First Things First: I am NOT a Vegetarian.

I am not a vegetarian.  I am not a vegan.  I am not a raw foodist.  But at some point in my life, for some period of time (ranging from 1 day to 10 years), I have identified with each of those labels.  Today I just am.  I simply try to eat healthfully and ethically and kindly.  Now that we have that out of the way, I'd like to also say this: I am not trying to preach or force my approach on anyone.  Truly.  That is not my intention and it is certainly not my goal with this blog.  I'd just like to share some information and get us all thinking about the choices we make every week.

This weekend I had a difficult and powerful experience.  I saw a video about conventional factory farming -- animals being raised for their milk (that means milk, cheese, yogurt, and, yes, your coffee cream too), eggs, and meat.  I have seen these videos before, but it's been a while.  And, of course, we all hear about the horrible things going on with factory farming -- disease, chickens having their beaks cut off (not all survive the experience), confinement, terror -- but until you see it for yourself, you cannot imagine how awful it is.  I cried.  And I honestly thought I might be sick at two points during the 8-minute video clip. I can't even go into detail for you because I can't bring myself to relive the images in my mind right now.

After watching this video, we heard from Howard Lyman.  Howard is a 3rd generation cattle rancher who became a vegan and now speaks to the public about the atrocities of conventional and factory farming.  He has written a book called Mad Cowboy if you'd like to read what he has to say.  Some of you may have heard of Howard because he and Oprah Winfrey were sued some years back after he appeared on her show, told her some of what goes on at factory farms, and Oprah declared to never again eat another hamburger.  They were sued for disparaging a food product.  Yes, seriously. 

So, why am I telling you all this?  I just got back from the grocery store and as I walked down the refrigerated aisle I couldn't stop thinking that 99% of the products on those shelves originated from places like the ones I'd seen and heard about last weekend.  We each have to make our own choices as consumers, but I wanted to offer a gentle reminder of what's going on before we toss these products into our shopping carts.  I encourage you to learn more about this situation. 

Personally, for my home cooking, I buy organic animal products and/or try to get most of it from local farms. Where I have been less diligent is in restaurants.  So, that is going to be my biggest intention: to ask about the sources of animal products at any restaurant I go to and, if I don't get a satisfying answer, then I'll be vegan for that meal.  For me, this is a small and crucial sacrifice.  I guess I'm writing about this today as much for you all as I am for myself -- I need some accountability so that I keep this intention clear in my mind, and you all are my accountability. Do you ever realize how easy it can be to forget even the important things? 

Here are my suggestions:

• Look into this issue for yourself (but make sure you trust the sources).
• Your best option with animal products is to buy local.  Check out your local farmers' markets, talk to the farmers, maybe even visit the farm.  This is the only way to be sure about what's going on.
• If you can't find a farmers' market or local farm, then products labeled "organic" are your next best bet (although it's true that there have been instances of problems there too). By eating organic animal products, you are also avoiding ingesting any antibiotics or hormones that were given to the animals.
• Also look for "grass fed", "pasture fed", "free range".
• Ask your servers at restaurants where they get their meat, dairy, and eggs.  Are they organic?  Are they local? The more inquiries they get about this issue, the more likely the restaurants are to make changes, once they are aware of the demand.

Again, I did not write this post to ruin your dinner.  I simply felt the need to pass along what I witnessed and to encourage us all to remember that our choices as consumers are some of the most important ones we make. 

Thank you for reading about this sensitive issue and for keeping an open mind.

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Eat kindly.

What’s Your Sleep Story?

 

I woke up this morning feeling particularly well rested. I slept for about 8 hours last night and had the luxury of not forcing myself out of bed early this morning. And this well-rested feeling got me thinking about the importance of good sleep.

I have had an interesting relationship with sleep throughout my life. I’m told that, as a kid, I avoided sleep as long as at least one other person in the world was still awake (didn’t want to miss out on anything, you know?). I don’t remember being that obstinant (and can’t imagine it). My memories of sleep from childhood include nightmares about the Wizard of Oz (tornados and angry apple trees), sleep walking, sleep talking, and waking up with my feet on my pillow. As an adult, I experience periodic bouts of insomnia (not fun!) but other times I can’t seem to get enough sleep. And I still have the occasional tornado nightmare.

What’s your sleep story?

We all have different needs when it comes to sleep, but the average person should probably be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Recently, though, Harvard Medical School reported that a survey found that an increasing number of Americans are sleeping less than 6 hours per night and that 75% of Americans experience some sort of sleep difficulties several times a week. This is troubling because many studies have demonstrated that sufficient sleep is important for maintaining good health. Lack of sleep has been linked to many conditions including poor memory, moodiness, increased risk of accidents (at work and while driving), poor metabolic function and weight gain, immune suppression, disrupted hormone function, and hypertension.

Many factors can influence our ability to get a good night’s sleep, including seasonal changes, emotions, stress, caffeine, medications, and our sleep environment. Because sleep is so important to your overall health, take a moment to reflect on your own sleep patterns and consider the following recommendations for getting good sleep:

1. Develop a regular schedule of sleeping/waking times.
2. An Ayurvedic approach recommends going to bed between 9:30 and 10:30pm and waking up between 5:30 and 6:30am. (Those of you who know me will be surprised to learn that I have experimented with this schedule and really loved it, but you have to make it a habit!)
3. Avoid alcohol and food for 2-3 hours prior to bedtime.
4. Exercise: regular exercise can help regulate your sleep.
5. Allow yourself to wake up without an alarm clock whenever possible (at least weekends?).
6. Minimize noise and light in your sleep environment.
7. Avoid extreme temperatures in your sleep environment.
8. Caffeine: avoid caffeine for 4-6 hours prior to bedtime and limit overall use of caffeine.
9. Avoid television and computer screens for at least 1 hour prior to bedtime.
10. Develop a bedtime ritual – this might include enjoying a calming cup of herbal tea or a relaxing bath or shower before bedtime.

 Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Sleep Well.

The Science of Living a Healthy Life

Sunday’s New York Times Magazine (4/18/10) featured a collection of articles under the heading The Science of Living a Healthy Life. You can access these articles online and read about: (1) the importance of exercise for weight loss; (2) how the quality of your relationships can affect your physical health; (3) the effects of estrogen replacement therapy; and much more.

These are interesting articles, but as is always the case, it is important to read what these authors have to say and consider the information in the context of your own experiences. For instance, when reading “Weighing the Evidence on Exercise”, you may get the sense that there is a great range of responses to exercise in terms of its effects on weight loss, appetite, energy levels, and mood. This can be confusing, but it is not surprising because our responses to just about everything we experience in life can depend on our own unique collection of characteristics, including our gender, age, overall health history, diseases and medications, sleep patterns, and so much more. (By the way, read all the way through the “Weighing the Evidence on Exercise” article – I found the second half especially interesting.)

So then, what do we do when the information out there seems ambiguous? That’s when we need to read (or listen) mindfully, and to purposely not hold on to anything as “The Truth”. Take in what you read, consider how it relates to what you already know, and then listen to what your body and mind say is right for you.

What is true for you? ... What role does exercise play in your life?  Do you find that your relationships can affect your physical health?

Enjoy the day.  Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.