VegNews Book Club

The Gist: Good morning VegNews Book Clubbers! We had a great discussion last week of Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston, and I look forward to this second week of our conversation. This week, we will be discussing part three of the book, which consists of three chapters.

In the first chapter of part three, Freston talks about adopting a vegan diet, or at least a vegetarian diet. Like all of her suggestions in the book, she explains that it is better to take small steps, so that we don't feel overwhelmed. Obviously, I'm sure many of us are already vegetarian or vegan, but I think that her advice is very good. She talks about the connections of the food we eat with our health, environment, and also spiritual self, such as how the factory farming industry wreaks havoc on the environment through pollution and waste, as well as the pain and suffering that the animals go through to get to our plate. The choice to eat a plant-based diet is the most conscientious choice, she explains.

In the second chapter of part three Freston talks more about the vegetarian diet, and she answers several common questions and myths regarding the diet, such as how kosher meat is not really humane, that we as humans aren't really meant to eat meat, and the difference between being vegan and vegetarian.

Finally, in the last chapter of part three Freston tells us to balance our lives between the four Rs: regular, relate, rejuvenate, and reach. She explains that it is important to put your energy in all four quadrants, instead of one or two in order to reach quantum wellness. The regular quadrant is the normal routines of life, relate is our relationships with other people, rejuvenate is self-care, and reach is stretching yourself past the normal and making yourself better.

The Discussion: Here are two discussion points to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!

1. Are you vegan? Why, or why not? If you are a vegan, what was your number one reason for becoming one—health, environment, or spiritual?

2. What "R" quadrant do you put most of your energy into—regular, relate, rejuvnate, or reach? How do you plan on balancing all four in your life?

The Assignment: Please read the rest of Quantum Wellness for our discussion on Monday, December 20.

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig