A full plate

Vegetarian Times, July, 1998 by Donna Sapolin

When I think of Linda McCartney, I don't think, as some do, of a woman who experienced less of what life has to offer as a result of her principled way of living. Nor do I think of a woman who tried to defend herself against fortune's slapping hand. Quite the opposite. I see a person who lived life with enviable gusto and celebrated its many gifts. Watching people like Linda, I have learned that for those whose actions are determined by ethics, it is the not doing of the conscience's dictates that causes discomfort, interior turmoil and feelings of deprivation rather than the doing.

This is not to say that embracing a minority position comes easily--or steadily. Inconsistencies in the way one leads life are bound to occur; few of us can uphold our principles all the time. But for Linda, a life in which she did not elevate her husband, kids and animals above all else would not have been worth living. To my mind, she determined what was meaningful to her early on in life, and as a consequence, she was handed, not a cruel fate, but a very full plate. Through her extraordinary devotion to nourishing the primary relationships that drive the human heart, she was served heaping portions of love, equanimity and joy.

I have noticed for many years now, but especially in the aftermath of Linda's passing, that along with the predilection for viewing ethically motivated behaviors, like vegetarian eating, as somehow impoverishing, there is the belief that the goal of such actions is self-preservation. And then, when they "fail," they are regarded as not having been worth the "effort" and are thus emptied of meaning. "How ironic," I've heard people say, "that Linda's vegetarianism did not save her."

Such comments diminish the value of Linda's undeniably life-enhancing choices. Rather than question the merits of a vegetarian diet, it is far more appropriate--and important--to view Linda's illness as a very public red flag. Her tragic sickness signaled the need to do everything we possibly can to curb the ever-rising incidence of cancer.

There is not a medical doctor or scientist out there who would state unequivocally that one thing and one thing alone causes--or prevents--breast cancer. In fact, adopting a diet rich in plant-based foods and few, if any, animal based foods may be the one thing that all medical experts agree is our best defense.

No longer are the greatest threats to our health anything as obvious and assailable as a virus or germ. Instead, we face a seemingly irresolvable day in, day out assault by environmental pollutants ranging from hormone disruptors in the form of pesticides to gene mutators in the form of electromagnetic fields--not to mention unparalleled stress levels and foods devoid of nutritional value. One thing is patently clear to those of us who research such things: To handle this bodily blitzkrieg, we should focus on bolstering our immune systems. Toward that end, in this issue, both our news department (p. 16) and a special section devoted to women's health (beginning on p. 72) present you with some of the latest data and methods for safeguarding health and vitality.

Paul McCartney said to honor Linda's memory by "going veg." If you do choose to adopt a vegetarian diet, it will, without question, foster well-being. But there is still much to be done to eradicate the diseases that plague us. And so, beyond the recipes and health information we provide on a regular basis, we at the magazine have chosen to support breast cancer research. For each new subscription to Vegetarian Times, we will donate one dollar to The Breast Cancer Clinical Research Fund of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York (see p. 69). Thank you for furthering our efforts to cultivate good health and allowing us to serve you a plate full of life-affirming ideas.