Last Week! Adi Braun

I'm so sad this class is coming to a close, I wish it could continue on for a whole semester. I feel like over the past month I have greatly matured just due to being more conscious about what I eat. It's been such a big learning curve in only a few short weeks. I really enjoyed our meals this week. Who would've known that I actually enjoyed a meal that was relatively similar to Thanksgiving dinner. My mom would be so proud! I loved the idea of just baking up some vegetables and serving them over grains, it's such simple preparation and still such a hearty meal. Talking about the ethics this weak really was getting people riled up. It's such an intense topic and so personal. I thought the video that we watched was very intense but also something good to see, sometimes the message doesn't really hit home until you see something like that. From what we've learned in this class I can easily say that I am going to be so much more conscious of what I eat. I don't know if I'll be able to jump into being vegan right away but every time I go to the grocery store I'm really going to think about the food I'm buying and where it's coming from. Even if it's a little more expensive that extra dollar is so worth it if it means I'm making a difference in our environment. Even though I'm just one person I think every little thing counts. Eventually more will follow and it will become a common thing for people to cut out animal products from their diets. I can't wait for this day to come, it will be so revolutionary. I've really enjoyed my experience in this class and want to say thanks for the amazing teachers and peers. It was so encouraging to be surrounded by a group full of people all wanting to make a difference.

Week 4 :/

Today I was thinking that after all these wonderful meals, informative and eye-opening readings, great class discussions, and fun in the kitchen, I wish that this class wasn't over...but then I realized that everything from this class isn't over! I can still invite friends and family over to enjoy a great meal, I can continue to educate myself on these various issues, and unfortunately the majority of the world will continue to follow the industrys lead. However, it's always great to see how much more awareness is being built about veganism and how unsustainable the industry currently is. It's encouraging to know that eventually this is the route that a lot of people will choose but it'd be nice to have it become mainstream sooner (to save animal and human lives and the environment). Although I don't come from a wealthy family and I will begin working on Sunday after being unemployed for three months (with super little money) I will continue each and every day to vote with my dollar and make my voice heard.

As far as the food this week...we didn't have class on Monday but for anyone who went to the Memorial Day gathering, you would have known how awesome (and filling!) the various fieldroast burgers were, flavorful the roasted potatoes were, soft and earthy the rosemary bread was, and how sweet and refreshing the watermelon-lime slushy was...I was also reintroduced to my old coconut almond-butter frozen cookies. I am a bit disappointed that I couldn't taste Nina's raw banana ice-cream that the other class had on Tuesday however I'm actually making a version of that this afternoon with a friend. Here's the link to the recipe that we're using.. http://natureinsider.com/2011/05/the-best-ice-cream-ever-its-raw-too/ As far as yesterday's meal, oh man that was amazing! The quinoa, roasted vegetables, miso sauce, and field roast went absolutely perfect with each other. And that CAKE...I can't get over how delicious that was haha

I also really enjoyed the readings for yesterdays class. In the Reap As You Sow chapter, the author made such profound analogies to the meat industry and our everyday lives that really could have crossed the "sane border" but truly made you pause and think about what he said and how in actuality how evident it is but how much we don't acknowledge it because we don't make connections like those in day-to-day activities. I will be sure to read a World Peace Diet over the summer. In the Grub Kitchen reading, I thought it was great that the author compared our diet to the "wrong bus syndrome". She asked questions like what would you do if you were on the wrong bus (you would get off)..but then she asked what would make you stay on the wrong bus (examples include not knowing that you were on the wrong bus, being misinformed, not knowing that there was another bus, etc). She also addressed some of the possible obstacles that people encounter on their way to going on the "right bus". I also like how she provided and outlined pretty easy ways to make it on the "right bus" and how to remain on the right bus (veganism). All three of the readings were actually some of my favorites in this class because they truly made you think outside of what you normally consider. Those different neuro-thought paths were also made in the ethics presentation yesterday. Health and ethical treatment of animals were the two original reasons why I went vegan, so I was pretty aware about the issues in this topic. However, I didn't know that glycerin was made from animal product and I found it so interesting how this topic spurred by far the most discussion in class (and very insiteful and interesting at that). I will definitely watch the End of the Line this summer as well. And by the way, for those of us who purchase things that don't explicity label them "vegan", I've been meaning to purchase this book called Animal Ingredients A to Z that should enable us to be more aware of animal by products.

As a human, I know that I will be continually learning and changing but I will always keep in mind to make the most loving choice possible. That statement really spoke to me because it applies to every aspect of our life. To live by loving. How wonderful a place the world would be if everyone could do that.

Thank you so much for this course Nina and Michael. It was truly amazing and tasty! Expect me to be around in mid-August ready with some new recipes that I would have tried over the summer :)

P.S. Here's the link to the recipe for the watermelon-lime slushy but Jordan and I did things a little differently. http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/07/10/lime-watermelon-frosty-how-to-video/ Instead of adding water to the blender, when we cut the watermelon to place in the freezer overnight, we also included all of the watermelon juice. When we actually made the slushies, the watermelon was unintentionally a little thawed so instead of adding the water, there was excess watermelon juice that worked wonderfully in the drink. Also we used more than 1 teaspoon (probably the zest of two limes) of lime zest because it was soooo yummy!

week 4

Well, I can't even begin to tell you how much this class has changed, and will continue to change, not only my eating habits, but my life. I am not going to become full on vegan, or even vegetarian, however I have, and will continue to keep changing my eating habbits until hopefully one day I can become vegan. Let me list the things that I did this month that I haven't ever done before taking this class:

-Shopped at Whole Foods
-Discovered where the organic section is at Smiths
-Bought only organic fruits and vegetables
-Bought kale, sprouts, and quinoa
-Went to the grocery store and didn't buy any meat (that's not to say I didn't have any stored in the freezer, but still this was a HUGE step for me.)

Although I am far from vegan, even doing what little I did to change my diet was a huge leap in the right direction for me. Originally, the only valid argument in my mind to go vegan was for health reasons, however, after all our class sessions and all the readings, you convinced me that health is not the only reason, and that the other four reasons are just as valid.

