It Was A Dark and Stormy Night

A slow-moving cold front came through, a powerful one that lingered for hours. Thunder rolled around the heavens and I rolled around sleepless in bed.

When sleep eludes us, we have plenty of time to think. My thoughts focused on a documentary Nancy had recommended, "Forks over Knives." It is about the relationship between diet and disease and advocates eating a plant-based, whole foods diet. The film never uses the term "vegan" but that's what it is. Testimonials from devotees who eat this way claim remission of metastasized cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more.

That night for supper, thinking I'd give that diet a try, I made stir fry vegetables and tofu served over brown rice. It was delicious and pretty on the plate.

While the storm raged I wondered where to go from there. People in the documentary waxed enthusiastic about a plate of sliced cucumbers, carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes. In other scenes they sat together at a table with a large bowl of raw vegetables for each person. Somehow those options don't appeal to me.

I suppose if I had a terminal or life-threatening disease I would follow this diet and learn to like it, but I don't have such a disease. I'm not ready to give up having a slice of bacon as an occasional breakfast treat. I love a casual meal of cheese and whole-grain crackers with slices of apple and pear. Never eat macaroni and cheese again? I don't think so. And what about the beautiful, delicious eggs our hens lay?

Nope. I can't do it. It's too extreme. I much prefer to eat as Michael Pollan suggests: eat food, not too much, mostly plants. Author of several books about food and how it is produced, Pollan has a simple, down-to-earth approach which he neatly sums up in a little book called Food Rules. For example, he advocates shopping the periphery of the grocery store which is where fresh, unprocessed foods are located. He advises us never to eat food we get through a window, which rules out all fast food. Every one of his rules makes perfect sense, including the one that says it's all right to break the rules occasionally.

Finally, some time after 4:00 A.M. the storm ended and I fell asleep thinking about the soft-boiled egg and whole wheat toast I would enjoy for breakfast.