Eating for Earth!
Mother Earth fills our bellies everyday, so in her honor I’ve decided to write about ‘food’ for Earth Day. We eat three times a day, everyday… so our food choices have a huge impact on our health and, simultaneously, the health of the planet. This topic is especially exciting for me, as I have tried eating ‘vegan’ for the last year and, after a bit of fine-tuning, I’ve never felt better! In addition to the physical ‘feel good’ benefits, I’ve realized that our daily food choices can be a powerful form of individual eco-activism, accumulating an enormous positive impact over time!
Happy Earth Day!! Our planet provides for us daily–food, air, and water. Give back to her by eating a little more Earth-friendly today! Here, organic pineapple…often organic fruit and veg options are smaller in size than non-organics, but they taste so much better! Be wary of over-sized or ‘too perfect’ looking foods!
Here are a few Earth-friendly suggestions to consider:
- Grow your own! Growing a veggie garden and planting edible plants in your yard is not only the best way to ensure that your food is chemical-free and charged with love, but you also reap the benefits of re-connecting with your food and gaining respect for the growing process. You automatically reduce your carbon footprint and might save yourself some cash, too! Veggie Garden Cheat Sheet, How to Build a Permaculture Vegetable Garden, Starting Your Permaculture Garden
- Support small-scale, organic farms and alternative methods to corporate agriculture! Gardening is not always an option, but buying food from local, organic farms generally is. Between consciously-sourced markets, farmer’s markets, community gardens, co-ops, and local growers that deliver a weekly box of fresh veggies, there are lots of ways to avoid buying from corporate farms. Large-scale agriculture is the least ecologically-sensitive way to grow food. Growing the same crop over large land areas does not take advantage of the naturally beneficial plant combinations that can eliminate the need for using pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Corporate farms do not consider the health of their workers, consumers, the ground water, the native plants and animals, and general public safety when they routinely spray highly toxic chemicals on our food and soil. UN: Eco Farming Feeds the World, Is Organic Farming the Key to Solving Hunger? And Climate Change?, Corporate Power in Agriculture
- Eat less processed food! I like to think about trying to reduce the number of hands and machines and altering processes my food goes through before consuming it. During my outer island roaming and food-foraging, I decided that I liked eating whole foods because it made me feel closer to nature eating things that looked they came off a tree rather than out of a factory. Not only does eating whole food decrease the need for packaging, it ensures that you aren’t consuming artificial preservatives, flavorings, colors and any of the other thousands of often mysterious ingredients that are added to US foods. Various food dyes, Olestra brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, Azodicarbonamide, BHA, BHT, rBGH, rBST and arsenic are banned in other countries but still legal in US foods! There are certainly minimally processed options, but it’s worth having a closer look at food labels and reading between the lines as to what constitutes truly ‘natural’, healthy food. 9 Ways the Processed Foods Are Slowly Killing People, Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry
- Boycott GMO-containing foods and companies!!! Despite that it is still unclear as to whether or not ‘genetically modified’ foods are safe for human consumption over time, Monsanto and the other ‘big 6’ biotech corporations–BASF, Bayer, Dow Chemicals, Dupont, and Syngenta—control nearly every aspect of our food system. They are responsible for creating most of today’s genetically modified foods along with producing the chemicals required to grow them. They’re also attempting to control and regulate the world’s seeds, so that farmers will be have to buy their patented GMO seeds. Not only is this threatening to destroy the critical biodiversity of seeds that humans have developed since the dawn of plant cultivation, it gives them a frightening amount of power! These billion dollar corporations are paying scientists to engineer ‘franken foods’ that are not always more ‘nutritious’. Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” crops have been genetically engineered to allow direct application of the Monsanto herbicide ‘glyphosate’. This lets farmers drench both their crops and soil with this chemical to kill nearby weeds and pests without killing the plants, leaving the crops coated in this highly toxic chemical, the soil degraded, and the groundwater polluted. This is just a taste of these companies’ multitude of ecologically and socially irresponsible practices. Please educate yourself further on this issue! On March 26th of this year, The Monsanto Protection Act was signed into US law, essentially giving GMO companies immunity to the federal courts and states that even if future discoveries show that GMOs cause significant health problems. Total boycott of GMO-containing foods is a powerful way to show that we do NOT approve of all this! Documentary: ‘The World According to Monsanto’ , Surf Legend Kelly Slater Attacks GMOs and Biotech Giants, Surfing for Change’s Latest film: Pro Surfers vs GMOs by fellow Patagonia Ambassador Kyle Thiermann
- Eat less or no meat! The large-scale factory farming of cattle, pigs, chickens and other livestock creates serious negative impacts on the environment. Greenhouses gas emissions, water pollution, deforestation, soil degradation, and habitat destruction are some of the grave consequences of mass meat production. Plus, calculations estimate that it takes anywhere from 2,500-12,000 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, versus 60-200 gallons for 1 pound of potatoes, wheat, corn, or rice!? (Vegsource.com & David Pimentel Ecological Integrity: Integrating Environment, Conservation and Health Island Press, Washington DC, 2001). Health-wise, science has proven that people with diets high in animal protein are much more prone to heart disease and cancer. Heard of The China Study? Ever seen the ‘Cowspiracy’ Documentary? The final straw for me to become vegan, was when I learned how horrifically animals are treated in these CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations). If you aren’t ready to give up meat, try to source it from wild or more humanely raised animals. Gary Yourofsky’s Best Speech You Will Ever Hear will educate you a lot on this issue!
