July 23rd, 2007 - tamlyn
Here’s day 10, folks.
July 10, 2006
Up ’til now I’ve been focusing this journal on eating more alive, organic food and my withdrawal from the ridiculously unhealthy and made-exclusively-for-profit foods that are manufactured by corporate pushers. That’s the way I think of those companies who keep merging and pooling together their resources in order to gain more market control and make more money. But now I’ve been finding out more about the agri-business of food and being honest with myself about how eating the foods I have for most of my life supported the bloated incomes of people who are sinfully greedy.alive, organic food and my withdrawal from the ridiculously unhealthy and made-exclusively-for-profit foods that are manufactured by corporate pushers. That’s the way I think of those companies who keep merging and pooling together their resources in order to gain more market control and make more money. But now I’ve been finding out more about the agri-business of food and being honest with myself about how eating the foods I have for most of my life supported the bloated incomes of people who are sinfully greedy.
I’m watching a documentary called, “The Future of Food.” It describes how the Monsanto Corporation created “Round-Up” (you know, the stuff that kills anything green) and then sold to farmers. Sure, the farmers discovered, it kills weeds, but uh oh — it also destroys their crops! Whoops. They didn’t tell us that part. So the next step in Monty’s plan was to genetically engineer corn that was “Round-Up Ready.” There was an actual clip from a Monsanto Round-up promotional film that they used to convince farmers. It described the Round-Up Ready Corn as a miracle; made crops grow faster and more abundantly, no weeds, etc. So the farmer’s just think, “Hey, sounds good to us,” and buy tons of the stuff.
So now Monsanto takes advantage of an earlier supreme court decision (that passed by majority of one) that allowed a scientist to claim a patent on a bio-microbe (a live bug) he genetically engineered. (This decision was in direct conflict with our 1st amendment, which states that the “ownership of life” is not allowed.) So Monty immediately sets out to buy up patents for dozen of seeds that were previously being safely stored in seed banks. They own about 80% of all the varieties of corn we eat! There were dozens of varities – now America eats 3 to 4 different varieties of corn. Same thing with potatoes.
But back to our story. Some farmer’s didn’t want the Round-up Ready corn seeds. They kept doing things the old fashioned, simple way. But those unfortunate farmers had to deal with the problem of genetically engineered Monsanto seeds being blown into their fields from the fields of neighboring farmers (apparently a normal phenomenon). Making a living became suddenly more complicated for these simple farmers.
Monsanto began sending out spies – yes, spies – to check for their GE seeds in the outlying areas of the fields owned by the farmer’s who turned down Monsanto’s poisoned apple. Then guess what they did? They began systematically suing these innocent farmers for patent infringement! Talk about a wicked queen. And this happened all over the world. In America, Canada, India. Monsanto won every time — getting a huge chunk of the innocent farmer’s profits! That freakin’ kills me. This is the way of our world. Unless we do something about it.
What can we do? First of all, we can do a little research. I found “The Future of Food,” video with a simple search on my local library’s website. It’s worth it to care about the state of the U.S. agriculture. Because, lemme tell ya, what little I’ve learned so far has scared the bejesus outta me.
You can also boycott GE foods and demand tougher organic standards. Lobby for labels that designate GE foods from non-GE foods (most of Europe already does this). Start by asking the produce manager of your grocery store. We have more power than we think we do and it’s sitting right in our wallets. When it comes to GE foods, the issue is not “Shall we eat it until we can prove it may harm or kill us?” (Which is exactly the approach the powers that be are taking.) It’s also about huge, bullying companies like Monsato deciding what varieties of corn we can have access to, messing with our food at the genetic level without our consent, suing farmers into bankruptcy and doing the same thing to others countries’ farmers – and worse. And they are not the only bullies on the block.
Posted in Organic, Raw Food | 4 Comments »
July 14th, 2007 - tamlyn
What follows is day 8 of the journey I am continuing today.
July 8, 2006 12:23 pm
I want to be a moral consumer, ecologically responsible, and to practice dietary ethics.
To me, being a moral consumer means that I must do the work to find out how the money I give to companies and other entities is spent. It means I have to put what I know to be true, fair and right above the usual zombie-like shopping habits I’ve had all my life. It also means that I have to stay educated on factors that affect the global production of food, such as globalization and peak oil, the agricultural policies of our government, and the sneaky power plays of the World Bank and the WTC. Moral consumption is being aware of every dollar I spend. It is not the easy way — it’s the right way.
