Day 2: Flying the co-op

There was a time, not long ago, when I was morally opposed to veganism. And I wasn’t too fond of vegetarians.

My reasoning went something like this: There is no reason to be restrictive about food unless you are seriously allergic to it. Life is for living and eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. I would never want to take away the fundamental pleasure that comes from variety. In particular, I refused to deny any food group because when I travel, I love to eat all of the food that is offered as a cultural experience. I resented people who passed on certain foods because I thought that they were missing out on one of the most interesting parts of the trips. I certainly enjoyed the haggis and peking duck and carpaccio that I have eaten on my various travels. I did not want anything to hold me back from living fully, being open-minded and trying new things. And even though I like my furry friends of the animal kingdom just fine, I like them even better when they are on my plate.

So imagine my chagrin when I made the connection that the macrobiotic diet is actually an extreme form of veganism. Vegans say no to dairy, meat, and all animal products. Macros eschew those plus no sugar or white flour. Instead, the focus is on whole grains, vegetables, seaweed, and occasionally fish, fruit, and nuts.

Needless to say, macros must get creative with food. The benefit of this is that by embarking on this macrobiotic lifestyle, I am traveling through a land of food and eating that is unfamiliar and exciting. So, in some ways, this new diet brings the excitement of travel and new experiences into my daily life.

It is challenging, but not in the way that I anticipated it would be. I thought that I would have intense cravings that would leave me curled up in a ball, tears flowing down my face as I strangle out the three syllables: “Orrr-eee-oooo.” And then after the cravings, I thought that I would have to deal with physical manifestations of the withdrawal. I had already preemptively come up with a name for them: The Sugar Shakes. I swear, I am addicted to sugar and sweets and chocolate. I know I am. But so far, I have not felt any adverse effects of giving it up. I don’t even miss dairy yet, and I was downing a ton of skim milk and cheese in the past.

The main challenge is just coming up with something, anything, to eat. When I do make something, it tastes good and I am happy. But there is this huge level of anxiety around it. I have to think about it and plan it and make sure it is correct. I am still trying to convert my kitchen. I have a lot of the staples that I need but I was missing the vegetables and some of the key ingredients that I would need for recipes.

So today, I went to Bloomingfoods which is a local co-op that has all of the natural health foods that make macros and vegans swoon. I felt incredibly self-conscious as I was looking at the produce. I made a list of what I needed but that didn’t help me to recognize the vegetable that I needed. I have never seen burdock root before in my life! I kept looking at the signs and trying to see which name on the board corresponds with which vegetable. It was confusing and I felt stupid. I have been so vegetatively sheltered. If the Green Giant didn’t can it, I am clueless.

I had better luck at the seaweed section. It was hard finding any in PA so I was happy to see how well stocked it was. And then I found out that Bloomingfoods makes prepared dishes. I picked up some hummus, tabouli, and sushi. I was so elated to find macro food that I didn’t have to cook for an hour that I realized that the only way this dietary change is going to work for me is if I give in a little to the frozen food section. The strictest macrobiotic diet looks down on microwaves and freezing because of the way it changes food. But I figured that I am giving up so much already that I am going to let some of the smaller issues go. And what do you know? They actually make vegan frozen sandwich pockets ala Lean Pockets. Life is good again.

At first, I felt strange while shopping because I read the ingredients of every single item that I picked up. But after awhile, I realized that many others were doing the same thing. It seems that I am not the only one with very specific consumption needs. The store was kind of crowded and many volunteers were stocking the shelves. It is a very strange experience to be in a grocery store, a very common and simple occurence, and feel like you didn’t know what you were doing. I furtively looked at all the people in there and felt like an imposter. I avoided eye contact. I just couldn’t look a vegan in the eye! I felt guilty for being so vehemently against them for so long and then converting. I felt like they could see through me, raging carnivore that I am. I hope I get over this paranoia soon. I need to go back there if I want to eat.

After buying three pounds of my new best friend, tofu, I couldn’t take anymore and went to the checkout. As I put up my strange vegetables, the cashier asked, “Is that a turnip?” and threw me into a tailspin. I had no confidence anymore. I said, yes but thought to myself, “I hope so.” I’m still not entirely sure what that thing in my fridge is. Maybe I’ll wikipedia it before I eat it. Then, the cashier asks if I want paper or plastic. And again, I freak out a little. These people are environmentally friendly, organic folks. I should have brought a canvas bag. I’m too green at going green. I couldn’t decide which would be more environmentally friendly, paper or plastic. Paper or plastic? Plastic or paper? I remember hearing somewhere that plastic is actually better, but paper just seemed so earthy and natural. So I went with paper. I think it was the wrong choice. I’ll get plastic next time and see if I get a friendlier reaction. When she admired my burdock root and asked if I had ever cooked it before, I blurted out, “No, never. I’m trying to be macrobiotic. I’m new at this. It’s an experiment. I don’t know what I’m doing.” She just smiled at me and wished me luck.

In the foreign and exotic land of macro, I am the bumbling tourist with white sneakers, waist pouch, and disposable camera.