#and in order to get the meat you can grow like say a beef plant. instead of slaughtering the animals

[robitherat]

IN OTHER NEWS I am now up to like. 275 mods on stardew valley and my game is only a little tiny bit broken from it. Gonna fix some of them tomorrow to see if I can get everything to work smooth but tbh I'm just impressed my computer is booting the game up period let alone letting me do stuff with a normal framerate

[rametarin]

Just a little rant.

Inspired by a childhood and lifetime of dealing with know-nothing vegetarians and vegans since the late 80s.

Back in the day, vegetarian and then vegan peers would say shit like, "Red meat stays in your bowels and becomes toxic poop for 7 years!" And then go on these weird pseudohistorical rants about how the human body, "isn't meant to eat meat." And then kinda dip into this vague spirituality that can kinda sound like empirical science if you don't read into or question what they're saying.

They'd go on and on about toxic chemicals in the food that big corporations and capitalism just puts there, "to save a dollar" and, that largely was not true. Really, it became a source of bad information and propaganda in the form of a peer, who is usually scared or antagonized by other peers to become outlets of bad information.

And so here we are, 2024, with a ton of vegan youtubers and tiktokkers hitting their wall and abandoning veganism because, nutritionally, it just doesn't work. The very imperative to do it is faulty and bogus, and on the other side we learn everything from our dentition to our organ setup to our physiology requires a certain amount of meat eating, and how there's so much we DON'T know about nutrition to adequately supplement it with pills.

Vegetable substitutes are "okay." But they aren't sufficient to replace meat, pound for pound, nutritionally. And it ultimately just comes down to this weird ideological fixation that vegetarians and vegans have regarding how raising beef is for the planet.

Well, we can mitigate the methane emissions, we can get nutritionally defunct corn out of their diets, we can make sure they are grazing places where it's acceptable. But there's no reason to hate on the beef and dairy industry for existing.

And one of the biggest driving factors is either 1.) The existential horror over the loss of life and the grissly way they're killed to make the food, because they find the entire thing morally repugnant. 2.) The belief in suffering itself. So, kind of buddhist/hindu-lite that won't commit to any real coherent belief system but still wants to treat suffering like it's an element on the periodic table, and ideologically treat killing animals for food like a form of suffering that's not acceptable.

Really, adjusting for the lack of nutrition from meat substitutes, about the only alternative that makes ANY god damned sense, is cloned meat. Those meat tissues that are artificially grown. But, even that won't give the quality meat we need from the sort we get from the organisms themselves;

In order to do that we'd effectively need to clone the animals' entire digestive system and its ability to synthesize the nutrition it gets. That, ultimately, is where the benefit is in eating other animals. Other animals have the ability to process plants into essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids and a whole fuckton of proteins humans just do not have the infrastructure to do, ourselves. Not just grow the animal muscle tissue in a vat. Conceivably not a bad idea, but it's just not a sufficient replacement for actual animal products.

Really the only good argument towards cloned meat in place of just raising animals for meat is that it involves less slaughter and could conceivably take up less space than grazing cattle or industrial chicken farming.

Nutritionally we need it, there's functionally no difference from an animal living and dying in captivity and not if you do it right, and the only theoretical advantage to cloned meat would be the convenience of a chemical vat to grow the meat in the absence of an animal you have to slaughter.

Refusing to eat meat because slaughtering kills animals will always be a major stumbling block that results in generations of people going into their own echo chambers and deciding that those that eat meat are barbaric. But at least now we can make refutations to these talking points more available and visible.

[binniedeactivated]

saint.|| soobin pt 2. (1)🌪

a/n: just want to let ya’ll know that me and soobin are married irl lol lol lmaooooo oh and part 2 isn’t the “next day” of part 1. It’s like a couple of weeks later!

🖤┊𝔰𝔞𝔦𝔫𝔱 . ೄྀ࿐ 𝖕𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌: 𝖘𝖔𝖔𝖇𝖎𝖓 𝖝 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖊: 𝖘𝖒𝖚𝖙/𝖆𝖚 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙; 2202.

mia slid down her bathroom wall hugging her knees. she sobbed endlessly into them, talking to them softly as if they were people. the knife she used sat idly on the floor with her blood dripping down the tip of it. she decided to slice her wrists this time around. and they stung just as much as her thighs, only bled worse. she showed them to the boys as well, asking them once again if they were happy with themselves. like usual they laughed at her, and instead begged her to send pictures of herself naked. 

she was already traumatized from the pictures they hung up at the school as a joke. she knew if she sent these she’d die of embarrassment. she said no but to no avail. the teased and taunted her, telling her that if she didn’t send them they’d have to kill her for sure. this only made her cry harder. she could barely take being the joke of the whole school. If this were to happen she wouldn’t know what she’d do. 

you on the other hand was texting mia’s phone over and over just to be sure that she was okay. you were currently curling your hair in the bathroom waiting for her replies. just a couple days ago soobin had asked you on a date. you told your parents you were being invited to a church service of some sort, this was the only way they’d let you go. these days you were often surprised by how much they believed. you thought maybe it was a matter of them letting you grow up, or just because they liked seeing you chase after your religion with someone else other than them.

you hoped to god that the rose gold mermaid shaped dress you wore was enough. it stopped just above your knees and it hugged your body far more tighter than anything else you ever wore.You thought heels would be okay just this once. you had to take a break from your doc martens at least sometimes.  after curling your hair you allow two small pieces to dangle in your face while you put it up in one big curly puff ball. your earrings dangled beautifully at your neck and as soon as mia texted you telling you she was alright, soobin was throwing rocks at your window. you didn’t dare to look at him because well, you kind of wanted it to be a surprise. “Mom I’m leaving! I should be back soon”. you swipe some lipstick on your lips before you stepped foot outside. soobin hadn’t even noticed you were outside until you closed the door behind yourself. he was too busy throwing rocks at your window still. he was on his way to grab the next rock out of his hand until he locked eyes with you. 

he wore a white turtle neck sweater under his wheat colored wool trench coat. he kept his jeans dark and cuffed at the bottom and he kept his shoes casual. he wore his hair in a side part like the prince he was. but he thought there absolutely nothing he could wear that outshine you. his breathing almost stopped. you could blush at the way he froze. he never got too many chances to see your curvy body for what it really was. he approaches you and you could barely look at him. not only was he way too cute, but he was looking at you as if you were the best thing in the world.

“you look so beautiful mama”. 

and here it goes. your cheeks all rosy and red like you had absolutely no sense. 

“you look cute too soobin”. you struggled to say. he grabbed your arm and tucked it into his arm cheesily. 

“shall we?”. he asks even cheesier. you laughed and let him guide you to the car. at this point it was hard to deny your love for soobin. it was just something you couldn’t help. he was always so caring to you. so sweet to you. so loving. before, you thought it was pretty stupid to have your head wrapped a boy this young. you didn’t see how girls could do it. but now you did. 

the restaurant was named ‘September in Paris’ and it was the most gorgeous establishment you had ever seen. the string lights danced along the wall of  rooftop where the tables were held. the music was nice and soft and every couple was talking and laughing amongst each other with no care in the world. you were happy he took you at night because the skyline looked better that way. soobin reminded the waitress of the reservation he set before she led you both to a table. he pulled your chair out for you, allowing you to sit before he push you in safely. There was a wine bottle sitting upon each table. soobin did the honor of opening the one you two had and poured it into his wine glass. 

“would you like some?”.

he asks curiously and you shake your head putting your hand up. 

“no thank you. I don’t drink alcohol”. 

soobin laughs a little, “it’s just wine”.

“even still”. you reply. 

“jesus turned water into wine you know”. 

“yeah and I’m pretty sure jesus didn’t allow people to get drunk with it”.

soobin laughs again. “you think I’m trying to get you drunk? who do you take me for?”. 

“choi soobin”. 

soobin scoffs. “i’m not some predator”. 

“maybe not. but how will I ever know that?”. 

“because I’m telling you”. 

“everyone lies soobin”.

soobin was set to say something before he bites his lip. “yeah but..i’ve never even heard you lie before”. 

you shrug plucking up the menu. 

“what is there to lie for? the best part about life is honesty. and sincerity of course”. your eyes graze the french dishes that you had no idea how to pronounce. soobin thought for a moment before the waiter arrived and took orders. honesty and sincerity. he was far from any of those.

“and if a person isn’t any of those?”. soobin asks. you thanked the waiter for bringing your glass of water. 

“then that person ins’t a good person”. you sip. soobin sits up further with curiosity tucked in his eyes. 

“what exactly does a good person look like in your eyes?”.

“you know. someone who is honest. they have nothing but love to give and they aren’t afraid of admitting their faults, selfless...it’s hard to be a good person all the time though. so I applaud all people who are”.

soobin sits back, thinking some more. you could read it all in his face. 

“what are you thinking about?”.

“nothing. you’re an angel that’s all”. he smirks and you point your glass in his direction acting as if you were going to throw it. he ducked his head and laughed.

“you’re so aggressive”. he teases. you smirk this time. 

“you like it though”. 

soobin scrunches his nose to keep from blushing. his dimples were so cute pushing into his cheeks. it caught him off guard.

“look whose blushing now”. you tease again shortly after. he shrugs it off by the time the waiter brought your meals to the table. you settled on pasta while soobin had an odd marinade with some type of meat. he looked like he was really enjoying it so of course you didn’t tease him about it.  

“so I see you made a new friend”. soobin mentions. 

“really? who?”.

“mia howard”. 

you slumped your shoulders a bit thinking about her.

“I just feel so bad for her you know? she’s getting tormented and harassed daily these days and it isn’t fair. she doesn’t deserve that”. 

“you don’t even care that she was mean to you?”.

“no. i don’t seek revenge. when I saw her in the bathroom that day looking strung out it was hard to pass her. she looked so helpless. so i’m going to be the one to help her if no one else does”.

“you’re really starting to care more about her aren’t you?”. soobin asks swallowing his beef. 

“yes. it isn’t right for her go through the things she’s going through. she’s still young”. 

you continue eating your food and soobin is looking someplace else trying not to hide a smile. you wanted to punch him. 

“what are you smiling about?”. 

“I don’t know what’s more beautiful. you or your heart”. 

you try your absolute hardest not to blush. 

“whatever soobin”.

“i really like you”.

that comment alone almost had you choking on your pasta. you didn’t know how you managed to stay well kept. 

“you said you were going to teach me how to have sex. how did that transform into this hm?”. you teased. 

‘because I fell in love’, soobin wanted to say. but couldn’t because he was too afraid. instead he smirks. 

“I can still teach you”. and the way he glared at you made you take a piece of your noodle and throw it at him. you felt heat sitting in your cheeks. 

“soobin stop it”.  he dodges it and laughs. he smirks again, 

“I can still bend you over this table and show you a lesson or two”. he winks and you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling. 

