A good reason for meatless monday

The City of Vancouver is going forward with a good example, Their Mayor Gregor Robertson , claims that; They will be proclaiming June 10 to be “Meatless Monday” in honour of a growing global campaign that encourages carnivores to take a break from consuming animal products one day a week for environmental and health reasons.Read more: 

Information from the World watch institute about development in meat consumption

Difference between meat consumption in developing and industrial countries is shrinking, it remains high: the average person in a developing country ate 32.3 kg of meat in 2011, while in industrial countries people on average ate 78.9 kg.

I cannot answer how far man»kind» is going to go to MAXIMIZE meat production. This is beyond sick;

Cows are meant to eat grass not corn, how do we «solve» the problem? Do you want to know?

The purpose of this method is to investigate the digestive process of each feed which is supplied to the cow, always with the purpose of obtaining the greatest possible productivity in milk and meat, saving in every possible cost. This is one of many incredible and gruesome experiments which are performed daily, in a society that values non-human animals as objects for use and consumption.

source; Vegetarian friend

Many people assume that beef and dairy cows spend most of their lives happily grazing in grassy meadows. The reality is that most cattle in the United States spend significant parts of their lives in crowded feedlots with hundreds or thousands of other animals, eating feed that contains large amounts of grain (primarily corn). While cattle on pasture rarely get sick, those confined to feedlots and fed grain are prone to disease and most feedlots operators routinely feed antibiotics to prevent illness and to accelerate growth. This, in turn, increases the risk of antibiotic resistance in humans. In addition, air and water pollution stemming from dust and mountains of feedlots manure, and the many fertilizers and pesticides used in grain production, exact a heavy toll on the environment and the health of farmers, farm workers, and nearby residents.

source; Sustainable agriculture/greener pastures 

I can´t  understand why people actually want to consume something that is treated this badly.

Neither do I understand this, no respect what so ever, in the end no respect for your own body.

I just get sad.

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Meatless monday?

Do we have to eat meat every day?

I am concerned about the future we have as a race. I worry about the consequences of globalization and global warming. I think it is sad how we have treated our mother. Mother earth. There are some things, little things that we can do to minimize the damage. If we all stopped eating meat. It would help the planet tremendously. But is it realistic?

No!!

But what if we just started with one meat meal less pr. week? It would actually make a big difference. Read this article on research on the impact of too much meat being produced globally. Here is part of the articles conclusion;

«The case against eating animal products is ironclad; it’s not a new argument, and it goes way beyond just global warming. Animals will not grow or produce flesh, milk, or eggs without food and water; they won’t do it without producing excrement; and the stages of meat, dairy, and egg production will always cause pollution and be resource-intensive.»

Not to mention the health benefits, save you and save the planet while doing it! Start with meatless monday.

I could´t help throwing in some hard-core message, the Smiths say it their way.

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I love this article! This is the number one question a vegetarian gets, It´s as good idea to get protein from meat as it is to use milk as a source of cacium.

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Why holistic?

What exactly is a holistic approach?

For me it means balance. Keeping balance in my life. I have had periods that I have eaten poorly, deprived the body of nourishment and fed it with sugar and coffee.

There are times that I have been emotionally absent from my family and put all my energy into my work. Borderline  workaholic, if you like. I have had moments when neither home nor work was a good place to be. In other words I was depressed.

In this post I am trying to explain what the holistic approach means to me. I dug up some links that I have found helpful and pictures that I have taken from other web sources but I have linked back to the source. The five elements of holistic approach are explained in the picture below.We need all of the elements to harmonize ,in order to feel whole. Ergo feel well, in the state of Well-being.

picture taken from wendytran.com holistic website

We know that exercise and nutrition contribute to our well-being but did you know that meditation and relaxation play as important role?

We need rest, exercise and nourishment to keep the body «machine» working but the mind  also needs rest, meditation unwinds us from stress. Stress in a contributing factor to many dis-eases of the body.Stress is a modern society health threat.Stress increases the PH value in the body. If the PH value is high we are more likely to get sick, than if the PH value is balanced.

The five pieces of our cake

Relationships Our relationships matter, it means that the people in your life can not be draining you of energy. In order to have balanced relationship, you will have to find a way to stop letting people robbing you of your energy. The weird thing is that we often have draining relationships in our immediate family. It is worth working on because these are the people you can usually not just stop seeing.

Career We tend to get absorbed in our work. But we can not let it overrides everything else in our life. I have tendencies to get too wrapped up in the things I am doing. Sometimes it would drain me of all my energy and when I came back home there was just the shell left. I was deflated for energy from my work.

Spirituality We need to have some refuge, it does not matter what name we put on it. If it is a higher power or if we practice meditation. We need a break every now and then. To tune down and reconnect with ourselves. I find it helpful to study the balance of my chakras.

physical activity The best we can do for our body is just do 30 minutes a day of exercise. We need to run the machinery so it won´t get rusty and stiff. Walk, ride a bicycle. Find a steep hill and walk up it. Go to the gym. Whatever suits your rhythm and preference.

Nourishment We need good balanced diet and plenty of water. Water is the base. Food is a big part og our lives. It´s the hardest part to keep balanced. Our cravings can tell us la little about our imbalances, on mind-body green  there is a summary of food cravings and the source for the craving.

There are holistic resources like the holistic health library that have information regarding all parts of our holistic living.

The thing is there must be balance between the ares of our lives. Look at it as a cake , is just one cake. You are it. If work is too big of a slice the others are smaller. The cake is not getting bigger. There are 24 hours in a day. You need to divide them wisely. for you.

I find the chakra Wisdom helpful in understanding the balance. Here is a chakra wisdom from sspirituality and self-help . The seven chakras are explained. This blog for example is my way of regaining strength in my throat chakra. The chakra that deals with self-expression and communication.

