#like meat but want to go vegan/vegetarian but they do not serve the purposes of people like me who DON'T like the taste of meat.

[nervoussystemss]

Alastor x Falling for a Vegetarian/Vegan Reader

• Alastor doesn't understand how you can go without eating meat, seeing as he eats it every single day for every meal.

• Not to mention you've been doing it for six years? He wouldn't be able to, personally.

• "I refuse to believe that you simply stopped eating meat one day and quit all of a sudden. What do they call quitting suddenly again? Ah, yes. Quitting cold turkey."

• What do you mean it wasn't sudden?

• "My parents were originally against it since they said meat had important proteins, but after a while, I managed to convince them that I could eat other things for protein. Eggs, tofu, things like that."

• "Why would you do such a thing, though? Meat does tend to have a good amount of protein, after all. I can't imagine going a day without it."

• "I felt bad for the animals."

• "You felt bad for the animals," he repeated slowly, unblinking. "Well, understandable, but also, that's a bit silly!" His smile never fades as he talks. It's clear that he's not trying to patronize you, at least not on purpose, but that he genuinely thinks so. "Animals die all the time by natural causes, be it a car crash or disease or whatnot! There's nothing wrong with eating them before their time. Everything dies eventually!"

• "That's, uh, kind of morbid."

• "But true!"

• He had a point there. Nevertheless, he accepts it, but that doesn't stop him from being a bit of an ass asking if you want a bite of his meal before he eats, to which you always politely decline.

• "Suit yourself," he hums as he goes into privacy and begins his meal.

• You really try not to think about what (or who) he eats and his eating habits unless he reminds you.

• He only does that sometimes. Not too often, thankfully.

• But still, you can't help but be a bit curious.

• "So, like, the teeth."

• He raises a brow.

• "What sharp teeth you have." You pause. "Like... do you use them to like... rip into things, or...?"

• "Curiosity killed the cat." He keeps smiling. "But I suppose I'll humor you. I usually prefer to tear those I feast on bit by bit before indulging. It is quite messy, however, when their organs and limbs are, well, flying everywhere and getting all over the walls, not to mention the sheer amount of blood that's spilled when I—"

• "Okay! I get it! You painted a very good picture, thank you!" You didn't that he'd get that specific. Why would he get that specific? You felt queasy.

• "Oh, did I go into too much detail? Forgive me, I can get a bit excited at the thought of meals."

• "It's fine." That doesn't help the fact that you still find it disturbing, and it shows.

• He holds out an arm. "Come along. I know a great place that serves the best vegetarian and vegan meals."

• You latch your arm with his and let him lead you, slightly confused. "But you're not either of those."

• "Yes, but you are. I figured it was time for a change."

• "You're going vegetarian? Or vegan?"

• That gets a tiny laugh out of him. "No, no. Never. I'm simply going to watch you eat and order something for myself. Not eating meat for one meal won't kill me, after all."

• And that's how you two ended up at a restuarant.

• If anyone asks, it wasn't a date. At all. Just a friendly gesture of goodwill.

• He's a gentleman. He obviously paid for both your meals and expected nothing in return.

• You two make it a biweekly thing.

• (You claim it means nothing to you.)

• (You're lying.)

• He says he's just being polite and trying to have new experiences.

• (He's lying too.)

[acti-veg]

So I'm trying to get a better understanding of what Veganism is all about, from an ethical standpoint. So, my Grandparents keep chickens pretty much as pets and will regularly give eggs away to family members because they have tons of them. And I'm just curious what the Vegan perspective on that situation is? Like is the main problem with the cruelty of industrial farming or is using animal products in general just blanketly considered bad?

Like I know Vegans do keep pets, so I just wonder what the perspective would be on using eggs or wool or milk or something from an animal that you care for as a pet? Like, if I decided to rescue a sheep an name them and give them a home with me as like another member of the family, would it be considered unethical to use their wool to make yarn for crochet or something like that? Is it different depending on the situation?

The core belief to keep in mind here is that we as vegans oppose the exploitation of animals for human benefit. For welfarists (who tend to be meat eaters or vegetarians) the main issue with animal products is the cruelty involved, whereas vegans tend to be abolitionists, who want to abolish animal agriculture rather than simply improve treatment.

This is relevant for discussing backyard eggs, because those eggs are the result of exploitation. The hens themselves have been exploited because they have been bred into bodies that vastly overproduce eggs to the extent that it comes with a myriad of health issues, they also usually come from hatcheries where male chicks are brutally slaughtered on mass. To then take what their bodies have spent resources to produce, and therefore profit from that situation, is further exploitation on top of that.

Vegans are generally okay with pets on the basis that they're adopted, and that we aren't exploiting them to serve our own interests. You can adopt hens, but the responsible thing to do is to prevent them laying using implants, except in the USA where this is not allowed. In that case, I personally would prefer chickens were allowed to benefit from their own production and those eggs are fed back to them, which restores some of the enormous amount of energy needed to create them. Excess eggs should then be donated to food banks, fed to other rescued animals or donated to vulnerable people rather than thrown away.

Milk is clearcut, since no animal produces milk without first being made pregnant. To keep a steady flow of milk you have to continuously impregnate them, and generally remove the calf so they aren't drinking it all. Dairy cows once again have been bred to overproduce so there may well be excess, but you really shouldn't be allowing pregnancy in the first place, so this is a moot point in terms of what to do with it.

With sheep it is a bit different, while sheep have been purposely bred to over-produce wool, wool is still an incidental part of keeping sheep, they need to be sheared and there is no real way for them to directly benefit from their own production. It is essentially a waste product at that point, like manure. Views differ on this, but I've no issue with a non-profit organisation selling wool on the basis that 100% of the funds generated go towards the care of the animals in question, which is practiced by many animal sanctuaries. Otherwise I think it is fine if someone donating the wool to an animal shelter for blankets, or turning it into warm clothing for the needy.

As a general rule, animals should be allowed to benefit from what they produce, rather than us. In cases where they can't directly benefit, we certainly shouldn't seek to profit from them. The power dynamic between humans and non-human animals, between pet and owner, will always be imbalanced and to materially benefit from that relationship is taking advantage of that power for personal gain. As soon as you're personally profiting from an animal's body, you also have a vested interest in continuing to make sure the animal continues to produce whatever you are profiting from, opening the door to further exploitation or even abuse.

Things like eggs from pet chickens or wool from a rescued sheep certainly aren't the biggest animal rights issues on our radar, but thinking about it in an ethically consistent fashion means that we apply the same values to these situations as we would any human use of non-human animals. Animals do not exist to serve our interests, and we should respect their bodily autonomy in every way that is possible and practicable. In short, we just shouldn't be looking for ways to benefit from our relationships with animals.

[hindahoney]

Do you have any tips for eating kosher food when it's not easily available to you? It's slightly easier cause I don't eat meat but its very hard and I'd like help

To anyone who wants to eat kosher, my most important advice is to start slow. It's a process. If you cut out everything at once you will get overwhelmed and quit.

My first advice is to only eat things with a hechsher on it. Because you don't eat meat, it's already significantly easier for you. The problem is finding dairy with a hechsher, especially cheese. A lot of cheeses are made with rennet, which is a part of the animal we are forbidden to eat. This is why a lot of cheese chips and snacks aren't kosher, even if they seem like they should be (doritos were SO hard to let go of for me, and I'll never forgive Sunchips for removing their hechsher). A lot of foods also have non kosher dyes that were made with insect shells, the same with sodas. Additionally, checking produce for any bugs is always a good idea!!! Even produce in grocery chains are likely to contain little bugs. I promise once you start checking, you'll see them. So many products are full of chemicals that were created with non-kosher ingredients or in non-kosher facilities, so the best way to ensure you're not accidentally consuming them is to just eat hechsher products.

For people who do eat meat, however, you can still eat most fish because it's considered pareve. Chicken used to be in this category, though this was changed over time by rabbis who noticed that people began thinking of chicken as meat. The argument proposed is that the Torah says "Thou shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk," and since chickens don't produce milk, this prohibition does not apply. Rabbis would say that the spirit of the law means it does. It is up to you whether you want to agree with the rabbis about this. For me, when I first started keeping kosher, I would allow myself to eat chicken, before I slowly removed it from my diet to abide by the rabbinical ruling. I also think the spirit of the law should apply to eating eggs and chicken (though eggs are pareve) together, if we are prohibiting eating an animal with its potential child. But I'm not aware of any rabbis who have said this (but jews talk about everything so they're probably out there.)

Eating meat or cheese plant-based hechshered substitutes are also acceptable, depending on your movement. For me personally, I will eat hechshered meat substitutes, and this satiates my cravings for meat until I can get kosher meat. Gardein is a good brand, and so is Morning Star, and I'm sure other countries have their own brands. The argument against eating meat substitutes was that the appearance of an observant jew eating what looks to be a cheeseburger could cause other observant Jews to believe the laws around kashrut have changed, leading them to break kosher. This law made more sense back then, but now I'm not so convinced, but that's up to you to decide. Eventually, I see myself no longer eating meat substitutes once I live in an area with a kosher market, but for now this has to do.

Work your way up to waiting between meat and milk. The time varies, I've heard anything from one to eight hours.

Make sure to crack your eggs in a separate clear container to check for blood. It's not common, but it happens.

Eating vegan or vegetarian while you're out is a decent compromise in the beginning until you feel ready to let go of restaurants.

Lastly, have a little non-kosher food send off. Before you start your journey, eat your favorite non kosher food and then say goodbye to it forever, at least until you can find a way to make it kosher. Eating kosher is hard. But it's a reminder of the covenant between yourself and HaShem. When you eat kosher foods, the belief is that whatever animal was used in the making has now served a higher purpose.

If anyone else has tips on how to start keeping kosher, or ways that help you, feel free to share!