Ecological responsibility in relation to how I eat is also about how I spend my money, but it’s more. It means being aware of how everything I do affects the environment. I may not have the ease of buying as much stuff in chain grocery stores as I used to, but it’ll be worth it. I’ll feel proud of myself and be healthier. I am striving to leave no trace, as the boy scouts say. I have to do more than recycle stuff and figure out how to properly dispose of batteries and old paint. I’ve got to stop putting convenience above the health of my family, stop buying fruit and veggies needlessly packed in plastic, stop buying non-food made by companies that pollute.
I’m also learning about ecological, organic farming and experimenting with growing food (bought my very first tomato plant today).
Dietary ethics encompasses my new lifestyle of putting holy life inside my body, instead of dead crap. It’s about acting out my long-held principles about not eating animals, and my new decisions to get off dairy and sugar. Author Gabriel Cousins titled his hefty, encyclopedic, groundbreaking book on raw life energy, “Conscious Eating.” That’s what I want to embody. Taste will no longer be my primary goal of eating! Life energy is my goal. It’s eating sunlight, basically. That is what I eat when I put a juicy, ripe melon into my mouth, or a peach, or nuts.
And the term “organic” does not equal “healthy.” Some “organic” foods are simply the quickly manufactured and marketed products of greedy, polluting food manufacturing companies trying to cash in on the current demand for health foods. (If you want organic, you have to look for the little green and white circle. If it ain’t there, it ain’t organic!)
What’s funny to me is that I am considered weird because I want to eat pure, live, organic vegetables and fruit, while those who over stuff themselves with fried animal flesh, bleached bread, neon orange cheese, and processed chemicals glossed over with a generous sprinkling of fake sugar (and sicken and die early as a consequence) are deemed normal!
Posted in Organic, Organic Living, Raw Food, The Environment | 2 Comments »
July 2nd, 2007 - tamlyn
July 7, 2006
God, I take it back about the wheat being the easiest to quit. Please help. Love, Tamlyn. Amen.
Wheat and milk products are in everything (“whey products” means milk). Gotta check those labels even more religiously. Okay, so I ate something with wheat in the ingredients yesterday (conveniently checked after eating). Figured I blew it, so I totally went for the carb fix: I had some tasty carrot-wheat crackers. Well, they were organic. But, “organic” in itself does not imply healthy. My gut reacted big time – more so than usual since it’s not used to the stuff anymore.
And today I woke up feeling awful. I guess the wheat set back the detoxing process. At least, I did go to my first yoga class yesterday. Love yoga, but man, it sucks when you feel worse after exercising. My hip and back injuries are acting up a little. Enough to make it do that nasty swollen-numb-tingle-hurt thing down my left buttock and hamstring. All that, topped off with PMS, bloated, and lungs hurting to boot.
Having sugar cravings deluxe. They started last night as the PMS crept up. I ate too much after dinner; organic yogurt, nuts and dried fruit. So basically, I had dairy, sugar and fiber. Not exactly my highest goals in action. I do know I am on the right path. All the books I’m reading say that you feel worse after starting to eat raw food. I’m curious enough to want to continue to see if I feel better eventually. Need reinforcements, inspiration.
My plan to get inspired:
- will continue reading, “Grub,” a well written, thoroughly researched book that connects eating well with supporting companies that are in tune with the planet,
- I’ll call a friend for support tonight,
- going to the farmer’s market again tomorrow,
- will envision my healthy, glowing, energized body as I eat, and
- I am planning to go to a local vegetarian potluck tomorrow evening. That’ll be cool.
Posted in Health, Organic, Organic Food, Organic Living, Raw Food | No Comments »
July 1st, 2007 - tamlyn
“Jul. 06″ Last year, I began a radical, new path to better health and began writing down my experiences in the hopes that it may be of service to others someday. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Here’s days 3 and 5 of my experience with “going raw”:
July 3, 2006 at 7 months
Today will be first day completely off dairy. I ate much less of it over the past few days, but today I am ready to go all the way. Man, I already feel so much better. More alert. More energy. Reading Natalia Rose’s, “The Raw Food Detox Diet.” Incredibly inspiring book. She recommends going raw slowly to prevent experiencing the full force of the detoxing effects it produces as it cleanses your colon and cells – kinda like easing your way into a pool full of chilly water.
