Rest

No one knew how to stay in bed better than these two. I wonder what they were thinking when this photo was taken? 

I know what I'm thinking of as my word for the year in 2022: rest.

I recently dove into thoughts on Rest on Instagram - check out the Nap Ministry.

I have a feeling my pace of work next year may be somewhat adjusted. An image from the Nap Ministry's page, taken by Charlie Watts. Sooooo relaxing.

Musings on animal protein and why I try to stay vegan

Hi readers, this post includes my views against eating animal meat because this blog is a collection of things I study. If the topic isn't your cup of tea, maybe skip this one.

Nutrition and health have always been a focus of mine. It started in college when I bought Hygeia: A Woman's Herbal at an independent bookstore in Tallahassee, where I attended FSU. It got more serious when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and I tried to get her to adopt a macrobiotic diet, which was too austere for her to get her head around and  hard to manage with all the unique ingredients. At that time, cancer cures were diet-driven versus the immuno-therapies we have today. My mom didn't survive her cancer after an 8-year battle, and that pushed me to learning more about anti-cancer diets.

Later at around age 40, when I wanted to lose extra pounds that inevitably crept up, I looked at weight loss approaches. Back then, it was the South Beach diet, because those first 2 weeks worked like magic, but how much chicken breast and broccoli can one woman eat. We all know now it's just an equation of calories in and calories burned. 

Next, I learned about vegetarian and vegan diets, realizing that eliminating all carbs and just eating meat isn't ideal either, so I explored less inflammatory (and less cruel) ways of eating. To stay slim, carb intake can be offset by moving, so you can still maintain your weight without eating an all-meat diet. And if it's quantity you want, move more and you can eat more. Or eat the things that, while filling, are not necessarily fattening, e.g., vegetables, lettuces.

At this same time, I started reading about animal rights and vivisection (I'll never forget the pamphlet about surgeries done on beagles and other dogs without anesthesia) and the awful animal testing that still goes on. I learned about factory farming and slaughterhouse practices. I connected what I ate to where it came from, and what happened in between. After reading how pigs are "processed," I would encourage anyone that eats bacon or any pig-derived meat (pork) to educate yourself on how these intelligent animals are raised and killed. Then, if bacon still seems worth what it takes to get it to your plate, at least your eyes are open about how it all happens. After all, we are free to eat what we want. But it's the awareness part that I think should be mandatory. Kind of reverse censorship where we have to be informed about the meat we eat and how it gets from the live, sentient being walking or swimming the earth to the dead carcass, all tidied up in chunks and wrapped for sale at the grocery store.

My awareness jumped a few notches more when I thought about how similar a dog is to a pig, yet the thought of eating our pets sounds abhorrent. Did you know pigs are smarter than any other domestic animal. Their ability to solve problems, like the pig I.Q. test on The Joy of Pigs, is well-documented, and they are considered by animal experts to be more trainable than dogs or cats. Of course, this argument is so very scary because it's based on a being's intelligence level as to whether it's okay to kill and eat it. That could go in a lot of directions, none of them good, if suddenly a super low I.Q. or some mental incapacity would leave you open to becoming a food option.

Dairy isn't ideal either with the constant, forced impregnation to keep cows pregnant and milk-producing, and the traumatic removal of their babies immediately after birth. All in the course of farming? Maybe okay? Not really okay. And yes, yes, cheese is great, so I'm happy that vegan versions are starting to catch up in taste and texture. 

The fact is no one wants to learn about this stuff or even admit it happens. Wouldn't it be nice if we could keep reality on the far reaches of our minds and imagine that somehow the slaughter part was painless? But that's not the case, especially now with social media putting every unbearable truth right in front of us. 

The choice factor is also key. No one asks, "Hey cow, are you ready to die for this guy's steak?" Or, "Hey chicken population, we are going to eat 1 MILLION of you a minute in the U.S." But, again, I understand the pull of meat, because I ate it for so long, and still slip very rarely. Fortunately, for my health and the animals, as I learn more, I align my actions with greater knowledge, and my values, and I move more towards veganism. The temporary pleasure of a savory taste in my mouth is just less and less worth the karmic load or the heaviness I feel afterward. Yes, chicken soup is good and it's actually called comfort food, but the more I know, the less I find it worth it, or comforting.