“soobin stop it I was just playing”. and of course your warning went right over his head and this time he bites his lip. 

“you want to be daddy’s big girl?”. 

you clenched your thighs together trying to keep yourself in check tonight. god when did soobin become so sexy? 

“soobin okay that’s enough”. 

“fine”. he replies with that same dumb ass grin you hated. you both went back to eating and you were desperately trying to normalize your heart. you let the moment of silence swallow you whole but soobin didn’t. 

“you can still be daddy’s---”.

“SOOBIN”. you interjected.

♡━━━♡━━━♡

soobin opens your car door, “after you madame”. he says cheesily before taking your hand to help you out of the car. he walks you to your door trying his best not to let his eyes slip below your waist. you turned around and watched him snatch them back up quickly and you laugh. 

“I saw you soobin”. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about”. 

“yeah right”. you roll your eyes playfully and approaches you. he glares down at you and cups your cheek softly planting a kiss on your lips and pulling away shortly after.

“thank you for spending time with me tonight. I really appreciate it”. you smile softly, opening the door to your house. 

“of course. it’s what you do when you love someone”. you smiled softly before shutting your door. needless to say, soobin was stunned. he walks back to his car in a daze. he thinks for a moment before pulling off, driving long ways passed his house. he parks across the street from the home and got out almost immediately, knocking on the door. A smaller woman appeared in the doorway, it was obvious that she was much older, but still lovely and sweet looking. soobin smiles softly. 

“hello. Is it alright if I speak to mia please?”.

it was clear that she was taken aback, but she guessed it was alright since you were only at the door. she called upstairs. and after two calls mia came stumbling down in an oversized sweater and sweatpants trying to hide as much of her bruised body as she could. she looked more stressed than soobin had ever saw her. she winced when she saw him at the door. 

“what are you doing here?”. she hisses. 

“I know you’re mad at me and you have every right to be. Even if you don’t accept it I just want you to listen. I was an asshole to you. what i did was fucked up and I know you’re damaged beyond repair. I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. I thought at the time, what I was doing was cool. I thought it would make me look like a hero or something and it didn’t it was just a fucked up thing to do. It’s probably going to take time for you to forgive me but I just wanted to say that alright?”. 

mia just stood there kind of surprised. she didn’t know what to say or how to say it. she wondered what made him do it in the first place. and soobin sensed her confusion. 

“I may be long days away from ever being a good person but I think this is a start. you can hate me all you want. just know that if you need therapy after this or anything it’s on my dime, I’ll pay for it. I’m really sorry”. he apologizes again. 

mia just sort of gave him a blank nod, not knowing how to react. soobin thought it was best that he stepped off her porch and left. so he did so. once he was in his car he thought back to you. he secretly promises you he will be a better person. 

because that’s just what you do when you love someone.

[jeanjauthor]

The ‘dreaded swimsuit season’ is coming up, and that means people are going to be obsessing about food and exercise and losing calories.  First of all, I’m not a medical professional nor a nutritionist nor a physical therapist etc, so definitely consult with the appropriate personnel...but I cannot stress strongly enough, you must consult with non-fatphobic medical personnel.

Fatphobia kills people of all bodyweights, and this blog does not support fatphobia, especially medical fatphobia.

Now, with that said...if you want to be healthy, there are plenty of non-fatphobic things you can do about it.  And the biggest things you need to know about how to go about it are: understanding your metabolism, understanding how muscles can affect your metabolism, and understanding how diet (foods, not fatphobia industry) can affect your metabolism.

Given all the fat-shaming bullshit thrown about in the so-called “Health Industry,” it sounds counterintuitive, but you actually need to eat more in order to lose weight.  You need to teach your body that it’s not in starvation mode anymore, that it has plenty of calories and nutrients...and just start moving more.  Not necessarily exercising more, but moving more.

2,000-2,500 calories a day is the range for a “normal” body-weight-and-size person.  However, the more exercise you do, the more muscles you have, or simply the bigger a person you are (the more cells you have), the more calories you need.  Unless you’re seriously short & skinny, a 1,500 calorie meal is a starvation meal, and that will put your body into “OMFG SAVE ALL THE CALORIES AS FAT!!” mode.

Literally, a toddler’s caloric needs are 1,100, and they range from 20-35 pounds.  You’re several times that much.  This doesn’t mean that if you weigh 175 pounds that  you need to eat at least 5 times as many calories, however!  In truth, you only need about double that, because a toddler’s metabolism is geared toward growing, whereas an adult’s metabolism is geared toward maintaining.

The best way to understand this is to realize your metabolism can be divided into 4 categories.

Your Resting Metabolic Rate is simply the amount of calories needed to keep you breathing, your blood pumping, your organs functioning.  That’s 60%-75% of your caloric intake. You have your Thermic Effect of Food, which is another 10%, literally the energy it takes to chew and swallow and digest food & drinks, and then to excrete the leftover bathroom waste. The remaining two types of calorie burning are Non-Exercise Activity Thermogensis, and Activity Thermogenesis.  Of those lattermost two, your body actually burns more of the Non-Exercise calories than the Active Exercise calories...and it is designed to burn more when simply moving.

Literally, just moving a bit more than you usually do in a typical day will burn calories effectively.  Move around the house on every commercial break, stand up and sit down more often, change your position more frequently, raise and lower your arms, gently swing or kick your legs...just move more.  When they say 30 minutes of (gentle) exercise a day, this is exactly what they are talking about.  You don’t need weights, you don’t need machinery, you don’t need a gym membership.  Just move.  It’ll be a gradual process, but so long as you’re eating foods with plenty of fiber as well as other food types, you’ll feel full and won’t feel starved.

Now, if you want to burn calories even faster through vigorous exercise, you can do that, too...but again you need to use your metabolism.  Make sure you’re not starving, because your body will go into a panic attack thinking you’re not only starving but are being chased by bears and will need plenty of fat to survive while you’re unable to gather food, etc because zomg you’re being chased by bears!!1!  (Truly, the metabolism is a primitive/primal minded thing based upon hundreds of thousands of years of hunter-gatherer lifestyles, and does not comprehend modern life at all.)

And then, what do you do to burn more calories?  You build muscles.  Muscles burn a lot of calories.  Not just through using said muscles in excercise, but muscles will burn through calories even while simply resting.  The more muscles you have, the more calories your body will burn.

How do you build muscles?  Well, there are two types of muscles, which while it sounds cannibalistic, we’ll call white meat and dark meat, because it’s the easiest mnemonic to remember.  White meat (think breast meat on a chicken) is designed for strong but brief actions...and men have more white meat muscles than females, though obviously they have both kinds.  That brief sprint towards a prey animal, the thrust of a spear into its body, aaaand done.

Dark meat muscles are meant for lower-strength repetitive actions.  Walking around reaching up or stooping down or digging while gathering plants, with no need to rush and plenty of opportunities to rest.  Chasing after young children.  Weaving baskets, scraping and tanning hides into furs and leathers, cooking...these are tasks that require little to moderate amounts of strength, but most important, repeated movements.  Women tend to have more dark meat muscles than men, though obviously they have both kinds.

(The reasons why wild ducks, partridges, grouse, etc, all have dark meat breast muscles is because they use those muscles to fly long distances. Chickens evolved from jungle-floor hunt-and-peck birds that mostly flew only short distances to get away from predators by flying up to the nearest tree branches, so they literally just needed a burst of strong energy over a short period of time, hence white meat muscles.)

Which type is better?  Both, ideally, because they are useful in a variety of different ways.  Which is better for burning calories?  Ideally both, but it doesn’t really matter.  All you need to do is build muscles.

As for how to do that...you know how you feel when you exercise until you are sore?  That’s what you need to do.  This is where weights and machines and treadmills do come in handy, but still aren’t necessary, since you can lift and lower objects around your home, and get exercise bands or surgical tubing for resistance training, and go for longer walks, etc.

The object is to (gently!) push your body to the point where your muscles are sore.  You can do this by lifting weights for a few repetitions near your limit (use a spotter & practice safe lifting skills!!), which is a white meat muscle activity, or you can use lesser weights or resistance machinery (surgical tubing counts), but just do it more, which is dark meat muscle activity.

You can also do the “step down” method of weight training or resistance training, by starting near your limit, going until your muscles burn, then resting a few minutes while gently shaking out, massaging, or relaxing the muscles in question to help move the lactic acid out of your muscle tissues, along with hydrating. Then you “step down” the amount of weight (say by 20%-30%) and doing another set of reps (repetition movements) until again it’s a struggle, then another few minutes of rest, hydration, etc, before stepping down again, doing some reps...and then again when it’s at the lightest you can for as long as you can, then rest that muscle group.

Regardless of which way you weight/resistance train, take a full 48 hours off.  Or as close to 48 as you manage--weight train 3 times a week, and then take up to 72 hours (three days) off so your body can fully recover.  You can still exercise, but do not use weights or resistance machinery/rubber bands, etc.

Let your muscles use that 48 hours to heal, and eat more protein sources to help your body build more muscle strength, along with a variety of nutrients to get the right kinds of micronutrients.  Again, I must emphasize: Do not starve your body.  It will go into fat-storage mode and will only barely repair your muscles, nevermind build them bigger.

The goal is to build more muscle tissue.  if you are hungrier than usual, eat more.  Your body will tell you what it needs if you listen, and there are plenty of charts out there with “if you are craving X,Y, or Z, then try eating healthier foods A,B,C, D, E, or F!” and they’re actually not inaccurate...but it is okay to have the “less healthy” foods in moderation, same as in everything you eat.

But seriously, up your protein intake, which is what your body needs to build bigger muscles.  The average (again, your needs may be more) person needs about 4 ounces (115 grams) of protein per meal, so you can shoot for more than that.  And get your proteins from a variety of sources.  Humans can manufacture a good number of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), but we cannot synthesize 9 of them, the “9 essential amino acids.”

These 9 essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.   Foods that contain all nine essential acids are called complete proteins. These include eggs, fish, beef, pork, poultry, and whole sources of soy (tofu, edamame, tempeh, and miso).

While plant proteins have lower essential amino acid contents when compared to animal proteins, they will also have different ratios of the various amio acids compared to most animal-based proteins.  This is something that vegetarians and vegans need to keep in mind.

Some plant-based foods can be combined together to complement and/or supplement.  “Rice & beans” is one such combination.  Basically, you combine a grain (in this case rice) with a pulse (legumes, like beans, or peas, etc).  Here in America, in Mexican restaurants, a serving of refried beans and Spanish rice (seasoned with tomatoes & spices) is often automatically included as a side for most dishes.  This provides a great deal of carbohydrates, but it also provides a more or less “complete protein” set of those essential amino acids.

Corn, beans, and squash plants do the same thing, providing a complete protein when combined together, as well as plenty of carbs.  These three plant types are the “Three Sisters” of indigenous North Americans.  They are best when planted together, the corn providing a trellis for the beans to grow upon, the squashes spreading out across the field to smother competing weeds, and together they feed people reasonably well.

