Let Food Be Thy Medicine...

I may not have mentioned this before, but I have a very depressing family history of heritable illnesses.  Heart disease, stroke, Diabetes Type 1 and 2, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, hyperthyroidism, cancer, leukemia, and arthritis.  Don't you know that I look forward to aging.  For the past year--well, maybe even longer than that--I've felt as though the world is telling me to change my lifestyle habits now, or suffer the consequences later.  Typically I have a poor diet, I eat a lot of fast food and processed food, and I don't regularly exercise.  All of that is now going to change.

I have looked seriously into vegetarianism.  However, I don't feel that it is necessary to become completely vegan.  Humans are omnivores and do require certain nutrients that can only be ascertained from animal sources.  Plus, I am not ethically against eating animal proteins.  So, eggs and dairy are definitely okay with me.  Meat...well, I'm ethically fine with it, but it seems that today we Americans consume far too much of it.  Several hours of research into the night led me to the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on lots of whole grains, lots of vegetables, fruit, some dairy, occasional fish, and the least emphasis on other meats and fats.  However it does integrate the liberal use of olive oil when cooking and eating, and the consumption of red wine with dinner. 

So what am I going to do?  So far I'm taking a slow but steady approach to change, as I feel I should to maintain success.  However I will say that I haven't had any fast food since Monday morning, and it's a refreshing feeling.  I have had several homemade meals including butternut squash soup and shepherd's pie with ground turkey instead of beef.  I've experimented with veggie burgers, and have determined that I like ones made with black beans rather than "original" ones.  Today, I ate entirely vegetarian.  For breakfast I had grits, toast, and orange juice.  For lunch I had a black bean veggie burger on 12-grain bread, grapes, and cashew nuts for a snack.  For dinner, I had a warm pita with roasted red pepper hummus and melted feta cheese, and a side of salad with more feta cheese and an Italian vinaigrette dressing.  It was absolutely delicious.  I would have no problem being vegetarian if all the meals were as good as today's.  It's funny, today is probably the first in a long time that I think I actually reached the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables.  For me, that really is saying something.  And I feel really good about myself.  I feel energized, less stressed, and happy.  I don't know if it's the diet or just the knowledge that I'm making a positive change for myself, but either way it feels good.

If I can keep up with this, it will be such a positive step in my life towards good health.  Granted, I'm not unhealthy right now, but if family history is any indication, then I have a lot of health problems to prevent.  My next step is going to need to be more regular exercise.  I spend probably 30 minutes walking the dogs every day, but that's really not good enough.  I need to do more strenuous activities daily as well.  But, baby steps.  I don't want to get too excited, overwork myself, burn out, and just go back to my old habits of fast food in the car or junk food in front of the TV. 

One thing I really like about the Mediterranean diet (I hate calling it a "diet", like the Atkins or something...lifestyle might be a better choice of wording) is that it heavily emphasizes enjoying food with friends or family around the table, not just sitting and staring aimlessly at the boob-tube.  Unfortunately I live alone, but for dinner today I just sat peacefully without the TV on, and took the time to really taste and savor each bite of food.  It was a rewarding experience. 

Anyway, so after several very good days of home-cooked, healthy meals, and a very tasty day of vegetarianism, I'm feeling refreshed and ready to wholeheartedly commit to my new lifestyle changes.  I hope this trend continues for me!  So until next time...

People Chow!

Introducing...

 

Now you'll never have to worry about cooking again!  Simply pour yourself a bowl of new complete and balanced People Chow, and enjoy!  People Chow has been formulated by top nutritionists and physicians to meet all the nutritional requirements your body needs!  Wholesome whole grains, sweet fruits, crunchy vegetables, dairy, and meat...mmm!  Plus added vitamins and minerals!  And it's all been baked into savory, convenient nuggets!  Want a little extra flavor?  Simply add a half cup warm water to one cup People Chow, let sit for five easy minutes, and watch as People Chow makes its own delicious gravy! 

People Chow!  You'll never need anything else!   

...

I hope you found that utterly disgusting.  I don't know about you, but the thought of eating a bowl of the same stuff every day, from a bag, with no fresh foods...well...it grosses me out to say the least.  And so what if it has been formulated by top nutritionists and physicians?  Science is constantly changing, learning, and growing.  There are things we thought were wonder products 50 years ago that we now know are carcinogens.  If you know anything about nutrition, you know that nutrients are best absorbed from whole, fresh foods, not processed junk preserved in a bag. 

Clearly, such an idea is preposterous, and would never take hold in society.  The doctors or nutritionists who formulated such garbage would be laughed out of their industry. 