It took me up until today when we watched the movie in class about the slaughter houses to be convinced that social justice is a reason to go vegan. That movie clip was appalling, but it got the point across and I'm glad we watched it. It sickens me at how manipulative the meat industry is. Something that really struck my attention was that it's acceptable to kill pigs, but not dogs, even though pigs are just as intelligent and "personable". It doesn't make sense.

As always, the food today was delicious. The combination of the quinoa, sweet onions, and fake meat (I forget the real name of it) was to die for. And the chocolate cake made me speechless.

Again, thank you for amazing class. You literally changed my life.

Week 3

THis weeks classes and presentations really opened my eyes as to what goes on "behind the scenes" in the meat industry. It sickens me! I'm from Montana and when I think of eating beef, I think (well... thought) of the truly free range cattle that live in the pasteur behind my house. After reading this weeks readings, I realized that I was not the small percentage of humanely raised cattle, I am eating cattle that grow up in 6 x 6 pens, that are drugged and slaughtered inhumanely. Then placed on a conveyer belt and chopped up by "butchers" - unskilled labor workers -  piece by piece. One thing that someone mentioned in class was that the workers on the assembly line check for  flaws in the meat, but that the workers get paid only when the assembly line is running... so how likely is it that a worker will stop the entire conveyor belt to point out flawed meat? Very unlikely, thus we eat flawed meat. It's an atrocious system.

As for the food... AMAZING. THe veggie pasta was incredible. I thought I was eating noodles until half way through the meal someone said "I can't believe there are no noodles in here!" That dish had more flavors and taste than any other dish I have ever eaten. The desserts have also been amazing. My favorite dessert is still the peach pie we had week 2. I am looking forward to week 4's meals!

Week 3- Frustrations and somewhat alleviations

this week really hit me hard, not because the material was shocking, that is pretty consistent class to class, but with how much of it I didn't already know and how good of a job the media does with the slight of hand play, keeping these facts hidden from the public (seriously, AGENT ORANGE? how does this crap NOT make national headlines). However, immediately after I got home I was thrown a bone when talking to my younger sister about Monsanto and she actually knew what I was talking about and said they learned about it in school (maybe public schooling isn't as derelict as I previously though.

Week 3....You are what you eat

First of all, I am so sad that I missed the Social Justice class, allergies will probably kill me. Amanda tells me that the Raw meal was amazing and so I am going to have to make it.

Talking about the horrors of the meat industry and reading about how unfair it is to animals and us is hard stuff to read. However it is so exciting to see how much just one person can REALLY make a difference. Whether it's by cutting back or going vegan it is actually really possible to do a lot of good.

The labor you eat and boss hog are just these hugely eye opening reads, i think if this is the kind of stuff that made the news (instead of Lindsay Lohan's 93rd arrest) that people would really take into account the  true reach of the decisions (or lack thereof) they make about food.

Excited for Monday's class! See everyone there!

Week 2 (Again...from Angel, because I'm silly)

Ok, I feel dumb because I can't get this thing to upload after I save....maybe the thirtieth time is the charm haha. This week the food was SO delicious. I don't think I have stopped thinking about the moose since we had it. Yummy. Other than the food, the readings were intense this week. I thought the first group that went did a really great job of presenting the information in a way that was conducive of group discussion. I thought Ideana did a great job of putting everything into perspective. I am excited for our group to go on Monday, after doing all the research and reading I'm so excited to share it with the class....and of course, excited to eat.

Also, I hope you had a wonderful anniversary Nina and Michael!

Week 1 (Copied from Angel)

The first week of class was really delicious, but it was also fun to meet everyone and hear everyones reasons for taking the class. I think that our discussions have been really interesting and in depth, which is always my favorite part of any class. The readings are also crazy interesting, the are certainly making me think outside the box. I don't think I will ever get over the i am the apple eating the apple thing. What a concept.

From Ali Grow:

 On Monday, my group presented on the Effects of Meat and Dairy Production, and the information I came across, I found to be extremely disturbing because in such simple ways, we could easily change how much energy, waste, and problems we produce. The article that I found to be the most interesting was in the New York Times called Re-Thinking the Meat Guzzler. It actually compares oil and meat and here is the direct quote where it does:

"The two commodities share a great deal: Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible."

It was so interesting to see the two compared side-by-side because normally, you'd think there would be no comparison. Not true. The two are actually becoming more and more alike. The article went on to reveal that other countries are noticing that meat production today is a problem and are actually halting the deforestation of land for livestock and dairy. They referred to factory farms as "growing meat" rather than raising it, because the cows are just growing with no end. It also discussed that if every American were to just skip one meal of chicken a week, and substitute it with vegetarian products, it would be the equivalent of taking over a half million cars off of US roads. Crazy, right?

My favourite foods this week were the desserts... The raw lemon meringue and the raw peach pie were out of this world. I was so astonished that something could taste so good. The crust was amazing, the filling was amazing, the topping was amazing, and the peaches were amazing. It was so good! I also loved the taco salad, because I loved the crunchiness of the chips mixed with the freshness of the vegetables. It was a great, easy meal to make and to eat, and it was just simple. I also really loved the pesto sauce on the pasta, as well as the zuccini noodles! That was so cool, and it made them so much better. Vegan cuisine is so suprisingly delicious that everyone should be able to have some. I love that not only does it taste good, but it feels good when eating it and it gives me energy and leaves me feeing refreshed. 

Here's a link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?pagewanted=all

We can do so much.

This week we had two great meals. I love taco salad. It is what I eat all of the time but this is the first I have ever had that was vegan and it was still amazing. The all raw meal was to die for. It was a blast of flavor and I never thought of eating all raw. I do not like Italian food as much as Mexican but the raw pasta I enjoyed. That night I tried the French Toast recipe at home. It was not as good as when we had it in class but it was still tasty. I had a friend over and it was a fun reaction when she tried to think of how French toast could be made without eggs but she enjoyed the toast too.

