Things hidden from me for 35 years?

On some things I wonder like, how comes I only know this today?

What took me so long?

Of course I say ‘some things’, since for other ‘things’ it’s part of experience, very logical that I only realize that today, it is part of life, experience and maturity in general.

Now for the food, it’s a strange one!

What is the most important conscious thing for a human being on earth to stay alive?

(I consider breathing and having my heart bead natural and unconscious acts)

I would say to nourish myself with energy.

Some say I can survive and get energy from sunlight, at some moment I can survive and get energy from love...now as I’m concerned today, love definitely helps, now I still consider the energy for living to come majority from food for me.

What food?

Well, if I have to believe my first 35 years, here is what I learned;

• Water
• Bread
• Potatoes
• Meat
• Fish
• Vegetables
• ...

And then a tremendous list of food to be eaten with moderation (it is almost everything besides water and vegetables);

• Soda
• Alcohol
• Chips
• French fries
• Cakes
• Cookies
• Biscuits
• Gelatins
• Pastries
• Ice creams
• Pies
• Puddings
• Meat
• …

Ok, I get it, what is moderation?

Well, not too much?

Ok, what is not too much?

Well...never mind, I’ll feel it when it was too much, I’ll be sick! Ok, I get it.

And thus I started trialing to find the moderation point and I was amazed with what the body can handle.

Is it the way it should be?

Shouldn’t I learn a little bit more about food since the early days?

Is it normal that kids know how to work on the latest iphone (Adult comments; hey, what a great kid, did you see what he does with that iphone!) and have no clue on what to eat, how it comes to their plate and what it does with their body?

Visit of slaughter houses, greengrocer, fruit farmer,... should be standard excursions at school! Everybody has the right to know where their food is coming from, it’s where they will get their energy from to survive!

Now what I do know, is that some might not be pleased, if I knew what happens to my key energy (food) before it comes into my body.

Especially those that manufacture and sell products out of the tremendous list of food to be eaten with moderation.

Since if we understand why we should eat them in moderation and where they are coming from before coming to us, we might end up by not eating them at all anymore.

So yes, it is their goal to make sure I don’t get that view of it, keep it secret.

They did quite a good job, since it took me 35 years...now I think that the good times are over.

Everybody deserves to know what kind of energy he will be getting for his body and I’ve the feeling that kids are getting younger and younger aware of it, which is great!

For those concerned at a very high level on this, be inspired by the food babe.

https://foodbabe.com/

She claims that for everything I eat, I should be able to get the list of ingredients, which is how it should be isn’t it?

I started to more than ever, take care of it, be the master of the energy I take in for myself and educate my kids accordingly so they can do it for them as well!

#peace #goodfood #nature #fruitsandvegetables #whattoeat #freedom #longtimehidden #marketingtechniques #thefoodbabe #thefoodbabeway

VeggieWorld 2017 in Brussels!

I always try to do things as open minded as possible and without any prejudgments.

Over time I learned that if I expect nothing, I will never be disappointed.

I applied this for this day trip to VeggieWorld 2017 as well, which was pretty easy to do since it was the first edition in Brussels...

Everything was organized by EVA and they did really an amazing job!

My plan was to spend the complete day there, arrived 20 minutes before opening time, the welcome was warm and colorful.

It started pretty calm in the first minutes around 10:00 AM

Became pretty fast this

And continued till end of the day

There were about 70 exhibitors with really a big variety of proposals.

Of course, for clothes, I went to see the booth of my lovely wife

http://www.lenvolducolibri.be/

For food, there is really a big choice in all flavors and varieties. I find it a must do for everybody that is curious about plant based food. This is one of the only places where you have so much choice, so close to each other.

In the early morning, the kids loved the koffiekoeken from Frimout, Gent

https://www.facebook.com/bakkerij.frimout/

Some great plant based information

http://www.evavzw.be/

http://bevegan.be/

There are several activists, animal protection organisations and I even managed to find some B12 (which I had secretly hoped for).

Besides the 70 exhibitors, there were also some demonstrations and inspiring speakers.

Seen my raw food preference, the great 2 books we already have from them, it was great to see the raw chefs Julie and Simon, and witness all the love and energy set in what they do!

http://www.julieslifestyle.com/

And of course, finally, I had to witness a presentation from Tobias. Since I had read the book very carefully and it had been very inspiring to me, I did not expect anything at all. Now I was very surprised that his presentation was similar, different, complementary... with the book and I appreciated it very heavily!

http://veganstrategist.org/

I’ve from my side tried to do my part as well, by promoting true the day HappyCow, so that when people go outside the event, into Brussel city, they will still have an easy way to find great Vegan and Vegetarian places to eat!

https://www.happycow.com

A must do event for people who want to have and try a plant based experience!

#peace #goodfood #nature #fruitsandvegetables #wholefood #VeggieWorld #VeggieWorld 2017 #VeggieWorldBrussels #evavzw #lenvolducolibri #bakkerijfrimout #julieslifestyle #veganstrategist #happycow

Which food is best for kids?

Kids have for me really a special place in my life.

I’m from one side, hoping to help them make the best of their life, now I’m from the other side extremely concerned and worried about them as well (“all about the fear”).

What am I concerned about?

Well, I guess, of them not “making the best of their life” and I really do not know, or have a definition of what is “the best”?

So it looks like I’m from beforehand already failing at it.

From all interactions I’ve seen where kids are involved, I truly see that there is one thing in common for all parents, they all want “the best” for their kids.