So then why do we do it...to our pets?

I'll let you ponder that for a second.  Now I want you to think about your own animal, who probably eats the same thing, day after day, year after year.  And you wonder why dogs beg for scraps.  Luckily, there are alternative ways to feed your dog.  My method of choice is to feed my dogs a prey-model raw diet.  Dogs are descendants of wolves, and despite thousands of years of domestication, they are still just as much carnivores as their ancestors.  A quick look into your dog's (or cat's) mouth will reveal large dagger-like canines, sharp premolars, and carnassial teeth capable of shearing flesh from bone, and then crunching that bone into digestible bits.  Other less obvious research will show you that dogs (and cats) have a digestive system built for processing raw meat and bones.  A short intestinal tract, an undeveloped cecum, and the lack of production of certain enzymes such as amylase in their saliva are all huge red flags that should tell you, dogs are carnivores.  And because they are carnivores and because they have such short intestinal tracts, they can safely eat raw food without a significant risk of food poisoning because the food simply moves through the system faster than the bacteria has a chance to proliferate.  

I switched my own dogs over to the raw diet in February this past year.  I must say, it has truly worked wonders for my dogs.  Raw meat, meaty bones, and organs provide them with all the nutrition they need.  They get a variety: chicken, pork, beef, turkey; basically whatever I find for a reasonable price at the grocery store, they can eat.  I won't go into all the details here of correct amounts and weights and everything, but I will say there are plenty of great resources out there if you know where to look.  In my opinion some of the best resources are Dr. Tom Lonsdale's book Work Wonders (I also recently found a free PDF version of it here), his website as well, the Raw Feeding Yahoo! group, and this wonderful webpage that lists and provides references to disprove all the myths associated with feeding raw food. 

Do your research.  Examine your pets for what they are, not for what pet food companies have made them out to be.  Ditch the bag, and give your dog (and your self) some wholesome, fresh food.

So until next time...

For the Love of a Dog

The saying goes that dog is man's best friend.  Today I think that was certainly true.  A little after 7 p.m. today I had a knock on the door.  A look out of the peep hole showed a young guy in a T-shirt and shorts, looking normal and happy.  I answered the door, and he introduced himself as a neighbor from the apartment complex.  My dog Toby stood right by myself barking initially, and continuing to growl.  After his brief introduction the guy launched into this sales pitch about selling magazine subscriptions.  I told him right now was not a good time, but maybe he might have a flyer that I could contact him by; I asked what apartment number he lived in.  He said quickly that he was from a unit in Building A (which does not exist in my complex), and that maybe he'd stop by again next week.  He then hurried away.  My dog Toby stood right by my side, growling quietly, the entire time.

I had heard of scams like this before.  In fact in the few months before I moved I had heard of quite a few incidences.  I questioned the man about his apartment number not because I was really interested, but because I thought he might be lying about his residence here.  As it turns out I was right.  A quick call to 911 ensured that someone came out to the complex to make sure he had left the premises and was not bothering more tenants.  The problem is that these salesman have a history of becoming violent and attacking the people they're "selling" to.  Robbery, assault, rape, and murder have all been committed by so-called door-to-door salesmen. 

Living by myself like I do, it's a very scary thing to think about.  I'm so proud of and thankful for Toby, who knew that there was something about this guy that he didn't like.  He may be small, but he's got a big voice.  He might not be able to save me from an attacker, but I'm confident that he wouldn't stand by quietly.

So for anyone who's reading this right now, take a moment to appreciate your dog.  Maybe they haven't always been the best; I mean sure there's been carpet stains, chewed up shoes, and muddy paws.  But if your dog is anything like mine, he's loyal, he's loving, and he would put himself in harm's way to protect the people he loves.   

So until next time...thanks, Toby. 

Farmers' Markets

Well, I officially bought my first items from the farmer's market today!  B and I went to two different ones; the first would have been more accurately named an "arts and crafts with a little bit of food thrown in" market, but the second had much more.  I didn't get a whole lot as I still haven't branched out too much on the kinds of vegetables I eat, but I did get some fresh corn on the cob, okra, goat milk and goat cheese.  The goat products were a bit more expensive than I was planning on paying, but the lady offered me samples of everything, and I really just felt like supporting their business.  The cheese I got was garlic and herb feta...mmmmm!  Delicious! 

If you'd like to find a farmer's market in your area, try searching this website:  http://www.localharvest.org/
It's been such a great help for me!

