Vegetarian Dietary Needs

5 things vegetarians need to know about diet:

.     In today's health conscious society science has a lot to tell us about what we should and should not be taking into our bodies but there is no set formula that is universal. Your unique body and diet are different but with a little bit of vigilence answers can be found to questions like: why am I feeling spaced out and achy.
.     It doesn't take long for certain essential nutrients to deplete from our systems but it can take a while to build up a store of those necessary dietary components. Spend five days to two weeks documenting what your diet has consisted of, every detail. Record the weight of carrots you ingested, the beans and their type, pay close attention to documenting the nutrients list on that can of whatever you ate for lunch, the bowl of cereal. Every detail will matter.
.     Now go to the doctor and get a blood test to measure what nutrients you are and are not deficient in. This is the quickest easiest way to know where and how your diet needs tweaking. A lot of the foods we eat contain vitamins and minerals we are unaware of, paying attention to these can make you more aware of what your diet may be lacking. Typically vegetarian diets are lacking in Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin B12 and Omega 3 fatty acids.
.     Tip number 1: Iron. Did you know that Calcium, which your body needs a lot of, needs vitamin D in order to be properly processed. Having unprocessed calcium in your system interferes with your bodily processing and absorption of Iron. Preference dictated I start my day with a high heme iron source (animal protein) but this early iron load is a good idea. Be it through an egg, supplements perhaps, or through a glass of vitamin c orange juice with some iron fortified oatmeal, tofu, wheat or beans in the morning. An early load of iron helps kick start your blood and brain. After your Iron intake though, give it a few hours to digest and process before having that glass of milk.
.     Tip number 2: omega 3 fatty acids are crucial but often choked out by the omega 6 that floods our systems from various other sources. The key to balancing here is not to have more than three times as much omega 6 as omega 3. Unwittingly we often have up to thirteen times as much! For a healthy vegetarian diet look to fish, but for those like me who can't handle even that, try (you guessed it) a supplement. Also there are great sources of omega 3 such as microalgae oil, flaxseed oil and rapeseed oil. The more omega 6 you cut back on ( don't eliminate) the greater effect the omega 3 you take in and the healthier your diet will become.
.     Tip number 3: vitamin B12. Look for it on those labels. There are a lot of things in our diets that can or do contain this essential nutrient. It helps maintain and promote cell health and growth and has a huge impact on the brian. B12 helps ward off spacey feelings and in conjunction with other B vitamins (often referred to as complex) keeps our bodies flushed of toxins and any surplus chemicals or proteins building up in our systems and clogging the blood brain works. I for one, drink certain flavours of vitamin water but you can also find vitamin B12 in seafood, dairy, eggs, and meat. 
.     Tip number 3.5: Oh, wait, those B12 sources are all a no for vegans. Right. Supplements are often packed with B12 from plant and vegetable sources. Beware of these B12 sources. Most supplements from plant sources contain a form of B12 that the human body cannot process! Sunflower margarines are usually a good source for the right kind of B12 and most foods that are fortified with B12 have to have the right kind to get past the FDA because it is designed for consumption. Be warned though, there are those two kinds of B12 and they don't always specify which one they mixed into the ingredients. Trial by error has taught me vitamin water recover (grape flavour) has the right one. Try also comparing tropicana orange juice with other brands, it is surprising what you'll find!
.     Tip number 4: Zinc in high amounts can be poisonous. But I lived in a town that never got sick because of all the Zinc in the local ground water. Symptoms of Zinc deficiency can show as: growth retardation, diarrhea, hair loss, delayed sexual maturation and impotence, loss of appetite, eye and skin lesions, and white spots on the fingernails. I am sure there are others, Zinc supports health, growth, DNA, and wound healing. Some studies suggest ties also to muscular health as well as proper day to day brain function. Whole grains, fortified cereals, beans, nuts and some dairy. Be weary though, as zinc absorption can be inhibited by phytate, a component often found in whole grains, legumes, cereals and breads. The highest source of Zinc is oysters.
.     Tip number 5: essential protein. Vitamins B, C, D, and E are very important for cognition as well as complex carbs and the protein required to process them. Great vegetarian sources of protein are found everywhere. Such as in peanut butter, almonds and other nuts, tempeh and seitan. It is recommended that 10% of your diet be protein so indulge in tasty options that source necessary proteins as well as other essential nutrients you may need, such as Iron and Zinc. Do your research!

I really hope this is helpful to you Meghan. With love. :)

Ask- The Interpersonal Dynamic

.     Found an interesting article on the newer face of dating and a point struck me as one of those newer, freshly liberated generational gap types. There arose the need to explore the topic.