The presentations this week were very interesting. This week was on environmental issues and social justice. I was part of the social justice group and the article that we read for class really hit me. The conditions that the workers were in were disgusting and I almost couldn’t keep on reading. I love animals and the environment but I hate when other human beings are being hurt.  I found that Food Deserts are an interesting issue. I had never thought before this year about cities and real food. I always had a grocery store close to me and thought that everyone had one. The realization that this isn’t true is shocking. I could never live on fast food or 7-11s. I love gardening and nature. And the environment is very important to me because it is our life. We need the planet and so I feel like we should keep it safe. The presentation had a lot of facts on the environmental impacted of the meat industry. If we could do one thing to help lowering meat intake isn’t that hard to do. We can make a difference in the environment by little things that we do and buy.

Aimee Green

Week 3: Adi Braun

This week brought to my attention several new facts that I had never known before. First, I had no idea that workers in the meat and dairy industry are treated so bad. I guess I started to get an idea when we read about the pig lagoons but never imagined a factory line of people just chopping up dead animals. It's such a horrible image. I also had no idea about the illegal immigrants they hire from Mexico. How can they get away with such crimes? From the first reading on public land and animal grazing I was shocked. To me, public land is awesome, it's a free place to camp and do whatever I want on it, but I never really thought about everyone else who can do the same thing. Especially not ranchers, I had no idea cattle grazing is so detrimental to biodiversity in our nation. As for the presentations, the one thing that really stuck in  my head was the myths sheet on the meat industry's website. I can't believe they're not only siting themselves but releasing false information to the public. Talk about a bad argument.
As for the food I'm still really enjoying it. The raw pasta was a little strange to me, but the crackers were awesome. I've noticed that after every meal I come home and feel so light. It doesn't feel like I had a huge meal and I don't feel hungry. I love it. I'm really exciting to bring something for the class on Monday. I've been so busy all May term I haven't had the time to sit down and plan a meal, grocery shop and enjoy it. So this is my chance and I can't wait!

Week 3

Wow. I've always known that vegan food, when prepared correctly, can be the most delicious cuisine there is. This week's meals were just a fine example of that. We had taco salad, iced tea, and raw peaches and cream pie (amaaazing). On Wednesday we shared an entire raw meal consisting of tossed raw spaghetti with three sauces (all fantastic), with crackers, melon milk, and lemon meringue pie (holy moly soo good). I seriously cannot get over how awesome these desserts have been. I can't wait for what's in store for the final class (I'm sure it's something outstanding!). I was joking around with someone yesterday during class and I said, "If I could live here and eat Nina's food all the time, I would be the happiest person ever"...but seriously haha. Anyway, this week we spoke about the animal welfare and social justice. Both of these issues are interesting because we realize that whether it's the animals or the workers, the factory farming meat/dairy industry are ruthless and are sincerely and solely profit-driven. That's a pattern that I've noticed from the four tiers we've spoken about so far; these industries could absolutely not care less about how their practices are negatively impacting our health, the planets health, animal welfare, or their employees. I not only want to adopt a vegan diet to reduce these various impacts but also because I don't want to support a conglomerate that continues these behaviors with no remorse because it's what keeps their pockets filled with polluted money. It isn't right that 30% of our non-land ice is used by the meat/dairy industry, millions of people are still starving and injured slaughter house employees are denied treatment. But none of that matters to the industry that literally has their hands, money, and power controlling (or at least heavily influencing) so much of what informs America and ensures that none of these negative impacts will be public...and if the news of their dirty business leaks, they are sure to debunk those immediately with a nice, fluffy, vague statements. I don't get mad about many things, but learning about this really does frustrate me; I don't understand how enough money can motivate even the government to deny what the people are clearly asking for. There was a great point made in the last class that the only way that organic food (and hopefully the local/sustainable movement) will be favored over conventional factory farming is by making it profitable (unfortunately). However, I know that I haven't been around for long but even in my short life it seems like organic produce and foods have become more accepted and prevalent which hopefully is an indicator that with enough public education and government pressure, organic food will establish itself as the norm and some of those government subsidies can be applied to organic food and not producers such as Smithfields. It's awful that this industry is able to get away with so much and at this point I feel completely responsible for trying to change that. Like we discussed in class, the best way that I'm able to do that is write to my Congressman and to continue to purchase organic/local/vegan over other options. One thing that frustrates me though is that even "voting with your dollar" has set-backs. For instance, because I am a resident on campus I'm required to purchase a meal plan although if I had the choice I wouldn't support what Sodexo provides us but there's no way to get around that other than trying to alter what Sodexo serves us (which I am) or move off campus (which I will be doing my Junior year). But anyway, this is a side track but yesterday I was on happycow.net (where they provide lists of vegan/vegan-friendly restaurants) to see if there are new vegan options near where I live and google redirected me to meetup.com where there's a NH vegan/animal rights group that meets up once a month at a new location in NH to talk about being vegan and awesome haha :) I instantly joined it and I am so excited for the June get-together! I started doing so more research and it looks like NH has actually improved in the availability in vegan options (a local pizza shop now does vegan calzones and pizza) and a local bar/night restaurant serves a vegan banana&strawberry vegan chocolate cake! I'm excited to see what else is now being offered that's not advertised online and it'd be cool for everyone else to check out what's available near your home towns. If you want to stay engaged with veganism maybe try out some of the places near you over the summer. :)

Week 2 bloggin'

    Originally, the main reason I took this class was to help myself eat more nutritiously, and after the first week, nutrition was still really the only reason I even considered going vegan. After the recent readings on climate change, I now have another HUGE reason to go vegan. The statistics are astounding. When arguing with my room mates about the affect meat eating has on the climate, it is hard to get through to them using complicated statistics. That is why I really enjoyed the stats that put meat eating in simple  perspective. Such as, eating one 1/4 pounder from McDonalds is the equivalent of cutting down 55 acres in the Rain Forest, and 26 cals of plants makes 1 cal of beef. Statistics like these really put things in perspective and help when making an argument to an ignorant friend.


