86
MLCM
WINTER/SPRING2017
words :: JuliaMurray
Spring in the mountains. A time of choice (ski gear or bike gear?) and of
lessening the load (swapping the long undies for banana hammocks), but
what about our food? It gets easier to sustain ourselves with lighter meals
once the warmer temperatures kick in, but spring is also the perfect time
for a shift in perspective with the way that we eat. There are good reasons
to cut down on our meat consumption, or ditch it entirely andmove to a
plant-based diet.
PLANET HEALTH
As a ski town, we hold our snow-cappedmountains and epic glacial
landscapes close to our hearts and beneath our bases, andwe are all well
aware of climate change. Exact estimates vary on just howmuch of our
global greenhouse emissions come from animal agriculture (anywhere from
14 to 51 per cent of total global emissions), but if you factor in deforestation,
water use, species extinction, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions, there is
little doubt that it is one of, if not the biggest threats to our planet today.
PERSONAL HEALTH
Numerous studies, including one from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of
Public Health, have found that consuming a healthy plant-based diet is
linked with a substantially lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Cutting out meat
and replacing it with healthy grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits can also
help fight heart disease and some cancers, while leading to clearer skin,
more energy, less body fat, better digestion and faster recovery times.
So, maybe it's time to switch out that après ski beef burger to a veggie
one andmove closer to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle. But where to
start? Right here, right now.
HOWTOEATPLANTS
6STEPSTOSPRING-CLEANYOURDIET
FOOD
Eat real food,mostlyplants, not toomuch. JuliaMurray chefs upanothermasterpiece. MIRAECAMPBELL
