ignore = ignorance

“When they grow from a chick and in seven weeks you’ve got a five-and-a-half- pound chicken, their bones and their internal organs can’t keep up with the rapid growth. A lot of these chickens here, they can take a few steps and then they plop down. It’s because they can't keep up all the weight that they’re carrying. That’s normal. There’s antibiotics that’s put into the feed and of course that passes through the chicken. The bacteria build up a resistance, so antibiotics aren’t working anymore. I have become allergic to all antibiotics and can’t take ’em.” – Farmer, Food, Inc.

When I hear the word ignorance, I think of not being informed or educated on a topic. But I have started thinking recently that a lot of people actively choose to be uninformed about certain things. It's not always a case of lack of opportunity or resources in which to gain information. No. It's about ignoring the issue altogether. I had never realized just how similar the words "ignore" and "ignorance" truly are.

If you haven’t seen the movie, Food, Inc., you really should. While it was initially horrifying and appalling, it completely changed the way that I think my food.

It never occurred to me just how removed I am from the food that I put into my body. The food I eat is always sitting on a shelf at the grocery store, awaiting my selection. Take an apple, for example. Where did it come from, specifically? And, no, the answer to this question is not “the grocery store.” What was put in this apple? There must be a reason why some apples are ginormous and others are super small.

It started to really bother me that I didn’t know the answers to these basic questions.

This movie opened my eyes to a lot of conditions that most people try to avoid seeing. I understand why major food corporations go to great lengths to keep it that way. Ignorance means large profits for them. If you knew how it got to your plate, you would probably not look at it the same way anymore.

I’m not saying that this movie will make you want to be a vegetarian. It’s just supposed to get you thinking about how much of the process is kept from us… intentionally. If anything, it may make you want to try alternatives... like free range and grass-fed meat. But overall, the main lesson I learned from it is that there ARE other options. The way you cast your vote to keep the corporations from treating animals cruelly and lacing them with drugs depends on what you buy at the grocery store.

Food, Inc. also got me thinking a great deal about how everything I eat could be related to my health issues. Do I have severe reactions to antibiotics and stomach issues out the wahzoo because of the food that I eat? I really hope not. But I will probably never know for sure.

Take away message from my tirade? Go watch this movie right now. And if you are one of those people who does not care or want to know where their food comes from, I hope your ignorance continues to be blissful. But I fear it will not be.

the best thing that has entered my life in a while

“Man is the only animal that can remain on friendly terms with the victims he intends to eat until he eats them.” --Samuel Butler

I have to give mad props to my friend, Rachael. She introduced me to my new favorite vegetable. Not only had I never tasted this delicious substance, but I did not even know that it existed! Allow me to introduce the one, the only, the Spaghetti Squash.  

If you don’t know what this is, you should. If you do know what this is, shame on you for not revealing its majesty to me!

Spaghetti squash looks like a really fat yellow squash. One of my favorite things about it was that it came with directions. Clearly, people don’t know what the heck they are supposed to do with it. When have you ever bought a vegetable that came with directions? It made me chuckle.

The reason it’s called spaghetti squash is because the insides resemble noodles. And most people eat it with different varieties of pasta sauces. I was also bold and put some soy protein in my spaghetti sauce. I thought it was going to be gross, but it was delicious. It tasted like ground beef. Although, I do think they should come up with a more appealing name for it. I bought the aformentioned soy protein in the frozen food isle where all the other non-meat products hang out.

I loved this dish so intensely… most likely because it tasted like an Italian dish. Spaghetti squash and I are going to be great friends. This I know.

Here is how I made it:

*Spaghetti Squash*

Wash squash and poke 5-6 times. Microwave for 12 minutes and rotate every 3 minutes so all sides have faced up. Let cool. Cut in half. Scoop out middle goop, including seeds (like you would do for a cantaloupe). Then use a fork to scrape all inner sides of the squash. Little stringy things should peel off easily. Top with your sauce of choice and prepare for the magic you will soon experience!

the smell of temptation

“Vegetarian: A person who eats only side dishes.” --Gerald Lieberman

Let me start by saying that being a vegetarian is not as hard as I thought it would be. And by this, I mean that I haven’t epically failed yet. Understandably, it does require a significant quantity of self-control.