[frecht]

oh i never updated on this. so first of all it was supposed to be like an hour drive right. bc even though it's just 23 km/14 mi we had to go through the city center. but there was something deeply wrong with our bus driver (i dont think it was traffic bc we weren't really sitting still for a while?) and it ended up taking two and a half hours. this is longer than the bus ride to kilkenny was. and also id been planning to have french toast for breakfast that day so that id have protein in my stomach for the hike but there was a free yogurt event my friend & i went to instead (it was good yogurt). and i had fruit snacks w me but i ate them all on the 2.5 hr bus ride. wherein i also read a third of my book even though it was an ebook (smoke & mirrors by neil gaiman which i quite enjoyed). we got to the hike location like maybe 2:30? we were supposed to leave at 11 btw. we left at 11:45. and so then we take our hike which is maybe 5 miles? idk. it was very gorgeous + when i remember i'll post some photos. also the hike guide had two DOGS!!! an elderly irish setter and a silly little jack russell terrier. we finally finish the hike at like 5:30 (we started 2:45/3ish). at this point we are all starving bc we never had lunch and then went on a FIVE MILE HIKE. so everyone is hangry. and we get to the place and it really is givign me quite a bit of deja vu for doolin last year even though i had lunch that day. and i order my vegan burger bc there's nothing else i can eat. it arrives and it only kinda looks like an impossible burger so it's worth a try. despite this it still isnt looking so good bc all they put on top of it was some onions which i don't like. i take off the onions + put on my salad and i take a bite and it's an impossible burger. the tears simply start flowing. i hate it soo much when this happens and like last time it was bad but also i was with my mom but this time i was with 4 friends. and i can't control it and it makes me feel so awful. i take the salad back off the burger (it was a very paltry amount) and eat that and also eat my chips and some of my friend's chips as well bc she isnt going to finish them. but at least the hike was good. that night to fall asleep i started drafting a treatise against impossible burgers in my head. i hate them soo much. if everyone else can have multiple choices you need to have 2 veggie options as well. like why couldnt it be burger/fish and chips/vegan burger/salad. or burger/fish and chips/impossible burger/black bean burger. or whatever. UGHH it makes me so mad

ughhhh going on a hike w the study abroad program tomorrow & they're buying us lunch (yay!) but we have a menu of 3 items to choose from and the only one i can eat is "vegan burger & chips" with no description of whether it's an impossible burger or actually good

[kimbureh]

Love the Hog, Love the Bacon (optional)

what is this thing that a lot of people cannot voice interest/adoration for an animal without then also making a joke about wanting to eat it should it be a commonly served animal in that culture?

it feels so forced, as if somehow people weren’t allowed to express positive feelings about a certain class of animals if they didn’t also want them dead and in their bellies. Feels inauthentic too. If you adore big fat hogs, just say so. No need to inform us that the animal you so adore is also eaten by you and others.

Perhaps people feel self-conscious about a moral contradiction because they cannot reconcile their positive emotions towards the animal itself and their enjoyment of the food made from it? Which is hard, I guess, in times of industrialized food production especially.

it’s just so weird that the “joking about wanting to eat the beloved animal”-thing is SO ubiquitous whenever liking a “food animal” comes up in conversation, there must be some collective mental process behind this.

Anyway, I do love hogs. Period.

.

ETA: omg is this about confirming one’s values with the group? I mean, the social function of statements is to check and affirm that everyone else present holds the same values as you do, which strengthens group cohesion. Forgive me my example, but that’s the same purpose sexist jokes serve: to see if everyone falls in line, and if not, force them to. However, the “wanting to also eat the beloved animal”-joke also happens when it’s public knowledge that not all present are meat-eaters. Perhaps this fact still elicits some discomfort in some people, and hence they fall back to the deeply ingrained behavior of aligning group values through statements like with the sexist jokes.

Which is, on a tangent, why sexist jokes (or the like) should never go unchallenged, for silence implies being on board with the voiced stance.

However, almost everyone agrees that eating LESS meat is the healthier thing to do, much like smoking, yet smokers have given up all efforts to turn group opinion to their favor long ago, at least in my experience, and more restrictive legislation in that regard support that suspicion. But somehow meat-eating is seen as something *that needs to be publicly defended*, as if we were on the brink of outlawing it just like smoking in a lot of places. Which isn’t the case by a long shot.

.

My explanation is that people believe that liking an animal and wanting to eat it are two irreconcilable things, yet they do not want to stop eating it, so they trap themselves in a continous contradiction caused *by their own thinking*.

No it’s not them pesky vegetarians, or veggie days, or vegan labels on products that are the source of the discomfort. It is one’s own belief that loving an animal and eating an animal is contradictory. Which is, I say, debatable, and depending on your own value system you could come up with any answer and feel zero guilt about it.

At least that’s my theory so far.

[hellohimanshu2-blog]

What are the top things to do in Mallorca?

Mallorca is a Spanish island which is situated in the Mediterranean. This place has turquoise blue waters, golden dunes, green foliage, rugged mountains, villages, and a beautiful capital city named Palma. It's capital city Palma is known for its beaches all over the globe and is one of the most famous summer destinations. This place has many luxury hotels and villas. Mallorca has become one of the sailing hotspots. It is also famous for its local food and wines, and traditional cuisine. On this island, there are plenty of historical sites to visit and explore the culture of Mallorca. Currently, this place in Spain has become one of the hottest tourist destinations in the world.

If relaxing is what you want, then you can grab a sun lounger at this beach, there are many supermarkets to shop in Palma. You can explore the theme and water parks with your whole family, as well as adventurous water-sports. There are thousands of other things to do in Mallorca. If you are a party person there are many incredible bars in Mallorca.

What are the things to see in Mallorca?

Mallorca is one of a popular tourist island destination of Spain. If you want to explore Mallorca, then do add these things to your list.

Palma de Mallorca town 

 Palma de Mallorca is famous as a medieval town and there are plenty of things to see and do in Mallorca. This place was founded by the Romans, and after some time it was reconquered by the Byzantines. Palma for long has been a port town and is famous among tourists. The center of the town is home to many small churches, like the Gothic Cathedral of Mallorca. In Palma, there are many luxury hotels to stay, good restaurants to eat, and amazing bars and cafes.

Palacio Real de La Almudaina

The Palacio Real de La Almudaina is also famous as the Alcazar. It is a Moorish fortified palace. Muslims built this palace after the Arab conquest in the 11th century. After some time it was rebuilt in 1309 by James II of Mallorca. It is also the royal palace of the Kingdom of Mallorca. But after some years it was passed to the Crown of Aragon. It has a well-designed courtyard which was built in the 14th century. It also has a garden that was renovated in the 1960s.

What are the unique things to do in Mallorca?

Mallorca offers many unique experiences and exciting activities to participate in. Here are some of them.

Hit the roads on a motorbike in Mallorca. There you can get rental bikes easily, there are some places on the island where you can also hire a vintage or classic motorbike to explore the beautiful island. Mostly they allow their bikes for a maximum of five hours for the tourists. You can explore its themed villages, beautiful beaches, and cafes. 

Walk with donkeys in Tramuntana Sierra

Tramuntana Sierra is located on the north-western side of the village of Deia. This is the most amazing spot for the drink lovers and even for dinner on the terraces, which is surrounded by aromatic roses and with the green landscape. You can do many activities there like ceramic classes in the onsite studio, or you can go for a group walk with your family or friends into the mountains accompanied by the donkeys. This could be a luxurious picnic for your family or friends.

What is the most popular food to eat in Mallorca?

In the Mediterranean, this place offers different varieties of finger-food. These are some of the famous food of Mallorca.

Trampo

Trampo is a very well-balanced dish of Mallorca. It consists of tomato, some green peppers and their special onion, and olive oil. This is healthy as well as delicious food to eat in Mallorca. It is also famous for its coca de trampo that is trampo placed on pizza dough and it tastes amazing.

Tumbet 

 It is a traditional vegetable dish in Mallorca. You can eat this dish at every local restaurant on the island. It is served with fish or meat, and with the top covered with the vegetables. It also contains sliced potatoes, red bell peppers, and are fried in olive oil.  You can also ask to add some zucchini to the mixture as it will enhance the flavour of your dish.

Frito Mallorquin

This dish is very famous among the local people and tourists of Mallorca.  It is a fried meat and vegetable dish. Its preparation is done with the use of lamb, onions, mashed potatoes, red pepper, garlic, some fresh peas, onion, olive oil, and their famous baby leaf.

Top Wellness retreats in Mallorca 2020

Wellness retreats in Mallorca allow you to take full advantage of the island’s natural beauty. If you wish, you can also stay in some beautifully restored Fincas as they provide a touch of luxury with their wellness programs. Here are some of the best wellness retreat in Mallorca.

Ananda Mallorca

It offers retreats to its visitors in a truly magical way. It is located in the Sollar’s lush valley. It also offers an incredible view of the UNESCO-protected surroundings of the Tramuntana Sierra. They offer many programs which you can choose according to your needs. Workshops are also held, and they mainly focus on diet and is designed to rejuvenate body and mind. There is a separate place given for the kids' section, where they can play and practice tennis, and fruit-gardening or yoga as well. The main purpose of all the retreats is to focus on nutrition balanced, healthy, and good meals, and freshly prepared on-site by the best chefs.

Ashtanga Mallorca Retreats

This is situated on the northwestern part of the island. It is a traditional stone farmhouse that is surrounded by a huge swath of approx. 200,000 square meters of forest. These retreats are yoga-focused. They organise two sessions of yoga practices daily, a more physical and difficult one in the morning, and in the afternoon they practice one which is more centered on philosophy and alignment. This retreat is suitable for the vegans. There are plenty of other activities to do like cycling, hiking, and water-sports.

Escapada Health

They have chosen a beautiful place which is 500-year-old Finca for organizing their retreats. It is located outside the Capdepera on the easternmost area of the island. It has a farmstead with a total of seven adjoining houses set among the olive and almond orchards with beautiful views of the hills. Their summer retreats are combined with yoga and fitness, nutritious food, and a perfect blend of Ayurvedic traditions. This retreat is alcohol-free and is vegetarian. You can also hire professional guides for hiking in the mountains.

