan at all. My apologies. What I am trying to get at - and I hope I am not mis-interpreting Klara - circumstances, life, needs, customs etc. change. Thus do our dietary choices. A big part of French culture is cheese, bread, wine. If I want to live close to my environment and use whatever that part of the world offers without hurting a living being - I believe I have to adjust. The same way I am using previously unknown vegetables now that are native to this part of the world I live in right now (by the way, any of you tried cardon? It's fabulous - same family as artichokes - very good for your liver) I have to take pieces of the culture and integrate it into my and my family's life. I hope this is what macrobiotics is about - otherwise I'm screwed ;-))ne