Archive for February, 2008

Wide Awake: Veganism Open Eyes

Published
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Joe
on February 25, 2008
in awareness and blog
. 1 Comment

What I have learned as a Vegan, And What You Can Too.

While I may have been able to learn all of the following by reading, doing so would have kept the ideas in the abstract. Experiencing the ideas, however, results in intimate understanding. Therefore, applying ideas to real life turns them into powerful and real vehicles of transformation.

Summery and Reflections

I have learned more about topics in which I previously new little or nothing about. I have learned about factory farming, free-range farming, sustainable farming, husbandry, protein nutrition, moralism, Jainism and green living.

All life is equal. Plants are equal to animals. All life desires to preserve it’s life; living is what life does.

If you wish to eat cruelty free, then I ask you eat only what Nature freely gives you. Ripping a carrot from the Earth is hardly a giving act. It is taking with force a life from Nature. Instead eat the fruits fallen from trees and the seeds scattered by the wind. Eat what Nature gives you freely, not what it protects with rocks, soils and emotions.

Killing any life, however small, is cruelty in the abstract.

Conceptually, cruelty need not have any physical manifestation for it to be as real as any other thought, like love. We tend to forget that thoughts, lingering in the abstract, are the foundations of reality. All acts are preceded by a thought inasmuch as a hug is with love. To destroy a divine creation for survival is physical necessity, but to do it without love and respect is abhorrent.

Life that sacrifices itself for continuation of your life needs to be respected, regardless of the shape, size and function of that life.

Ten years ago I attended a three-day Reiki training seminar. Of the many things I learned, one was to preform a simple Reiki technique on my food to imbue it with positive energy. At the time, I had no idea why one would need to. The reasoning, which I have largely forgotten was not explained in a manor that I could understood. But now I am beginning to understand that it was a form of respect toward that die for me to live.

Cores Concepts

Veganism is a lifestyle, way of life, and philosophy. Veganism is a social artifact created in response to a culture of consumerism that yields unsustainable ecological practices, poor dietary habits, and lack of conscientious thinking and behavior.

Diet: Veganism, when practiced properly, is likely healthier than the standard American diet. Other diets could be just as healthy, if not, more so. Diet and health are complex to understand containing a massive amount of variables. A diet that works for one does not mean it will work for another. It recommend trying a variety of diets to learn what your body response best to.

Biology: Veganism and vegetarianism as a diet are obviously possible. However, it is a biologically unnatural way of sustaining a human. In fact, extreme diets such as veganism and vegetarianism are extremely rare in the natural world. Nearly all higher-order species consume a mix of plant and animal matter with only a few exceptions.

A vegan and vegetarian lifestyles are diets, social constructs and philosophies created by humans. Misunderstood science is used as a tool to support an otherwise sound social movement and philosophy. This is similar to how Fundamental Christians twist science to give power to support their religious reality.

Humans are dietary adaptable organisms, not niched diet species like the panda or flamingo. We can sustain ourselves on a revolving diet depending on food availability, as has been the case over the last 350 million years with our ancestors.

Spirituality: I made a mistake in believing Vegetarianism leads to Spirituality. I have learned Veganism and Vegetarianism are not spiritual, but are lifestyles that can be practiced by those who are spiritual.

Inspected alone, Veganism fosters and promotes a biasness toward lifeforms which posses either emotions, intelligence and/or consciousness. These qualities, intrinsic but not limited to avians and mammals, are argued as a requirement for the experience of pain and suffering. This drawing of a line separating lifeforms based on mental faculties is a perception as false as separating humans based on skin color and IQ. Emotions and conciseness are manifestations of a physical nature in the same manor as feathers and chlorophyll are. One is not inherently superior to another. Despite this, I believe Vegans, proved by the adoption of the vegan diet, are conscientious people possessing well defined ethical values. However, Veganism and Vegetarianism cannot leads to spiritual awareness when it in itself is blind to life in other forms, naively promoting inequality by falsely believing one physical manifestation is more important than another. It is ironic that Vegans advocating animal rights reveal themselves as disrespectful and ambivalent to the other forms life takes. With a little juggling, Veganism can be auxiliary to a spiritual or religious belief system, but is not spiritual in and of itself. It is a social artifact created to solve a perceived social and cultural problem.