   As far as the food goes...PHENOMENAL! My favorite dish so far was the vegan taco salad and peach pie (as shown by the two heaping plate fulls I ate, along with two slices of peach pie). I am generally not a dessert fan, however the peach pie was to die for. I know that you have been preaching this since day one of the class, but it didn't really click to me until last class period at just how delicious the food really is. I've been forwarding all the recipes to my family so they can try them at home too.

Matt Hargis week 2

The reports we read this week paint a clear picture: our current livestock situation, globally is wholly unsustainable.

Within a capitalist society, a vote is made with your dollars. If someone were to define me as a 'consumer' they would look to the goods of which i consume far more than any other- food. The three meals I eat per day cast a vote. The veil was removed, through our readings, on how my consumption choices affect the environment. The was made iron cast by the declaration from the United Nations that we discussed in class, of which clearly states: if the demand for factory farmed meat would fall, so as well, would emissions for CO2, which would lower the effect of climate change.

Through this education I am able to make an evaluated choice on who- and what- I vote for every single day.

The meals we ate this week also painted a clear picture. Eating in a vegan manner, which is factually less of a footprint on the environment- is easy, nutritious, and delicious, the holy trinity of food. While no one is perfect, I wish to define my legacy, and the expression of my own life as one that outwardly makes an effort to care and steward our environment.  While it seems that the transport marginal cost in eating a plant based diet is still significant, with fuel emissions, ect, it is a lower impact choice. A local plant based diet that does not promote pesticides seems as one that would fully express myself through the food I eat.

However, living in Utah, I am not sure how feasible such a diet would be. Perhaps in class we could discuss this proposition, and if possible, try to create a largely locally sourced meal for one of our in class meals.

From Joey:
Week 2

This week I met another vegan eater that gave me a lot of strength and support in caring so much about what is going into my body. I was starving coming back from a climbing trip, and I didn’t want to eat Chipolte because I knew it wouldn’t make me feel good. I stayed in the car and didn’t say anything either way. Julia spoke up and said that she wanted to go to Whole Foods and wanted to get some rice and beans and veggies, rather than going to Chipolte. Despite my extreme hunger, that is ultimately what I wanted to do too. Slowly, everyone in the car actually said that that’s what they would rather do. I had a dinner that I had already cooked at home, but I was simply going to wash with the way that everyone else was moving in order to avoid conflict. What if Julia hadn’t spoken up? We would all be eating something that we actually didn’t want to. It made me realize I need to speak up when it comes to what I want in my body. This is important; I can be picky.

It is so easy for me to cut out meat because of this class; It is so easy for me to cut out GMO’s. They now make me nauseous. I realize the limits of their nutritional values. What I am having a hard time with is cheese. I understand its ecological effects, and that my body cant digest it, but it just tastes so good! And I don’t especially love the alternatives. I am going to need to work on this.

My week consisted of a lot of less super organized meals because I realized that I was eating a ton by planning out carefully all of my meals. I made guacamole for dinner one night, veggie sandwiches, and had a lot of fruit in the mornings from my new tip from Nina. I made an acorn squash too! It is an awesome feeling to care about what you are putting into your body.

I liked the food that we ate in class this week. The French toast was creative! It tasted so much better than real French toast, but I don’t know that I would be able to whip that up in my kitchen every once in a while. It seemed super gourmet and complicated. I am very busy and while I am cutting more time in for food, I am not making landslides of changes. I really liked the teriyaki, but eating it two days in a row made me sick of quinoa. I decided it was something that I am not super into, which is a good thing to know! But I love its nutritional value!

This week, I was really affected by the Boss Hog reading. This is probably why I am so turned off from meat this week. I felt so much compassion for the people within the town that was destroyed by the feces of our destruction. Fainting when they walk outside, because of stench! It is horrible. It made me clearly relate destruction to meat, and meat to disgusting. The other reading that shocked me was the China Study. The serious health consequences were appalling and easy to see. When you guys revealed your age, it made me realize that this was more than a fad. 

From Alec
May 11: It is easy to get into this class because from the start most of the other students have strong ideas on they way they eat. I took this class because I enjoy food, before I started at westminster for business I was studying culinary arts. I enjoy food and the preparation of food so that is why I took this class. 

From Ali Grow
May 11: Being raised without red meat, I always questioned why I was the outcast for never eating a cow or a pig. My parents had raised me to love and care for all animals, which is why it seemed so absurd that all the kids at lunch could eat hamburgers, hot dogs, and Lunchables with meat. My mom always told me to tell people that I was a "selective vegetarian" because I ate poultry and fish. However, when I finally got to high school, I made the transition to a full vegetarian. My grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer, and had been reading up on how her diet should be because the doctors were of no assistance when it came to nutrition. I decided that I wanted to read up on nutrition as well, seeing that I had always been questioned as to why I was a vegetarian. Health reasons? Ethical reasons? Before I went full vegetarian, I never really had a purpose. It was just that I had been raised that way. I began my research, and here I am, ready to learn more than before.
The readings so far have been quite interesting. I really loved the reading on Vegan Diplomacy because it was so great to find different ways to approach others about the path to becoming a vegan. I loved when it discussed that rather than telling someone what they are doing is wrong or immoral, congratulate them on their improvements. I could take this and use it in all aspects of my life. Rather than being so cynical of people for not doing what I think to be the right way, I could congratulate them and recognize that they are striving to be better, just as I am. 
As I've been noticing what I have been eating, I have recently become vegan, yet again. But this time, I plan to do it the healthy way, rather than substituting processed foods for raw foods. I used to love cheeses of all kinds, and lately, they have seemed to make me sick after eating them. I also noticed that the other night, I ate a great amount of foods for my cousins birthday party. Cake, ice cream, and a vegetarian Café Rio salad. I was so full that I felt sick to my stomach. When I ate during class the next day though, I was able to eat a smaller amount and feel full much quicker. However, when I felt full, it wasn't a sick full. I was full for much longer, and I didn't crave foods throughout the day. I'm very excited to see what else this class brings, and what a difference transitioning my diet can do.

