My other addiction

Alongside tea, I have another minor obsession.  My name is Sarah and I'm an Amazon addict.  It is four days since my last package arrived, and already I'm hungry for more.  I just cannot get enough of reading, especially shiny new books about all things healthy.

This week's delivery included Thrive Fitness, a book by vegan professional Ironman triathlete, Brendan Brazier.  I've been reading a lot recently about the purported benefits of a paleo / primal lifestyle for optimum health and sports performance.  A meat-based diet and 'grok' way of living certainly seems to be the trendy lifestyle choice, and blogs such as Mark's Daily Apple are hugely popular.  This troubles me because it goes against most of what I learnt in my nutrition degree, and sits uncomfortably with my own veggie preferences.  Luckily Thrive tells me I can, well, thrive on a meat-free diet.  I hope so.  And, according to the U.N., reducing our consumption of animal products might be better for the planet too. 

This week I'm planning to compare the benefits of these two ways of living and see which comes out on top.  It's easy to be swayed by the hype so, to keep the science foremost in my mind, I also invested in an up-to-date exercise physiology textbook.  But top of my to-do list... making space on my bookshelves for my ever expanding library.  Maybe I'll plan it over a nice cup of (herbal) tea.