Environment: Currently, of all actions a single person can take to “save” the world (strictly environmental), eliminating meat intake would serve the greatest results. We we soon be facing a resource crunch. Eliminating meat consumption frees up resources.

Philosophy: A Vegan is one who practices a lifestyle that abstains from using animals for any purpose (even riding a horse?). A vegans goal is living cruelty-free. Thus a vegan strongly opposes factory farms and other processes which ignore animal rights.

Intention: Being a dietary vegan has instilled energy in my existence. I feel like I am thinking about something which matters.

Perspective: One can easily lose perspective as a Vegan. The primary goal for a Vegan is to sustain themselves without the use of animals. Abstaining from creature meat, dairy and animal products does a great deal towards supporting that purpose. Abstaining from products and food that contain or made from animal by-products is becoming detailed in fulfilling the goal. Determining whether or not sugar was whiten with bone char even though the sugar itself contains none becomes a questionable use of mental energy. For if one ceases meat consumption, then less bones will be available for secondary industries.

Thus focusing on reducing the primary industries output will have a cascading effect. A passionate and lifelong figure skater, in my opinion, lost focus on the overall goal of veganism when she became upset that the only good, high quality skates are made with leather. She loves to skate and her vegan lifestyle is already doing so much for the environment. Why is she worrying about a small detail? A pair of skates that will last five years. She should do her best as a Vegan while not giving up her love of skating. We all need to keep perspective.

The Vegan Morality of Life is Flawed

Published
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Joe
on February 22, 2008
in awareness
. 1 Comment

To be clear, I am a vegan and a vegan lifestyle has good intentions. The problems I have with it are the several logic, moral and philosophical flaws, one of which I will detail here. I cannot live under a flawed moral principle. Living a vegan lifestyle has been driving me crazy.

Veganism does not condone the killing or use of animals for gain or profit. However, the killing and profiting of plants is acceptable. This is a contradiction. Taking the life of another organism is killing. Believing it is acceptable to kill one type of organism but not another is hypocrisy.

Some vegans maintain that plants do not have the capacity for intelligence and consciousness, therefore cannot experience pain and suffering. While it is true plants do not have a neuron bundle, I argue that plants can experience pain and suffering. Pine trees secrete sap as a defense when beetles bore into the tree. This shows us that trees have a concept of self preservation, which is action to maintain life and are attempting, to the best of their ability to survive. Some plants have toxins as a defense against herbivore. All life has a desire to live. If an organisms life, whether plant or animals is being threaten, they will do it’s best to defend itself and survive. Some plants which have no adequate defenses, such as grasses, attempt to survive by propagating in shear numbers, much like squid, mayflies, etc…

For one organism to live another must die. There is no escaping this. Having a tiered value status of life, i.e. a mammal has a higher status than a plant, based on assigned arbitrary values is a false perception of reality. I believe in a reality of equality, not inequality, regardless of the form and capabilities of the organism. A bear does not have more value than a flower, for both their names, and bodies are not real. The only thing that is real is their life, of which they both have of equal value. With that said, it is the gift of life, not consciousness, which I acknowledge and respect.

Being a vegan helps me meditate on these concepts. Fruits, based on the above logic are an acceptable food item. Fruit, by their very nature are designed for consumption. Generally, the plant whom provided the fruit does not die when it’s fruits are eaten.

I find it perplexing that vegans, whom I have found consider themselves enlightened people, use intelligence, emotion and consciousness as a measuring stick to determine what is acceptable to kill. Those qualities are no more real and have no more value than a snail shell, plant hairs, or a flower. A mind and a tuber are equal. They are both expressions of life. Placing value on the mydrid expressions and characteristics life takes the form of is the same segregation mindset vegans are fighting against. Vegans believe that factory farming is modern day slavery. Well, believing that plants have lesser value than animals is a corrupted belief system. Throughout history, this mindset led to the extermination, subjugation, and persecution of many lifeforms because they were concerned of lesser value than another. On the contrary, all life is equal.