From Amanda:
May 13: The first week of class really started out with a bang. I was compelled to take this class because of Ecological Eating, which I took last May term. Throughout that course, Vegan revolution was referenced and it peaked my interest. Growing up with a vegetarian mother and grandmother, I have always leaned towards vegetarianism. However, the vegetarians in my family are not the healthiest vegetarians- they eat the same as the rest of the family but simply cut meat out of their diet. I am interested in being a healthy vegetarian, and if vegan is the way to go for me, then this course is the way that I will figure that out. The readings for this week were very interesting. The first days' reading kind of surprised me- we were reading about how to form an effective argument. I understand now that the point of the reading was to help us with our final paper for the class, but before we discussed the reading, I was thinking we were reading about how to argue because most vegans are argumentative and in-your-face about their dietary choices. I hope that this class helps expel stereotypes and prejudices I have about vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike. I am very excited to learn more about the Five Pillars for becoming Vegan throughout the rest of this semester.

From Corinda:
May 8: The first day of class was a lot of fun. I loved hearing everyone's reasons for joining the class. I was nervous going in, thinking I might be the only person there for the reasons I was, but after yesterday all my reservations are gone. I think the readings were helpful especially since we were just getting to know each other and discussing where we are each at. I like that the readings weren't just explaining Veganism or eating choices but discussing how to respectively discuss your personal choices. Super relevant and helpful reading assignment.
May 12: The first week of class was really delicious, but it was also fun to meet everyone and hear everyones reasons for taking the class. I think that our discussions have been really interesting and in depth, which is always my favorite part of any class. The readings are also crazy interesting, the are certainly making me think outside the box. I don't think I will ever get over the i am the apple eating the apple thing. What a concept.

From Michael: (May 11)
For me food has been something that I never really gave a deep thought about. For me at least for most of my life it has been something that I get when I feel hungry and that is about it. I never thought about the way it was prepared, never thought about what it was made of and what effect it all has on my health. From the last couple of reading it has been pretty eye opening. Vegan to me has been a pretty radical idea to think about because like everyone else in this country that is how I was raised and never really gave it a deep thought, to me it is simply food, something that I take in and it keeps me going. Since these last few classes i have been able to talk to my friends, do research and really think about what I can do to make my food mean something to me. I know that it has been only two classes, but these two classes have been more than I have ever thought about food or being vegan and making the healthy choice. 

From Joey: (May 9)
When I became a vegan in high school, I faced judgments and animosity. I had little support, especially from my close friends. I was frustrated, and I projected my frustrations towards others. I judged them back for eating animal products. I thought that I was doing something better than them. I did not do anything right. This may have been one of the reasons why my attempts were failed, among many others, but it was interesting to learn new ways. These tools will help me effectively communicate, something I felt that I consistently did not achieve every time I talked to someone about my choices. Although learning, such as these skills, in this class is important to me, I feel that the network of people who will support me will be even more beneficial. People who are supportive of a non-mainstream eater? Never have I encountered so many! It was interesting to hear why others enrolled in this class, and I found that I could relate to a lot of their reasons, as well as my own. This is because our diets, our choices are always evolving. This concept was cool. I feel each meal is planned out more thoughtfully already, and it's only the first day of class. I cooked my dinner last night for three hours!

You are what you eat (Blog number two)

Oh the food this week was amazing. It normally is when you are eating healthy and right. For me, Nutrition is probably the reason why I would switch to a vegetarian diet. Nutrition has always been important to me and it is the main reason why I choose a lot of my meals. The presentation this week was about nutrition and I thought that is was very insightful. I had always herd that vegetarians miss out on many essential vitamins and proteins for daily life. It was nice to know that all of the worries are not worries at all. I like how in all of the meals that we share the nutritional elements are said so that we know the benefits of eating this meal. I don’t think we get that a whole lot. We normally just eat. Growing up I hardly new what I was eating at all. It is nice to be aware of food and ourselves. 

            There were a few things that really stood out to me in the readings. Health jumped out from the readings, both for your body of the earth. First, your body’s health is directly linked to what you eat. I found that this was really seen in the China Study. “I’m about to tell you that is you eat animal foods instead of plant foods, you just might go blind.” This is a bold statement and I loved that there was prove to back it up. To realize that what you put in your body has an affect on your body. You would think that it is common knowledge but I feel like it is something that we don’t talk about enough in society. The other article about nutrition was great because of a common thing that I have heard all of my life, “Drinking milk will give you strong bones.” Well in the article Fast for Health, “Osteoporosis should be seen as just another one of the diseases that is linked to our rich, highly refined, high-protein, high-fat, modern diet.” In our society we have just been use to diseases and how there is nothing we can do about it. We are already doing what we can to fight bone diseases by drinking lots of milk so bone diseases are just part of who we are. However, that is just not true. We have an affect on our health and there are thing we can do to help us live a healthy life. The body is great to know how you can be healthy by the choices you make. The other health factor it the health of our planet. “Hog farms in North Carolina also emit some 300 tons of nitrogen into the air every day as ammonia gas, much of which falls back to earth and deprives lakes and streams of oxygen, stimulating algal blooms and killing fish.” (Boos Hog) “The livestock sector is…responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO₂ equivalent. This is a higher share than transit.” (Long Shadow) This was all really interesting because we can help our planet to most by simple closing factory farms. I say simply because that is assuming everyone cared about the planets health. I was always under the impression that this was our home and we needed to take care of it so it can take care of us. I feel like there is a disconnection in our society when it comes to nature. We need our planet just like we need our family or friends. They are there to help us and we should help them. I never really thought about what I can do to help but like we said in class, “We are all political; if you eat you are political.” We show who we are by what we do and what do we do three times a day?

Week 2

Week 2

French Toast, Vegan Sausage, Fruit Salad with toppings and soy yogurt, and Strawberry Banana Milkshake

- Tuesday’s meal was, of course, awesome.  Using cashew batter instead of the conventional egg wash was a great substitute for the French toast.  My favorite part of the actual meal, not counting the shake, was the vegan sausage.  As Michael said in the discussion, regular sausage is just bad cuts of meat heavily seasoned to make tasty.  Combing soy protein and sausage seasonings made for a really sausage-like tasting patty, one that you actually feel good eating.  The fruit salad buffet of toppings was an awesome idea and made the salad even better.  I’ve never tried soy yogurt before this class but found that it’s not too bad. 