- When/if eating seafood, please choose wisely… Through my years on the sea, I’ve watched and participated in fishing of many kinds. On voyages to more remote island groups, I’ve seen by comparison, how drastically reduced the fish stocks are in more populated, overfished places. These populations now look farther and more remotely to supply their seafood. Ultimately, this is not a sustainable solution. Most of our critical global fish stocks are in steep decline, and although I often enjoyed sustenance fishing, after seeing the results of overfishing first hand, I no longer feel comfortable consuming seafood. So I’ve decided to eat a plant-based diet where it’s an option. “A study of catch data published in 2006 in the journal Science grimly predicted that if fishing rates continue apace, all the world’s fisheries will have collapsed by the year 2048.” (National Geographic) For those not ready to give up seafood entirely, there are certainly more sustainable choices. In general, eating lower on the ocean food chain, choosing wild versus farmed, and eating locally-caught options are generally more sustainable. There are even free apps for smartphones to help you decide quickly at a restaurant which might be the most sustainable seafood on the menu. Seafood Watch Iphone App, FAQs for Seafood Watch App, EDF Seafood Selector, Tackling Overfishing on Many Fronts, National Geographic: Overfishing
- When dining out, support restaurants that source their food from local, conscious suppliers! Try to keep up your conscious-eating standards when dining out. Asking nicely about food sourcing spreads awareness and promotes businesses to have healthier, Earth-friendly alternatives.
When I broke my neck in 2012, I spent a lot of time reading about healing through food. I wanted to be on my feet as soon as possible, so I studied up on which foods are conducive to healing and which hinder. I ate well, thought positively, and completely eliminated caffeine, refined sugar, meat, & alcohol. I healed incredibly quickly!!
Through that experience, I learned a lot about what I do and don’t want to eat. I’ve continued researching, experimenting, and using my intuition to understand what my body runs on best. It’s taken years to refine my eating habits to what they are now. I started by cutting out red meat and poultry…then reduced refined sugar and processed foods…then caffeine…then came dairy…and lastly fish. I’ve been amazed at the changes I’ve felt in my body in the past year of eating a very clean, plant-based diet. I feel strong, get sick less often, and have more energy than ever before! And all the nagging injuries I was suffering from have healed. I can’t be sure that this is all a result of my dietary changes, but I want to share that this adventure in food has been as awesome and profound as any of other.
Choosing to eat more consciously doesn’t mean you can’t make exceptions, or that dietary decisions are forever. I think we are all fabulously unique and this means no one type of diet suits everyone. If someone told me five years ago that I would stop eating cheese and not miss it, I would have laughed! This is a very personal process, and I’m not trying to tell people that eating this way is best. Rather, I’m encouraging everyone to go on their own dietary adventures and educate themselves to make more informed food choices. Doing so comes with the great benefits of better health for you and our dear Moma Earth!
***Thank you to my dear and wise sister, Kathleen Clark, for your editing help and input on this piece! She has her own amazing food story of healing her incessant migraines through a shift to mostly plant-based eating. I Love You, Leen!!