You think it is absurd that I am defending a vegetation genocide?! I think it is absurd you believe that humans, the only species capable of rational thought, are above all other species. Geckos are the only species that can climb flat, vertical surfaces with suction pads on their toes. Every species has something unique - a shell, suction pads, ink jets, thorns, chlorophyll, feathers, whiskers, intelligences, rationality. Because we can exert control over life means we must respect life, not make exceptions on what acceptable to steal life from. We either kill with respect or with disrespect. There is no lesser of two evils. Even killing less life, one is still taking life. This is why Veganism has good intentions, but is inherently flawed.

Because of this moral problem, I have been studying Native American belief systems in hopes of finding a resolution.

Thoughts on Writing

Published
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Joe
on February 21, 2008
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. 1 Comment

Last night I was reading quotes from Anthony Robbins. His statements are filled with action words and phrases creating motivation. Tony is a motivational speaker, after all. I was reading his quotes to gain some insight and inspiration to continue writing myself, for I have hit a mental road block. Three days ago I wrote a bit on what I believe the purpose relationships serve in our lives, but I became dismayed over my lack of vision, clarity and literary skill. I felt what I wrote lacked drive, momentum and focus. In comparison to Tony, my writing style is passive and lacking action. This bummed me out. The following day I made no money and this further bummed me out. Late at night I went to the bank to deposit a check and went to a store to restock on bananas, since I eat about five a day. While in the store I became hungry. I stood and looked around at my past, at all the food I once ate with bliss. I walked to the meat section and looked at the rows of red dyed meat packaged on foam trays all stacked on top of each other. The old me would have bought some meat and enjoyed himself that night, munching away. I walked through the wine isle and remembered how brandy, whiskey and wine always brightened my mood.

For the first time I felt very restricted and depressed by this diet. I didn’t know what to do with myself. Then I remembered smokey hot salsa and corn chips! Yo, that I dig. I bought some water, eight pounds of bananas, a pound of corn chips and two interesting special salsa mixes and I enjoyed the next few hours of my night.

Then, the frustration of finding my voice sunk in again and has rolled over into today. It has been cloudy the last three days and I haven’t seen the sun during that time. I wonder if the lack of sun makes me feel bummed. I am betting that it does. Even if that is the cause it does not make my situation any better. It shows how much I still am a product of my environment instead of being driven from within. My addition to caffeine is also evidence supporting this fact.

I must keep writing even though I cannot do it well. I have a deep feeling and understanding of reality. That seems to be what I have and am. So I must share it in the only three ways I can: speaking, writing, and living by example.

Looking Deeper into Meat pt.1 - Commentaries on Jo Stepaniak Answers

Published
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Joe
on February 17, 2008
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A few days ago I came across a vegan website run by author Jo Stepaniak. I am really impressed by how she answers a wide assortment of questions that deal with and are often raised in regards to veganism. However, her answer to one question I felt was overly harsh and judgmental and critical. Perhaps she was playing hardball to get her point across. For whatever reason it may be, I found inspiration in her attitude to write commentaries regarding it. Part 1 will focus on her first sentence in her answer.

source: www.vegsource.com/jo/qa/qapromeat.htm

Someone asked her if there are any positive reasons to eat meat. Simply put, this person wants to know what the arguments against vegetarianism are.

First sentence in Jo’s answer: “There are no moral, ethical, philosophical, or biological reasons for humans to eat other animals.”

Philosophical

She states there are no philosophical reasons to eat other animals. On the contrary, there are. What is philosophy but the rational investigation into the existence of things? When philosophy is applied to the divine and God, it is called theology. If God states that animals have populated our reality for our use, then that is a philosophical way of viewing a relationship between God, humans and animals. Eating animals then becomes a way of life. This is a philosophy of how to live life and thus, a philosophical reason to eat meat. I am aware this point of view can be countered, but whether it is right or wrong does not make it any less a philosophy. What is right or wrong belongs in a conversation regarding morality.

Another reason would be to participate in the food chain that humans are part of (whether or not humans are part of a food chain and whether or not humans are acting naturally while participating in it is a big, messy topic for debate that I would love to explore another time. The food chain outlook toward life could also be considered a biological motive.).