1. She wants you to ask. Despite the rhetoric you hear about the liberated woman, women still appreciate it when a guy asks her out on a date. They like when men take the initiative. (http://artofmanliness.com/2008/01/16/stop-hanging-out-with-women-and-start-dating-them/)

.     Recollection brings about; for some, the idea of a time in which "he" asks "her" and she accepts or completely rejects him and this dictated the subsequent interactions as being existent or completely non-existent. No middle ground. 
.     Well, recent interaction software has allowed the emergence of said middle ground. Not that it didn't exist before, people of more than just the youthful generation are being exposed to and adopting new conceptions now. From across the generational board. 
.    Is it now assumed that women have an implied perpetually active "no" until asked and otherwise stated? I believe so, in some ways. Imagine if you will, a friendship. The interest is there, on one or both behalfs, and sometimes indulged in. Then a kiss in public creates dissonance between one or the other. Typically; 'she' is now thinking: "Where did that come from?"  and 'he' is thinking: "Well we're dating aren't we?" 
.     In the idiom of my elders this is a role reversal. But no matter, the affect is basic and human and the effect is generally a sharp divide between an otherwise healthy inter-personal relationship. From here, many wonderful friendships and partnerships have withered and died due to a lack of communication about expectations and about unwritten 'relationship' standards or rules.
.     So what went wrong? In the given example, she lives by the newer generational bachelor ( or feminist) standard that she has the freedom to become comfortably close with whomever she chooses without there being any implied expectations. His ability to claim exclusivity on such expressions of comfort is contingent upon both his requesting such and her continued acceptance of said requests.
.     Now this doesn't mean it is necessary to ask her if it's all-right every time you move in for a kiss. If she says yes once, some believe, that establishes a continued commitment. I would tend to agree with this mindset when it pertains to certain larger issues, sexuality for one instance. Marriage for another. However not the smaller issues. Those carry a more applied method of thought. This, of course, yields to circumstance. ie: New set of parameters or environment; implied "no" stands until verified or denied.
.     If there were grounds for a kiss behind closed doors, it speaks to a certain comfort level while in private, with a trusted, and accepted friend. Behind closed doors. Many don't realize that implies nothing more. Public is an entirely different animal and so is today's definitions of words like: single, dating, together, relationship or my personal favourite: teddy bear.
.     So where's the mistake in it all? Easy. Assumption. Typically when implied or assumed boundries are crossed, it is the actively single party who feels things are moving too fast. Operative terms being implied and assumed. The other side of the equation also is at fault of assumption. To assume that someone is as comfortable in the street as they are in the sheets is an exercise in futility.
.     The resolution lies in communication. The likelihood of either side saying: "Well I never said it would be ok!" is so high that you might as well skip it and cut straight to the chase. Discuss the friendship as it has evolved and clarify what makes the other part comfortable or uncomfortable with certain things. This would be the first step.
.     The crucial other half would be for both parties to agree to the most recent mutually amicable dynamic and designate there be some sort of reset button or dynamic checkpoint at that. Then pick up like nothing had happened with a better understanding of repercussions. Otherwise it will be difficult to salvage an otherwise strong friendship, a tragedy considering such things are rare in this digital world. After all, confused communication and differing opinions on what constitutes exclusivity need not be lamented. Celebrate differences.

Butcher

Food is a basic necessity and for me that includes animal protein.
recipes from the butcher

.      Governments need to have both shepherds and butchers.   
~Voltaire
.     Two of the noblest professions in my mind will always be the farmer and the butcher. Based on continuing research I am doing, the future of farming is a really sad thing. I will post more on that later. Today is about the butcher.
.     Through today's mechanized butchering processes approximately 750 lbs of food can be yielded from the butchering of a single cow. But it is important to note that the breed of cow has an impact on the quality and quantity yield. Historically, cattle were bred and kept for three purposes: meat, milk and labor. This would be your shorthorn breed which originally showed up in the US in Virginia in 1783. From industrialization and mechanized farming methods, cattle have been mostly removed from the labor end of the deal. When the butchering process is done by hand as grandpaw and great grandpaw did, there is less waste being sold as beef by-products for dog chow.
.     Today the best breed of cattle to raise for beef depends on the climate they are raised in and the season they are to be butchered in. The Hereford is known to mature sooner therefore can be slaughtered in a more conducive season, as opposed to being kept and fed throughout the winter. However the longhorn angus mix is known for being hardy through the winter and emerging in spring at a more favorable weight. The angus is the most common breed in the US for meat production.
.     At this point I want to emphasize something. Butchering is a skill and a trade that are crucial to the survival of the human species. Sorry vegans, I don't count you as a natural part of the breed, take that to mean you are some sort of next evolution, or whatever. For those like me, carnetarians, we survive because there are still those who know the safe and proper ways of using every part of an animal to enhance our own quality of life.
.     I for one, fear the day that all our mechanical processes fail or can't run due to lack of energy supply or some other thing. In that time, I want to be one of the few who still recalls how to survive pioneer style. This includes basic knowledge of farming and butchering, tanning and tools. I am using my time to learn what I can about as much in the realm of survivalism as I can. I found a farmer butcher who posted a detailed account of butcher basic knowledge and it struck me as the kind of thing I personally would be begging my grandfather to talk to me about. Please with an open mind and a strong stomach, read and enjoy the find of the day: back woods home