It’s been so fun sourcing local organic growers in the South Pacific…It takes a little extra work, but it’s always a fun adventure and I generally come home to Swell overwhelmed with amazing food and new friends.
Read up on bananas, they’re not only delicious but they are so good for us!
Amelia, my newly adopted crewmate, is a little less excited than I am about eating a plant-based diet. :) Unlike humans, she is a real carnivore! All locally-sourced, organic foods–tomatoes, lettuce, chives, basil, breadfruit, papaya, pamplemousse, passionfruit…and my jar of probiotic-plentiful kombucha brewing in the background!!
Still crazy about coconuts! They’re high in fiber, protein, potassium, calcium, magnesium, lower cholesterol, contain lauric acid which is known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties, boosts immunity, and helps regulate thyroid and metabolic function. And coconut water is one of the highest known electrolyte sources!
Grating coconut by hand…I use it to press for coconut milk, put in smoothies, curries, oatmeal, or just eat plain…SO tasty!!
I’ve learned to LOVE cooking in the last few years…Here, enjoying a plant-based meal under the stars!!
Passion fruit!! One of endless, nutritious, and absolutely delightful spoils of Mother Nature…
Ch ch ch chia! Who knew the seeds we spread on clay animals in the 80s were an Aztec superfood high in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, and minerals! A little chia limade on a hot South Pac day…
I even got to grow a few of my own this past year! Putting my hands in the dirt felt heavenly. Watching them grow and eating from the garden was a true blessing.
Spread the word…partake in the radiance, positive impacts, and health of more plant-based nutrition for today and for the future generations who deserve to inherit a healthy Earth!! We can reduce and prevent diseases of all kinds, and reconnect with and heal our Great Mother. Here, the beautiful Hepua about to participate in a traditional Tahitian banana-carrying running race.
26 Comments
Emily
April 22, 2014Liz,
I follow you on instagram and occasionally read your blog. I’m fascinated by your life and the adventures and the opportunities it affords you. My life is quite different. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have six children that I care for (four are mine, two are adopted). I am as conscious about our food consumption as possible. For example, we–with several neighbors–by a steer each year and raise it on grass for our beef consumption. We also have a garden and chickens for eggs (we have harvested a few chickens, but they are not our main source of chicken). I do my best to eat whole foods when possible.
However, realistically, because I’m responsible for feeding eight people each day, I admit that I have to rely on costco and some processed foods. There are some days when I feel like I’m doing well just to get a home cooked dinner on the table. The kind of local and politically conscious eating that you do seems completely overwhelming to me.
So I guess my question is, what can I do to realistically be more conscious of the food I eat and prepare for my family?
(besides have less kids as I’m sure some might argue) :)
Captain lizzy
April 22, 2014Emily! Wow, amazing! It sounds like you are already doing an INCREDIBLE job of eating consciously! I cannot imagine what it would be like to feed 6 kids and make these choices for more than just myself. I’m not saying you should do anything differently, or that I NEVER eat processed foods. That’s not the case. It’s simply a matter of doing our best within our circumstances. Please don’t feel ‘overwhelmed’ by my blog! I am learning all the time and this piece was just to transmit some that new knowledge and the transformative process I’ve lived. It sounds to me like you may already be more of an expert than me! I commend you for having the will and energy to transmit that kind of healthy lifestyle and awareness to your children. Courage and gratitude to you!! –Liz
Kat
April 22, 2014Hi Liz!
I’ve been following you along for a while. You’ve been quite an inspiration for me. I grew up on the coast of St. Augustine, FL learning to sail and free dive from my dad. My family and I used to travel to the Abacos on our 27′ Catalina each summer. My last trip was just my dad and I, the closest I’ve been to solo sailing. My lifestyle is quite different these days. Being a working adult is time consuming. But through reading your blog and seeing your adventures on Instagram, I feel in a way reconnected to my days traveling on our boat named Momi. I hope to join my family on their seaward trip next summer. Until then I’ll enjoy day trips on our little O’day Sprite.
This post is especially inspiring for me. As a vegetarian ( I don’t eat any animals) I’m always conscienous of what I’m putting in my body. However, I still haven’t eliminated cheese, caffeine, refined sugar, or alcohol. I already feel great since I eliminated all meat from my diet nearly 8 years ago, so I can only imagine how much better I’ll feel if I purify my eating habits even more.