Now are the actions that I do the correct ones?

• Should I protect them from everything, or should I learn them how to handle less pleasant circumstances?
• Should I flatten their road, or should I learn them how to ride a bumpy road?
• Should I praise them as always the best in everything, or should I focus on what they really shine in even if not in my interest for now?
• Should I have them do what I think is best for them, or should I let and help them discover what is good for them?
• Should I make sure they are with ‘good’ friends, or should I compagnion them, by having them find out who they enjoy playing with the most?
• Should I make them realize the dream I failed in, or should I make sure to support them at the maximum to realize their own dreams?
• ...

All kinds of situations in which I believe I do the best, now a reflection of them might have me doubt about it and there is of course always both sides of the story.

Beside from the parents and close people around them, kids of course get a descend part of education at school as well. And how much do they receive there in order to become their most authentic selves?

With my changed food habits, regarding the food, at home, I try to show our kids another way of eating and another way of living.

Is this the best way? Is this better? Is it not dangerous?

Honestly, I don’t know, I guess it already starts with what is the definition of ‘good’, ‘better’… and especially related to food?
How do I know the food I used to eat before, was really good for me?
I don’t, what I do know is that it definitely didn’t make me feel as good as my food does now...

What I personally do believe in, is that a lot of food that is out there, is made to crave, consume and want more of it, it is not made to nourish.

I explain these decisions to our kids, show them everything, why I do it, explain that I want them to see and experience that side of life as well.

Now from the other side, I also explain that it is their life and they have to live their experiences, nothing is forbidden from our side.

Now they clearly know, that they don’t have to count on me, to make other living creatures suffer for the culinary pleasure and taste of it in our house, which they clearly understand and respect.

A thing is clear, the intentions from all parents are always the best they can at that moment and could probably look to the outcome as all experience is helpful.

We all want the best, we all do our best, now sometimes a little reflection that they might know the answer already of what is good for them (especially when it comes to whole food), which they quite often do and help them to discover that, is not a bad approach.

For the more movie minded people, here below 2 movies I’ve recently seen that have interesting reflections on the kid parent relationship.

'GLEASON'

'FENCES'

#peace #goodfood #nature #fruitsandvegetables #kids #greatkids #education #gleason #fences

What is freedom today?

I always tended to believe that I’m among the most free persons of the world. By getting older as well as changing my food habits, I realize that the freedom has maybe not always been what I thought it was.

As a kid, I received quite some ‘fear of’ information transmitted intentionally and unintentionally in my direction. This takes a serious and first part of my freedom away. It puts me in a condition where I do not explore everything totally free.

I then went into school, where I was supposed to do things in a certain way, for certain targets and mainly to be educated to get into the capitalistic society afterwards.

Once arriving in the society, starting to work, most of the time in a predefined way of doing it. I’m than influenced by the capitalist system, to consume (no matter if I need it or not, whether it is good for me or not, I’ve to consume) and be a part of the capitalistic circle.

Today life is foreseen to not really get out of that circle, and if I would manage to get to, the received ‘fear of’ will come in to make sure, I get back in.

If I look at all this, it make me think, well how free am I really?

I get overloaded with fear message from all kinds of communication channels, get educated to behave in a certain way, into a system that doesn’t really like people stepping out of what should be done. Nice little animation movie on the subject;

I realize that freedom is all in the head and very much related to the roots of fear.

If I can let go, to the roots of fear, I can be free in every situation I will be.

It took me quite some time to find out, came also with my changed food habits, that freedom is for me overall and inner thing and not something related to external circumstances like I always used to believe!

#peace #goodfood #nature #fruitsandvegetables #wholefood #freedom #giveupfear

Do I really like ‘change’?

I've since a young age never really minded to go against the mainstream, especially in the directions that felt personally better, more fun and more natural for me.

I wear clothes, shoes, caps… that only few would wear.

I had quite some different haircuts and even different colors. (I've to admit that I loved the early days of Shaun Palmer with his clown red colored haircut, when snowboarding was a lot about Terje Haakonsen, now that style was slightly out of my comfort zone.)

I'm quite attracted to tattoos, although that this has become pretty mainstream today.

I used to support teams and players that only few would support.

...

On the other side, I like things to be structured, planned and organized.

Maybe some little contradiction in here, having things planned out, when I go against the mainstream, is not really what I can expect!

One thing is sure, I have always been personally completely in line with my ‘against mainstream’ choices. Which of course makes it easier to live with if things don't go as planned.

What I want to highlight with this, is that when I changed my food habitudes (again, something against the mainstream, or can we already say that it is mainstream today, I hope it will be soon) all about my structured, planned and organized side was pretty heavily influenced as well.

Really in a very positive way, me being much more down to earth about these topics and having much more ease, acceptance, less resistance if things are not structured, planned and organized.

I'm really amazed by this natural evolution, since it makes me discover a tremendous amount of new things and makes me feel better and better. It’s crazy, since up till my changing food habits, I really thought that, that was the way I was, that I would never change and that it would only have the opposite effect, which it clearly wasn’t.

To come back to the title of the topic, do I like change?

I personally believe that as a human I naturally don't really like change, now over time, I realized that the little changes I appreciated, created the bigger changes I probably feared to take.

Progressively, step by step all on our journey we make great discoveries overcoming our own fears!

Peace

#peace #goodfood #nature #fruitsandvegetables #fear #overcomefear #change #likechange