Quinoa, Stir Fry Veggies, Teriyaki Tofu, Blood, Chocolate Mousse

I finally found out the secret to tofu—wrapping it in a towel to suck out moisture before cooking.  My tofu always turned out soft and mushy before.  This was one of my favorite meals we’ve eaten since I love tofu.  Desert was really good, I love the idea of using avocados and dates to make a healthy mousse. 

The readings and presentation really sparked my thoughts on the consequences of eating processed and unhealthy foods.  Those with vegan diets avoid many health concerns that relate to the kinds of foods people choose to eat: diabetes, high blood pressure/cholesterol, etc.  Many people do not realize the magnitude of health risks relating to food choices, but based on the way certain foods make you feel, it should be obvious.  Since the beginning of this course, my diet has changed a great deal.  I took Eco-eating last May term, so I’ve been aware of many topics discussed in class.  But after May term was long and passed my daily consciousness of health and nutrition went with.  After starting to make conscious efforts to eat healthy foods again, I’ve notice how much better I feel and the amount of energy I have.  The other day, I was curious to see if eating something super unhealthy would make me feel differently, and of course it did.  I was sold after that.  If some bad foods can make me feel like crap after eating it just once, the consequences of eating bad foods daily will only lead to disease and illnesses.  Not wanting to feel crappy after eating is good enough incentive to keep choosing good foods.

Reading “Bosshog” for the second time had the same effects on me as when I read it the first time, and I was definitely thoroughly disgusted.  The meat and livestock industries in the U.S. are terrifying to me, but being aware of such practices is essential to good health, both for us and for the environment.  I hate knowing that the quality of American meat and dairy are extremely poor due to the immoral practices of industry corporations, to the point that other countries like Europe won’t eat our meat and hate the taste of our milk.  On the point of milk: when people think of tofu, they always connect it to estrogen.  But the same people do not realize that milk, something that they probably all drink, is a natural hub for lots and lots of estrogen.  That was a good point made in our discussion. It was shocking to learn about the environmental consequences of conventional farming and feedlots.  The fact that the Smithfield Farms produces as much waste as LA blows my mind, and its all toxic pink sludge!  It also surprised me that the cost for Smithfield to mitigate their pollution equals their total annual profits of $11 billion.  There are absolutely no incentives for them to do anything about their waste--paying fines would most definitely be a lot cheaper than applying any cleanup strategy.  I wonder if the pink ponds can be deemed super funds....

Ideana Carrasco- Week 2

This weeks readings, discussions, and meals truly confirmed my choice for being vegan...I'm so excited that I have two more weeks of learning more about the impacts our food choices make and why veganism can be viewed as the best solution to various problems. Already, I have greatly expanded my list of supportive data in my argument for veganism and have gained many more details than I was aware of before. But I guess I'll start this off with the food we had this week. I loved that we had a breakfast meal with yummy french toast (and organic vermont maple syrup..seriously my favorite!), a fruit salad where we had the opportunity to sample all sorts of seeds (including chia :)) as well as the sausage patties which were very flavorful! I also realllly enjoyed the almond milkshake. Then we shared a quinoa dish with baked terriaki tofu and vegetable stir fry ending with chocolate mousse for the dessert...all delicious! I have been really trying to stay aware of my body and I feel so great after eating those meals. Even though I've been vegan in total for about 4 years, I am continually impressed with how foods can be prepared and what they can be used for (cashew cream for french toast dip, and avocado for chocolate mousse!). I also love all of the things you can learn from this class outside of the content in the readings, such as different opinions on topics as well as cooking experiences such as actually making almond milk and learning that freezing the bananas for the milkshake is what differentiates it from a smoothie.

Moving on to the readings. I never knew how many health benefits I was gaining and health issues I was avoiding by switching to a vegan diet. The list is virtually endless IF you consume a varied and balanced vegan diet, of course. I definitely look forward to doing some more personal research on nutrition, food preparation, health implications from different foods, and recipes (especially raw desserts). I was also really pleased with our presentation. I think we worked really well with each other and were able to easily generate discussion among the class. Plus I learned so fricken much!

For the second class, the first reading made a good point that many people are supporting the "Green Revolution" where they are becoming more aware of environmental issues and how they can be mitigated; many people would like to reduce their ecological footprint, but few realize that among the "eco-friendly" things you can do or products you can buy, there is no choice that benefits the environment more than becoming vegan. Not only is vegan food good for your health and tasty, but it also plays a huge role in how the earth system functions. There are more than 20 billion livestock animals on earth, more than triple the amount of humans ...why the hell are there more livestock than humans this number seems so wrong in countless ways. The first reading described the factory food production system as a "trilogy of evil" that's harmful to our health, cruel to animals, and is tremendously stressing the earth. Among those stressors is the pollution produced from the livestock. The reading states that there is no economically feasible way to return the animals waste to the land; if this is true and if you could think outside of selfish monetary gains, then maybe you shouldn't be making a business out of this if properly handling the waste earns you little profit. I knew that a shift towards a plant-based diet would result with fewer animals in factory farms, but prior to this reading I didn't realize that it would also mean less manure/waste, and cleaner water. In respect to waste, the boss hog reading was such an eye-opener. Not only do hogs excrete three times as much waste as humans, but as the paper states "a lot of highly toxic pig shit is another" (thing). The Smithfield farms have large vital ventilators that if they break down for even a short amount of time, pigs start dying due to the lethal gases and chemicals from the pink lagoon waste. I can't even imagine how it would feel to live in an area where a pig factory farm was being produced and having to smell it, know the atrocities that are occurring, not being able to trust the local water, and knowing that you probably can't afford to move someplace else. One interesting thing I learned from the discussion was that slaughterhouses are the most dangerous places to work in the US on top of all of the other injustices they resemble.