However, they are still more carb-heavy than protein-heavy, which means vegetarians need to rely upon other sources such as nuts, plus eggs, dairy, and/or fish (if pisco-lacto-ovarian vegetarians).  Vegans in particular need to be extra careful.  Yes, peanuts have a lot of proteins compared to their carbs, same with almonds, etc, so definitely add nuts to your diets!  But just be aware that you’re going to need to be a lot more conscious of your protein types & sources--and make sure to get a variety of sources--if you’re trying to build muscles while on a vegetarian or especially on a vegan diet.  A purely plant-based diet will not have nearly as balanced a set of amino acids as what animal-inclusive diets can contain.

If you’re lacto-ovarian, this is made easier because milk, cheese, and eggs are wonderful foods with a lot of nutritional value.  If you eat fish as well, even better, full proteins in fish as well as in egg whites, etc...but that brings me to another caveat, because you should probably eat the egg yolks as well as the egg whites.

Do not skip out on fats.  Unless you have a genuine doctor-ordered medical reason, do not cut all fats out of your diet.  Your brain needs fats in order to function.  And just as with amino acids in various protein sources, there are different types of fats as well that our bodies need in different amounts for different reasons.  This isn’t to say you should chow down on the equivalent of a full stick of butter (1/2 cup, 65 grams) with each meal (unless you’re camping outdoors in winter in the far north or a mountain, because then you need fat in your diet for your body to literally burn to help keep you warm).

It’s just that you don’t want to go completely fat free...because if you do, your metabolism will go into panic mode in its primitive/primal-minded way, “ZOMG IT’S LATE WINTER/EARLY SPRING AND NOTHING HAS ANY FATS IN IT WE’RE ALL GONNA STAAAAAARRRVEEE!!” Your metabolism will start turning carbs and even proteins into fats in an effort to ensure your brain (along with other vital organs) will have enough fats to keep functioning.  So go ahead and put some butter on your toast.  Even better, put some nutbutter on your toast, since sunflower butter, peanut butter, almond butter, all those things have proteins and fats as well as carbs.

Also, your body actually does need cholesterol to function, but only in smaller amounts than you’d think.  HOWEVER, if it doesn’t get enough of the right types of cholesterol through diet, your body will make its own cholesterol, and will make more than you need, out of carbohydrates.  (Yeah, this one was a shocker to me when I learned about it, and the answer blew my mind.  Seriously, our body will make up to 10x as much cholesterol as we need if we don’t eat it, so it’s best if we do eat it.)

So how much does an average person need to consume of these critical cholesterols that it absolutely needs?  ...About 1-2 egg yolks a day (or comparable alternative sources; vegans, do some research on alternatives, or just accept that your body may try to overproduce certain cholesterols if it’s feeling nutrition-starved).  Seriously.  Just that much is enough. (Again, your needs may vary based on your body size, metabolic rate, and/or environment.)

So.  Put it all together, and you have:  1. Eat a variety of foods in sufficient quantities and qualities (fats and proteins included) to ensure your body stays healthy; 2. exercise just enough to push your muscles into feeling sore; 3. Rest 48 hours while eating a bit more protein to help your body repair and build bigger muscles; 4. Lather-rinse-repeat... and you’ll eventually get bigger muscles that burn more calories simply by existing, as well as whenever you use them to move just a bit more than you normally would.

Dark meat muscles burn more calories when at rest because they’re designed that way, because they’re small effort but frequent use with multiple short rests, lots of blood flowing through them, and thus are more metabolically “charged” than white meat muscles.  However, white meat muscles tend to be the largest muscles, and thus while not designed to burn calories as efficiently while at rest compared to dark meat muscles...they actually end up burning about the same through sheer volume.

Work on improving your muscles, move a bit more every day, eat more conscientously but not through the heavily warped fearmongering lens of the Diet Industry’s blather and/or tactics, and you will be healthy enough to go to the beach and enjoy it.  Not because you’ll have lost weight, but because you will be healthier.  (Fun fact: muscles are denser and heavier than fat, so you could literally lose inches while gaining pounds from your body burning the fat with its now increased muscle mass.)

And yes, you can weigh 260 pounds and still be healthier than someone who weighs 160.

In other words, if you have a body, and you go to the beach with it, you now have a beach body.

You’ll just be less likely to get out of breath while swimming or building sand castles or playing volleyball or whatever if you’ve upped your exercise levels between now and then.

Also:  CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK IN PUBLIC.

Get one that matches your swimwear, or makes you feel silly & fun.  Even if everyone started wearing their masks (not going to happen, but one can dream), it will to take us all of 2021 to quell the pandemic...and because people won’t be wearing their masks, keep wearing that mask.  Yes, even if you have had all your shots.  Because people aren’t wearing masks, the virus is able to spread, and when it spreads, there’s always a chance it will mutate, and cause new strains of infections...which it already has.  So wear your damn mask.

[watcherscrown]

I’ve been asked to post this statement from the Ioway Tribe in response to all the attention the bee farm has received, copy/pasted below:

“The Power of Social Media In Indian Country:

How one post went around the world. 

On July 12th, 2020, the Chairman of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Tim Rhodd, posted onto the internet about an amazing example for how social media can be used to help support Native American businesses. The Ioway Bee Farm, owned and operated by the Ioway Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, based in White Cloud, KS, saw on July 4th, just what one message of support can do to take a small tribally-owned business and take it one big step forward. 

His message was this: “My name is Tim Rhodd and I am the Chairman of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. I’m here today to talk to you about the power of social media in Indian Country. On July 4th, 2020, we had one of our tribal members post onto their Tumblr account, under their handle @watcherscrown, a message of support for the Ioway Bee Farm. This simple action and small message went viral and spread across the world and now the Ioway Bee Farm is growing with each and every one of you.” The video continued on with a powerful message of support for the Tribe and the Ioway Bee Farm. 

Back in the Spring of 2016, prior to the launch of the Ioway Bee Farm, One of the Tribe’s elders Pete Fee reached out to the Tribe to see if there was any interest in getting the Tribe involved in raising bees. What started out as a small idea in the Spring of 2016, with a few hives and the desire to learn more about the benefits of bees on the environment and our community, has since grown into a full-fledged apiary which now includes over 54 hives housing hundreds of thousands of bees. 

“It’s been pretty exciting and rewarding to look back and see where we started from and how far we have made it over a short period of time,” Rhodd said. 

In 2018, the Tribe began selling their honey and honey products such as lotion bars, lip balms, bee pollen, and honey sticks, at local farmers markets. They then began selling on their website www.IowayBeeFarm.com, giving themselves a much wider audience. “What was before just a small project became a great way for the Tribe to diversify their revenue and build jobs”, Rhodd said. 

Jimmy Lunsford, the Ioway Bee Farm’s manager, now oversees the operations and the continued growth of the business. When the honey is ready to be harvested, he said, he transports the hives to the packaging facility where it is extracted and warmed to about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. By keeping the temperatures below 120 degrees, they are able to keep all of the live enzymes and nutrients contained in their raw honey alive. These enzymes and nutrients are essential to the various health benefits and rich sources of antioxidants contained in raw honey. 

The Tribe also owns pasture raised chickens, grass-finished and pasture raised black angus beef, meat goats, elderberry plants, a vegetable farm, and a newly formed hemp farm, all of which contribute to the regenerative agriculture movement the Tribe has been taking for over the past two years. With the Ioway Bee Farm, the intent is just the same. The bees are placed strategically around the reservation in order to help increase biodiversity in the environment. As biodiversity increases, so does the health of the animals around us and the soil beneath our feet. 

When asked why the Tribe was taking this direction Rhodd has this to say, “diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and increasing cancer rates. These are growing concerns across Indian Country, with Native Americans twice as likely to develop these diseases than other ethnic groups. We will not stand idle and do nothing. Making healthier food accessible can reduce diabetes, heart disease and cancer while promoting a healthier lifestyle. Promoting wellness from the soil to our mouth is how we address these health concerns which plague Indian Country. The Ioway Bee Farm was and is an investment in assisting us to heal our land and feed our citizens and community.

"The Iowa Tribe's Executive Committee is excited and proud to be a part of creating a healthier environment for our tribal citizens today and for our future generations. We appreciate all the interest in the Ioway Bee Farm and welcome each and every one of you into our community." 

Since the post by one of our tribal members on July 4th, 2020 went viral, the Ioway Bee Farm has seen explosive growth and their message is now reaching farther than it ever has before. When the orders first started coming in, Rhodd said, we thought it couldn’t be real, they were considering in the past shutting down the bee farm due to losses in revenue over the past year, but now here was this, orders coming in every minute, one after another and it wasn’t stopping. 

The post made on Tumblr by @watcherscrown did not ask for much other than to share and help support her Tribe through supporting the Ioway Bee Farm. 

Now with this platform and an audience of open minds and a willingness to listen and learn, the Chairman of the Ioway Tribe asks this: “Support Native American businesses, large and small. Share their messages. Share their products. Share their values. Support those who seek to heal the Earth rather than rob it. Give back to your communities and those who face inequality. And please, share this message.”

Hanwe je^e pi ke, Today is a good day. 

Aho, Thank you.” 

You can find out more about the Ioway Bee Farm by visiting www.IowayBeeFarm.com as well as www.IowaTribeofKansasandNebraska.com

Thank you to everyone who shared the original post and supported the farm!

[kayrowsyrup]

Why Food is not a Human Right

To put it simply, y’all are not entitled to people’s labors. And farming is a very Laborious job. And that’s what I’m going to focus on is produce food and livestock food. Cause food made in a factory is a bit different.

Let’s say your feeding a community of about 800 people. My family of 3 has to peel, chop and cook and mash about 5 or 6 potatoes in order for all three of us to get some with a little extra left over to make tater cakes the next day(in all that’s two potatoes per person. 800 x 5 makes 4000 potatoes you would have to grow to feed 800 people.

Now let’s get into the labor part. Someone, either by hand or with machines, is going to have to till the land; meaning they have to dig up the soil for planting. Then someone has to fertilize the ground because of lost nutrients. Then you have to plant the seeds of your crop, keeping in mind to keep the crops desperate because sometimes crops can kill other crops. Then you have to be put in that field each day, every day to ensure that your food source is growing healthy. You have to keep it safe from deer, rabbits, groundhogs, moles, prairie dogs, chipmunks and squrrials as well insects, weeds, nematodes, and Disease. Any of which can complete destroy your crop and leave you and your community starving.

But somehow you fields survived!! Hooray! Now you have to have someone go through your fields and orchards and pick the produce. Pack it up into a vehicle, after cleaning them of course, and hauling the food off to where it needs to go. A store, food pantry, farmers market etc.

And I can tell you right now that NOBODY is going to do that manual labor for free.

Now let’s get to the animals.