Visit the best beaches in Mallorca 

Plan your vacation to Mallorca with our list of the best beaches to visit in Mallorca.

Cala Mesquida

Cala Mesquida is one of the long and wide beaches in Mallorca. It is very popular among people who like to play in the water. The sea of Cala Mesquida is shallow. This makes it good for water sports. There are many resorts on one side of the beach, one of the popular ones is Viva Cala Mesquida Resort and Spa. They have many casual cafes on the white sand where you can spend some time and refresh yourself. You will also get the opportunity to see nature reserve, full of pine trees and dunes. 

Es Calo del Moro

It is situated on the island's southern coast. Calo del Moro is a beautiful beach which is located near to the town of S'Almunia. This is also famous as the Blue Flag Beach. The water of this beach is turquoise in color, and with a sandy beach surrounded by high mountains. There is a walk of 5 mins to access the beach, so it will be better if you wear sneakers. During the summer weekends, you can find the beach crowded and busy.

What are the unusual things to see in Mallorca?

Mallorca is also famous as Majorca. It is the largest island of the east coast of Spain in the Mediterranean region. It is mostly known for its beaches and nightlife but, there are many unusual things to see in Mallorca.

Necropolis of Son Real

It is a graveyard and the local belief is that it was used by the Son Real Necropolis from the Iron Age until the Roman period. It has an area over 8,600 square feet and is one of the oldest tombs. The tombs contain weapons and many potteries, they also contain many jewels, shells, and many musical instruments. By this, you can guess that it has been used by several cultures, each one of them following their funeral traditions. This place was rediscovered in 1957. The government bought this place in 2002 and began its preservation program.

Cova de Coloms

If you want to try something unusual, then plan a trip to Cova de Coloms. It’s one of the best islands of sea caves. You can access this cave only by swimming and is best for the water lovers. Everything will be provided by the safety guards, you don’t need to carry things by yourself. They only check if you are healthy and can swim for at least 200 m.

You can also explore the maze of lakes and chambers. It’s an incredible place to visit on the island.

Do some shopping in Mallorca

The capital city, that is Palma, is the major hot spot for shopping on the island. There are many shops to buy things of every kind. Here are some of the best shopping markets in Mallorca.

Palma

For shopping seekers, the size of Palma is a big advantage. The main areas for shopping that you must visit in the city are Avinguda Jaume III, Passeig des Born, and the cobbled streets. There are many ancient passageways around the Placa Major and also in Placa Cort.

There are many weekly supermarkets. It is famous for its beachwear clothes. But the other shops sell every sort of fruit, antiques, wooden stuff and other essentials. There are many cafes and food counters around this market, you can grab some food there and explore the beauty of the local cafes.

El Corte Ingles 

 There are two stores, which are located in Palma. If you want to spend more, then this is the best market to do that. There is a range of known international designers in each store. One of the markets is situated in the Avinguda Jaume III. The other market is big and is located near Palma’s main transport hub.

Try the adventure sports in Mallorca 2020

There is a collection of adventure activities to do in Mallorca. It is suitable for all levels and ages. Here are some of the best ones.

Windsurfing

Here you will get the opportunity to feel the breeze of the Mediterranean. This is one of the challenging sports activities, but this will surely give you a good adrenaline rush. If you get tired you can stop near to the island's beach and have some food there.

Coasteering

It involves many kinds of activities like swimming, climbing, diving, and scrambling. This is a great way to explore the crannies of Mallorca's beautiful coastal cliffs. It is mostly offered by the local activity which companies on the island and it can also be practiced by the whole family.

Visit the most famous historical monuments in Mallorca 

Enjoy the culture of Mallorca by visiting the most famous historical monuments in Mallorca.

Cathedral de Mallorca

Cathedral de Mallorca is also famous as the La Seu. It is a Gothic cathedral built in the 14th-16th century and later rebuilt with additions of different styles. The incredible rose window and works from Gaudi and Barcelo is truly a worth visit. You can also explore the Cathedral museum. 

The Roman City of Pollentia in Alcudia

The Ciutat Romana de Pollentiais is located on the southern part of the historical quarter of the Alcudia. Here you can find different excavation sites, which will allow you to discover aspects of life in this beautiful city. It also hosts the houses of the forum, La Portella, and the Roman theatre.

Where are the best museums in Mallorca?

This place has so many things to offer to those who enjoy visiting the art galleries and museums. Here is the best selection of the museums on the Mallorca island.

Sculpture Park, Yannick & Ben Jakober Foundation in Alcudia

This is a new addition to the Sculpture Park, it delights both the adults and children’s. It is home to many artists. There are many monumental sculptures of animals, including a dog, rams, horse, hippo, horse, and elephant. This is one of the striking sights in Mallorcan island. It’s worth visiting and exploring the beauty of the rose garden. You can visit this place on Tuesdays, and it is free of charge.

CCA Andratx in Andratx

This is located in Andratx and is dedicated to the exhibition and creation of modern art. It is famous for its paintings which are made by local and international artists. You can buy paintings if they are on sale. It also offers a unique artist programme. It is closed on Mondays and on other days the entrance fee is 8 euros.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and leave for the most exciting destination pf Mallorca and come back with a bag full of memories. Do not forget to consider this guide so that you don’t miss any tourist destinations in Mallorca.

[feministdragon]

@femrodeeeeo and @arakkne, thanks for thoughtful asks, no organized thoughts tonight, so here’s a list

=diet culture and being skinny are the other sides of this plant-based diet coin, I think they also serve the same purpose

=my personal experience of going vegetarian for environmental/ethical reasons is that around year 9 of plant-based diet I had to admit that I was very sick and had been for quite a while.  sick = digestion super poor, skin/hair/nails crumbling alarmingly, no energy, brain fog (this was well before covid).   around the time I was finally admitting to myself that my diet might be the problem i met friends who used to be strict vegan (becuase buddhist) for 10 years finding they’re also very sick, comparing stories it seemed it’s around 7-8 years in that your body kinda breaks from it. It took awhile but now being on a high-fat, high-protein diet with lots of bone broth, veggies and few carbs and i’m doing soooooo much better (and ironically much skinnier) but my digestion is still really broken and no idea if i’ll ever permanently recover

=women are more socially conscious and easier to guilt into doing things ‘for the greater good’ even if it means personal sacrifice

=my mother is in her 80s and i’ve seen her mental acuity drop since she decided to reduce meat consumption 'to help the planet' two years ago

=i wonder how many women with POTS and ME and all those other autoimmune diseases have/had EDs or participated in diet culture during their teenage years (when the body needs way more nutrition to develop than young girls are encouraged to eat). would like for some study to show up for like, correlation of these groups

=like i completely agree CAFOs are bad! I want meat to be done sustainably and to grown on the land that is good for meat growing (e.g. high plains, small farms) I want animals to be cared for, I want to have a respectful relationship with the life I consume, both animals and plants   

=also extremely concerned about the enviornment, but I don’t think that continuing to participate in capitalist megafarming is much better than CAFOS, also so many veg foods are like, much more expensive and much less calory dense than just buying local meat, which means you’re spending more of your female dollar for much less benefit to yourself.  but ofc wherever you’re living, your personal economics etc YMMV

=i also think it's healthy to take care of yourself first in that oxygen-on-the-plane way

=beans and nuts are SO HARd to digest, and nuts are really hard on your liver in quantity, and constructed foods like NuMeat or Calcium Carbonate Mylk or whatever are much much harder to get the nutrition out of because your body has to do so much work to digest it, whereas meat + vegetables is what humans have been living on for millennia and our bodies are therefore best suited for that, the sheer quantity of sugar and carbs available is very very modern and we’re not well equipped for that

=i actually eat much less now than I needed to while vegetarian (calorie dense, nutritionally dense, easily digested foods = need less to get same energy)

=and cultures that are vegetarian? this is like continuing the hot take but I also wonder if people in those cultures were persuaded to vegetarianism because it made them easier to control

anyways trust your body, it knows more than anything else what your nutritional needs are if you take the time to get in touch with your hunger/desires.

molten hot take: the global media push for vegetarianism is a way to keep women weak distracted and controllable

[amitojo]

What inspired me to turn vegan

In July 2018, I made a choice to turn Vegan; and no, the food in “featured image” is not vegan, it was one of the first meals I had in Kenya — JusClarifyin

This choice was out of the blue. I couldn’t even imagine myself being a vegetarian, let alone vegan.

I did try to turn vegetarian once when I was in college (around 2011). I don’t recall the reason but I did decide on that. One day into my decision of being a vegetarian, I went to McDonald’s and had a McChicken 🤦‍♂️ without even remotely being present to the promise I made to myself just the other day. It only lasted for one day! 😂. After that meal, I gave up on the idea of turning a vegetarian. I mean, I couldn’t even remember it for one day! It just wasn’t that important to me I guess.

My eating habits resumed to its usual after that 1-day episode — having non-vegetarian at least once a day.

Fast forward to July 2018, I went for a family trip to Kenya and nothing was the same.

We traveled to Nairobi, Mombasa, and Nakruru. We visited Masai Mara National Reserve and Lake Nakruru National Park in Nairobi and Nakruru respectively, and in Mombasa, we enjoyed some peaceful time at the beach. It was just beautiful!

Attaching some pictures I took during the trip. Some of the best pictures I have ever clicked were from this trip but unfortunately, I lost those due to hard-drive failure 🤦‍♂️. Managed to recover only a few 😢 — Ensure you have your data backed up. Extremely important!

Anyway, we spent a total of 5-6 days going on safaris and witnessing the beauty and sheer vastness of nature, and various animals including the “Big Five” – Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and African Buffalo.