July 5, 2006
I am still in withdrawal. Last night, I had a huge sugar and dairy craving. It happened at a family gathering to celebrate the fourth. I went prepared; for lunch I brought an organic veggie salad with homemade raw tamari dressing (basically, tamari sauce, cider vinegar, and olive oil, with a dash of fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper) for me and Zack, my nine-year-old son. (He kept making yummy noises the whole time.) For dinner, we grilled lemon-pepper wild salmon and a bunch of organic veggies while everyone else ate burgers. Then we had fresh, local farmer’s market watermelon.
Later, we set off fireworks. Mom had a bunch of junk food out, which didn’t appeal to me at all. We’d also brought some frozen fruit with a little bit of organic yogurt to drizzle on top for dessert. (I figured that little bit of organic yogurt was better than the ice cream I almost ate. I would have gone for it, if it weren’t for my ex-husband, Mat. He told me, “Look, you just inspired me to get off dairy and I am going to stick to it.” Then he added, “At least for today.”)
Before my yogurt and sugar slip, I’d gone two whole days without dairy. It’d been longer since I’d had sugar. I also came close to drinking a diet coke yesterday. As a substitute, I made lemonade with fresh farmer’s market lemons, and sweetened it with Stevia – yum. Want a coke now. Damn. I am not going to do this perfectly. I seriously thought I would just go cold turkey off sugar, wheat, dairy, and my favorite; diet coke with lemon all at once. I’m not even trying to get off meat yet — just no beef or pork. And I didn’t have the illusion I’d be able to get off coffee right away. I had green tea yesterday. Today, coffee. This is so not gonna be easy.
“Dec. 06″ How do I feel? Well, I woke up feeling like hammered putty today. Zack also felt bad. He said his chest and head felt yucky. Apparently, he’s detoxing, too. My back acted up (bum disks) and my lungs hurt (asthma) today for the first time in weeks. It will be interesting to see if they do heal, given that I’m off dairy now (knock on wood). Man, if I could just breathe better, that improvement alone would change my life completely. I’m taking Echinacea and extra Vitamin C to help the detox process along.
You know, for someone who always thought of the word, ‘discipline’ as the “D” word, I think I’m doing amazingly well. Knock on wood.
Posted in Health, Organic, Organic Food, Organic Living, Raw Food | 1 Comment »
June 21st, 2007 - tamlyn
Hi. My name’s Tamlyn Jordan and I eat a vegan diet. I try not to identify myself with, “I’m a vegan,” because number one, people have mistakenly assumed I smoke pot, two, I have actually been asked, “So how’s your new religion going?” (I had to correct them; “Vegan, not pagan”), and three, meat-eaters don’t describe themselves by saying, “I’m a carnivore,” so I feel it’s only fair. (A vegan diet means no meat or dairy products.)
On July 1st last year, I made a 180 in my life. After becoming more and more ill during the previous decade with various assaults to my body, I decided it was time to get serious about healing. I knew the first thing that had to go was my diet.
Before my big change, like most Americans, I ate too much refined food, too little organic, raw food, and way too much sugar. When I had eaten a vegan diet in my 20’s and 30’s I was very healthy and happy. I’m now 46 and I just can’t get away with eating like a teenager at a party. So I decided to go organic, eat mostly whole, raw foods and eventually, I gave up meat, caffeine and dairy foods.
I knew making this transformation would be hard. My location alone – Edmond, Oklahoma (not quite as podunk as it sounds — but almost) would make it hard to find whole, organic foods. It’s intuitive that we should eat a lot of veggies and other whole foods, but getting there is perhaps the biggest battle many of us face. It’s universal. Just Google “diet” and “books” and you get 44,400,000 hits.
I’ve been on many metaphorical roller coaster rides in my life, but in the beginning, this one was a freakin’ nightmare. The detoxing alone is incredibly hard to get through. You’re eating better and better, yet feeling worse and worse. Hoping that I might help another poor, dietarily challenged soul stick with it until the detox phase is over, I began writing down my experiences.
The diet change was just the beginning for me. I needed to lose at least 20 pounds before I could start healing the illnesses with which I was faced. My healing has recently taken a lightyear’s leap forward since I began taking Univera’s anti-aging health supplements. I can’t wait to tell you about them.
And in case you’re wondering, I still eat a mostly raw, vegan diet – although I am not a food Nazi. I do have a cheese slip now and then (and no, I’m not talking about anything kinky).
Posted in Health, Organic Food, Raw Food | 2 Comments »
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