Someone has to breed your cows, chickens, pigs, goats, geese, rabbits, whatever you are raising to eat, so you can keep having a source of meat. You have to ensure that these animals don’t get hurt or sick, and if they do your either going to have to put it down or call in a vet. Then there is the issue of slaughtering the animals. You have to kill enough animals to make sure your feeding 800 people. And you can do that on your farm(ever wrung a chickens neck or chopped it’s head off? I have) or spend hundreds of dollars taking it to a slaughter house.

Or you could go hunting! A whole deer feeds my family of five, of course that’s with us eatingnother things like chicken, beef, and pork. And there is also the issue of possibly over hunting or fishing.

Farming is a very hard, very laborious job. And even when I volunteered to help my uncle on his farm he still paid me for coming over every day to help him. You work outside in the heat, the rain, the wind. And when your taking care of animals there is no off time in the winter cause you gotta care for them 365/7/24.

Basically y’all are not entitled to people’s labor. This is coming from someone who’s family nearly starved when my dad got laid off, and if it wasn’t for the kindness and charity of strangers at our neighbors church we wouldn’t have made it. They did that of their own free well, we never expected people to give us food. I even did odd jobs to earn money to buy simple necessities like milk, eggs and bread.

[foxtophat]

/pant wheeze etc

sorry about that guys, i was going to post last night but like i keep saying, i got caught up in editing and soooo here we are!!  today’s chapter is all about kim, and kim’s teaching a masterclass in being a mom friend in your late 30′s.

as much as i strugged with this chapter i really REALLY like writing kim. she never got enough play in the games, so i guess i take liberties, but there’s something pleasing about writing an exasperated millenial mom going “please, dude, just get some therapy” to a guy like john seed lol.

i guess we’re all probably feeling kind of...uh, not awesome/active these days. which is fine! i’ve touched my face so many times writing this that i’m gonna have to go take a shower when i’m done here.  i hope you all are being safe, and i hope you work for companies that will allow you to be safe!  if your job is giving you shit about the virus, know that they’re the ones in the wrong, not you for wanting to watch out for your health.  oh, and tonight is the democratic debate, so go watch that and see if you vibe with my boy bernie, ok?  ok, be safe, i love you, wear a scarf if its cold outside

(below is the chapter text, so you don’t have to leave tumblr if you don’t want to! if you read it on here, could you like and/or reblog for me? i would appreciate it!)

Kim vividly remembers the day she met John Seed, just a few short years before the end of the world. He and his family had been in town all of a month when they had shown up unannounced to a potluck Kim and Nick were hosting, bringing along a last-minute macaroni dish. The three brothers were polite enough, and the big one seemed embarrassed by their offering compared to the other plates at the table, so Kim had let the party-crashing slide. Hell, she'd even let the strange brunette woman that accompanied them walk around her house like a second-rate psychic looking for ghosts. The rumor mill hadn't had time to chew much on them, so all Kim knew about the Seeds was that they were trying to put together a commune and the middle brother was some kind of preacher. It all sounded very tent-revivalist to her, but mostly harmless. Sure, they were weird, but they were hardly the only weirdos living in the county, so who was Kim to judge?

She had been standing alone by the cooler with a beer when John had sidled up to her. His reputation had already gotten a head start, having already stepped on Mary May's toes before showing his face to the town at large, and he was clearly attempting to avoid people who had already heard Mary May's take on the situation. Whether or not he realized Kim had already heard all about his unapologetic come-ons, he sure seemed interested in showing her his good side. He had been all smiles and charm, shaking her hand with both of his own and complimenting everything about the house and party and people. But, even as he coasted through the pleasantries and small-talk, John had eyed Kim like she was a piece of meat, one up for grabs by whoever flagged down the butcher first.

Just when he seemed ready to open his mouth and order himself a bad time, Nick had swooped in beside Kim with his hand extended, wearing his least genuine grin. Committing to another two-handed shake, John made more sweeping compliments and asked Nick a couple of questions about the airstrip. He may have even been genuinely interested in what Nick had to say on the matter, but in retrospect, all Kim can remember is the way he had looked at her. No longer was Kim a lifeless, prime cut of beef — now, she had teeth in the form of her redneck aviator husband, who wasn't buying anything John was selling.

Nick had smiled and waved at John as he excused himself, disappearing in the direction of his brothers. "What a fuckin' creep," Nick had declared through his clenched teeth.

Kim had thought then that they knew what kind of creep John was. By the time he began sending men to the house to intimidate them, she'd realized he was something much worse. He was something out of a schlocky psychological thriller, a sociopath with a rumored body count, who calculated each of his steps with pointed disregard for human life, gleefully buying up land for their cult and chasing all but the bravest away from their homes. There had been rumors about people disappearing, but Kim hadn't wanted to believe them. There had been a whole lot Kim hadn't wanted to believe. It was when John started calling, leaving desperate messages begging them to "just say yes, so I don't have to make you," that Kim had to stop hiding her head in the sand.

Kim barely had time to celebrate when he died the first time, what with Carmina being born and the world ending, and she had much better things to do in the years following than spare a thought towards him. It wasn't until Nick dragged John into their home eight years later that his name had even crossed Kim's mind.

She thinks about John a lot now, for better or worse. At first, all of her instincts had her thinking about him sleeping nearby. How much force it would take to break the bedroom locks. How strong and fast he might secretly still be. She would watch him work and think about all the awful things he would be putting Nick and her through, if their positions were reversed. She would question his every move, tired and sluggish as they might have been.

Nowadays, she mostly thinks about how tired he really seems. She thinks a lot about his eight years of solitude, and questions just how dedicated he really is to waving a white flag. The John Seed she used to know, the one she had underestimated a lifetime ago, he would never have willingly submitted himself to manual labor the way he does now. He would never sit silent and anxious until Nick or Kim bossed him around. At first, she had thought he was doing it out of necessity, being as sick as he was, but now... well, now, she's not so sure.

John is stronger than he has any right to be. Kim never had the opportunity to confront him physically before, so she has no idea if John has always been like this, or if it's something that happened in isolation. After all, eight years by yourself is a great time to workout — at least until your supplies run out, or you catch a sickness that won't go away. It should probably worry her more, but Nick's confidence has rubbed off on Kim, and all she concerns herself with is giving him jobs that measure up to his abilities.

Like today, for example. Nick and Carmina have started on a project together, putting together a hen coop worthy of housing Carmina's first pets, and with planting season practically here, Kim is ready to tackle her own construction project. Somehow, a tractor wound up on the runway, overturned and mangled as if it had been in a car accident — or a nuclear blast — and Kim has a plan for the thing's large, mostly-intact tires. With enough mulch and soil, Kim's sure that she can make them into reliable planters, and she might even manage to grow something worth eating this year. First, though, they have to come off the tractor — and that's where John comes in.

Kim watches John peel one tire off of the crescent-shaped wheel it's clinging to, thinking to herself again that John is stronger than he should be. He rolls the massive tire back down the runway towards her, looking mildly winded from the exertion, face red from the sun. He doesn't look anything like the walking corpse Nick had found a few months back.

Despite herself, Kim is impressed with his progress. When Nick had first brought him in, she hadn't expected him to make it through the night, much less the following day. It had been hospice care to her, at least for the first week — but then John had turned a corner, eating again and managing to stand on his own feet, and all at once Kim had forgotten about reading his last rites.

Slowing the tire to a stop, John wipes his arm across his brow and asks, "Here?"

"Yeah," Kim says. "That's fine. One more to go."

John nods, turning and retreating down the runway towards the tractor's mangled remains. Kim watches him go, waiting for him to realize how easy it would be to get away. She's a great shot with the rifle, but she's only got the pistol with her today, and Nick is all the way on the other side of the hangar. There's no fence on this side of the strip, and the overgrowth is thick enough to disappear into. It would take him a matter of seconds to escape, if he would just try.

But he doesn't. Kim has no idea why not — it's not like they're making much of an effort to keep him locked up. Nick does his best, but they're not a maximum-security prison. Hell, they don't even have an enclosed fence! With all of his experience managing a human trafficking cult, he has to see that they're woefully unprepared to hold him. There's no way he hasn't itemized every hole in their security and how he could use them to his advantage.

The tire has been partially popped off of the tractor wheel, but John's probably going to need a wrench or something to pry the rest of it free. Otherwise, Kim is going to be watching him strain uselessly, and while sometimes it can be gratifying to watch John struggle with menial tasks, Kim wants these planters done as soon as possible.

She marches toward him to size the problem up, only to pull up short as John tears the tire off of the wheel. Metal scrapes against itself as the axle twists, and Kim hears a pop when John finally leverages the tire free, leaving the wheel to hang limply from the axle. There's a long rip in the tire's lip, probably from where a security bolt tore through the old rubber.

"Jesus," she says, not realizing she's close enough for John to hear her until he frowns in her direction. She tries to mask for her concern over his uncanny strength, but all she has going for her these days is motherly frustration. "You could have hurt yourself," she scolds, as if that's going to cover it.

John huffs. "Why does that matter?" he asks.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but we don't exactly have a doctor to take you to if you slice your arm on rusted machinery and contract tetanus."

Considering how passive John's been, it comes as something of a surprise when he heaves a frustrated sigh, bracing the tire with both hands and doing his best to ignore Kim while she stands right next to him. It's just irritating enough that she sticks her foot out to block the tire, eyeballing him defiantly and mentally daring him to keep being a baby. Ugh, as if a man like him could be intimidated by a 40-year-old mom's unimpressed glare.

He ducks his eyes. "Alright, fine," he surrenders.

Kim lets him roll on, following with a furrowed brow as she tries to figure out what his deal is. The John she remembers would never put up with the kind of disrespect Kim shows him. He would be... seething, or something. Planning to murder her, probably. But if he was going to murder them, he would have done it already. He definitely would have done it when Nick let him sleep in their room. But every opening he has, he ignores in favor of the full surrender he'd willingly placed himself under.

Once John sets the tire down, wiping his forehead clear of sweat, he asks, "What's next on your list of petty tortures?"

If John thinks being petulant will get him anywhere with Kim, he is sorely mistaken. She raises an unimpressed eyebrow and asks, "Do you really think this is me trying to torture you?" She can't help but be a little offended — as if she couldn't come up with something worse than household chores if she wanted.

"I don't know what to think," John sighs.

Kim can count the number of times John has been honest with her on one hand, and that's including before the bombs dropped. A few minutes ago, she might've entertained his mild back-talking to dig at his motivations, but she's certainly not in the mood now.

"You don't need to think," she says. "Just do what I tell you."

It's as easily said as done with John, who shuts up with a deep frown and follows Kim mutely for the next hour or two, helping her shovel a mixture of composted leaves and topsoil into a wheelbarrow. They have to make three trips to get enough to fill the tires, which is sweaty, smelly work that Kim won't leave to John alone. Even if she didn't want to get her hands dirty, she would feel guilty if she made him do it by himself, considering it's a job she could easily do alone.