I remember just observing all the animals, some from afar, some from real close and I could see Hugo (my dog) in them. The way these animals were being/behaving by themselves and amongst each other, lying around, licking themselves, scratching, yawning, playing with each other; All of this reminded of Hugo. I just wanted to love them and pat them. I was even calling them Hugo! I had never noticed this similarity earlier in my life. We got Hugo in mid-2016 and I just never noticed, not to this effect, at least.

My eating habits during the trip were just as they’d been — preferring non-vegetarian food in all courses (tried some new meats) and occasionally a pint or two of their local beer – Tusker

Anyway, the trip ended and we came home having had an amazing time and lots of memories to cherish.

As we entered our home, we met Hugo and I’m sure you can imagine the reception! In my experience, I don’t think any human can match the way dogs welcome and greet their fellow humans.

Hugo slept in my room that night (he usually doesn’t sleep in my room) and I was just loving him, telling him I met his friends there and how much I missed him.

Later that night, I was just laying in bed and recollecting what all I’d experienced during the trip, going through memories, photos, etc. I could hear a buzzing noise around me and I noticed a mosquito. I was contemplating if I should kill it or not. Usually, I don’t like to kill insects. The very thought of it grosses me out. Yes, I have killed them 🤮 out of necessity but I try to not do it as much as possible. That’s when I started thinking about my eating habits. I was reminded of all the animals I saw and how I was in awe of them. How I was loving them as if they were Hugo. I got present to how we are all made up of the same energy, part of the same ecosystem, and I thought to myself, here I am grossed out at the thought of killing an insect and on the other hand I eat dead animals? That thought didn’t sit well in my mind. I saw myself as a hypocrite where on one hand I was being extremely thoughtful for one form of life and, on the other hand, I was not being thoughtful at all for the other form. All forms of life are life at the end of the day and ideally, I don’t want to take away someone else’s life. Who am I to decide which life is more valuable or who should continue to survive and who not. I guess It was easier for me to eat meat because I wasn’t the one doing all the killing? I knew I would never even think of eating Hugo or any other dog for that matter, so why do I eat other animals, I asked myself. All animals are the same. In that moment, something shifted inside me and I made an immediate choice to turn vegan.

I was up for the better part of the night that night researching about veganism, what is it to be vegan, what all I can eat, and so on.

That day/night, a whole new world opened up for me. The first thing I learnt was that veganism is not just a diet, it is a lifestyle. Diet is one part of it.

“Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.” https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism

Its been almost 2 years now since I made that choice and I have to say, I feel great on so many levels. I still am in transition, it is a journey. However much I love this philosophy, I can’t turn my whole life around so soon.

I used to 80/20 rule to prioritize my habits. First I attacked my diet and I am on about 90% vegan diet now. Indian home food is pretty much vegan if we take out dairy and meat, and believe me, there are A LOT of options. When meat was my first preference, I didn’t realise there are SO many options in vegetarian food. It’s funny, how people think going vegan would reduce their choice of food (or at least I thought so) but honestly, I think I have more options now than I had when I was a non-vegetarian. Earlier, I used to eat chicken every day in some form or the other but chicken nonetheless. Now, I have so many distinct choices of food.

I still seldomly consume some butter, mayo or other dressings when I go out to eat but that is changing thanks to the growing awareness on the topic, there are various places that serve amazing vegan food options and that number is on the rise.

I have to admit, at first I did miss eating meat, at least at social gatherings/weddings where I could see and smell non-vegetarian food around me. My taste buds really craved for that but it was shortlived. At such times, I was reminded of why I made this choice and honestly, that “why” is too big for me to slip. [Bigger the why, easier the how!]

Being a vegan, like anything is a matter of habit. Initially one might have to be vigilant/conscious about their choices but once the habit is formed, it is a routine — it is on autopilot.

Each day I am being more conscious of my buying decisions, for example, I check the ingredients before I buy packaged food; I ask the waiter what all is in the dish that I plan to order, I read labels on clothing to see what they’re made of, etc.

Initially, a lot of my family members asked me — why no dairy? dairy is fine; or why vegan? vegetarian is fine, and so on — And for that, and for anyone who is inspired to take on a vegan lifestyle or is at least intrigued, I am listing down a bunch of links that helped me become aware of veganism, its benefits (360º), what all we can consume, and the condition of the dairy and meat industry. If you say you love animals, just like I do, you won’t like what you see/read about the meat and dairy industry.

Bigger picture — choosing not to consume animal products doesn’t only benefit those animals, it also helps reduce carbon footprint. You can read detailed benefits, from various perspectives, of being a vegan here: https://www.vegan.com/why/

A detailed list of vegan foods along with suggested substitutes: https://ordinaryvegan.net/vegangrocerylist/

Learn what all food/products are vegan: https://www.vegan.com/foods/

—

In my previous post, I mentioned how Hugo has impacted my life. This post also comes under that category. Hugo has made me and continues to inspire me to be a better person. I will be sharing another insight I learnt from him in the next post. Till then you can read the first post of this series here: A conversation with my dog that changed my life forever!

Lastly, thank you so much for reading till the end! I hope this added value 🙂

If you liked the pictures, you can follow my photography page “MentalPictures” here:https://instagram.com/pictures_mental

x

[rahullkohli]

A LITTLE ON NUTRITION AND HEALTH

ok buckle up kids, because i have a load to share on this subject. in this post there will be no shaming of bodies, diets or knowledge - only of idiots who act like they know shit, but in fact are ignorant fools. i.e. idiots who advice people to go on diets, or otherwise treat their nutrition irresponsibly.

also, this is not a ”how to get skinny”-post. this is merely a post to inform about a topic that so many people is dangerously off on. my own personal goal is to lose weight, because my BMI is too high. if you think that you need to lose weight, consult a doctor who can help you figure out if you actually need to lose weight, or if you maybe have an unhealthy relationship with food and/or your body, and that is the issue you need help with.

disclaimer: i am not a licensed nutritionist or health professional. all of my knowledge comes from: me loving to read, me recovering from eating disorders which have prompted me to research on my own plus talk to professionals, me having worked with a nutritionist for over a year where i got to regular updates and have mealplan created specifically for me. also, my mom being a licensed fitness trainer where she also had courses on nutrition.

so, this post came to be because i saw a long post about people being shamed for eating fruit, because some assholes tried to tell them that “fruit is almost pure sugar and bad for you”, or something to that effect, so i will definitely touch on that as well.

the thing is that nutrition is complex and one of the biggest issues in the way our society sees health and nutrition is that it takes a starting point in “one size fits all”, which it most certainly does not. the details of what diet your body needs is unique to you, and magazines/celebrities/blogs/etc. who tries to tell you otherwise either don’t know what they’re talking about, or are feeding you lies on purpose. usually with the goal of money.

as mentioned above; nutrition is damn complex. one diet does not fit all bodies, because our genetic makeup is different. for example, all my three sisters has been diagnosed with PCOS, and i have not. this means that my body can handle carbs better than theirs, because of cysts on their ovaries that overproduce a hormone that makes it harder for their bodies to break down carbs. (feel free to correct me on this one, because i have not researched this condition in details so i may be off on this. i just know people with this diagnosis usually require a low carb diet, the whys and hows are more iffy to me, but this was how i understood it when it was quickly explained to me.) so it is so unique that even four women who share both mother and father doesn’t even match when it comes to dietary needs. it also changes for every person depending on age, so the diet i need now is most likely not the diet i needed as a teenager, or in ten years, and definitely not after menopause because of the hormonal changes.

every single person needs all three macronutrients in their diet, in order to assure the proper function of their body; carbs, protein and fats - yes, fats! as a general rule, it goes most carbs, medium protein and then a healthy, but not too much, amount of fats. but then there are different examples where one needs more or less of one of these because of for example a diagnosis of PCOS. i am not a doctor, so i won’t try to talk about these, because i don’t have the correct information.

CARBS: so why do we need carbohydrates, and why are those what we (usually) need the most of? carbohydrates are what gives us our energy. carbs gets broken down into glucose before entering the bloodstream (this is why athletes love bananas, they're filled with good stuff that gives a good kick after just spending a ton of energy being overly active). this is where the the fruit and vegetables comes in – sure, fruit and some vegetables contain a lot of sugar, but this is fructose which our bodies can easier break down and use for energy rather converting it to fat depots. the sugar that our bodies have trouble breaking down, is refined (often called white, but it also pertains to brown) sugar. simplistically speaking, the sugar we add to our food ourselves.

now, this doesn't mean that you should just eat uncontrollably of fruit and vegetables. as with any other food, overindulging is too much. in denmark the government department for nutrition has for years campaigned that it is important that we get Six A Day. this means six servings of fruit and vegetables every day. due to the high levels of sugar in fruit, for most adults the reasonable choice is 250 grams of fruit, and 350 grams of vegetables every day. the best choices are high in fiber and proteins. especially green ones like apples, broccoli, spinach, peas and green beans are good. note: you also need carbs from stuff like pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, bulgur, quinoa or other in the same category.

PROTEINS: the proteins are responsible for building and maintaining our muscles. this isn't just for bodybuilders/athletes, this is for every single person out there. you need proteins to be able to move your body. protein is also what builds and maintains our hair, nails and skin. a lot of girls/women are in a protein deficit, especially if they work out, because they are afraid it will make them look masculine. this is severe misinformation. as a cisgendered girl/woman you cannot eat or train your way to the look of a stereotypical cisgendered man, you will need to take steroids for that. if you are a trans woman, i will advice you to speak to a professional about this, as i have no information about this, and considering every trans woman's situation is unique in relation to hormones.

protein is most widely known to come from meat and fish, but this can also be found in some vegetables, nuts, soy, quorn and dairy, which is a very good alternative for vegetarians/vegans.

