meat, leather, plants. caffeine, and a yogi tea correction

[Guest guest]

Dear friends:

 

Thanks to Kelly for that overview of the various forms of

veg(atari)anism, although I will point out that fruitarianism is a

word that may be misunderstood (like "vegetarian"), in the sense that

it needs some clarification.

 

The most pure (Ahimsa) form is to what many people follow as vegan is

to vegetarian - that is, it technically means only eating fruits, and

although plenty of things that many people classify as vegetables are

actually fruits (such as olives, avocados, cucumbers, peppers, etc.),

nuts (and grains and legumes, for that matter) are not fruit, and

according to the Ahimsa paradigm, would not be eaten. So, some

fruitarians eat only fruit, some eat fruit and green leafy

vegetables, some eat fruit and nuts and not green leafy vegetables,

and so on...

 

What I believe to be the most informed sources (such as David Wolfe,

Ann Wigmore, etc.) say is that if you choose to avoid nuts, you will

need to eat fatty fruits (like avocados & olives), since we need to

have some fat in our diet. And either way, one definitely should not

give up green leafy vegetables (kale, lettuce, bok choy, etc.)

because the diet will be deficient in many minerals - you would

experience sodium and calcium deficiency very quickly, for example.

 

On another topic, the original recipe for Yogi tea actually does

include some black tea (and YB has said it is an important

ingredient), although certainly it can be made without it if one

prefers. Here is the standard recipe:

 

For 2 quarts, boil 20 green cardamom pods (crack them open), 20 black

peppercorns, 15 whole cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, and several slices

of sliced ginger root. Boil at least 30 minutes, turn off the heat

and steep 1 tablespoon of black tea for 2 minutes and strain.

 

A teabag is a good way to make sure you don't leave tea leaves in the

mixtures after straining (tea contains tannic acid, and if you leave

the tea in for longer than a couple of minutes you'll get far too

much of it).

 

This mixture is good for a couple of weeks in the fridge. To serve,

add half as much milk (dairy, soy, rice, almond...) as the mixture

and reheat. Add maple syrup (or honey) if desired.

 

Love & blessings,

Sadhant