I had my first bout with temptation on Wednesday. I was doing community service during my normal dinner time and the organization provided sub sandwiches for everyone. Living in the culture that we do, vegetarians are often forgot about. Thus, all that was offered contained a variety of lunchmeat. I was hungry… and there, sitting in front of me, was a delicious smelling turkey sandwich. But I stood my ground, desperately listing in my mind the reasons why I initially believed this was a good idea over and over. Instead of grabbing a sub sandwich, I halfheartedly ate 4 helpings of fruit and some crackers. Welcome to the world of having a restricted diet, where we eat only side dishes.

Did I want some turkey? Obvi. I would be straight-up lying if I denied this fact. However, I also yearn to eat chocolate 24/7. But that doesn’t mean I do. You have to weigh the cost. The come-back I hear most often is that the animals on our plates were going to die anyway. But I don’t see why that makes a difference. Aren’t we all going to die one day? Does that mean we should go ahead and get it over with now? Not at all. It makes life that much more precious.

I was thinking about this preciousness when I munched on my fruit and crackers. I smiled to myself. Following that light bulb moment, I swear the fruit tasted better and the turkey sandwich smelled dreadfully unappetizing.

Italy, changing lives one dish at a time

“Ancora un pochino, per favore!” –Italian saying

If I could live anywhere in this world, I would live in Italy. There is nothing about that country that I do not love. I spent a little over a week there a few years ago. I may or may not have gained 5 pounds in that short time frame. And by that I mean... I did. I ate bread and pasta constantly, drank my fair share of wine and limoncello and ended every evening with a stop at the Gelato shop. I also learned one of the few Italian phrases that I know, “Ancora un pochino, per favore,” which means “A little more, please.”

I’m not daring enough to move there (mainly because I know virtually zero Italian). So instead, I will surround myself with their delicious cuisine to remind me of that magical land. (Just in case you haven’t picked up on that theme in my cooking choices yet.)

So I recently made some Bruschetta, which is one of my favorite Italian foods and conveniently vegetarian. It’s also one of the easiest dishes to make and doesn’t require many ingredients. This dish is meant to be an appetizer. I often intend it to be this way and then end up eating it until I’m full. It’s that delicious. I don’t use a certain recipe (which is how all the cool kids cook). But the main gist of it is below.

*Bruschetta*

Olive oil

Tomatoes

Onions

Basil

Salt

Pepper

Baguette

Mozzarella or parmesan cheese

Cut baguette into slices and place on baking sheet. Brush olive oil on both sides of baguette slices. Bake for 2 minutes on 400 degrees. Flip and bake for 2 more minutes. Mix tomatoes, onions, basil, salt and pepper. Put spoonful on each slice and bake for 1 minute. Sprinkle with your cheese of choice and serve!

Ratatouille (the entrée, not the movie)

“A vegetarian is a person who won't eat anything that can have children.” --David Brenner

Last night for dinner, I made my first purposefully vegetarian meal. Obviously, I have eaten meals without meat, but this one was the first in which I consciously chose that option.

On the menu: Ratatouille and Focaccia bread.

 

I picked this recipe because it wasn’t too far out of my comfort zone. I had eaten it before at my friends’, Kim and Rachel, house (thanks, ladies!). So I already knew that it was delicious. But since I’m not the best cook in the world, it was still an adventure. Luckily, my mom was there to correct some of my minor mistakes along the way. For instance, I was unaware that slicing and dicing are different things… whoops.

It turned out just as I remembered it, absolutely delightful. The best part about it is that it is quite filling. You normally don’t expect that a medley of veggies is going to abate your hunger, but it did. The bread helped too.

I’m sorry, but I cannot eat an Italian dish without bread. It doesn’t work for me… despite the fact that while I was in Italy, I think I was only served bread with my meal once. But that is beside the point. I will freely admit that I am addicted to carbs. I could eat pasta, bread and potatoes until I burst. They are my little trinity of happiness. I love them in a way in which no one should ever love an inanimate object. It’s just a fact.

