We believe everybody should make a transition to a HEALTHIER FOOD DIET for environmental, physical/mental health and economic reasons. When it comes to nutrition, there are many schools of thought. Here are the 7 main commandments of the Salty Club food philosophy.
We believe in SCIENCE first and hate trends. Science is the most reliable tool we have to make informed decisions. Sadly nowadays, I feel like trends are sometimes more powerful than science. And that is a huge problem in terms of misinformation and advancement. But it is also okay to question science and try to dig deeper to see the bigger portrait and get alternative opinions. From there, make your own opinion. Science is not exempt from corruption, unfortunately.
We believe in CLIMATE CHANGE. Therefore, I believe we need to significantly reduce our meat consumption, specifically red meat (methane emanation problem), and prioritise local food.
We believe in KNOWLEDGE and TRACEABILITY, to choose wisely and consume consciously. Because it’s an economic and ethical responsibility we ALL have. Industrial animal farming (fruit and vegetable farming too) seriously lacks ethic and it’s time to demand a change. Try to boycott it as much as possible. But if you meet a cheese artisan that is passionate about his art and respectful of his animals, support him. The problem I see with strict veganism is that we risk losing these artisans and for me, they are a part of the culture and traditions- we want to keep them.
Image: Israel Barona
We don’t believe in restrictions and banning. We believe in BALANCE. Tell me not to eat something and it’s the only thing I’ll want to eat. It’s a question of temper and psychological patterns. Balance (and therefore, chocolate) keeps the mind, the body and the environment happy.
I don’t believe in magical food, I believe in VARIETY. It’s the only way you are going to get everything your body needs and limit your damage on the environment. Vegetables and Fruits should be the stars of your meals. The more colors you have, the better it is. Complement with cereals, nuts, seeds and legumes.
I believe in GRADUAL INTEGRATION. Your body, mind and taste buds need time to get use to something or get rid of bad habits. Be open minded and give things a second and third chance.
We believe in GOOD JUDGEMENT. Diet and food choices don’t happen in a vacuum. So while you might want to champion your vegan values from the rooftops, please bear in mind you might be surrounded by people who’s only concern is to have enough food to feed their children today. Especially when you’re travelling. Sometimes is a luxury to be able to buy the vegan option, some other people need to just think about survival. Maybe a small rural village in El Salvador is not the right time and place to be an intense activist of your cause. There are nuances. And common sense.
My sister has a friend who has been an engaged vegetarian for years and who is taking a lot of conscious actions to limit his environmental impact in his way of living. One time, they were in a tournament in Italy and someone left half of his prosciutto pizza on his plate. My sisters friend, the vegetarian, took over the plate and ate it. The surprised team warned him about the prosciutto on the pizza and he answered that yes he is a disciplined vegetarian, but he’d rather eat the meat than see it go to waste.
This situation really generated a reflection in my head and the kind of respectful dialogue that allows us to think further. I think that even when fighting for good causes, sometimes people are so rigid in their way of thinking and acting, that they sometimes lose the big picture, and therefore the whole point. Use your judgement.
When making choices, try to keep these things in mind. It’s going to help and guide you. Don’t try to reach perfection, it’s fucking exhausting and you’ll never get there. Nutrition has complex problematics but it’s not a reason to not do anything. Just be more conscious and one step at a time, you’re going to make a difference in your life and on this planet.
PEACE OUT PALS