Once they've finished dumping the dirt into the makeshift planters, Kim turns to John with a critical eye. At last, she offers him more than a few curt orders.

"This isn't supposed to be torture, you know," she tells him. "Everything we tell you to do, it's because it needs to be done, not because we want to watch you suffer."

"It must help," John grunts.

"Honestly? Not really." Kim sits on one tire, watching John shift his weight between his feet. He somehow seems small, even as he stands over her. "I've seen enough suffering to last a lifetime. Haven't you?"

John doesn't respond. He turns his head to stare at the hangar — probably wishing he was putting the coop together with Nick, who loves it when John is quietly repentant, and who hates talking about this kind of stuff in general. If Carmina weren't over there, John would definitely be trying to excuse himself to her husband's side.

"I think we're done here for now," Kim says at last. "I'm going to start dinner. You can sit quietly with me, or go help Carmina and Nick with the coop."

She refuses to pick for him, leaving him to look between the hangar and the fire-pit and debate on his own whether he wants to deal with Kim's weak interrogation skills or being in the same room as Carmina for any length of time. Any time she gives him a choice, he usually goes for whatever will keep him busier, but he seems actively repulsed by the idea of spending any time around Carmina.

After a few seconds of consideration, John nods reluctantly. "I'll sit," he says, almost as though he's admitting defeat. When Kim leads him over to the fire, he sits on the same patch of dirt he usually does, even with plenty of seating options. He doesn't talk much, and since Kim has nothing to ask him, she leaves him to his own thoughts while she starts getting dinner ready.

When she catches him starting to doze, she can't help but sarcastically quip, "Some torture, huh?"

John shoots her a dark look in return, but it's going to take more than a mean scowl to bother her.

Nick and Carmina get up early one morning to go fishing. Kim sleepily sees them out of the bedroom, unwilling to face the gray morning chill herself, and wishes them as much luck as she can muster while half-asleep. Nick hesitates a whole lot by the bedroom door, still reluctant to leave Kim alone with John, but he knows better than to make a bigger deal about it than she does. Kim appreciates his concern, even if nowadays she doesn't think it's warranted.

They'll be back a little after noon, and Kim's list of chores has finally shrunk to something manageable, so she lazes for just a little bit before finally committing to the day. It takes her a little longer to commit to utilizing John outside, since she doesn't have any work for him and it would be great to have a morning to herself, but leaving him to stew all day feels wrong.

John's already awake when she goes to get him, dressed and sitting on the pallet-board bed that Nick let him piece together. He only looks mildly surprised to see Kim fetching him by herself, which means he probably heard Nick leave earlier. He isn't very talkative today, resorting to monosyllabic responses to her questions as they eat breakfast downstairs. He sits quietly at the table with Kim, not touching his food until he catches Kim staring expectantly at him. Kim shouldn't be surprised — after eight years on his own, he's probably more comfortable in silence. Either that, or he talked himself out of words down in that bunker of his. She would ask, but John avoids talking about his time underground at all costs, and she doesn't see today being any different.

Kim waits until they've gotten out into the yard to reveal her cigar box full of seed packets. "It's a little early to start planting," she explains, "But I have a good feeling about this batch of spinach."

John waits expectantly, his frown deepening as Kim fails to elaborate on his part in all of this. "You want my help," he realizes at last. "...With gardening ."

He says it with so much disbelief that Kim almost thinks he's making fun of her. "What did you think we were going to do after we filled these things with soil?" she asks. "They needed to sit, and now we need to plant. You're here, so you're helping me."

"I —" John stares at her, biting the inside of his cheek as though he's trying to mind himself. "That isn't going to work. You'd be better off letting me dismantle the tractor for scrap."

"I'm not asking you to do that," Kim points out, "I'm asking you to poke some holes in the dirt. This isn't rocket science. Even Carmina can do it."

"Then have Carmina do it ," John snaps, immediately clenching his jaw to try and prevent another outburst.

"If you're trying to give me trouble just because Nick isn't around, then I'll just put you back in your room."

John sulks for a few seconds, weighing his words now that he's out on thin ice. "Plants and I aren't compatible," he grudgingly admits. "I have a black thumb. And this is important work, I don't — I don't understand why you would risk it."

Kim tries hard to resist pulling on her kid gloves, and yet she still can't help but go easy on him. "John, it's an irradiated wasteland. You are the least of these plants' concerns. All you have to do is follow instructions. You can do that, right?"

She expects him to roll his eyes or get huffy at her coddling him, even just a little, but he only nods in return. "Yes," he says, falling back into what can't possibly be comfortable subservience.

Well, it works for Kim — he doesn't try to fight her as she shows him how to space out the holes, how deep to make them and how many seeds to put in each one. She watches him finish a row before she decides he's got it, and settles in across from him to start on the opposite side of the planter. John looks surprised that she's working with him, but she finds digging in the dirt relaxing, and she's got to pass the time somehow.

Kim enjoys gardening, getting her hands dirty while ensuring she and her family have plenty of food. She'd never really gotten the chance to practice before the bombs, but that didn't stop her from growing some sad looking carrots and potatoes last year. They plant spinach and beets, as well as some carrots that Kim doubts will survive. The other planter stays empty, but Kim has a plan to grow some soybeans later in the season, and if the seeds don't take, maybe corn will.

John is wholly focused on his side of the planter, meticulously careful, like this is some kind of exact science that he barely understands. A city boy through and through, Kim supposes — it isn't like a hotshot lawyer from Atlanta would spend much time at the local community garden, right? His history with gardening is probably littered with dead ferns and succulents that couldn't survive his negligence.

When he sits back to rest a minute, four straight rows like spokes in front of him, Kim throws him a bone. "Looking pretty good."

"Don't patronize me."

Kim rolls her eyes. Of course John would be incapable of taking even the most mundane compliment, no matter how genuinely Kim might give it. "I'm not. You're doing a good job."

John sighs heavily, still very much not believing her, but he doesn't argue the point.

Nick and Carmina return just after John finishes his final row. Usually, Carmina comes back looking pretty defeated, as fishing isn't something she's gotten the hang of yet, and Nick will try not to let on that he did poorly on purpose to make her feel better. Today, though, Carmina marches with a straight back and a big grin, and Nick follows her with a bucket of smallmouth bass.

"Who wants fish?" Nick calls triumphantly, visibly excited for Carmina to finally have a "big catch" story.

Kim stands, knocking the dirt off of her knees, and takes a look at the radial design left behind in the soil. She's going to have to water and keep a close eye on these little suckers, but with any luck, they'll grow at least enough to make for good compost. It would be nice to have some impressive produce to trade, though, so here's hoping that spinach turns out.

"Hard part's over," Kim tells John, who reluctantly follows her lead and climbs to his feet. "Now, it's a waiting game."

"I wouldn't expect miracles," John mutters. Kim pretends not to hear him.

John avoids the garden as much as he can once the planting is done. Kim doesn't need his help, so she doesn't press it, but she notices whenever he surreptitiously checks the progress the seeds are making. He seems happy enough to be done handling them, but Kim bets he's still keeping an eye out for any evidence of failure. Kim doesn't want to take away Nick's extra pair of hands, especially considering how hard work seems to comfort John more than long stretches of silence surrounded by dirt, so for the first two weeks, Kim handles most of the gardening herself.

Nick and him have been steadily chipping away at Nick's list of home repairs, their DIY solutions changing the topography of the family home bit by bit. The roof is dotted with white shingles cobbled together from old siding, the windows have been boarded up with full sheets of plywood instead of haphazard wooden planks, and part of the hangar's exposed roof has been covered by a quilt of stitched together pieces of tarp. They've even managed to clear back some of the vines that have been swallowing every structure in the valley. Nick has pretty much given up on letting John do everything by himself by now, although he definitely delegates the harder work to John and takes the first drink of water whenever they take a break. Nick has always been a hands-on kind of guy, though — sitting by while there's work to be done goes against his nature. It had only been a matter of time before he demanded to pull his own weight.

Kim checks the plants more frequently and obviously than John does. She had been expecting most of the plants to fail, considering the packets they came from are easily eight years old and thrown into an old box with no thought to preserving them, but a week in and they seem to have taken pretty well. Tiny, two-leaf sprouts have started to poke their way through the soil where the spinach was planted. The beets don't seem to have done quite as well, but surviving tiny sprouts have also started to show. Kim doesn't trust the carrots, but it'll be another week or so before they start seeing any results from them, so she withholds judgment for now.

"Been thinking about going into town," Nick mentions one night as the four of them eat dinner at the table. John still seems uneasy sitting with them instead of on the stairs or in his room, but at least he doesn't need someone to goad him into eating.

Carmina's face lights up. "Can I come?" she asks, practically before Nick has finished speaking. From the way Nick smiles at her, Kim's sure he was about to suggest that very thing, which makes it easy for Kim to agree.

"Sure," she says. "As long as your dad promises not to cut across the field this time. No," she scolds Nick as he opens his mouth to argue, "There's a herd of bison out there that are as big as the car, and you are not a matador, Nick."

"What's the point of an apocalypse if I gotta follow all the roads?" Nick complains, relenting with a theatrical sigh. "You're right," he admits, emphasizing for Carmina, "Your mom's right. The roads are a lot safer than any open field."

Kim glances at John, who has his head down over his plate, looking uncomfortable with the conversation circling so close to him. Nick follows her line of sight, frowns, and then asks, "So, uh, John... You got any interest in going into town?"

John swallows the bite he just took, wincing as it goes down wrong. "No," he croaks.

"Okay," Nick says, not at all upset to hear it. "That leaves just you and me, sweetheart."

Later on, once they're getting ready for bed, Nick can't help but circle back, horrified by his own gall. "What would I have done if he'd said yes?" he asks Kim. "He'd incite a riot just by showing his face. The second everybody knows he's alive..."

"It's going to happen eventually," Kim says. "I think we should at least let him make the choice about when ."

Nick accepts her reasoning with a petulant, "I guess, " but he spends another hour or two silently turning it over in his head.

They don't leave until after breakfast, which Nick lets John be part of. He's still sensitive about sharing his family time with anybody, much less John, but he's getting used to it bit by bit. Kim would blame it on the apocalypse if it weren't for the fact that he's always been very protective of his mornings.

John looks uneasy as Nick and Carmina head out, tensing at the sound of the car starting. Kim isn't all that used to it either, but at least they managed to find a car and enough gas to make the occasional trip to town possible.

Well, since there's nobody else around, and nothing left for Kim to do, she decides it time to bring John back to the garden.

"Ready to learn how to weed?" she asks.

To his credit, John waits until they're outside and facing down the lightly weeding planter to argue. "There's still a lot of work to do in the hangar," he says. "Doesn't that sound like a better use for me?"