Also I knew that forests (especially tropical rain forests) are being cleared at an alarming rate but I guess I just assumed it was solely for lumber...I had no idea that a huge portion of it was being cleared for growing feed and cattle grazing. Losing tropical rainforests are so important because of there many benefits such as species richness, medicial remedies in which less than 1% have been tested, their vital source of oxygen and them being a substantial carbon sink; more reasons to support vegetariasm/veganism. Also, this is random, I had no idea that the IPCC had so much crediability; their data is reviewed by hundreds of scientists from all over the world and then reviewed some more. Another interesting thing I learned in class was that the beef from the US (that is pressumably used for public school lunches and fastfood restaurants) was rejected for quality and is used for pet food in Europe!

The last reading sort of fustrated me; I would have gone about presenting the topic in a lot less opiniated manner. Some of the claims made provided no evidence. Furthermore, as I will point out, some of the things said are inaccurate according to the climate-focused environmental earth science course I took last semester. In the reading they present artifical meat cultivated in laboratories from livestock cells (in vitro meat) as an alternative to meat substitutes and real meat. I don't really understand or agree with this. This is an unnatural as artifically inseminating the sows in the factory farms. Apparently they may be cheaper in cost than meat substitutes but none of the health or environmental impacts are known and solely hearing this argument would not convince me to go vegetarian/vegan. This reading also points out that labeling meat substitues with certified claims of the amount of GHG reductions compared with the GHG emmissions caused by the real meat might give the products an edge however for folks who don't believe that climate change exists, this could cause the complete opposite effect in which they are offended from the claims and they won't purchase the product. Additionally, if there were financial and political support to reconstruct the feul infrastructure the amount of time required for that to be implemented could take over a decade however the reading claims that the tipping point for irreversible climate disruption may have been passed at that point but there's no definitive data on that nor does the author provide any. Also, I don't agree that the author proceeded to make calculations of methane emmissions using the "72 times GWP" of CO2 because I spent an entire semester reading and learning about GWP and every literature I read referred to methane's GWPH as being between 23-25...not 72 (even if his timescales were different). However I do enjoy the last paragraph which could serve as a good alternative argument to the nutrition/health, environmental, and animal compassion arguments that are so commonly used for veganism. The author states that "The risks of business as usual outweigh the risks of change" thus the best available business case is to change their business practices such that climate change can be reduced or even reversed.

Adi Braun-week 2

After week 2 I find myself more convinced of the vegan diet. The deeper we go into the readings and discussions in class the more I come to realize that food is political. It's exciting to learn these things about food that I had never know or thought to even look up. I find myself encouraged to eat the way I do, excluding meat from my diet, the more I learn about the benefits of doing so. My picky eating may actually be benefiting me although my whole life I've been told that my picky eating is hurting my health. Its cool to realize that I have lowered my ecological footprint by being a picky eater. I've never understood why being a vegetarian/vegan is a good thing, why  people are so devoted to it. Now I get it. Just our presentation on nutrition convinced me that eating dairy and meat is not the best way to eat. I couldn't believe how bad it is for you and how my entire life I've been picked on for excluding these foods from my diet. It's crazy how our culture's idea of health is so skewed. How did this happen and why? Don't we want to be healthy and live long? Yet we're driving ourselves to unhealthiness by eating the food we do.
The hog article we read really opened my eyes to what's going on in the world of food. Although I don't like meat, I see everyone around me eating it and have never really thought about where it was coming from. Most of my family lives on farms in Montana and my best friend's dad owns a small slaughter house. From growing up knowing these people, I thought that animals for food are killed in somewhat of a humane way. I never realized that not everyone does this and huge corporations are ruining everything around them and forming a destructive path through our nation and our food. This information encourages me to stay away products and be more conscious about my food decisions.
As for the food in class, I'm really enjoying it. It's funny that people in the class keep commenting on my picky eating and asking if I like the food. I try to explain that this isn't the kind of food I don't like. I eat food like this regularly. The food I don't like is the average American diet: meat, cheese, and whole milk. I'm the person who hates Thanksgiving dinner because I don't like any of the traditional food served. It's funny because I'm basically the involuntary vegan. I never knew I was benefiting my body and the earth by eating this way, and I'm very pleased to find out that I actually am.

Lucas Matelich

I am generally a very cheap person (my room mates call me "cheap-ass Luc-ass") however last Thursday I found myself paying an extra 29 cents per pound to buy organic apples and even more money to buy organic romain lettuce, tomatoes, celery, peppers, etc. I also bought kale for the first time in my life, and I found out that Smiths doesn't even carry sprouts. Even more amazing than me not being the ultimate "penny pincher", I didn't buy any meat... granted, I still have meat saved in my freezer, but still this was a huge step for me. And as we talked about in class, I need to reward myself for every small step I make towards being healthier, and more environmentally friendly. The two sessions of this class have already made me a much more conscientious person.

I wish I would have read paper on arguments long before last week. This paper is so helpful in, really, all aspects of life. The thing that interests me most about veganism is the nutritional benefits one receives. After reading the China Study and "Fasting and Eating for Health" I can guarantee my eating habits will change dramatically. Aside from all the nutritional information I received from the readings, one thing that really caught my attention was the fact that the meat and dairy industries are promoting the use of their products by publishing false nutritional information. To me this is so wrong in so many ways, it' rediculous.

Even after just two class sessions my outlook on diet has changed tremendously, and I am extremely excited to see how it will further change in the upcoming sessions.

Becky Burke

On the first day of class I enjoyed being able to hear everyone's history with food.  We have a diverse group of people concerning the eating habbits we have.  I think that is really going to infulence the class to have more depth becuase we don't all have the same opinions on eating habbits, which is great.  Food is a very personal choice, and there are many opinions surrounding food that I look forward to discussing.  I really liked the reading that talked about vegan diplomacy.  Celerating small steps that people make is an important part of that.  Being a vegan diplomat means that you are comfortable with what you believe, but you will still hear other people's positions without compromising your beliefs.  Respecting other people's opinions while staying true to yours is going to be an important part of food becuase of all the emotional attachments that go along with the food decisions you make.  The reading on arguments is going to be useful because you need to have a sound argument in order for your opinion to be heard.  I liked that it gave you specific examples and details on how to see through the loopholes in every arguement. 