I didn’t actually make the bread myself... just heated it. I bought it at Trader Joe’s, aka my Mecca. (Everything that I have ever purchased from that store has been nothing short of breathtakingly delicious.) I highly recommend the Focaccia bread. It reminded me a lot of the bread from Macaroni Grill. Yum!

Here is the recipe, for your eating pleasure.

*Ratatouille*

3T olive oil

1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs

1 yellow or red pepper, sliced

2 crushed garlic cloves

2 sliced leeks (or small mild onions)

2 sliced zucchini (or squash)

2 sliced tomatoes

1t rosemary

a sprinkle of basil

4 eggs

Heat half the oil and fry the breadcrumbs in it until golden brown. Drain oil and set breadcrumbs aside. Add the rest of the oil and sauté the pepper, garlic, and leeks until softened (about 10 min). Add zucchini, tomatoes, basil and rosemary and cook for 5 min. Make 4 wells in vegetables and add the eggs into the wells. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until eggs are cooked and then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and serve.

cluck, moo, oink, gobble… do fish make noise?

“Thanksgiving dinner's sad and thankless
Christmas dinner's dark and blue
When you stop and try to see it
From the turkey's point of view.”
--Shel Silverstein, “Point of View”

The closest I come to realizing that what I’m eating used to be alive is at Thanksgiving. When the turkey is in its whole form, it looks much more like a bird. This year, I was extra aware because I knew that in a few weeks time I would be dabbling in vegetarianism. It looked so sad when my father was carving its flesh with an electric knife. Did that stop me from eating it? Nope. It was delicious. But I made sure to tell the bird I was thankful to it for giving its life for the benefit of my taste buds.

I tried to see life from the turkey’s perspective. If it had been born almost any other bird (except a chicken), it would be frolicking around as we speak. I realize that, as humans, we often attribute emotions to animals that they most likely do not feel. But they are living creatures and who am I to decide that that particular animal deserves to be on my plate?

Vegetarianism is a hot topic. It seems like everyone has a strong opinion about it. But I think there is a solid rebuttal to almost every statement against it. And I get it, meat is delicious. This I know. But so are lots of other foods that don’t require slaughtering a living being. Just sayin’.

I definitely don’t expect everyone to agree with me on this. Even after going 3 years without red meat, sometimes I really want some flank steak. But then the craving passes and I’m really thankful that I didn’t give into it. I’m hoping that will be the case with poultry as well. But I make no guarantees.

I’m also going to try not to be one of those people who makes other people feel bad for eating meat. It’s really your choice. But I do think it’s important to be more aware that what you’re eating used to be an animal. It’s easy to forget that in our society because it just shows up on our plate. Be thankful for the animal’s life and appreciate it a little more than an apple.

On the flip-side, please also respect my choice and don’t taunt me with the delicious meat of which you are partaking. Don’t rub it in and make me think bad thoughts. And I too will try my best to respect your choice and not make animal noises while you’re eating meat.

Key word being “try.”

Experi-month #2: Meat or not to meat?

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” –Hippocrates

I figure I’m on a roll with health related things, so I have decided that Experi-month #2 will be devoted to attempting vegetarianism. If you know me, then you probably know that I have flirted with being a vegetarian for about 5 years now. And by flirted, I mean that I have tried and failed multiple times. I have a commitment issue in my relationship with a meatless life. I usually do not have much of a problem with will-power. That is one thing that my stomach issues taught me. But this is the one thing that I can’t seem to give up completely.

Why I want to be a vegetarian:

1.      I love animals.

2.      If I was forced to go out and kill my own dinner, I would never do it.

3.      Meat is difficult to digest… and per last month’s topic, I don’t need more difficulty in that area.

4.      I’ve seen multiple documentaries on the meat industry and the conditions outrage me. I don’t want to support those terrible companies.

5.      Why are certain animals acceptable to eat and others are not? For example, I would NEVER consider eating my dog (I love you, Krissy).

Why I fail at committing to vegetarianism:

1.      Chicken is delicious.

2.      I don’t really like beans. Thus, protein becomes a problem.

3.      It’s hard to be the only one… especially when you go to someone’s house for dinner.

4.      I forget that what I’m eating used to be breathing.

5.      People think you are high-maintenance. Don’t pretend you haven’t thought that.

So this topic is a perfect Experi-month for me. I need a deadline. I need to know that it will be over in one month if I want it to be.