Anyway, so that was the farmer's market experience.  B was a little disappointed because somehow or another he thought there would be a variety of Asian foods there, and wanted to try cooking some dish with squid...yuck.  I'm glad there was no such booths there.  After that B and I had a lazy day watching a movie marathon of Pirates of the Caribbean.  I forgot how much I love those movies!  Especially the original.  We had a pretty good time; I just wish neither of us had to work tomorrow so we could spend the whole weekend together. 

In other news, K and I went to the mountains of New Mexico for a week earlier this month; it was amazing!  So cool and comfortable; the cabin we stayed in doesn't even need air conditioning!  We spent a good amount of time hiking and enjoying the scenery.  I think it just further convinces me that I want to move out of Texas after graduation.  Maybe it's because I've grown up in Texas, but other states just seem to have so much more beautiful scenery.  Plus I keep checking the weather in New York City, and even though it's not much cooler than it is in Texas right now, the humidity is so low that it actually feels like what the temperature actually is, rather than having to add about 10 degrees to how it feels because of the humidity.  Ugh.  I'm sick of humidity and mosquitoes.  I am so ready to graduate and move out of here. 

Anyway, that's pretty much it for tonight.  I always get super tired after B leaves, and that wave of tiredness has just hit me.  Definitely my cue to go to bed.  So until next time...

Rainy Day Reflections

So it started raining last night.  Thunderstorms came in heavy, and the thunder woke me up from time to time.  Now that it's daytime, it's still storming on and off.  And from the looks of it, this will continue throughout the week because Hurricane Alex is approaching.  My first hurricane on my own...I hope I don't have to evacuate!

Yesterday was a really good day.  B came over and we cooked baby back ribs and corn on the cob...mmm!  It was so good.  I showed him my Crops in Pots and The Backyard Homestead books, and he seemed really interested.  I think if we ever have land he'd have no problem getting down and dirty helping me maintain plants and animals. 

Speaking of crops, today I watched another documentary, The World According to Monsanto.  This one really takes a look at how Monsanto is manipulating and controlling the national and global food and crop industry.  A real eye opener, for sure.  It's just amazing the lies and underhanded practices they get away with.  It makes me sad that corporate greed is so powerful. 

I think I may see what food plants are available at the store, and try my hand at gardening.  In fact, yes, I think that's what I'll do today.  So until next time...

Patenting Life

So I just finished watching another food documentary, "The Future of Food".  You can watch it free on Hulu here.  It's not quite as high quality as "Food, Inc.", but it presents similar information, and focuses more on the aspect of patent infringement of seeds and crops, as well as what kind of effect having such patents on life means for agriculture both in our country and in the rest of the world.  It also looks into the ethics--or lack of ethics, if you prefer--of the fact that genetically modified foods are still not labeled in the United States. 

In other news, I'm finally settling into my new life.  I graduated on May 14th, and on the 15th I moved here to my new apartment.  It's been difficult, especially with the dogs and no longer having a yard, but as I said I'm finally settling in.  I started class for my master's on June 8th, and it's going well.  It's basically a human development class, and so far everything has been a review of things I learned in my undergrad classes, but it's interesting nonetheless.  I started work yesterday, and I think I made a good impression with my new boss, so that's always a good thing I suppose.  I'm considering applying to be a resident advisor at a homeless shelter for children and adolescents, but I don't know if I have the hours that they're looking for.  I suppose I should contact them for more information.

Personal life is going well.  I haven't really made friends here yet, but one of my classmates is from my old college and we had a few classes together, so we sit together in class.  I have been talking a lot to old friends on the phone pretty much daily, and I've managed to get to see B a few times a week, since we're both in the same city now.  It still takes us 45 minutes to get to each others' apartments, but it's better than an hour and a half I suppose.

Also, I'm thinking I'm going to start a patio garden.  I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to plant yet, but I'd like to have a strawberry bush, maybe a blackberry bush, and maybe some spinach.  My friend K gave me a book called Crops in Pots, and it's given me some good ideas and tons of good tips.  Other books I've been reading about small-scale self-sufficient farming include The Backyard Homestead and Keeping Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps.  Anyway, I'll quit sounding like an advertisement now.  But they are good books, definitely worth reading.  But I think I've rambled enough now, so until next time...

Going Green

So I've had a lot of thoughts recently that I would like to become a more "green" individual.  I recently watched the documentary film, Food, Inc., and it has really opened my eyes to the evils of the food production industry.  The cruelty and manipulation that occurs, not always to the animals but to the people, is repulsive and I don't wish to further fund it.  To be clear, I'm not in favor of becoming vegetarian or vegan.  Not that I have a problem with either of these lifestyles, but they're not appropriate options for me personally.  Rather, I think the industry should produce all foods ethically and with respect for the creature and the farmer. 