The appreciated the first reading for thursday becuase it gave a history of veganism.  It put the subject into a context that i haven't seen it before.  Some people have called veganism a "fad diet," but learning that people were consciously eating plant based diets as early at the 17th century put that opinion to rest.  The class discussion was great during class becuase there are so many different opinions on what is okay and what is not.  You have to draw your own lines and make your own decisions.  Questions like, "is killing another animal for food moral?'' were discussed, and it's important to come to your own conclusions instead of ignoring the question all together.  That is one of the aspects of the class that I am most excited for is discovering and solidifying all my opinions on the food I eat. 

The food is such an amazing part of the class.  I feel so fulfilled after the meals we have had so far.  After class is over I always have a lot of energy and I don't feel sluggish at all, and the food is sooo good!  This is part of the class I really look forward to.  On thursday we ate rice and bean burritos with veggies, which tasted incredible.  The best part was that it fits into the college students budget.  It makes the decision to be vegan more applicable to my life.  Since I have never tried to be vegan or vegetarian before, I have decided to have a plant based diet through may term.  I want to really experience it in order to understand how it makes me feel.  We'll see if I can keep it up! 

Adi Braun

In the first day of class I found myself very excited to learn more. It was really interesting hearing the points of view of everyone in the class. You never realize how personal food is until you discuss it with a huge group of people. I actually didn't even realize how helpful the reading was until I was sitting in class. The steps for discussing your opinions with others were really helpful, it such a more courteous way of discussing your opinion without letting the other person down. Along with that the argument reading was also helpful. I think it's really important to have a good argument if you very strongly believe in something that you are doing in order to get across your point to other people and sound educated while doing so.
For the second day I thought the reading was too out there for my liking. I thought that the arguments proposed in the second one were not very strong ones because they were unrealistic. He basically says we will end up dying if we don't change to this new eating life style. I think this is a pretty steep claim to be making.  But I liked what we talked about in class, how everyone has to draw a personal line of what they think is too far. I think I would draw my line at raising and eating animals on a small scale. Personally, I don't think anything is wrong with caring and raising for an animal then eating it, but I do believe that greater scale slaughter houses are horrible and people should not support them.
As for the food, I've really enjoyed my meals both days. The rice and beans was actually the same meal I eat almost everyday. Some things are mixed in that I'm cautious about, but so far everything's been tasty and I've felt really good afterward. I don't even feel that I ate that much even though it's more than I usually eat and it makes my body feel weightless, there are no discomforts. It's awesome.

I really enjoyed learning about why other students decided to enroll in this course and it was a great chance for everyone to introduce themselves to others and to the idea of veganism. I wish however, that as a class we were able to agree upon a clear definition of the word "vegan". As we saw in class there's a wide spectrum of the interpretations of veganism. Much of what I have researched describes veganism being based off the concept of nonviolence and non-exploitation by choosing a plant-based diet among other things. But I don't entirely believe that including dairy and eggs in a diet violates our commitment of love and kindness towards other life. For instance, a member of a small family-owned farm that treats their livestock as loved pets could eat their eggs and drink their milk but would they be considered vegan? Likewise, would someone who follows a strict vegan diet yet physically abuses their pet be considered vegan? I think a good way to aid in the clarification of veganism would be to distinguish between a vegan diet and a vegan lifestyle. This thought is a great segway to the idea of non-judgement as a diplomatic individual and as a participant in this course; everyone is at a different point on their own path and should be honored for even the small steps that are made towards understanding veganism, not analyzed for not following strict definitions.
The readings were especially interesting to me because it almost seemed as though the two were to be thought of separately. But in fact, the concepts behind argumentation and diplomacy seem so integrated and connected. I think the biggest bridge between them is effective and clear communication. One cannot make a good argument or be diplomatic by explaining their beliefs solely through emotion or "loaded language". In the diplomacy reading they discussed creating balance in conversations between submissiveness (the other person's opinion being unimportant) and aggressiveness (coming off as rude and offensive) with assertiveness such that your argument is clear and there is no judgement. Returning to the golden rule of kindergarten (treat others the way you want to be treated), I wouldn't want to judge others about their dietary choices because I know the feeling of intimidation and discomfort when others put down veganism. The idea of concrete and conciseness in arguments was also key in my eyes because if you don't have a good short response to a non-vegan, you may lose their interest after irrelevantly talking for ten minutes. However, no matter how effective you may be at conveying your argument to someone else, the communication may still be ineffective if the receiver is closed-minded and is not "listening with their heart".
I also thought the reading was interesting in that it became apparent that vegans make others uncomfortable because it may cause them to evaluate their decisions/customs; in class we also discussed how people are quick to support any diet that confirms and comforts their eating habits. The diplomacy reading pointed out that differences in food-related beliefs amongst people may make them want to feel distant but if there are connections to be made from even weakly built bridges, those are the ones that encourage (and perhaps induce) change (and most of the time change is good!). And although we mention a ton about non-judgement, I still think it's such a difficult thing to do when we we're taught very young that certain things have stamps of approval and if an idea or action doesn't follow that approval then it's different and not well accepted. But I like the idea of at that point assessing the opposing beliefs and associated arguments based off validity of sources and concrete examples to defend conclusions. From what I read, that's what argumentation is all about anyway so I'm truly excited to see how my ideas of veganism change after taking this course (will they be solidifed or weakened?). I also look forward to learning more about the impact our dietary choices make. And as we discussed in class, I seriously believe that the argumentation paper should be assigned day one of college because it outlines so many useful and effective writing tips and tools for strengthening any conclusion in all courses. 

Welcome to our blog!

This is the forum we will use to share our reflections and insights with the class.

Write about the readings and the class discussions.

Also, please write about the food you are eating, new awareness and connections you are making.