Seven chakras meditation has an online support of the chakra well-being and some useful tips.

Illustration of the 7 Chakras © Wikipedia

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Why do people consider chicken a healthier option?

Is white meat better than red meat?

Many people avoid red meat for health reasons and eat the lighter meat types such as chicken. Is that such a good idea?  The article I´m referring to is the one that tells us about residues of Arsenic, Tylenol and Benadryl in the chicken tested.

Chicken is famous for salmonella if it is not properly cooked , so why has chicken become the health enthusiast food? Because it is cheap? Do you want to know why it is cheap?

That is why! And this is the more humane factory ,it  has open windows and fresh air coming in. Usually there would not be windows. Still want to grab a chicken on the way home?

Now I have not even begun on the chicken nuggets or the famous pink slime. If I were to recommend anything I would say find a farmers market in your district and shop there if you really want to know what you are getting.That is if you can not think of skipping the meat altogether. The thing is the vegetables are not that safe either so no matter what your food choice is. You have to know where your food is coming from.

 Just to recap here is a clip from the film Food inc .

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Hungry for change part II

Here is a link to watch the whole film hungry for change, only till March 31st.

The film came with this message;

Important! Hungryforchange.tv is offering this full and FREE preview for a limited time! 

Please tell everyone you know to watch this film in its entirety and be the first to see this new film featuring Dr Mercola! This Free Viewing Ends March 31, 2012!

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You are what you eat

When in doubt use nutrition first

I am one of those people who have taken responsibility for my health. After years of sugar addiction and nutritional scarcity. I had made myself sick. I was tired, depressed and at worst suicidal. I am still the same person. I look forward to waking up in the morning . I go out of bed and decide it is going to be a lovely day. I did not take any medication. I went on a nutrient based diet. The food I am eating is actually food.

I´m not sure , like suggested in the movie, that 51%  of my diet is raw but I start my day on a shake of fruit , vegetables and oils. I know when I am eating something my body does not want , and I listen more to the signals my body sends out. I read more and learn more.

I did (and will do for the rest of my life one day at a time) some work on my mental health with a 12 the step program for codependents. Sometimes I do yoga. Meditation is next on my list, I am not there yet but I will get there.

I found a link to the movie,»A new way to see food»  it is a documentary , it is over one hour-long. But I am going to post it anyway, because I think the message is important. When I was watching this movie I wished for a medic-leaks that would be the medical wiki-leaks that would actually publish the information that is uncategorized and not available to the public.

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What effects my health?

Three almonds a day keep the doctor away.

I have  also heard this saying; an apple a day keeps the doctor away.    If it was that simple to stay healthy. But it is complicated.

Balance between work and home.

I need to have balance in my life. If work takes too much energy other parts of my life will get effected. It is easy to say;

find the thing you love to do and do that

In reality might be different, we are stuck in modern slavery, mortgages and obligations. So if that is what is draining your energy try to get out. I am still on my 10 year plan to owe nothing. I found out that my freedom was having less obligations. It is not going to happen over night and I accept it.

Clutter in your home?

When you are in your home it is supposed to be a snactuary. A place of rest. If the home is draining us of energy then what? Clutter, drains you of energy. Give things away that you have not used for two years. The spring is perfect time for cleaning.  If you have not used it for two years you don´t need it!

When I bought my house, we used a lot of time and a Feng Shui guidance to rearrange the kitchen. The energy flow was a bit off when we bought the house. But after learning about Feng Shui and seeing in action how that helped with the energy in our  house. I was amazed. I saw this great post from a Feng Shui expert with good advice for the kitchen spring cleaning and I wanted to share it with you.

The study of energy flow is vital when it comes to well-being.

The key is balance and harmony

My health and well being consist of the people I surround myself with, my home, my work (school), the food I eat  and the rest I get. If I deprive myself of rest and sleep . My work is going to be sloppy. If I eat unhealthy it affects my well being and sometimes my sleep (if I eat late). It is like a balance scale. overload one side and it is stealing from the other.

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The RAW post that became something else

My look on RAW

It´s funny , this post was supposed to be about RAW food. I´m not into that, but I have tried some RAW food and liked it. I thought RAW was a new fad but I was reading about some guy that discovered this when he was twenty, and he looked at least sixty so according to him the RAW movement had been around for over thirty years.

In the same magazine there was this article about Brothers that were Crazy, Sexy and RAW. Well after reading a little about the RAW food. I found this much more interesting; RAW cosmetics!

Why? Well this video explains why, this is where Story of Stuff  teams up with the campaign for safe cosmetics  and tells us the truth about our cosmetics.

So,  now you probably understand why I got thrown off by the RAW cosmetics. I had newer heard of the concept before , and I found it fascinating.

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I admit it, I am a vegiterian

There I said it I am a vegetarian. I wish I had some heartwarming story to tell you about how I wanted to safe the animals. Or even how I wanted to become a vegetarian for my health. But it did not happen that way. I should have stopped eating meat after visiting the meat-market in Greenland. (outdoors and the snow was red with blood) But it did not happen then.

The story goes; I met a man who is a vegetarian , and he does the cooking. So he cooked vegetarian food for me. At first I ate meat and fish if I was eating out , but the strangest thing happened. The meat and the fish began to smell and taste funny. Then the texture freaked me out. At first I did not think too much of it.

But one autumn evening in 2005 I sat at a restaurant with my husband and some other people and I stared at the lam on my plate. And I was disgusted by eating it. So there you have it that is how I became a vegetarian.

And boy, am I glad now! The more I learn about the meat production and the food industry , the safer I feel being a vegetarian.

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