FATS: there was a time where fat was the number one scare in health media, and it hasn't quite been let go since, which is terrible because fats are so incredibly important for our bodies to work the best they can to keep us healthy. fats are responsible for helping your body absorb vitamins, and help keep your heart and organs healthy. if you don't get enough fat, you risk severe constipation and may need surgery. healthy sources of fats are fish and nuts.

so these are the three nutrient groups that we need in order for our bodies to be at our best, but of course it isn't that simple. it also matters how many calories you get, and how you spread them out throughout the day.

as mentioned above, i have been seeing a nutritionist for over a year, and i have lost 20kg by following a mealplan that was tailored to me specifically from information about my gender, age, height, start weight and general activity level. we found that the reason i wasn't losing weight despite my high activity levels, was that i simply wasn't eating enough – yes, another thing media ignores is that eating too little can cause weight gain – and that i didn't spread my food reasonably out over the day, which caused my bloodsugar to be unbalanced.

i started out with one mealplan with x amount of calories spread out on five meals throughout the day. however, since i plateued in my weightloss i just recently got a new plan with more calories and an extra meal a day. this means that i now have three big meals + three snacks, with never more than 2-3 hours between these to keep my bloodsugar leveled all day.

but aside from this you also need to consider vitamins, fiber, minerals and omega 3s. so yeah, it really is about having a balanced diet, but it's much more than just remembering to not eat too much meat, or too much fruit.

why weightloss diets are bullshit and unhealthy: not only is a weightloss diet a waste of time, because if you eat a certain way for x amount of time, and then lose weight to reach your goal, but then go back to eating as you did before, you will just gain the weight back. if you and your doctor think that you need to lose weight, what you need is a lifestyle change. maintaining a healthy body – regardless of size – is a commitment for life. it sounds overwhelming, but breaking it down it is about creating healthy and stable habits, in the form of varied nutrition spread out over your day.

what my experience also tells me is that it is important to not be too restrictive, since this is setting yourself up for failure. if you promise yourself to not have anything unhealthy like chocolate or soda then there's a bigger chance that once you do have it you will end up overindulging. besides, what kind of life is it if you can't enjoy it? sure, healthy and balanced food can be so good and delicious, but there also needs to be space for having pizza with friends, or cake at a birthday party, or a fancy coffee because you just fucking deserve it. you will not ruin your body if you decide to have ice cream one day, or if you just feel like you can't eat anything at all; just do your best to get back to the healthy habit you have worked hard to create.

the key is to not let it be every day, but if you find the diet that fits you specifically, you shouldn't even be craving these things all the time, because all your needs will be satisfied. if you do find that you crave overindulging at all times, you may need professional help. overeating is a disorder and should be taken just as seriously as undereating – both are rooted in psychological issues, and this can't be processed just by getting a mealplan.

i feel like i have been around most of it by now, but if you have any questions (or you actually know more than me and have constructive criticism) you are more than welcome to message me. i hope this was informative and understandable. english isn't my first language, so i apologize for anything that may not make sense in terms of linguistics.

as a last note i want to stress that i am not a professional, and if you are struggling with body image or your relationship with food, please seek help from someone licensed to handle those kinds of things. never try some fad diet because a magazine or a celebrity said it helped them, because it could damage your body than it could do good.

[deloreslindquist-blog]

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[theambivalent]

Why I went Vegan

For the most part, when people find out I’m vegan, I get one of two reactions:

1: “wow, that’s great! I wish I could do that”

2: “but.... why????”

I’ve struggled with writing this post out because I wasn’t sure if others would read it with an open mind. But I honestly don’t care anymore. I created this blog so that I could be honest... and in order to be honest about why I'm vegan I have to go way back to my childhood. 

...Yes, that’s really when the realization resonated with me.

[Note that I'm not telling you how to live your life. You do you, boo! I’m just telling my story.]

Childhood

I grew up in a Los Angeles suburb with my family of 9 total people (7 siblings). Dad’s income was the only money we had to support ALL of us. (Thanks dad!)  

So in order to make ends meet, dad raised animals for food at home. Not for EVERY meal, but almost every animal we had was meant to be food ...eventually.  

We had a huge walk-in chicken coop and ducks, rabbits, and even a goat at one point. In short, we had lots of animals. In the midst of the clucks and the quacks, there was 5 year old me, playing with all these cute little guys. I would greet them every morning. Gave them names. Say goodnight to each individual one by the end of the day.

I had milk from the goat, eggs from the chickens; I ate rabbit stew; goat meat, and roasted duck; but was too naive to think of where my food was coming from. I would ask dad about our missing duck/chicken/rabbit ...and he’d simply tell me they’d run away. It wasn’t until I caught my dad killing a chicken that I realized these beautiful creatures I'd play with ended up on my plate. I was devastated. 

 You see, at that time, I was a pretty lonely kid. I had just started elementary school, and wasn’t making many friends; these animals were my only friends...and it just broke my heart to think that they were dying just so that I could have a meal.

That was the first time I decided to go vegetarian. At the time, no one in my family had ever heard of veganism, so that thought never crossed any of our minds.  

But mom and dad sort of freaked out. “how could I feed my child vegetarian while making sure she’d get all the nutrients she needs?”

They didn’t know.  

What was their answer? To sneak in teeny bits of chicken broth, or super tiny bits of meat into nearly everything they served me.  

I had no chance.

There was nothing I could do but go back to eating meat. My parents didn’t have the resources to do the research. We had no internet in the early 90s. At least not in our house. Forget cell phones. There was literally only what we heard on the news about health. And this influenced my parents... and me.  

Teen Years

My first job was at a KFC near my house. At the time, it seemed like a great idea because I could easily walk there from home, as it was only a couple of blocks away.

By this time, we had less animals at home. As most of my older siblings had already moved out of the house, so dad was able to stretch his income a bit more. It was the summer before my junior year in high school.  

I just had to get a job because my parents were cutting my allowance. KFC was the first interview that I got, so I just had to take it.

There was virtually no training. The manager gave us a menu that had to be memorized overnight, and we watched some safety video. Everyday I'd come home smelling like chicken. There was no actual ‘break room’ for employees. We had to have breaks either outside, or grab a free meal for our lunch and eat with other customers. I was so sick of chicken that I couldn’t eat the food. I would’ve brought my own meals, but there was no fridge, because again... there was no break room. I had no choice but to eat the free meal offered by management. I was stuck with coleslaw and wedges. I hadn’t gone vegetarian yet, but I just got so sick of chicken that I couldn’t eat it anymore. One day, I saw a huge cockroach fall into the fryer where we make the wedges... and no longer craved them either. It was 100% coleslaw for me. I lost a TON of weight. I started getting dizzy spells and even lost my period for a few months. The worst part was that after I quit and went to school the next year, everyone was telling me how great I looked. I wanted to scream at them, ‘i’m sick’, but most of them were genuinely trying to be nice. ...ugh.

Redirecting my attention back to vegetarianism, I had decided to become pescatarian. Why not FULLY vegetarian? Because at that time, I still didn’t have great resources and believed I needed some kind of animal fat in my system in order to function well. And since I was constantly sick, I thought this would help me. I ate crackers and tuna when I felt sick, but had salads often.

To be 100% honest, I don’t believe I had an eating disorder & I was never diagnosed. But I did think that my actions were leading me down that path and going pescatarian actually helped me get better in that instance. Unknowingly, it was still harmful to my body, as I would later learn.

Adult Years

After becoming pescatarian, I decided to go full on vegetarian again, because as an adult in the 21st century, I could easily find so much information than I ever could have as a child!  

I found which plant foods had the most protein, iron, and other essential nutrients; while still eating eggs & dairy.

I had always been lactose intolerant, but it never affected me too badly ...until adulthood.  

Yes, milk is for baby cows. As children we only need milk from our own mothers, and just for the first few years of our lives... it makes sense!  

But at that time, I found myself reaching for medication to take care of my stomach issues because ‘mmm....ice cream!’. Looking back.... I realize I would have saved SO MUCH $$$$ by just buying vegan ice cream instead of that over the counter bean-o... .seriously!

My husband (fiance at the time) and I decided to go to this awesome restaurant for our anniversary dinner. It sat on a hill in Orange County, so we could kinda sorta see the firewords from Disneyland as we ate. I had a super huge salad, and he ordered a burger. As soon as we got home... boom! Food poisoning. He suffered pretty bad that night.

The next day, he looked up any info about eating better for your stomach, and we discovered veganism. We both decided the same day we’d go for it.

This is a short summary (probably too short?) of what our research lead to:

For the Animals

Paying for the foods we eat, literally fund the process by which the food is made. More money going into hamburgers, for example, meant slaughterhouses would breed more cows to kill for the purpose of supplying our demand. By slowly cutting down on meat, the meat industry will breed less and less animals to kill because they wouldn’t want to miss a profit. This is also why, there wouldn’t be an overpopulation of cows if everyone went vegan.

For the environment

Meat/dairy agriculture is the #1 cause of deforestation.  

Some people will tell you that buying soy products is the same issue. Problem with that is 80% of the land used to grow these soy products, is owned by the meat/dairy industries to feed their animals. On top of that, raping and force-breeding an excess of cows also causes a build-up of gas emissions, polluting our air. All of the land used by meat & dairy industries could be instead used to grow plant crops that would feed thousands. Also, more plants help to clean the air.

For Health  

People say, ‘if it’s in your genes, it doesn’t matter what you eat’. But what you eat can literally activate, or de-activate specific genes in your DNA. You can’t have high cholesterol if you don’t eat cholesterol, which vegans don’t. High Blood Pressure runs in my family and I was feeling its effects, and even had to go to the hospital because of it prior to going vegan. Changing my lifestyle made it completely go away. I’ve never had blood pressure issues after that.  

Going plant-based was the best decision we’ve ever made....EVER.  We’ve been vegan for about 5 years now and honestly find it mind-boggling that others still eat animals + animal products. It seems so barbaric to us.

I can’t imagine going back to meat/dairy after seeing how great I’ve been feeling mentally and physically compared to how shitty I felt before that.  

I love animals, and always will...  

Just like I love my body and always will...  