"No," she replies. "You need to know how to do this." She sighs when he remains standing, staring up at him unimpressed. "Either you help me with this, or you can go pout in your room about it."

Kim waits until John reluctantly sits on his knees to join him. She walks him through the process of prying up the thin, quickly growing stems, tossing them into the bucket between them, and shows him how to pull out the root systems that might get left behind. Most of the weeds that are growing are small, but those pernicious vines have been reportedly growing like crazy in any and all soil and Kim doesn't want to give them a chance to cozy up to her produce.

It's not complicated work, so John picks it up fast, but he goes tediously slow, almost to the point where Kim thinks he's messing with her. Well, the joke's on him — Kim has raised one of the most independent children in the state, and she knows how to deal with petulance. She's fine with long stretches of silence, she's fine with dirt, and she's fine with leaving people to stew.

"Have you always been a gardener?" John asks after a length time, rushing the words as if he'd been chewing them over for too long and he just wants them out of his mouth.

John rarely ever asks questions that aren't about his so-called punishment, so Kim is inclined to indulge him. "No, not really," she answers. "My mom grew flowers, and I would try to keep those little starter herb kits alive every so often, but I never really dedicated my time to it." She hesitates, hopefully not noticeably, and adds, "We had some old gardening magazines in a box in the bunker. They turned out to be a good way to pass the time. You know?"

John hums neutrally in response. Kim hadn't expected much better; even casual talk about life underground shuts John up pretty fast. It's such an obvious psychological scar that even Nick can't miss it, and although the two of them will speculate, neither of them have so far pushed hard enough to find out more. Kim doesn't know if John's trauma is the Pandora's box she wants to open, but she has so many questions and so many worries that could be put to rest if she could just figure out how to interrogate him about it.

She's being too obvious, staring at him like she is, and John is quick to catch her. His brow furrows as he stares back expectantly. Probably waiting for her to drag the information she wants out of him, no doubt, the same way he would rip confessions out of people.

When she fails to do whatever it is he's waiting for, he turns his attention back to the remaining weeds. Frustration colors his voice when he eventually speaks.

"I wish you wouldn't stare at me."

"I usually look at people who ask me questions," Kim replies, trying not to be pedantic and failing pretty miserably.

"Just tell me what you want from me."

Kim sits back on her heels, wiping her forehead with a dirty hand. "I don't really know," she admits. She probably shouldn't be so honest with him, so open about her lack of motivation, but she can't see any reason to lie. Maybe telling him the truth will encourage him to do the same? She knows that's wishful thinking, but it's worth a try.

"I guess I want you to... prove you're trying. That this isn't all some kind of act. But honestly, I don't know what kind of proof would convince me. There's eight years of blank history that might help, but you don't want to talk about it."

She doesn't hesitate to bring up the bunker this time, even when it makes him squirm. She can see him working on a response and heads it off as best she can.

"Look," she says, "You don't have to tell me now. You don't even have to tell me . But eventually, if you're really serious about making amends, you're going to have to tell someone ."

For a moment, John rests his fingers in the dirt as if he might just go back to his work. He's staring at the green leaves, waiting for one of the plants to give him the right answer, the one that will make the conversation end before he has to get involved.

Finally, terribly lost and frustrated at himself for winding up that way, he asks, "Why won't you just make me ?"

His uncertainty settles in Kim's stomach like a lead weight. He refuses to look at her, and somehow that makes it worse. She knows Nick would probably scold her for being overly sympathetic, but she can't help it. She can't hide her worry when she answers, no matter how much it might chafe John to hear it.

"You have to want to get better to do it," she tells him. "Nobody can do it for you."

John doesn't respond. Kim doesn't hold her breath over it, returning to the remaining weeds. But as his silence grows, Kim finds herself checking on him in her periphery. Before the Collapse, John had been easy to read, his reactions unrestrained and sometimes bordering theatrical. These days, Kim can't pin him down.

John treats the fresh sprouts as though they're too fragile to touch, sincerely confused at the progress the garden has made despite his interference. Had he really thought that he could mess them up just by planting them? No wonder he was so sure that she was making a mistake, enlisting his help.

"Things are going well, given the circumstances," she says at last. "I guess you don't have a black thumb after all."

"I stand corrected," he replies. He looks at her briefly, but when he catches her watching him he's quick to look back to the dirt. Kim doesn't miss the way he continues to appreciate the small green stalks.

Later, after the weeds have been eradicated and dinner has been started, Kim hears the car coming down the drive. John is in the middle of dragging scrap metal out of the hangar, so he doesn't notice it right away, but there's no missing Carmina and Nick's raised voices. They aren't quiet by any means as they wander from the front yard to the back, talking enthusiastically about the monstrous bison they'd seen in the field on their way home. When John recognizes them coming into view, he stops working briefly, raising his arm to shield his eyes from the hastily setting sun.

"That's, uh, a pretty wide leash you're giving him," Nick says to Kim, having the good sense to at least kiss his wife hello before he starts in on judging her.

"He knows what you guys are doing in there better than I do," she replies. "How was town?"

Carmina is the one to answer, her excitement hard to contain. "We saw the bison!" she exclaims. "Pastor Jerome let me go to the top of the church tower! We got a bunch of stuff!"

She has a whole lot more to tell Kim, which she does in rapid-fire bullet-points before running off to unload supplies from the car. From all of her talk of apples, Kim hopes that some of them made their way home.

Nick waits until she's out of sight, checking to see that John hasn't yet come to join them, and then offers Kim a helpless shrug. "So, Jerome knows about John, I guess."

The comment shouldn't make Kim as uneasy as it does. "Oh?"

"Grace told him." Nick takes off his hat, tossing it onto the porch and running a hand through his hair. "He said he had to think about it more. But, uh... that he trusts us to do what's right. I dunno, he didn't quote any scripture at me so I couldn't tell how mad he really was."

He's watching John at the front of the hangar like he's surprised John isn't running. "I really thought this was gonna go differently," he says after a beat. "I thought for sure he'd have given us a reason to off him by now."

Kim chuckles. "Yeah, the same way you thought feeding the raccoons would make them go away."

"I couldn't help it," Nick sighs. "They looked so damn hungry."

John finishes unloading the wheelbarrow's contents. For a moment, he stands with his back to them, staring at the hangar. When he turns around, he straightens up, waiting. For what, Kim couldn't possibly say. She wishes he would just tell them what he thinks they ought to do already, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

Nick cups a hand to his mouth and shouts, "C'mon, I got a bunch of supplies you need to unload!"

John puts his hands on his hips, taking a brief rest before starting in their direction. Kim wouldn't believe he's the same man from a few months ago if she hadn't seen the transformation herself. She hopes all this change has been for the better, but she wonders if it's going to be enough.

[danaslewis]

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 BACK STORY with DANA LEWIS

FOOD CHAIN PANDEMIC MAY 27, 2020 DANA LEWIS BACK STORY with DANA LEWIS FOOD CHAIN PANDEMIC 

   #danalewis #caitlinwelsh #foodsupply. #hunger 

TRANSCRIPT

CHAPTER MARKERS

 1: 0:00

Dana - At this time of great uncertainty in many of our normal routines and regular patterns of life are being challenged. The food and farming sector is no exception. If we are to harvest British fruit and vegetables this year, we need an army of people to help. Food does not happen by magic.

Speaker 2: 0:21

Hi everyone and welcome to

Speaker 3: 0:23

backstory. I'm your host Dana Lewis. That familiar boys was Prince Charles. It was called for an army of people defined it.

Speaker 2: 0:31

Jobs on the UK is fruit and vegetable farms because they are desperately short of people to pick this year's crops, closed European borders, people sick from COvid 19 that all makes for a dire harvest and it's a similar story from Europe to Canada and America and onto Asia. In this our latest edition of backstory, the delicate international food supply chain is rattled and some might say very near broken

Speaker 4: 1:10

[inaudible].

Speaker 2: 1:11

Caitlin Welsh is the director of the global food security program at the center for strategic and international studies. Hi Kaitlin.

Speaker 5: 1:18

Hi Dana.

Speaker 2: 1:20

As we speak, Prince Charles in the UK is asking people as in war time to go and pick food before it spoils in the fields. What's happening to labor and the flow of workers worldwide in this pandemic. If you could just kind of paint a general picture.

Speaker 5: 1:36

Sure. I think that's a great question. A great place to start. What we're seeing right now is a food crisis on a global scale and it's not due to the fact that there's not enough food available worldwide. It's due to disruptions across different aspects of food systems and that, uh, that, that request by Prince Charles, um, to me pinpoints access to food with, uh, with, with harvesting food. Um, and the, the particular issue there could have to do with availability of labor. Um, w uh, one thing that we're seeing worldwide is disruptions in labor flows. So that could, that could be one of the reasons that Prince Charles made that, um, made that request. Um, and, uh, also I think that he's, he's probably doing that to, uh, to reduce the amount of food loss and waste worldwide. Um, it was already very high before the pandemic. Um, but we're seeing because supply chains that they're very, very efficient. They're not flexible though. Um, and, uh, when for a variety of reasons, farmers are not able to reach markets, what we're seeing is, uh, is huge amounts of, of, of food loss, unfortunately. Um,

Speaker 2: 2:37

I want to talk to you about that. French fishermen say they're throwing back two thirds of their cash. Australia is facing an avocado glut. A farmer in Ontario, Canada now feed some of his milk back to his cows, but there is a limit to what can be recycled. Um, you know, most of what can not be sold will be wasted. Millions of liters of cake is going stale. The EU is expecting to lose $430 million worth of potatoes. So America's food waste ratio, um, where you are, is set to rise 30 to 40% this year. I mean, these are huge problems.

Speaker 5: 3:18

They really are. And again, they were problems before the pandemic and they're there. They're actually worse right now. I'll give you some more examples of what we're seeing in the United States. There was one chicken processing company that killed 2 million chickens in April. We had another that smashed a three quarters of a million of eggs in one week. Um, I think one of the biggest tragedies is with farmers who raise animals having to call their herds. So essentially kill the animals because they can't send them to meat processing plants. Um, and so we, uh, so we're seeing that in the, um, you know, in the tens of thousands per week across the U S um, so what's happening there is a, there's a, a couple of things. One of the main things is that, um, in, in March and into April, orders from restaurants and not just restaurants, but other places where people gathered to eat. So sports arenas, cafeterias at universities, um, public spaces generally, um, those orders fell off of a cliff as people were no longer able to gather. So farmers who are raising animals, um, and growing growing crops for those, um, to, for those establishments no longer had markets for their goods. So they were forced to, um, and they couldn't adjust quickly enough. They couldn't pivot. And so, um, they had no choice but to, but to waste their food, there's destroy their product.

Speaker 2: 4:32

Why do they have to call beef or call chickens or call, uh, pigs? W why is that? Because they cannot get the seed or they cannot afford, uh, to keep those animals longer without sending them to a meat processing plant or what is the problem?