Another reason, although extreme, would be using a physical act — eating meat — to illustrate or partake in a metaphysical concept of consuming a life force and becoming empowered by it (it is irrelevant to counter by saying a life force does not resides in a dead animal, for a life force cannot be proven to exist in the first place.) This act of worship is symbolic, spiritual, and religious. But if it is a way of life and an outlook toward reality. Therefore, it is a philosophical way of life trying to make sense of the material and immaterial. This example is the same as making love (a physical act) to create or experience love (emotional or spiritual). What I am referring to here is a rite: performing divine or spiritual acts through physical conduct. To discount eating meat under these circumstances is secularism. Rejecting a way of thinking that deals with issues in life, such as death and souls, chi or life forces is to reject a perspective that is no more or less valid than yours.

Saying there is no philosophical reason for eating meat is silly and foolish. All this statement reveals is Jo Stepaniaks inability to perceive ways of thinking that fall outside her attitudes and morals. She is saying her way of thinking is right, other ways are wrong, and the door is closed for discussion. Bringing the topic of philosophy into a discussion of meat eating is apparently not a good idea.

Moral

Jo says there are no moral reasons to eat meat. This assertion only works when used against someone who appears to or claims to live a moral life, who has a firm grip of what is considered right and wrong. If someone has morals, then one can talk about morals. If someone is immoral, then a discussion of the sorts is pointless. If one cannot see, do not waste your breath describing colors. It will not be understood.

There are many people, mostly dead, whom I respect and revere that have talked about the conduct, intentions and actions of humans, known as moral principles, otherwise known as ethics, and applied them to eating meat. Like opinions and just like the concepts of good and evil, the weight of moral values appears to be based on the number of subscribers adhering to such ethics. But maybe not. Are there universal morals? I am not sure. The philosophy of morals have been discussed for a very, very long time and I am not well read in the subject. Regardless, with my basic understanding I see no conscientious, virtuous, or moral reason to eat meat.

Being ethical is to conform and adhere to a moral principle. Using “ethical” in her answer is redundant. Those two words are nearly synonyms. If there are no moral reasons to preform a certain action, then it follows that there will be no ethical reasons as well.

Biological

There may have been a biological reason to eat meat in the past to obtain b-12, maybe not, but it certainly is no longer required in our present era. B-12 is supplemented in all sorts of foods, such as bread, beverages, and bars.

Bottom Line

So, to reconstruct her answer, it should simply say there are no moral or current biological reasons to eat animals.

Compassion — the strongest reasoning for adopting a vegan lifestyle — lies in the realms of morality and is practiced physically and ardently through a vegan diet and lifestyle.

Why John McCain will be our next president

Published
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Joe
on February 13, 2008
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While it is amazing that we live in time where a woman, a minority, and a Mormon are running for president. It is equally amazing that neither of those three running will be elected because they are woman, African American and a Mormon. While we as a nation and as a people have come a long way on the road toward equality, majority are not yet ready for change leadership.

John McCain will be elected president solely because he is not a woman, black or non-mainstream Christian. He will be elected president because he is the only white, older male with experience and typical Christan beliefs (baptist) in the race. Regardless, this is still a landmark time in our countries presidential race and we have interesting times ahead of us regarding rights, equality and leadership.

In response I look back nine years at a Michael Moore directed music video “Sleep Now in the Fire” by Rage Against the Machine — not as nostalgia, but as inspiration in our current time. This song is not dated, but more relevant than ever.