And like I love the planet and always will...

[cervidaedalus]

Okay re-reblogging this because the notes are kinda wild and also I have a couple things to add.

First off... Vegans and vegetarians, someone saying "I'm tired of of vegetarian/vegan vs Omnivore argument" isn't a personal criticism or attack on your way of life, and responding to this post like it is only reinforces the OP and others' reasons for being so tired and annoyed. I'm saying this as an omnivore living with two vegetarians, who spent my teen years in a vegetarian Buddhist high school. Only once have I ever encountered a vegan who used it as a moral high ground and a way to try and engage in chronic debates with his social circle about how they couldn't love animals if they consumed or used anything containing animal products. Every other veg I've been around has been peaceful coexistance.

No one is criticizing your choice, but a huge part of why these arguments happen on both sides is because any statements about the topic are immediately perceived to be critical. A vegan/vegetarian pointing to ways to live their lives is Inherently interpreted by some omnivores as an attempt to strongarm them out of eating meat. An omnivore pointing out ethical ways to consume meat is interpreted by vegans/vegetarians as trying to tell them that their ethos is misguided and ignorant.

OP's post seems to address the crisis of food deserts as an emphasis, not the veg vs Omni debate- that's just the launching point. They say they're annoyed with it, why would they engage it?

NOR is the post trying to say you need to source all your food locally. I know I'm not getting tropical fruits locally when I grew up in Pennsylvania. That's not how USDA grow zones and... Well... Ecology works. There is produce that is best grown in their native Homeland because of the chances of it becoming invasive, unsustainable, or otherwise damaging if you try to grow it elsewhere. Certain international cuisines require international produce, and people from west to east Asia, pacific islanders, and Hispanic and Latino people shouldn't be denied their homelands cuisine just because they can't grow what's needed locally.

All the post is saying, simply, is that most people in the US live in food desserts where both meat and non-meat is not readily available year-round locally. Some of that is due to urban development, government mandates (there's a post going around about HOAs and town districts forbidding urban and suburban chicken ownership), climate, and economic factors. Meat in particular tends to be less readily available due to these factors, forcing people to buy processed factory-farm product.

There's people in the notes arguing that the land and resources for livestock is damaging to the environment, but this isn't true for properly maintained small-time farmers. Many of these farms are also family businesses that have existed for decades. Would you rather the land get destroyed for commercial business, golf courses, and fancy housing development that serves no purpose but to gentrify a rural area? Not all land is viable for crop-farming.

Anyway, with that said-

Localharvest.org is one way to try and find local farms in your area to source your food.

Even some urban areas have farmers markets either in streets or in buildings specifically meant for it, where farmers travel from all over the state to sell their goods. I grew up in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. We had Rice's Market, Quakertown Farmers Market, Allentown Farmers Market, and the city itself had the Reading Terminal Market. Look up your town and "farmers market" to check local options.

Yes, buying meat locally can cost an arm and a leg, but if you're on EBT (food stamps) check with the supplier or market! Many will not only accept food stamps, but also give added benefits. I know one market I shopped at let you choose up to 10$ of fruits and veggies completely free.

No one is forcing you to eat meat if you don't want to, but if you do and feel like you're at odds with the commercial meat industry, you can look into how to obtain it locally and ethically instead of feeling pingeonholed into a moral conundrum.

real tired of hearing the vegan vs. omnivore arguments when the real superior diet in terms of both cruelty and ecosystem is locally sourced

beef and pork from a farm 10 minutes away from you is more ethical and less detrimental to the environment than quinoa grown in ecuador. the future is food forests. the green revolution is food forests. if we manage to survive this apocalyptic hellscape all of your food, plant and animal, is going to come from within half an hour of where you live. plant a vegetable garden in the meantime

[fatkidvegan-blog]

On Battling Vegan Depression

I am an empath and a highly sensitive person with bipolar disorder, which means that I am always at the mercy of my emotions, which are in turn at the mercy of what’s going on around me.  I imagine that a good number of vegans are also empaths and/or highly sensitive people, so this may be one post in a sea of many, but I just wanted to share my experience in the short time that I have been vegan.

As a lot of you know, I went vegan for health reasons. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about animals; in fact, I loved them, but I was blind and ignorant to what’s going on in the world, and my mind had never made the connection between the creatures I love so dearly, and the double bacon cheeseburger on my plate.  Once, I explained to my first therapist about how I used to feel like it was important to be educated about what was going on in the world, but now every time I watch the news or stumble across an article about what’s happening, I have to fight off this massive existential crisis, because it’s all so upsetting. She explained to me that it’s best to avoid things like that, because you can’t do anything to change it, so you’re basically upsetting yourself for no reason. I took this to heart and, while it may not be the most ideal approach, it has made things a little easier on my mental health.

It didn’t take long after going vegan for me to want to reach out to other vegans for support. My husband, son, and family are all meat eaters, and while everyone is pretty supportive, it’s still very difficult, and I kind of felt like a freak. So off I went, joining every facebook group I could find. In these groups, I began to see more and more posts about the ethical side of veganism, and while I mostly tried to avoid it, because I knew it would upset me, a little part of me kept saying, “But wait, I care about the animals, too!” So eventually, this world opened up to me, and I became enlightened, for lack of a better word, to the treatment of animals in our carnist society. I ate it up, listening to podcasts, reading articles, and watching documentaries, hungry to learn everything I could about the lifestyle, but still being careful to avoid anything too graphic. The turning point for me was when I was recommended to watch the Gary Yourofsky speech on youtube that he gives to a classroom. Embedded in this speech (much to my surprise), was a video a few minutes long with slaughterhouse footage. So here I was, face to face with the thing I’ve feared most, and I couldn’t bring myself to stop watching it. It felt like I owed it to the animals to see exactly what they go through, only to wind up as a dollar burger at the drive through. I was enraged, I was shocked, and above all, I was destroyed. I watched the video, sobbing, and saying, “I’m so sorry” over and over. Eventually, after what felt like a lifetime, the video ended, but it continued to haunt me for much longer. It followed me to dinner with my meat eating family, it permeated my dreams, and every waking moment it was in the back of my head, eating away at me. How could I have ever contributed to such savage and barbaric cruelty? 

I posted in my local group, explaining that this, and other things I had heard in podcasts, were things I had been carrying with me, and that I was now sad all the time. I got a lot of good responses, and many more people who didn’t necessarily have an answer, but just wanted to tell me that they felt it too. 

It’s been a while, and I still remember the video, everything I’ve heard, and everything I’ve read; it’s just not as raw anymore. As a new vegan, those things were always in the back of my mind, keeping me from cheat meals, and encouraging me to speak my truth whenever the opportunity arises. In many ways, I’m glad that these videos exist, because I do believe we should all be aware of what’s going on. I think they serve the purpose of keeping people on track who would otherwise lack the self control to do so (I’m not here to judge; self control is definitely not my forte!). 

I still have many bad days, where I feel like I’m weighted down by the cruelty. I’ve had moments where I feel like I don’t even want to live in a world where 56 billion farmed animals (not including sea creatures) are slaughtered for food because of it. It’s on every TV commercial, every billboard, everywhere I turn. I fight every day for kindness and empathy for other humans, and some days are much more difficult than others. 

However, there is beauty in the knowledge that people are changing for the better every single day. Things are leaps and bounds better than when I was a vegetarian in high school. There are more of us than ever before, and we are growing all the time. 

In my experience, and from the answers I’ve gotten from the people I’ve spoken to about this, the best way to combat this sadness is to get involved. My specific form of activism right now is being a Joyful Vegan (stolen from our lord and saviour Colleen Patrick Goudreau). I will stay on my path, and I will show everyone how happy I am, how easy this is, and how delicious the food is, and slowly but surely, people become curious and start asking me questions. I do this through the blog, through social media, and just by being an example to friends and family. I keep myself so distracted, that I hardly have time to think anymore about how sad I am.

Volunteer at animal shelters, rescues, sanctuaries, and with local groups in your area. If you can, foster or adopt a rescue animal. My Chile is a constant source of happiness in my life. 

Get involved with groups like Vegan Outreach and go leaflet. You may not convert anyone on the spot, but you are planting seeds!

My favorite source of vegan joy is going to our local farmed animal sanctuary, Santuario de Karuna. This little slice of bliss is nestled in the mountains East of Albuquerque, and run by two beautiful souls who give these animals lots of love, a great life, and a forever home. I bring them donated produce, and in return, I get to go love on these adorable creatures. Let me tell you, NOTHING makes your day like a pig snorting his little wet nose into your hand, looking for treats. 

This is a list of animal sanctuaries around the world, so check and see if there’s one you can visit nearby.

I guess my point is to be a light in the darkness around you. Sometimes it’s hard to be the only light, but I promise you, people are going to see what you’re doing, and eventually you’ll win them over, too. I’m going to keep fighting, and the lights are going to keep growing. Remember, be the change you want to see in the world!

Special thanks to Tamara Hubbard and Coral Ricketts of Santuario de Karuna, the ABQ~Vegan group on facebook, and everyone around me who has to either listen to me constantly ramble about veganism, or deal with me being a hot mess, depending on the day! I love you guys <3

[foodandwriting]

Pie as Easy as...Well, Pie!

I used to watch Snow White nearly every weekend as I kid. I’d skip around humming I’m Wishing and in all honesty, if I ever find a well I’m singing to it. Now, I’m happy to report that baking a pie can be done without the assistance of woodland creatures. 

This recipe is a bit of a mix and match of what I found online, what my friend taught me while we vacationed over reading week, and what I’ve come to like. I’ll post the original recipe link below, as well as, some tricks for the lattice crust. 