Speaker 5: 4:50

Yeah. Um, a couple of reasons. One of them is that, um, when it comes to the pig supply chains, in particular, farmers who raise pigs don't invest in enough space to, um, to keep, to keep pigs or they're used to large amounts of product flowing through. So they, um, they, they'll raise them until they get to a certain size. Um, and then once they reach a certain size and they'll ship them off to be, um, to the, to the meat packing plants to be, um, to be processed for consumption. Um, but, uh, when the meat processing plants can no longer take them, it means that the pigs continue to grow in size. Um, and farmers simply don't have space to, um, to, to keep them and, um, and, and are forced. And, and again, uh, one thing that's very important is that farmers don't want to be making this decision. They, um, they're invested in their product and, um, and they're doing this only by necessity right now.

Speaker 2: 5:38

And yet you have meat shortages, uh, in some supermarkets in America. Why is that?

Speaker 5: 5:45

You're seeing that because of, because the meat processing plants are being taken offline. And that is because, um, not because of, you know, because of there's a problem inherent to the meat processing plant. It's because of worker. And I think that that's one of the most important things that's been a problem in the youth us meat industry for decades. Um, but the reason that meat processing plants are being taken offline is because of higher rates of, uh, of illness or even seeing death. Because of 19, almost 15,000 meat workers had been infected with coronavirus in meat packing facilities across the United States. And that's across 31 States. So this is a nationwide problem. We've known about this for several weeks. Uh, hundreds of cases, uh, in, in the panhandle in Texas. So it's because meat worker illness at meat packing plants is taking those offline and then, um, just back up one a few steps from there. And farmers who raised animals to send to those facilities are no longer able to send them there.

Speaker 2: 6:41

I mean, obviously you couldn't see this exact situation coming, but could you see the danger, uh, over the last 20 years of increased concentration of farms? I mean, America's poultry market for instance. Uh, you can correct me if I'm wrong. I believe it's controlled by just four companies. Is that a good thing?

Speaker 5: 6:59

Um, yeah. Not only that, but I believe, um, 90% of chickens, uh, uh, raised in the United States are, are part of virtual vertical integration. Meaning that the farmers that raise them don't actually own them. Uh, they don't sell them. They raise them to sell them to other processors. I think that's an example of what you're talking about. Um, what we're seeing in the United States is, is that we have an incredibly efficient food system, but that efficiency has come at the cost of flexibility so that when you have disruptions like the ones we're seeing today, producers are unable to pivot, um, uh, to, to, to shift their products to other markets. So for example, um, you have farmers and ranchers raising their product to sell to a very specific consumer. So that consumer might be a specific restaurant or specific type of restaurant. When that restaurant no longer, um, can, can take in an order, those producers are not able to pivot so they can sell the product to a different, um, to a different consumer like to grocery stores. And that's because, um, you have different packaging needs at different outlets. Um, it's because you have different labeling needs at different outlets. Um, for example, if you are raising a, a particular prime cut of beef, um, that a restaurant can no longer take, the producer is unable to grind that beef to send it to a grocery store. Um, you just simply have very, very specialized supply chains that are unable to, that are again, very, very efficient but unable to, to, um, but that are in an inflexible,

Speaker 2: 8:22

is this a disruption of bump on the road or are we in a spiral of the food supply chain?

Speaker 5: 8:29

I think that we're not out of the woods yet. Um, I think that things will start to get better slowly. We're seeing hunger unprecedented in modern times, the United States alongside images of mass food loss and waste. Um, I think that the public is aware of this crisis in a way that they haven't been recently. Um, and um, and so I, I'd be surprised if we don't take a hard look at our food systems that things don't change after this, particularly regarding worker health.

Speaker 2: 8:56

I mean, a lot of people, when they think of hunger, think of third world, they do not think of America.

Speaker 5: 9:02

Yeah. Um, so we're, we're seeing, um, shocking rates of hunger here. It's not because there's not enough food available. It's because destructions all across the system and it's also because of the economic downturn generally. And that's the one of the main reasons for food insecurity in the United States and worldwide. Well, you have an economic downturn. Um, and our, the fed chair Jerome Powell said that this downturn, um, the scope and speed of this downturn or without modern precedent, and so of course you're going to see food insecurity without precedent. One of the most shocking statistics that came out of a study that was released last week by the Brookings institution found that, um, in one in five households where, um, where their children 12 and under and one in five, um, the children were experiencing food insecurity and the researchers concluded that young children are experiencing food insecurity to an extent, unprecedented in modern times,

Speaker 2: 9:56

uh, around the world. It must be much worse than that depending on where you are

Speaker 5: 10:00

exactly, depending on where you are. Um, before the pandemic, there are a couple indicators. We had 820 million people around 820 million who were chronically undernourished. So that, that, that's a very high baseline to start with before the pandemic. Um, that was a, um, an estimate by the UN food and agricultural organization and some others. Um, the UN world food program had estimated before the pandemic that in addition there were about 130 million people who are at risk of sudden shocks to food to food security. So at risk of just for different reasons being thrown into food insecurity. That was before the pandemic.

Speaker 2: 10:37

Now you and I have another statistic, the UN estimates economic fallout from covert 19 could see the number of people suffering from acute hunger doubled to over 265 million this year. Does that kind of jive with what you've heard?

Speaker 5: 10:49

It does. That's exactly where I was going. So before the pandemic, they, they estimate 130 million and then they, because of the pandemic, they estimate that the number of people that could be thrown into food insecurity could double the two 65 million acute food insecurity just because of sudden shocks. Um, and uh, yeah, related to the pandemic.

Speaker 2: 11:05

And all of this is internationally now tied together, right? It's not that you domestically produce food and sell domestically. Often Ukrainian wheat for instance, milled to flour in Turkey turned to noodles in China. I mean a lot of the food supplies link,

Speaker 5: 11:22

absolutely global trade is, uh, is essential to food security for countries around the world. United States for example, we rely on imports to meet about 15% of our domestic food needs. That that proportion is much higher in developing countries where their agriculture sectors are not as, uh, not, not as advanced. Um, so, uh, so developing countries are much more susceptible to, um, to, to shocks and global trade. What we're seeing right now is about 15 countries have limited exports of their own food so that they can, they can, they can in an effort to meet their own domestic food needs. Um, policy analyses show that those aren't, aren't actually very, are, are not effective measures. Um, but what we're hoping is that that number does not rise and that it actually decreases.

Speaker 2: 12:07

That's, that's becomes a very serious situation. If you have countries saying, we're not going to export food, we're going to keep it for domestic consumption. In a crisis.

Speaker 5: 12:15

It absolutely does. Um, the last time that there was a major global food crisis was about 12 years ago, is 2007 and 2008 and at that time about 33 countries put export restrictions in place. And that, um, the effect of that was that it, um, it increased, it increased food prices such that it through, um, about 40 million more people into food insecurity because of those export restrictions. Uh, at that time, about about 12 years ago, 2007, 2008, there were about 45 countries that experienced riots worldwide. Um, some of which led to, to, um, to political change again, right now in the United States and worldwide, the crisis is not because there's not enough food available, but it's because of shocks across the system for all the things that we're mentioning for food processing, sales, um, economic downturn, reducing individual's ability to purchase food, et cetera.

Speaker 2: 13:02

Caitlin, great to talk to you. Thanks so much. All right. Steve Groff joins me now from South Eastern Pennsylvania. He is a farmer. He has tomatoes and spaghetti squash and other things. But he also, and probably more importantly for us lectures on farming, he's been all over the world. He's written a book called the future proof farm. And Steve, I think you may have to rewrite it after COBIT 19.

Speaker 6: 13:31

Well, you know, it's kinda timely in a way. When I wrote this book, I had no idea that Cobra 19 was coming on, but the Futureproof farm has to do with how we grow our food. And a big component of it is trying to think about things using the nutrient density or the nutrients and vitamins they're actually in our food and that occurs the way we grow it. And uh, so actually the book is very timely, but as you said, Dana, I uh, I am thinking about writing a follow up here at some

Speaker 2: 14:01

farmers were saying it's a bloodbath in terms of food production. I mean, really all over the world people are facing incredible challenges. But in the wake of COBIT 19 America, which has a $100 billion farm economy, it's got some deep trouble.

Speaker 6: 14:16

Well, there's some chinks in the armor. Have been come to light because of COBIT 19, and it's all because of our Justin time food supply system. And uh, because of the workers, it's actually the human component of that. And that's what we heard all about the meat shortages. It's because there are humans, there are people that need to be in the processing factories to be able to do that. So obviously that creates some challenges. Either the people get sick or they're afraid to come to work and you just can't, uh, do your, just the assembly line when you have people missing. And

Speaker 2: 14:52

I going to adjust. What does it mean just in time food supply?

Speaker 6: 14:57

Um, let's just take vegetables for example. You, we grow the vegetables and they're ripe during a certain period of time. Their, their shelf life is very small. And uh, so you harvest them the, the, you know, a few days before they're right. And then they have to be processed and packaged. That takes human effort in almost all cases. And then they get delivered to the stores. So from the time a product is harvested, so it gets to the stores is a matter of days. And then if you have a in the middle of that, if you have a section of that or that doesn't, um, allow for humans who will say in this case to do the processing, but then it's either ceased or stopped and then by that time the tomatoes may rot because they don't stay for three or four weeks. And so then we don't have them. And that's part of it. The other aspect is food service, restaurants, schools, um, businesses even is 50% of the use of food. And the way food is directed for food service is different than it is to grocery stores. It's different packaging, different sizes, even different varieties. I grow specific varieties, a butternut squash for grocery stores and other varieties of butternut squash for restaurant.

Speaker 2: 16:13

Okay, well let's, let's just stop there for a second. Because restaurants, you're saying that's 50%. I mean that market just collapsed.

Speaker 6: 16:21

It did, it did. So you would, you know, you would think, well, okay, people have to eat so you can automatically just switch to food instead of going to a restaurant. It just goes to a grocery store. Well, it's not that simple because as I said, packaging and sizes and a whole host of things, there's a few things that can go to both, uh, end users, but not a lot. And that's,

Speaker 2: 16:44

so that's where, that's why we see, that's why we see in that system a farmer saying that they have to plow these crops under, which, I mean it's horrendous given the fact that there are food shortages.

Speaker 6: 16:58

It is. And, and it's all because of between the farmer and the end user. That's the problem.

Speaker 2: 17:06

So what, how should that change? I mean, is this a wake up call? Is there something positive that comes out of this?

Speaker 6: 17:13

Yes. Um, there certainly is. And I think moving forward we're going to have to consider more of the direct marketing, the farmers to sell more directly to consumers. And I would encourage consumers to seek out farmers who are able to sell directly. And I'm a small farmer myself. So, uh, any time that I can be more direct to consumer, that may even put a bigger share of the dollar will say Hey into, into my pocket and people can get it more, uh, more directly as well. So I think, uh, the uptick in interest of locally grown, for instance, I think we'll continue. That's not going to serve all our food needs and that's not the point. The point is we need to be aware of some of these safeguards and we probably need to put you putting in place here and going more direct to the farmers is definitely one of those safe parts.