I have been dabbling with vegetarianism for a long time. I stopped eating red meat about 3 years ago. This decision was made to help my digestion and because pigs and cows are cuter than chickens. Legit. That was my thought process. I have also never really eaten seafood. I have a texture issue with most of it. So that leaves poultry, which is the only meat that I consume. My original plan was to give up red meat first and then give up chicken… so that I wouldn’t be going cold turkey (no pun intended). But I never did.

My current diet does not have tons of meat in it. I would say that I eat meat 6 times a week. And this is usually at dinner time. I never eat it for breakfast and very rarely for lunch. If you have suggestions of delicious recipes for me to try, PLEASE send them to me!! I need help on this one. Salads get old pretty quickly.

I’m not really sure that this will contribute to my happiness, which was the overall goal of Experi-months. In fact, it might contribute to unhappiness. If that turns out to be the case, so be it. I’m going to try it for all the chickens (people and birds) out there.

Here goes nothing.

P.S. I’m serious about the recipe thing. Send them. Now.

Verdict on Month 1

“A man may esteem himself happy when that which is his food is also his medicine.” --Henry David Thoreau

Last week, I started my allergy supplements. I made the mistake of going cold turkey, meaning that I stopped taking my Zyrtec on day one. Rookie mistake. Several hours into the day, I got the mother of all headaches and could not breathe. The devils inside my sinuses forced me to break down and pop my Zyrtec. I felt like an addict. I lasted a mere 5 hours without the comfort of my decongestant and then fell off the wagon. So since then, I have been taking half of my Zyrtec plus the supplements. My body can handle this much better.

My NP noted that it may take a little while for my body to adjust to life without a decongestant because I have been taking one since about age 10. Few things in my life have been as consistent as my morning allergy pill. I can truly say that I have only forgotten to take that pill once in 12 years… and it was easily in the top 10 most miserable days of my life.

So I’m still working on weaning off of the medication. BUT it’s almost time to move on to Experi-month #2. Before I introduce the new topic, I have some closing thoughts on my holistic month.

Will I stick with it?

I can say with 100% certainty that I will continue taking Slippery Elm and Fish oil. This combination seems to do wondrous things for my insides. I have noticed the largest improvement in this arena. These little miracle workers changed my life! I went from feeling pain every single day to feeling nothing. It still surprises me… and I love it.

I’m still not certain about the supplements for my thyroid and allergies. Those conditions seem pretty much the same with or without the supplements. So my decision may come down to comparing hassle and cost. Is it worth it to take something 3 times a day versus once a day? Is it worth it to pay slightly more, thanks to my insurance company’s lack of support for holistic healing? We shall see. It may take a few more months for the verdict to come out on this one.

Am I glad that I tried this?

I hope no one seriously asks me this question after reading the previous paragraphs. But, heck yes! Insert previous comment about my life being changed in marvelous ways. My body is happy. If I listen closely, I can actually hear my body saying, “Thank you,” as it digests. I can actually enjoy eating food instead of waiting for the eminent repercussions. It’s a great way to live. Food = nourishment… not food = enemy.

Would I recommend trying it?

Abso-freakin-lutely! I realize that not everyone has the same health problems that I do. But there might be something that you wish was a little better. Or you might want to prevent future illnesses. It sure as heck won’t make you feel any worse. I also think that I was lucky to find a good Naturopathic Physician so quickly. Maybe that was the universe’s way of making it up to me for staying with Cruella Condescension for so long. If you decide to try it, definitely do research to find a good one and to make sure that they are legitimate doctors. That’s my general advice.

Top 5 things I learned from this month:

1.      Listen to your body’s cries (or screams) for help and change.

2.      You are responsible for your own health. If you don’t put your whole effort into helping your body feel better, why would anyone else?

3.      It actually is possible to digest without feeling intense pain.

4.      If health insurance companies had a Facebook page, it would say “In a Relationship with drug companies.” And it doesn’t appear that will change any time soon.

5.      When you feel healthy, so many more things seem possible. Hope is a lovely thing.

I officially declare this month a success.