Prep Time: 30 minutes                                                                                  Baking Time: 35 - 45 minutes                                                                                Total Time: approx. 1hr 15                                                                            Serves: 4 - 6 

What You’ll Need Supplies/Tool Wise: 

Pie dish (a baking dish is fine, this just gives you a casserole shape)

Rolling pin 

Wooden spoon

Knives (sharp enough for chicken) 

Large pot 

Frying pan 

Plates and bowls (for storing prepped ingredients) 

Ingredients: 

Unsalted butter (4tbs) 

Olive oil (2tbs)

Celery stalks (2)

Sweet yellow onion (1, peeled and minced)

Garlic cloves (2, pressed)

Chicken (3 cups)

Your choice of mushrooms (1/2 cup, I like white)

Your choice of frozen veggie mix ( 2 cups, I like carrots, peas, and corn)

Gold Potatoes (2) 

Vegetable Broth (2 cups) 

White Wine, semi dry or chardonnay (1/4 cup) 

Heavy cream (1 cup)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Dried basil, to taste

Dried thyme, to taste

Egg (1, beaten with 1tbs water)

Puff Pastry (1 package - you should have 2 blocks for the base and top)

Instructions

1. Allow your puff pastry to defrost and warm at room temperature. I found it helpful to remove the packaging. You don’t want any frozen chunks. This should take about 15 - 20 minutes. meanwhile, you can proceed with steps 2 - 13. 

2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 

3. Beat your egg with 1tbs of water. Set aside.

4. Set a pot of water to boil. This is for your potatoes. 

5. Chop: potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, mushrooms, and chicken. 

Note: I bought roasted garlic for this because I prefer the taste, hence their darker colour. Also, I purchased a full rotisserie chicken. It was on sale. Of course, it’s easier, cleaner, and takes out any guesswork of when its finished cooking. That said, I’ve also made this using and preparing raw chicken breasts. Just as good. More on what to do with leftovers later. 

6. Once your water is boiling, add the cubed potatoes. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring often and sampling. Once finished, they’ll be soft. 

7. Grease your pie dish and set aside. I love butter, and will use it whenever I can. Cooking spray also works. 

8. Heat butter and oil. 

9. Add: onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery, and frozen veggies. Stir until frozen veggies are cooked (under 10 minutes) and mushrooms are brown. 

10. Add chicken and potatoes. 

Note: Recipes can be very particular about what to add first and when etc. Personally, I like to operate in a low stress cooking environment. I don’t measure butter or oil. Dump it in. Add more butter! Enjoy yourself. I add the onions and mushrooms first because that’s what I’m used to doing. The task is simply this: get your ingredients in the frying pan. Don’t overthink  :) 

11. Add vegetable broth, white wine, and heavy cream. Stir well, and scrape from the bottom to ensure your mixture is even. It should look like stew. 

12. Season with salt, pepper, dried basil, and dried thyme to taste. 

13. Switch your burner to low. If you have an overhead fan, flick it on. My fire alarm likes to go off no matter what. 

14. Sprinkle about half a handful of flour on your counter. Roll out the puff pastry. You’ll need two circles: the base and the cover. Leave one for now. With the other, simply drape it across your pie dish. Using your fists, lightly press it towards the edges. Trim the sides, or squish them along the rim. 

15. Using your egg mixture, brush the inside. Save some for the cover. 

16. Add your frying pan mixture. You want it filled right to the rim. 

17. Now, cut your second rolled puff pastry into strips. I’ve found that using a pizza cutter speeds this up, and glides smoothly. That said, if you jerk your wrist you could end up with some skinny pieces. Don’t worry. If you like, you can place a ruler on your counter, and be precise. I made this with my siblings (kid friendly!) so we just went for it. As it is with finger paint, you just want to get in there and have a good time. 

18. The lattice. I’ve included links on the weaving technique. Have at it. We took a shortcut. Here it is: lay the strips down like a tic tac toe board. Use every other strip (you want to be sure you’ll have enough of the right length) in a horizontal line, and place the rest vertically. Time and stress saver.          Optional: Save a little dough for a center piece design. We went for a heart. I’ve seen seafood pies for sale with a little fish in the middle. Adorable. 

19. Paint your pie with the remaining egg mixture. This acts as a nice glue, so even with our lattice cheating, everything stayed together.

20. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes. When the top is a nice golden brown, it’s done. 

21. Let cool for 10 minutes or so and enjoy! 

Happy cooking! My hope is that any time you spend in your kitchen, is a good time. Any disaster will be a story later. The more often we take control of what we eat and how we eat, the better off we’ll be. I’m always the happiest when I make something myself, and I’m especially grateful when I have help. Laughter, conversation, and eating with others is something I appreciate more after taking this class. 

Best,                                                                                                                Jazmin

Final Thoughts and Tips 

1. I love leftovers. I purposely chop more vegetables than I’ll need to help with meal prep for later in the week. The cubed potatoes are perfect for hash browns, and I’ve used leftover filling for omelettes and stir fry. It’s even tasty just as it is. 

2. This is a versatile recipe. Why not use steak? Omit the meat, and it’s vegetarian. I’m sure if you’re creative enough, you could do a vegan version. Try it with shallots. Try it with cream of mushroom soup. Mix up the veggies. Sweet potatoes! Make this pie your own. 

3. I preferred making this with rotisserie chicken. Beyond saving time, it was nice to have the wings as a snack while I was cooking. I’ve drastically lowered my consumption of meat (helps to have an almost fully vegan family) so when I do eat meat, I try my best not to waste anything and buy the best (free range, organic, and hope the chickens actually felt grass). The carcass is great for soup, really boosts the flavour. A large part of why I eat meat, beyond taste, has to do with confidence. I’m reassured by having recipes like these and knowing I can make them and feel satisfied. Chicken pot pie is filling, and comforting.  It’s something my brother likes to make with me, the lattice crust specifically, even if he won’t eat it. I know it’s something that my sister will have a slice of, in pyjamas, after she’s already had dinner. Not pictured: Izzy licking her plate.

Links:

Recipe: https://www.thecookierookie.com/chicken-pot-pie-casserole/

Crust: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_a_lattice_top_for_a_pie_crust/ (website) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6WH0_vL3Y0 (video) 

[food-and-culture-by-elze]

What is food tourism?

Food tourism is a rapidly growing industry (Stanley & Stanley, 2015). It is a type of tourism when people choose to go to a different country with their primary motivation of trying out a certain food, attending a food festival, tasting or culinary class (Hall & Sharples, 2003). Other scholars agree with this definition (Smith & Costello, 2009; Presenza & Iocca, 2012), but Su (2013) states that food is not necessarily the main motivator of the trip.  Certain scholars see food tourism as a sensory experience (Everett, 2009), while others view it as a cultural appreciation activity (Timothy & Ron, 2013). On the other hand, McKercher, Okumus and Okumus (2008) argue that food tourism is a very broad industry, meaning that everything that involves food can be classified as food tourism.

Food tourism can be extremely beneficial to a country. Firstly, it brings tourists into the place, which helps boost its economy. Apart from supporting local businesses by purchasing food, tourists also spend money on local accommodation. Secondly, it helps to promote the country’s authenticity, keep old traditions alive. As well as that, it aids in improving the image of a country, region (Coppola, 2016). Finally, the community of the country is positively influenced too – visitors’ appreciation of regional foods results in locals feeling pride for their country’s cuisine, culinary (World Food Travel Association, 2019).

On the other hand, food tourism also has its drawbacks. This industry produces a high amount of waste, especially when it comes to vendors who produce street food. The dishes are usually served in plastic or paper single use containers and eaten with single use cutlery. Although more and more regulations are added to fight this problem each year, it is still a massive problem (Diawati & Loupias, 2018).

Even though food businesses receive a large amount of profit from food tourism, it can also be unpredictable. Seasonality can negatively affect enterprises as the income will not be stable. Each food business in food tourism locations needs to take this into careful consideration (Hall, 2010).

Sometimes people consider food tourism to be only related to eating. However, many other different activities fall into the category too: guided street food tours, experiencing national food of the country with local families, studying the production process of a certain food in the place it is made, gastronomic events, festivals, visiting local markets, cooking, culinary classes, food museums, events organised by celebrity chefs - all of these activities and many more are considered to be food tourism (Food’n Road, 2019).

Every country is very unique in its food. However, there are a few spots that really attract food tourists.

Italy

Italy is famous for its vineyards, handmade pasta with different rich, flavourful sauces. When it comes to food tourism, Italy is particularly known for its culinary masterclasses. Cook Eat Discover (2019) presents a 4 day cooking retreat, where visitors are taught classic Italian cooking techniques, introduced to local products such as wine, olives, cheese. Most of these classes take places outside, in beautiful locations which overlook the medieval villages and the vineyards, so the attendees can admire the atmosphere, get immersed in the history of the region and its food. Apart from the classes, they also get to see farms, where ingredients such as buffalo mozzarella cheese, organic Tuscan rice are produced. Guided local wine and food tastings are also included in the tour. The getaway is not only focused onto learning how to make traditional dishes and seeing where the authentic food comes from. There is also an important social aspect to it – people have a chance to connect with like-minded people, discuss different recipes with locals. However, the luxury of finding out Italian cooking secrets comes to approximately £760 (accommodation included).

                                     Photo retrieved from https://www.cookeatdiscover.com/

Japan

Japan has a lot of dishes to offer to ones who are seeking adventure and new tastes. One of the most popular dishes is the Kobe beef, that is probably the most popular delicacy in Japan. This meat is extremely high quality, as before being slaughtered, the cows are being really looked for – some people even say that they are being sung to, given massages. After that, experts inspect the meat, making sure that only the highest quality pieces get the strictly guarded trademark of Kobe beef (Japan Guide, 2019). This beef tends to be quite expensive – in a teppanyaki restaurants visitors can try a variety of dishes with Kobe beef, which start from around £56 to £220 per dish.