I've also let go of the protein myth on how much we need - almost no one is diagnosed with protein deficiency in the U.S. We actually don't need that much, and if you want protein why not get it from where the animals you are eating get it: plants. One less cruel act, and you fill your belly with nutritious food. Win-win. Ok, so you have to eat a B12 supplement, and maybe a multivitamin. Easy sacrifice. Truth be told, it's fiber we are deficient in. That's what feeds all the good bacteria that makes up half our cells and powers our immune system.

I kind of like the idea of going to the source of protein anyway, rather than having a cow eat and digest it, then be slaughtered so I can get that second-hand protein. I also look back at just how many meals of meat I've already had in my life. So. Many. If I get that desperate, I just savor the memory, while staying the course with what I believe is good not only for my health, but for animals and the planet. I think in 50 years from now, and hopefully sooner, we will look back at how we raised and ate animals as a sort of zombie time, full of all the factory farming and slaughtering. Animal populations will go back to normal and we may go back to a new, better equilibrium. Eating the flesh of a petrified animal going to slaughter is proven to  be unhealthy.

Yet, as my post comes to a close, I still believe that you can start anywhere. Maybe just make do with Meatless Monday. That's almost a mainstream phrase isn't it? And then maybe nix bacon, or maybe say, I will only eat it when I eat out. There are little hacks you can do to make a difference. A respected Harvard-educated doctor, Dr. Weil, has said red meat can be more of a condiment/garnish versus the main fare. Though recently he said, nope, no red meat is really good for you. He does leave wild-caught, cold-water fish and omega-3 rich eggs from free range poultry on the menu. For the ethical reasons, I have to leave them off.

Thankfully, strides are being made in the non-meat arena with things like Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger to help people transition without going cold turkey (no pun intended). And I know it's taking hold because of the articles, like the one recently published by the NYT, that are likely pushed by meat-profiteers saying, "Wait everyone! this meat alternative might not be good for you." I think this signals their awareness that they have competition. There are also scores of celebs putting their millions behind vegan foods.

Not for the feint of heart, but if you want to really want to know what goes on in factory farms and how your meat goes from a live animal to a burger, steak or chop, you can read this.

Here's to a less cruel world.

A snapshot of thoughts

Having a newly installed president who is not 'the other guy' brings a sense of calm, doesn't it? After what we've been through, including Covid, it's hard to believe we made it out alive. My first memories of 2016, once I emerged from the shock, were that we might get bombed by Korea. That was a nice opener. 

I hope I bounce back to my former resilience, but this Spring Forward time change isn't helping. It's been so hard to get to my new 8:30. I remember with the last change, it was similar.  

At the end of last year I took a membership with a practice that helps you unblock limiting beliefs and I've delved into some roadblocks. I've looked at my inner child, and seen and held her using a hypnotic DI, or deep imagining. It's so wild the thoughts that emerge when you take yourself back to the little child you once were. Things you forgot pop up. There I was in outfits I once wore, summoned forth to the present day, giving my adult self a chance to converse, see, and cherish my younger self. Memories long forgotten show you things that add missing pieces and correct fragments that don't quite fit today. In one of these DIs, I simply hugged this younger me the entire time and didn't let her go. It was healing. 

Cooking and tending plants are my happiest moments. James got me an InstantPot for Xmas and yes that thing cooks dry beans in like 7 minutes. It's cool. You do end up with beans so at the ready that you kinda don't want them. So here we are, the 50s housewife's pressure cooker is now the InstantPot!

We watched Parasite recently and loved it. Not what we were expecting, but so good. 

I watched Nomadland with all its uncomfortable dark and cold scenes, in snow and in the old van and with Frances McDermott's ability to 110% embody her character. I looked it up and that story is true; the gypsum factory in Empire, NV closed and left 95 families to move from the company provided houses. Some were allowed to stay 6 more months so their kids could finish school. They even discontinued the zip code. I did hear, interestingly, that a new factory is slated to open there. People, please start an "oh shit" savings account if you take the job.

I watched the Handmaid's Tale and it took weeks to recover. The feelings that came up were a sort of horror mixed with relief that we dodged the Whitehouse bullet of potentially having more time for Commanders to make more changes. Top that off with Mrs. America, about Phyllis Schlafly. I haven't finished it, and she's just starting to get a bit uppity with her husband. Hard to believe a woman was so set against women having any power. The Gloria Steinem character is great. I hope this ends well.

Best vegan cooking channel: Yeung Man Cooking. I made the vegan mushroom soup and you would never know I didn't use a gallon of half and half. Just cashews! 

That's all for now. Hope everyone is doing well. 

Photo by Matt Hardy on Unsplash