Anyway, I'm following a couple of blogs about living green, and self-sustainable living.  I know I won't be able to for the next couple of years, but eventually I'd like to have a garden, and raise some livestock small-scale.  I'm particularly interested in raising rabbits for meat, and chickens for eggs and meat.  Perhaps it would even be feasible to raise a few dairy goats, and raise the kids for meat.  I talked about this in depth with B, and he seemed interested in the idea as well.  He confessed he's actually always been interested in keeping a vegetable garden, so he seems to be on board with such a way of living. 

I've found a local farmer's market that is open in Saturdays.  I think I'll attend, and see what I can find.  So until next time...

Brace Yourself...

Wow, this year has been a real crash course for the rest of life.  Since my last writing I've traveled halfway across the United States showing dogs, I've gained a dog, lost a dog, gained (sort of) another dog, traveled to New York to attend the annual Westminster dog show, and soon I'll be graduating from college and moving away to pursue my Master's.  Whew! 

So.  I guess I can elaborate a little more on life.  B and I are still together and doing wonderfully.  We've had a couple of rough patches in our relationship, especially concerning where we want to live, and how we want to live.  Do we want a family or not, those kinds of things.  Some of the discussions became fairly heated, but I think we're much better off for them, and now we can focus on what we do want in our relationship.

I'm very seriously considering moving to New York City for a couple of years after I get my Master's.  Why not?  I just want to say I've done it.  And since B and I decided to post-pone having a family until much later (so we can establish and enjoy a marriage and partnership for a few years before changing everything), it gives me the perfect opportunity to go out and experience the world, really live it up (with B going with me, of course!).  I went to New York in February, to go to the Westminster dog show, celebrate my birthday, and have a little mini-vacation before starting grad school in the summer, and it was amazing!!!  I never dreamed I would love it so much.  The architecture was beautiful, the people were intriguing, and the atmosphere was exhilarating!  I had so much fun, and yet I barely scratched the surface of everything there is to see.  How I want to go back!

So, I'm also graduating in three weeks.  It's a bit mind-blowing and scary, but by that same token I'm excited to open the next chapter of my life.  I'm moving to a smaller city outside of the big city where B lives, so I'll only be about 45 minutes away from him.  I'm very excited about that aspect of it.  We can go out on regular dates, enjoy the city nightlife, theatre, the beach...oh yeah, I'll be only 5 miles from the water!  I'll be able to go out there, enjoy the water, take the dogs swimming...it's going to be amazing.

Speaking of the dogs, I ended up keeping T.  And I'm sick of writing letters for my dogs' names, so I'll just give real names.  Toby is my Dachshund.  He's such a doll, and I've spent so much time showing him, so I ended up becoming his co-owner.  We've started Earthdog training, and we're just touching on obedience, and I think he'll be a great working dog and companion.  And the little coffee puppy was born, and I got him in August.  Ryder is his name, and I think he might be what some of my friends refer to as my "heart dog", that one dog in my life that goes above and beyond being a pet or companion, and is the one dog that meets and exceeds my wants and expectations.  So far he as.  I've been showing him, and I've started working with him in the field.  He shows so much promise!  And he's obedient.  That boy learned how to shake, with both paws, in less than five minutes.  My mom witnessed the whole thing and was in awe!  He's just wonderful.  Maverick (M), my other Brittany, has been living with my parents for about 6 months now.  I got some new neighbors, who have a dog that likes to fence-fight.  I felt that I was unable to control Maverick, not to mention I could barely keep him from climbing over my 6' wooden privacy fence (that has no footholds, mind you).  Even if he was in the kennel in the yard, he would still whine and bark and make himself miserable.  It seemed kindest to let him go stay with my parents in the country for a while, but he's really blossomed there and now my mom is quite attached to him.  He's become her little shadow, and buddies around with her wherever she goes!  I can't complain.  I'm happy to see him happy.

As school is winding down, life seems so stressful.  I'm graduating in three weeks, moving the day after graduation, starting a new job *sometime* when I'm moved in, and starting grad school on June 7th.  In other words, it's going to be very busy.  But like I said, I'm ready to start the next chapter, so I hope it all goes smoothly and as planned.  I'm moving into a one-bedroom apartment (down from my current 3-bedroom house!), so that's going to be a bummer, but it's a very nice apartment so I can't complain too much.  I'll just have to get creative with storage.  On the bright side, I can't spend any money on useless things, because I'll have no room for them!  Ha ha...

Anyway, I've got to study for a couple exams that I have tomorrow.  Easy ones, but still.  I should study.  So until next time...