If Kobe beef does not sound adventurous enough, do not worry, as Japan is also famous for Fugu – puffer fish, that is more toxic than cyanide. The fish is extremely dangerous, as it has a lot of toxic parts that need to be removed before eating. Only the chefs that hold a special government given license can prepare and serve this fish to customers. Nevertheless, around 20 people die from Fugu poisoning each year. On the other hand, this number is very low compared to the amount of people that die from oyster poisoning every year (Business Insider 2019). There are different methods of cooking the fish – some restaurants serve it lightly fried, some even deep-fry it in hot oil, others simply serve it in sashimi (raw fish) form. The prices start from £70 per serving, however, experts advice not to be stingy and make a wise decision when choosing a restaurant – this dish could be the last thing you eat!

                                                Photo retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/

Israel

Israel is important to mention when it comes to food tourism, as it prominently stands out from other countries. Tel Aviv (the capital of Israel) has the highest population of vegans in the world. This reflects the current food of Israel very well – the Middle-Eastern cuisine is now transforming as the demand for meat is significantly dropping. As well as that, the country is rich in a wide variety of spices and fresh, juicy fruit such as pomegranates, oranges, grapefruits. Possibly the most popular dish are falafels – crispy chickpea and herb balls, that are commonly eaten with pita bread, salad, hummus, pickled vegetables. This dish is very versatile – it can be customised – everyone can choose the sauces, vegetables, bread they like. Falafels might seem like a street-food dish, but they are also commonly served in fine-dining restaurants.

When it comes to desserts, baklava is a nation-wide favourite. It is a layered treat made from tahini (sesame paste), nuts (pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts) combined with sugar and thick honey. Some vendors even add chocolate to it, which makes it even sweeter than it was before (Tourist Israel, 2019).

                                                             Photo retrieved from https://aleteia.org/

Sweden

As mentioned before, food tourism is not only learning how to cook authentic dishes and trying out different tastes. People travel to Malmo, Sweden to visit Disgusting Food museum. The owners of this museum created the place with the idea of cultural differences of food, which can separate people. However, at the same time, learning about different foods, traveling around the globe and exploring its delicacies can help bring people together and understand that taste is very subjective – what is delicious for one person might be disgusting for the other. The exhibition holds around 80 of the world’s most disgusting foods, among them is Cuy or roasted guinea pigs - a dish that comes from Peru, as well as other examples such as Hakarl – Icelandic well-aged shark or Surstromming – Swedish fermented herring (Disgusting Food Museum, 2019).

The disgusting food tour consists of two parts – seeing the foods and trying some of them later. For the ticket price of £15 anyone can try a piece of casu marzu – a maggot infested cheese from Sardinia!

                                       Photo retrieved from www.disgustingfoodmuseum.com

My experience

I have not yet traveled to another country just for the purpose of food. When I travel abroad, to see a new country, I usually want to get familiar with the daily lives of locals, find out what kind of food they eat, not only the food that is considered to be national and authentic.

However, the idea of traveling to a country and getting familiar with it through its food confuses me. From my experience, most of the times, the traditional food of the country is very different to what the locals eat everyday. The dishes that are usually presented to the tourists are historical, too complicated for the people in the country to cook everyday. Contrarily, most of the times the “authentic” dishes tend to still reflect the daily meals of the residents. For example, when I lived in Cyprus, the restaurants that targeted tourists served a lot of seafood, souvlaki (grilled meat on skewers), halloumi cheese, pita bread, but my host family never ate anything of that sort, they preferred hearty salads from seasonal vegetables accompanied with different bread, fried meat. When comparing those dishes they are quite similar, but at the same time very different.

However, there are places in the world, that I would love to go to, in order to try the cuisine. One of those places has to be Israel. I really like Middle-Eastern cuisine as it always has a lot of vegetarian options, different salads, it is full of spices and herbs.

On the other hand, I strongly believe that it is extremely important for a hospitality manager to understand food and what effect it can have on consumers. The popularity of food tourism proves that there are people who go to another country just to taste something different and restaurants need to take advantage of that by offering unique, attracting dishes.

References:

Business Insider, (2019). Japan eats 10,000 tons of this poisonous puffer fish delicacy. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-poisonous-pufferfish-delicacy-expensive-cost-2019-7

Cook Eat Discover. (2019). Tours, tastings, feasts, classes & poolside apartments. Retrieved from https://www.cookeatdiscover.com/sample-itinerary

Coppola, M E (2016). Food, tourism, and culture: the keys to success of a global trend. Retrieved from https://www.trekksoft.com/en/blog/food-tourism-culture-keys-success-global-trend

Costello, C., & Smith, S. (2009). Culinary tourism: Satisfaction with a culinary event utilizing importance-performance grid analysis. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 15(2), 99-110. doi: 10.1177/1356766708100818

Diawati, P., & Loupias, H. H. (2018). The Negative Impact of Rapid Growth of Culinary Tourism in Bandung City: Implementation of Innovative and EcoFriendly Model Are Imperative. Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, 52, Retrieved from https://download.atlantis-press.com

Disgusting Food Museum. (2019). Disgusting Food Museum. Retrieved from https://disgustingfoodmuseum.com/

Everett, S. (2008). Beyond the visual gaze?: The pursuit of an embodied experience through food tourism. Tourist Studies, 8(3), 337-358. doi: 10.1177/1468797608100594

Food'n Road. (2019). After all, what is Food Tourism?. Retrieved from https://foodandroad.com/pro/food-tourism/

Hall, C. M., & Sharples L. (2013). Food tourism around the world. doi: 10.4324/9780080477862

Hall, M. (2010). The Advantages and Disadvantagesof Developing Cuisine, Food andTourism Relationships: Internationaland Local Perspectives [Presentation]. New Zealand.

Japan Guide. (2019). Kobe beef. Retrieved from https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3564.html

McKercher, B., Okumus, B., & Okumus, F. (2008). Food tourism as a viable market segment: It's all how you cook the numbers. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 25(2), 137-148. doi: 10.1080/10548400802402404

Precenza, A., & Iocca, S. (2012). High cuisine restaurants: Empirical evidences from a research in Italy. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation, 3(3), 69-85. Retrieved from https://iris.unimol.it/handle/11695/47277#.XhI-tEeeRPY

Stanley, J., & Stanley, L. (2015). Food tourism: a practical marketing guide. Nannup: CABI.

Su, C. (2013). An Importance-Performance Analysis of Dining Attributes: A Comparison of Individual and Packaged Tourists in Taiwan. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 18(6), 573-593. doi: 10.1080/10941665.2012.695281

Timothy, D. J., & Ron, A. S. (2013). Understanding heritage cuisine and tourism: Identity, image, authenticity, and change. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 8(2), 99-104. doi: 10.1080/1743873X.2013.767818

Tourist Israel. (2019). Must-eat foods in Shuk HaCarmel, Carmel Market Tel Aviv. Retrieved from https://www.touristisrael.com/must-eat-foods-in-shuk-hacarmel-market-tel-aviv/26639/

World Food Travel Association. (2019). What is Food Tourism?. Retrieved from https://worldfoodtravel.org/what-is-food-tourism-definition-food-tourism/

[karladoesmotherhood]

Dance of the enchiladas

On Thursday I went over to my fake dad’s house to watch pre-season Seahawks football. We alternate who makes dinner, and it was my week. I made enchiladas and they were delicious. My fake dad is big into all sorts of meat in a Ron Swanson, “did it live once? then I’ll eat it” sort of way, and I had made vegetarian enchiladas so I was feeling pretty sneaky. *

Side note, I get vegetarians, but vegans? You’re gonna give up CHEESE forever?! This seems like cruel and unusual punishment when life is hard enough. I mean, there’s cancer and domestic abuse and misogyny and racism and you’re gonna choose to live without extra sharp cheddar and brie and heck, even mozzarella, on PURPOSE? Why God, WHY?

But I digress.

I had already entered my calories in My Fitness Pal and the serving allowed for two enchiladas. I ate them, and I wanted more. To be clear, I was full and didn’t need more. But also, I had MADE these bad boys and knew how much cheese was in them and simply wanted more.

Me: just go get another one, it’s fine.

Also me: but I’m not hungry and I’m tryin-a lose weight here, man.

Me: but just one more won’t hurt anything.

Also me: possibly, but that isn’t the point.

Me: isn’t the point also to be NORMAL about food, and just one more isn’t going to stop the Earth from rotating.

Also me: yes, but... I’m trying to practice restraint here, ya jerk!

Me: don’t call me that, I’m you. We’re supposed to be nice to ourselves, remember? Just eat the enchilada. CHEDDAR. CHEDDAR CHEEEEEESE.

Also me: hmmm, well...

And so I ate half an enchilada and called it good, and logged the additional calories. Because I do want to be normal about food. And sometimes that means you eat a little bit more because it’s so good (and alternately, walking away from your mother-in-law’s blackberry pie because while the berries are fresh from the Giant Monster Bush Literally Growing Over the Side of Her House**, the crust was in the freezer for a year and homie don’t play that game. Crust for Life. Respect the Crust.)

Over the weekend my in-laws also bought pizza for us from a delicious local place, but the slices were the size of my youngest child. I chose to eat a whole one anyway, went for cheese instead of “Central Market Swiss” which has a cream sauce and all kinds of other less-than-ideal things, and didn’t eat anything else for dinner and it was fine. New kinds of progress over here.

Creating some sort of balance is pretty tricky and apparently involves a lot of me talking to me. But I’m funny so it’s ok.

*He totally knew they were vegetarian apparently, but ate them anyway like a good sport and also because he and my fake mom are worried about me and my depression so I think they’re treading lightly and I’ll take it because I can get away with shenanigans.

** In western Washington we have two types of blackberries, one is native and one is not, and they both grow like gangbusters. Fast and TALL. My in-laws struggle with good house stewardship, and their desire to kill the blackberries is not equal to the rate at which these thorny beasts grow, and thus a mere two or three years after a Great Purge of blackberries, they come back and are growing over the sides of her car-port and house. On the upside, we now have Grandma’s Berry Farm, supplying a bounty of ripe, delicious blackberries, yours for the picking!