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The joys of being a vegetarian

  • Sebastian Pole
    Sebastian Pole

    I am a registered member of the Ayurvedic Professionals Association, Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine and a Fellow of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners. I qualified as a herbalist with the aim of using the principles of Ayurveda (the ancient art of living wisely) and the Herbal tradition to help transform health. I have been in clinical practice since 1998.

    Having co-founded Pukka Herbs in 2001 I have become experienced in organic herb growing, practitioner grade quality and sustainable value chains. I am a Trustee of the FairWild Foundation, a Director of The Betonica School of Herbal Medicine and an Advisor to The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and The Sustainable Herbs Project. Fluent in Hindi, a qualified Yoga therapist and passionate about projects with a higher purpose, I am on a mission to bring the incredible power of plants into peopleā€™s life. And that is why I started Herbal Reality and what it is all about.

    I live in a forest garden farm in Somerset growing over 100 species of medicinal plants and trees. And a lot of weeds!

    Author of Ayurvedic Medicine, The Principles of Traditional Practice (Elsevier 2006), A Pukka Life (Quadrille 2011), Celebrating 10 Pukka years (2012) and Cleanse, Nurture, Restore with Herbal Tea (Frances Lincoln 2016).

    Listen to our Herbcast podcast with Sebastian as the host.

  • 11:42 reading time (ish)
  • Cleansing & Metabolising Digestion & Nutrition Mobility & Fitness Western Herbal Medicine

Written by Sebastian Pole

Although not for everyone, the vegetarian world is a colourful, nutritious and exciting place; perhaps more than you might think. Read on to discover more.

I love being vegetarian. It tastes good, makes me feel good and helps me feel a part of a caring world. Its in my blood. My grandparents were pacifist vegetarian Quakers. My Mum had a brief relapse which meant I did too but then, after visiting India and living in America for a while I fell back within the fold. I am not saying it is the right choice for everyone but secretly believe it is. In my early days of recently converted over-zealous youthful enthusiasm I verged on the side of extremist. I even asked my most red-blooded Alpha male friend to not cook bacon in his own house. Not a good move! I am more accepting now. A bitā€¦

When I am asked why am I vegetarian I say ā€˜for every reason that there is to beā€™; environmental, moral, health, financial, spiritual and (now I know how to cook) because its so utterly delicious.

Sebastian Pole

I am a registered member of the Ayurvedic Professionals Association, Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine and a Fellow of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners. I qualified as a herbalist with... Read more

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