What I put into my mouth…
ann@karmabox June 28th, 2008
… seems to consume my existence. Eating and drinking, drinking and eating. I may not be able to quantify how much time I spend eating, drinking, preparing to eat or drink, or thinking about eating or drinking… or on the other end of the spectrum, thinking about avoiding eating or drinking something. Subtract any dirty thoughts you may have about what I may or may not put into my mouth, and I’m sure that ultimately, it still involves a big chunk of my time.
I am still trying to go back to veganism. The only factor stopping me from fully converting is financial. It costs more to live a healthy, meat-free lifestyle. Factory farming of animals is the reason we can buy meat in bulk for a dollar or two per pound. And each pound of meat I purchase keeps my kids and I full until the next meal so that we can eat more cost effectively throughout the day.
So despite what I know I should do, I also know what I can do. I can’t fully cut out meat right this second, but I can start to substitute a little at a time. I’m mixing in TVP (texturized vegetable protein) with sauces for tacos, spaghetti, enchiladas and other meals that require ground beef or chopped up chicken. The kids are eating it up and we save a few animals from being tortured and slaughtered. Not to mention the health benefits we’re getting from eating more veggies and reducing our intake of artificial hormones and fat/cholesterol. We’ll get there eventually.
I’m hooked on Morgon Spurlock’s (Super Size Me) TV show, 30 Days. Of course I don’t have cable (of frackin’ course), but I can watch it on my beloved Hulu. Here’s the episode where an avid hunter and meat-eater gets to live with a vegan family of animal rights activists for 30 days…
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I wish they would have mentioned a bit about organic farming though. I know that still isn’t quite the answer PETA and fellow activists hope for however I do believe that most people require stepping stones when trying to get to their goal. There needs to be an “in the meantime” factor. After watching this, I will be dedicating a few more grocery budget dollars toward buying organic, cruelty-free meats from Whole Foods or Central Market over my $0.99/ lb Fiesta or Wal-mart brand meats. That is, until we go completely vegan. Which brings me to what I think animal rights activists need to focus a little more on in order to reach more Americans, environmental impact. I hate to say this but we are a trend conscious pack of fools who latch onto the latest “it” cause that the media and Hollywood celebrities decide is in the “now.” And like what AIDS was to the 1980’s and cancer is to the 1990’s; the environment and global warming is the “it” cause for the 2000’s. I’ve posted this before but I think it warrants reposting:
I also recommend the PBS series, Design e2 (hosted by Brad Pitt, [oh yes.]). You can find it on Hulu (of course). My plans for a suburban sprawl house took a 180 after watching this series. I now want either a ‘green’ house made from recycled bits of anything or a loft made from a converted warehouse - either way, it will have formaldehyde free walls, solar panels, and a hydroponic garden. Hey, despite the trendiness factor, holistic living deserves its day in the mass-media-frenzied sun.
Cheers,
+ann
P.S. I have signed up for the DFW Chinese Language Meetup… because sadly, I no longer speak Chinese and therefore my children don’t speak it. So we are going to learn my native tongue (I guess that’s what I’d call it despite being born in NYC…) from some other Asians and *gasp* white folks who speak it fluently. I predict a lot of embarrassment on my part in the beginning which will hopefully transcend into my reconnecting with my roots (… the ‘being able to curse folks out in a foreign tongue while smiling innocently’ is just a plus).
What brought this urgent need to speak Chinese on? The fact that China has 1.3 billion people and that America owes China roughly $600 trillion to $1 billion, that’s why. (Note that I wrote out the words versus the actual numbers… it’s because I’m too scared to google that big of a number to find out how many frackin’ 0’s to put in. Just kidding. Or not. Eeek!) China owns us.