Vegan Diet Update — day 10

Published
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Joe
on February 11, 2008
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It has been 10 days since I adopted a vegan diet and it has been around 40 days since I last ate meat. Although, meat intake was reduced substantially beginning November of last year. This vegan way of eating is going well. The only thing to complain about his lack of meat and dairy in my diet! The dietary changes that have occurred from adopting this diet are as follows: no meat, no dairy, increase of fruits, vegetables and tofu.The only physical change that has occurred so far is the loss of libido, which started perhaps in January. This can be attributed to either the lack of meat or an increase of soy protein in my diet. Diets high in meat and garlic have been shown to increase levels of testosterone while diets high in soy protein increase levels of estrogen. So maybe a vegan diet will create a girly man of me.
Actually, an interesting tip I learned regarding desert survival is to never trust a legume. They accumulate metals and produce toxins. This principle holds true with soybeans as well, since they too are a legume. Therefore I wish to eliminate soy products from my diet and instead further increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in my diet, which I am beginning to prefer anyway (for the first time in my life!). One step at a time, however.
Yesterday I accidentally ate a health bar that contains whey protein isolate as listed in the ingredients. Technically, that no longer qualified me as a vegan for that day. Oh well. So i ate another bar of the same. :)

Our Toxic Plastic - Bisphenol A (BPA) leaching from popular plastics bottles

Published
by
Joe
on February 10, 2008
in health
. 2 Comments

Just as nearly every typical American kitchen includes a microwave oven, one can find in the typical American household countless plastic containers, bags, wraps and toys located in refrigerators, cupboards, and in closets around the house. Prepackaged food such as the TV dinners are included inside of a plastic tray sealed with a plastic wrap. Canned food doesn’t always come packaged in metal anymore. Plastic canned food containers are becoming more and more common. Leftovers are either wrapped in plastic or put into plastic containers for storage in the fridge. Plasticware (plastic replacement silverware) such as forks and spoons are inserted into our mouths. Plastic baby bottles are used to feed our small children. Due to the pervasive and widespread use of plastics, the toxic chemical Bisphenol A (abbreviated BPA) used in polycarbonate plastic is found in the body of nearly every single person living in a developed country.

BPA Linked To..

A new study conducted by Environmental Defence, a Toronto-based environmental group was released several days ago (Thursday) showing that heated plastic baby bottles leached a known toxic chemical called Bisphenol A. This synthetic chemical, which mimics the hormone estrogen has been shown to cause developmental toxicity, carcinogenic effects, and possible neurotoxicity. It has also been linked to:

  • obesity
  • low sperm count
  • infertile sperm
  • breast cancer
  • prostate cancer
  • early puberty
  • hyperactivity
  • miscarriage
  • diabetes
  • altered immune systems
  • schizophrenia.

The medical, reproductive and developmental problems this chemical causes puts the smaller body weight of babies and children at greater risk of the toxic effects poisoning from Bisphenol A.

The Leaching Plastic

Approximately 90% of all plastic baby bottles sold in the U.S. Are made with BPA. However, not all polycarbonate plastics leach this chemical to the same degree as others. Generally the softer the plastic the greater the probability of leaching. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), known as plastic number 2 is used for bottling or containing milk, juice, water, yogurt, margarine tubs including trash and retail bags, is one of three types of plastic with the least risk of leaching BPA. Plastic number 1, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE) has least risk. As we move further up the number scale in plastic identification numbers, the risk for leaching Bisphenol A increases. The most common plastic personally I come across is number 4, Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). It is used to make frozen food bags, squeezable bottles (like the ones honey, ketchup, and mustard are bottled in), flexible containers, foam packaging, and plastic bags used for packaging electronics. Even though LDPE is soft, it is believed, along with plastic 2 (HDPE) and plastic 5 (PP) to not leach BPA in a significant amounts. Plastic number 7 (Other) is the plastic used in the study conducted by the Environmental Defense and which poses the greatest health rest of all types of plastics. Plastic number 7 is often used to make beverage bottles and baby milk bottles.

The study conducted by the Environmental Defense purchased randomly 19 bottles in Canada and several U.S. states including one at a target near Minneapolis St. Paul Minnesota. These bottles were manufactured by Avent, Evenflo, Dr. Brown’s and Disney/First Years. The researchers heated the bottles to 185° F causing 5 to 8 parts per billion of this toxic chemical BPA to leach. This ratio is well above the levels that some animal research studies have shown to be harmful.

BPA is known to leach from plastics that are cleaned with harsh detergents were used to contain acidic or high temperature that liquids such as apple juice milk and baby formula.