Thanks for giving me the extra push I need to try something new and staying true to myself :)
Kat
Captain lizzy
April 22, 2014Hi Kat,
I follow your instagram too. Your Sprite is so sweet! I’m so happy I can provide some Insta relief until you are on the open sea again…and SUPER happy to hear you might set out on new food adventures! Stay true to what you love, sister, and the rest will take care of itself. Amelia comes to shore with me sometimes and she’s hilarious. Such a little tigress! I’m in the US at the moment and she’s staying with a friend in the marina, so I hear she’s loving having her freedom to roam again. If she decides she wants to stay ashore with a land-based family, I wont hold her back…but i would miss her. It’s been SO fun having her aboard.
Michelle Wu Choi
March 22, 2015Liz, are you 100 percent vegan? If so, how long have you been 100 percent vegan for?
Do you supplement with B12?
Chlorella? Spirulina? Anything else?
Thanks sos much,
Michelle
Kat
April 22, 2014Also – what’s it like having Amelia aboard? Does she go ashore with you?
Reblog: Eating for Earth - Korduroy.tv
April 25, 2014[…] Earth Day has come and gone, but it’s never too late to eat consciously. To mark the occasion this week, surfer-environmentalist-sailor-vegan Liz Clark posted some easy tips on how to eat for the earth on her blog Swell Voyage. Take a peak at her suggestions and read the full post here. […]
Jake
April 26, 2014Hello Liz,
I have been following your blog for a while now.Good stuff!. I love the Cal 40. I grew up sailing on a Cal 28 then a Cal 33.I have found the farther off ‘the beaten path’ I am the better the food, particularly in S.E. Asia.My thing has always been to eat local.You wind up naturally eating localy grown produce.The locals wont eat the produce that is grown for export.I have never seen people in the 3rd world using any chemical fertilizers on there own gardens.At least where I have been.Cool that you can get organic in the South Pacific.How about passage planning and food?.There are some good low amp refrigeration systems available now.Big difference from the old days when passagemakers ate out of cans!.
Terry
May 16, 2014Hi Liz,
Great article. I am fortunate enough to have an acre of land in So. Cal and I have been growing organically for a couple of years now. I compost and have a worm bin which gives me rich casting and worm tea. I set everything up on a drip system this year to conserve water. The drip system also allows me to be free as it is set on a timer…
It takes a little effort but the rewards of growing your own food is worth it. Heirloom seeds and vegetables are the way to go. The taste is so much better than round-up ready GMO foods and pesticide saturated store bought crops…Grow your own…you will notice a difference..Also juice your home grown vegetables…You will see your health improve within a month..Even if you are currently in good health…the vitamins from micro nutrients are incredible…
Many disease’s can be attributed to poor diets and prevented with a healthy diet. Everyone should watch fat, sick and nearly dead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4zqtiUgSQI and research GMO’s
John
March 6, 2015Ahoy Captain,
I lived in (on) the Hawaiian Islands for a few years and I was mostly plant-based when I lived there (I’m all plant-based now and never felt better or more fit in my life). It’s very easy to source local, organic foods in Hawaii… for the most part. When I lived in Hawaii, I spent way less on food than I do now back on the mainland. I was wondering where you are sourcing your food while you live on your boat? Is there a farmer’s market system in place in French Polynesia? What are the prices like?
Good for you for choosing to live consciously. If you need some reading material, I can recommend, “The China Study” which is really interesting. I listened to “Finding Ultra” by Rich Roll on a road trip down and up the west coast, it totally changed the trajectory for my life. Anything by Thich Nhat Hanh on mindful eating is also a very useful tool for living consciously.
Happy sailing!
ShelbyB
May 15, 2015Do you supplement with B12? What does your daily diet consist of? Any grains, nuts, seeds, coconut, oils, or is it mostly
fruit? Raw, cooked, or both? Thanks.
ShelbyB
May 15, 2015Do you supplement with B12? What does your daily diet consist of? Any grains, nuts, seeds, coconut, oils, or is it mostly
fruit? Raw, cooked, or both? Thanks.
