De-evolution

This picture is the view as I wait outside the elevator of a place I go to get therapy on my back. I am the rare individual with upper back pain versus lower. It's usually lower backs that hurt, but I think I have upper pain resulting from bracing -- holding my shoulders up and tight. A general feeling of unsafety in this world. 

The world is in a state of de-evolution. War has always been futile and there's nothing new about that. May there be peace for all beings.

Musings on animal protein and trying to stay vegan

Update 4/17/25: It's probably not hard to understand how strong the pull is to eat what you ate as a child. And I struggle with those old habits even though my eyes have been opened to the horrors of factory farming. To me, it feels like an addiction; one I'd like to break completely. Part of it is how I'm cooking, or not, for myself these days. No longer working, I have more time, but somehow less interest in food. I get away with a sandwich for dinner every now and then. Every night can't be an extravaganza. Food prep must be the way forward. Get it all prepared on a Sunday and then it's done for the week. My friend John is a pro at this and should literally have a cooking blog, or YouTube channel. He's very funny, too, and does improv, so I think it would totally work for him. 

Should we all be vegan? I think we should. But it isn't easy to get right. For now, I'm limiting my consumption of animal meat. Hopefully I'm making the smallest dent in the suffering of these beings who were deemed "food." What a terrible fate.

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.

Lockdown Life

Photo is from https://www.adorama.com/alc/what-is-minimalist-photography 

My feedburner set up went away due to some phasing out of the feature, so I may email an update to the mailing list so folks know I have a new post up. Please just email back to be removed from future updates if this bugs you.

Lockdown life has been interesting. It started out kinda great, then tensions rose for a bit, and now I'm more relaxed about it again. What choice is there? You stop fighting it and just relax into it. What I've learned is that while I consider myself a home body, the pull to get out and about is very strong. 

My summary of activities:

I've been walking more. As I say in my IG feed - nature is my higher power. It truly is - nature is like a god. To see my IG feed, visit @robinwrites

Watched the Netflix series Tales from the Loop, and really liked it. The actors are great, and the premise and magical vibe of it all was a perfect escape for the times.

Cooking is definitely a thing. Lots of soups, fried rice, easy stuff. But we're still trying to support restaurants with some takeout. Favorites are The Red Door's curbside pickup and most recently Madison. Madison is actually one of my favorite places to eat. My number one fave though is Il Dandy - beautiful interior and incredible food. 

There has been the occasional weeknight glass of Cote du Rhone, because in moderation why not.

Glennon Doyle's Monday Morning meeting time has been a balm. Love her. Also on Instagram. 

In a future post, I am going to publish a piece written by my friend Matt Jones, my work friend. He writes "paintings" of people with words. Stay tuned for that. We just have to talk about when he wants to send me one. I'm also going to ask him to write his description of how he'd like to "show" these paintings. When he told me, I thought it was a really interesting approach - you may agree. 

My friend Moni just did some bird art that I will also feature, but will first ask her permission. Stay tuned for that, too.

I've been supporting some retail establishments with recent orders on Uniqlo, Gap, Old Navy, and TheRealReal. Basics are on their way. By the way, Marimekko fans, Uniqlo did a collab with Marimekko for 2020, so maybe go check it out. In non-retail spending, I've donated to a refugee group that provides kits to new mothers and pregnant women who are being held at the border.

A last snippet is that James had COVID in January. He did the antibody test last week and it was positive. I had a mild case of whatever he had, so I had it, too! Are we immune now? I doubt it. Are we carriers? I don't think so because it's not an active infection. Yikes, another reason for us all to stay distanced. This is so very sad, and I can only imagine how it is for those who've lost loved ones. 

I can't wait to laugh again in person with actual people.

To all the Helpers - THANK YOU.

💗,

Robin

NYSD

My current obsession is the New York Social Diary. You can spend far too much time (or maybe I can) reading about the old-money families of the leisure class. Like Mrs. T. Charlton Henry photographed in 1965 by Diane Arbus. Not only does the site cover people, but huge estates including all the beautiful interiors. This picture is actually from a different, though similar, site. I think reading “That Woman” has perked my interest, though I’ve always been attracted to this sort of thing: mansions, antiques, the eccentric, and finer things of olden days.