The chemical interacts in a unique way with acidic liquids such as apple juice, baby formula and milk potentially interacting in a manor that releases higher quantities of BPA. Also cleaning plastic bottles with harsh detergents are known to leech this chemical BPA. As plastic ages it deteriorates releasing BPA.

Banning Toxic BPA Plastics

Growing awareness of the toxicity BPA poses to humans has led to several companies and U.S. jurisdictions to ban products manufactured and containing this chemical. In December 2006 the city of San Francisco, California banned the sale of baby bottles and other products designed for young children containing this chemical. However the ban was never enforced and ended up repealed. The most recent action to take place, due in part to this recent study, Minnesota lawmakers want to ban BPA from baby bottles citing it “…as a hormone wrecker.” (http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_8202314) Several U.S. Retail chains that promote healthy food and lifestyles have already ceased selling plastics containing this toxic chemical. Patagonia Inc., A retailer of outdoor gear stopped selling polycarbonate bottles in 2005. In 2006 baby bottles were no longer sold at Whole Foods Markets. Mountain equipment Co-op in 2007 discontinued selling bottles containing Bisphenol A. Currently there are nine U.S. states with legislation pending that would affect the use of this chemical in containers.

While this most recent study shows that baby bottles made with plastic number 7 leaches BPA when heated, we can rationally presume this chemical can be leached out at a lower rates at lower temperatures (room temperature) over a long time frame. A 2005 fetal study showed “permanent changes to genital tract” and “persistent changes to breast tissue, predisposing cells to hormones and carcinogens” from daily exposure to BPA at the nearly non-existent small dose of 0.025 parts per billion. At daily fetal BPA exposure rate of 2 to 2.5 parts per billion — an amount scientific bodies generally consider invisible for any substance — resulted in more toxic effects. While these studies were preformed over a finite time frame on a small fetus, longterm health effects on adult humans from exposure to this toxic chemical are unknown.

Major retailers including Toys”R”Us, CVS, Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart sell baby bottles that leach BPA, according to the report.

Reducing Your Child’s Exposure to BPA

The body that released this report, Environmental Defense suggests reducing a child’s exposure to Bisphenol A by:

  • using glass bottles.
  • using polypropylene bottles (#5 plastic).
  • not using polycarbonates (hard, shiny, clear or tinted plastic, often #7 (PC).
  • not washing polycarbonate bottles with harsh detergents or scouring brushes.
  • not putting polycarbonate bottles in the dishwasher.
  • not heating food in polycarbonate containers. Use glass or ceramic containers instead.
  • avoiding infant formula canned in epoxy liners that contain BPA (http://www.ewg.org/reports/infantformula)
  • avoiding canned foods (especially those with high fat content) and beverages to reduce exposure to Bisphenol A from the interior coating of the container.

By being more conscious of the containers our food and drinks arrives in, we can reduce our health risks and those our children face from the toxic chemical Bisphenol A by following the suggestions the Environmental Defense outlined above for bottle-nursing mothers, insuring health and well being for ours and our next generation.

Happy New Year!

Published
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Joe
on February 7, 2008
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Welcome to the Year of The Rat! I, for one, am glad it has arrived! Of all years, the last one, the Year of The Pig, is the worst year for my sign, and coincidently was the worst year of my previous ten years of my life. I cannot say it was the Year of The Pig itself that caused the difficulties, but it is interesting that the cumulation of personal poor planning and foresight climaxed into the year which diametrically opposes my sign.
It is also a coincidence that the Year of The Pig ended around my birthday in which I turned thirty years old. I have not spoken yet of the relevance of this event, but I plan to in the future. The next ten years of my life are dependent on this birthday which has led me into a positive new year of The Rat.

(to create coherence in the following bit, understand in short order that I died at the age of 21 and was reborn into a new way of life. It has happened once again; a death of Self has occurred at age 30. Now I am building a new way of life that is unique from the previous two. A future blog post will explain in larger detail.) After a quick death at age twenty-one, I created a new life and stepped into the future. I have lived that past life for nine years now. Almost half of which is chronicled at darkflavor.com. That life, without going into too much detail became exceedingly more and more difficult to live and cling to. This last year, all the way up to this day have been the most difficult of all, although the pressure is easing now that I am changing. Previously, it was as if I were pushing against a relentless tide of change. I stood fast to ideals and beliefs which became unbearable to maintain. As shown at darkflavor.com my discontentment, dissatisfaction and disillusionment with reality is obvious. That site is filled with pain and sorrow. It lacks intention. It is akin to reading a log of bad dreams.