Captain Liz
September 10, 2015Hi Shelby! Yes, i use nutritional yeast as a B12 supplement. My daily diet consists of fruits, nuts, coconut oil, grains, roots, and as much whole local food that i can find in season where i am. I would say i eat about 80% raw and 20% cooked foods. Hope you are well! :D liz
ShelbyB
September 11, 2015Sounds like a good vegan plan. Do you ever eat the non-vegan foods (in any amount) when
eating local food?
I would think white rice is a big part of your grain diet, as it is plentiful in the south pacific.
What grains do you gravitate to? And what tubers? I’d love to try breadfruit someday, I
hear it can sustain life, just about.
Captain Liz
November 10, 2015Hi Shelby,
Yes, once in a while i eat something non-vegan, especially in cultural or social situations that seem right. Mostly just fish or shellfish once in a while…as for grains i do eat white rice, and brown rice, bulgar, couscous, quinoa, buckwheat…anything that’s available, especially if i can find it organic. Tubers are plentiful here and i prefer them over grains as they are generally local–taro, tarua, kumera (sweet potato), & manioc. Breadfruit is delicious! i hope you get to try it too… hope all is well with you. Xx liz
ShelbyB
November 11, 2015I’m jealous of the breadfruit! You ever eat it raw?
Also, I see no mention of beans. Soy, black beans, chickpeas, etc. You not
the vegan-bean type? I know some vegans who say they feel much better
with no beans in diet.
Thank you.
Captain Liz
November 27, 2015Hi Shelby…breadfruit can be eaten when fermented! Super sweet and tasty, like a pudding…and yes, i do eat beans!! Xx liz
Melanie Surfs
August 2, 2015Hey there. You mention that you drink the kombucha. Do you drink this everyday? Has it
had a positive effect on your health, and how much of it do you drink per day?
I also would be grateful to know if you take a B12 supplement. I will assume you are
still vegan (100%?) so hence the B12 question. Thanks, Captain.
Captain Liz
August 13, 2015Hi Melanie!! I drink Kombucha when i have it, which is not always, but i really like the way it seems to settle my gut. I would drink more if it were always ready on my boat! I do not take a B12 supplement, but i do use nutritional yeast often in my food which contains B12. Yes, i am still eating vegan and feeling healthier than ever!! i hope you are well and thank you for your questions! Xx Liz
Captain Liz
August 13, 2015testing testing…
Melanie Surfs
August 14, 2015Cool. How about fermented veggies, like sauerkraut and other cultured veggies?
Some people think they are real good for us, maybe better than kefir. You have
any experience with these veggies as a vegan?
Captain Liz
September 2, 2015hi Melanie, yes i eat as much fermented food as possible!! Making cultured veggies is really easy! I also eat a lot of culutured young coconut meat which can be found where i’m living of late… every now and then i take a probiotic too when i feel i need an immunity boost. i have some that dont need refrigeration and they are awesome: Ultimate Probiotic Women’s Formula by Natural Factors. Blessings!
Nick
June 17, 2017Captain,
Hey there. I notice a recent comment on your instagram that you sometimes rely
on the ocean/fish for your food. When you do, do you simply eat it raw/sashimi and
how much of this is fish vs. shellfish? What types?
Thank you.
Captain Liz
June 30, 2017Hi Nick!
Lately it hasn’t been very often, but I’m about to head out to a place where supplies are limited and it’s more sustainable to eat from the plentiful local waters. I would say that I do my best to eat whatever is lowest on the food chain and most abundant in the local ecosystem so as to have as little an impact as I can manage. Thanks for your thoughtful question! Best, Liz
Nick
June 30, 2017What is concerning is the toxins in fish, PCBs, mercury, algae poisons. Have you witnessed
people who seem to have/and do eat lots of shellfish and regular fish in some of the communities,
as a majority of their diet, and have good intellectual health, capacities, etc.? Have you witnessed
any concerns, or do you think that their are, in fact, people and communities in your sailing part of
the world there in the south pacific that people have awesome health while at the same time eating
lots of calories from ocean creatures? You have such a unique, birdseye view on this, as I’m sure
you’ve witnessed many cultures, communities and such in how the abundance of seafood they eat
either has been harmless to them, or harmful.
Rename "7 Simple Tips for a More Sustainable Diet by Adventurer and Waterwoman Liz Clarke". Copy entire article over. - Hobo
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