I have died again.
I have been speaking to you now from a new life. I reflect this on this website. I reflect this new life with veganism. I reflect this with change.

What does “change” mean when applied to our lives? Why do we change? Why do we resistance changing? When is it time to change?

I know what this new year means for me. What does the Year of The Rat have in store for you?

Country Juicing

Published
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Joe
on February 6, 2008
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today i was thinking about how wonderful a juicer is to our health and well being. the ability to press the nutrients out of large sums of fruits and vegetables at one time into a small amount of concentrated liquid is amazing. no more eating massive sums of greens! before i juiced parsley, i would eat about a third to half of a bunch or bundle of it before i could take no more for the day. all the chewing tired my jaw. all the fiber made me full. now i press two bunches (two units as sold) of parsley into half a glass of juice, about four onces. works for me!

if i owned my own juicer, i would have to go to the store several times a week to stock up. but what if i owned a juicer back east in the country? there are so many plants that grow all over the place that can be juiced! out in east otto where taras mother lives, there are fields containing a huge variety of plants. fields of goldenrod who’s flowers might be similar to brocoli. burdock growing as a weed on the side of dirt roads! i cant tell you the number of burdocks i pulled out and let die as a child. burdock is incredibly healthy! natives once made tea from it’s root. it’s stalks are sold in the market i frequent. so are danilion leaves — another common “weed.”

everyday i could wander out of the house, pick a bushel of “weeds,” let them soak briefly to remove the bugs (i wouldn’t wanna juicethose!), and juice the plants with some bananas or carrots. now that i tell ya, would be a wonderful addition to a country lifestyle.

wild man steve brill

Wild man Steve Brill lives in New York and eats weeds!

wildmanstevebrill.com

Smoothies!

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Joe
on February 4, 2008
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When I speak of a smoothie, what comes to mind for most people is frozen fruit and/or yogurt, but that is not the kind of smoothie i enjoy! over the last year or two tara and i have been buying naked juice smoothies. there website is here. these are ready to drink packaged 100% fruit and vegetable smoothies that contain a pound of fruit in each bottle. little did I know that Wild Oats, now renamed to Whole Foods since the buy-out has a juice bar! I have walked by it inside the store so many times without realizing it. so one or two months ago Tara and I have been building our own smoothies totally customized! the smoothies I have been building and drinking are so much better I cannot get them out of my mind. I fantasize about them all day long. I have been drinking them several times a week now. here is a break down of the smoothie I build and drink:

  • 2 oz of juiced parsley (two bundles)
  • 2 oz of juiced carrot (one carrot)
  • a splash of juiced gingers (inch long piece, quoting trent reznor “.. to spice it up”)
  • 1 scoop of frozen blueberries
  • 2 frozen bananas
  • 3 frozen strawberries or pineapple
  • sometimes a splash of apple juice
  • [this equals over a pound of juice]

Yesterday the juice man — an employee who has been making our smoothies — juiced up two heads of broccoli for us. we both are aware of high nutritional value of raw broccoli while sharing the same excuse for not eating it — we do not like the taste of broccoli. and so he juiced it up, tops first, then stalks. both the heads and stalks produced the same amount of liquid. in total one head of broccoli comes out to one ounce of yellow green juice. next came tasting it. whoa! there is a lot of information in that dense liquid! it smells and tastes so rich and so alive it blew me away. it smelled like fresh green peas, like a spring garden and had the texture of milk and pea juice. do not underestimate this juice — it is very intense compared to purred fruits, like bananas and blueberries. i am very curious as to why broccoli juice is creamy. maybe it is because of protein? any case, good luck drinking that by itself. i highly suggest blending it with something else like carrots

i am ready for another smoothie tonight! i might juice up some cabbage or spinach for my next smoothie. :)

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