Speaker 2: 18:05

Do you think the federal government saying things like they want to stop food at the border, they want to keep it inside the United States is a good thing or is that kind of protectionism a dangerous thing?

Speaker 6: 18:17

I, you know, it's a two way street. Um, as we've always said for a while it's a, it's a small world out there and I guess like it or not, you know, we do need to reply. We needed to do you need to re re um, rely on some other nations that are closed. But that being said, I think this, uh, Cobra 19 has also brought up the fact that we do need a, you know, don't outsource too much. Uh, I guess so. I would be a big proponent of doing as local as possible. And that means even from a national perspective, uh, we can grow plenty of food. It's that it's not a food shortage as far as growing it. It's the system that is not serving us well right now.

Speaker 2: 19:00

My mother originally came from Western Canada, from Saskatchewan and I've been up there where they were huge wheat farming and I know, um, I mean I grew up on a, I grew up on a cow farm, but I know from the wheat farmers that you just don't plant a crop one year in advance. I mean, you were doing rotation crop crops and you were planning far into the future, you know, at least three years anyway. When you're doing farm leases. What does this suddenly do to everyone? How does a farmer plan now for next year? They must put everybody upside down and, and, and, and how does that translate into the food chain?

Speaker 6: 19:37

Yeah, I think, uh, we're all thinking about that. Um, my son and I who farms on my plans, my son farms with me here, we've been discussing that uh, here right now, right now short term and we are actually trying to have focus more on the grocery stores and we're actually changing up some varieties here at the last minute cause we still have time to do that. Our planning system or planting window has not closed yet. So we're trying to adjust like for the near term, which the near term for us is three or four months. Uh, but as we move forward there's still so many all Nunes out there of now. Now it's not so much of how steep is the curve going to be. I think we've flattened the curve, if you will. Now it's how will the reopening work, how is the timeline and what will come out of this? Obviously there's political influences at play right now that we feel like it's hard to have any control over. So it's more of a day to day thing or week to week thing. Now, Dana, as we move forward,

Speaker 2: 20:39

I'm not going to hit the consumer or is it going to hit the consumer? Well, I'm going to see it on the grocery shelves.

Speaker 6: 20:45

I think we will in form or fashion. I just saw this morning that there was some restaurants that opened up, they're putting a Qubit 19 surcharge on the bottom of their bill and it was like, of course the customers aren't too thrilled about that. And I have myself, I'm thinking, wow, that's, I don't think that's gonna fly, but it'll probably, um, I guarantee you the price of food is not going down. Uh,

Speaker 2: 21:09

are we going to have enough? Are we gonna have enough?

Speaker 6: 21:13

I, I think we will. That to me, I'm not afraid of, uh, uh, we can grow the, we can grow the product. Uh, there, there could be some labor shortage is actually, I'm, I'm suffering that a little bit now and getting my, my labor, I think I'll be getting it on time for June, July and August when I'm busiest, but they're not here yet. And, um, it is, it is, it is a somewhat of a challenge and that end of it, but I'm not too concerned about a shortage of food. I'm concerned more about the supply chain and how that's going to work out.

Speaker 2: 21:46

When you say they're not here yet, who are they, where are they coming from and will they come?

Speaker 6: 21:52

Right. So I use the uh, United States H to H program, which is the legal way to bring in, um, foreign workers. I've been doing that for the last 16 years, I guess now. It's worked very well.

Speaker 2: 22:06

Are they coming from outside the U S

Speaker 6: 22:08

yes, the ones I am getting are from the country of Thailand. So, uh, they are right now there's being delayed because the embassy was shut down where they need to get their visas. So we're waiting for that. Um, but it hasn't impacted me dramatically that yet, but it will, uh, if, if there's further delays, so

Speaker 2: 22:27

where are they going to sleep? You, you obviously have housing there for them. How many do you have in a room and it must change all of that.

Speaker 6: 22:34

Yeah. Yeah. We have a, we have housing here and we have gotten some of the updated requirements of that. And um, to this point, it's something I believe we can handle. I guess I'm always aware that things change weekly here and this is more of a political thing. The department of labor sets those standards and so forth. So we're going to kind of have to roll with it. And I would just say if, um, if regulations come on us that are onerous that just force us to increase our costs or whatever that means, you know, it's going to have to be passed on.

Speaker 2: 23:07

And I guess when they talk about people going hungry, even if you have farmers that have product, if prices increase, there are a lot of people that unfortunately will not be able to afford this stuff. And a lot of it doesn't get the food banks.

Speaker 6: 23:21

I have been involved with food banks anyway, so I kind of have that channel already open. I don't really expect, yeah, thank you. But I don't expect a high, I'm just super high, you know, double the price of food. I don't expect that. But I don't expect some prices to come up on the retail side, on the farmer side. You know, we just don't know. I think, like you said, grain farmers right now, it's, it's not good. It's not looking good. The futures are not good. There's so many uncertainties out there that we just don't know. You know what's going to happen until the end of this year. And in the next,

Speaker 2: 23:58

Steve Groff, the author of a book called the future proof farm, uh, which, which is getting to be very difficult to future proof yourself in this situation. Thank you so much.

Speaker 6: 24:10

Yeah, you're welcome, Dana. My pleasure.

Speaker 2: 24:12

The food crisis has already spilled over into kitchens. A recent poll in Britain shows over half the people are valuing food more with 48% say they're throwing away less food of those wasting less people say they're planning meals more carefully and they're getting a lot better at using leftovers. Shopping habits have shifted to a quarter of the people surveyed say they're getting better at buying quality food is they're not going out and spending money on other things. While more than a third of the people are supporting smaller local business more than ever before, and a further 42% say they're not buying takeaways because money is tight. That's another edition of backstory. Please share our Lincoln substance

Speaker 3: 24:55

drive to the podcast feed. I'm Dana Lewis. Thanks for listening to backstory.

Speaker 7: 25:23

[inaudible].

All content © 2020 BACK STORY with DANA LEWIS .

[3laalhuda]

Pandemic

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.

Galileo Galilei

We live in amazing times! The world is put into quarantine, and fear and panic are being actively instilled into every mind through mass media and government activities. Yet, every person with a scientific background is scratching their head in bewilderment, because the cause of this 'pandemic' (the coronavirus) cannot be a real threat to humanity. In fact, it is not strong enough to be of any threat. Most deaths, assigned to this virus, are dubious to say the least: these are largely elderly people, who were ready to die anyway from a pre-existing chronic health condition, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune illness. Many (if not the majority) of these people did not have any specific tests proving that they died from coronavirus; it was simply assumed that they died from this virus based on their symptoms. It is quite common for a gravely ill person to finally succumb to a common cold, flu or pneumonia, because their immune system is not working well and the body is naturally winding down. Everybody dies eventually, death is a fact of life, and there is a typical daily death toll around the world, fluctuating up and down with seasons. If one took all deaths, that happened in a particular hospital in one month, and blamed them all on a virus, then we can 'create' any pandemic.

What about young people and children? Healthy people without chronic health problems, if infected with coronavirus, have either no symptoms at all or go through ordinary symptoms of a common cold. Unfortunately, many young and middle-aged people in the modern world live on processed and low-fat foods, which undermine their immune systems. That is why we have some statistics of younger and middle- aged people getting seriously ill, because these people damage their health daily by their food choices. But these statistics to not amount to anything out of the ordinary; they are the same as any statistic of people dying every winter from common colds and flu. When it comes to older people, apart from poor diet, there is another factor to remember: majority of them are taking statin drugs to reduce their blood cholesterol levels. Statins make human immune system disabled, so it cannot deal with any infection properly.

Testing for viruses is expensive and not common. It is not clear what tests have been used in all the claims of 'coronavirus deaths', so we cannot say with absolute certainty what exactly caused those deaths. But, leaving all that aside, the numbers of people getting seriously ill or even dying do not justify the worldwide panic and hysteria we all find ourselves in the midst of. It is completely out of proportion! Has the whole world lost its sanity? The fear is palpable everywhere, particularly in any mass media outlet.

History shows that the biggest enemy of humanity is not a virus, or a bacterium, or any other microbe. Our biggest enemy is FEAR! Fear destroys our immune system, creates chronic illnesses in the body, destroys our relationships with other people and scares us away from Mother Nature. In short: fear destroys our lives! This 'pandemic' is one of the biggest exercises in mass fear whipped up in recent times, and it is bewildering just how successful it is!

There is no such thing as free media, all media is tightly controlled by those in power. Try to put yourself in their position: if you were in charge of a large population of people and you wanted them to behave a certain way, wouldn't you control media first and foremost? Of course, you would! Ruling people is impossible without controlling their minds. Every king, every emperor, every dictator and every government, worth their salt, have known this for millennia. The real facts about coronavirus are completely out of proportion with the mass hysteria, the pandemic of panic and fear created by the world media. Who is ordering the media to do this? Why are they doing this? What is the real agenda behind the coronavirus? These are the questions many people are asking.

Perhaps it is time for us to re-read Harry Potter by J. K. Rolling. If you only watched the films, please read the books, as films can never give full justice to the books. If reading is not to your liking, I invite you to listen to the audiobooks, recorded beautifully by a British actor Stephen Fry. J. K. Rolling has given a good description of what mass fear does to humans. The whole 'coronavirus pandemic' looks like a smoke screen. What real action is happening behind that screen, something we are not supposed to know? There are many opinions and conspiracy theories flying around, proposing different scenarios for that real action. Is there a 'you know who' or 'Voldemort' there, busy with his evil plans? Perhaps, there are several Voldemorts with their entourage of 'death eaters'? What are they up to? It may become clear at some point, but at the moment there is something more important for us to understand. Albert Einstein has observed with great sadness what was happening in Germany during the second world war. The atrocities of that war demonstrated clearly what frightened humans are capable off, and how easily they are manipulated. He summed it up with a phrase, that has become a famous quote: 'He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.' Let us start thinking for ourselves, as the real truth always exists at grass roots, in the 'humble reasoning of a single individual'. 'Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.' - states another quote by Albert Einstein. Perhaps, it is time for us to stop obeying blindly and to start using our minds and our hearts? And, perhaps, we should teach our children to do the same?

So, what should we do at this bewildering time? Here is what I suggest.

Stop eating foods which destroy your immune system! These foods are: breakfast cereals, conventional bread, sugar, pasta, everything else made from flour and sugar, vegetable oils and everything cooked with them, Western soy products, all soft drinks and beer, all processed 'foods' and snacks, butter replacements, margarine and all low-fat 'foods', all pre-prepared and take away meals, all food additives and E-numbers. Instead, eat fresh eggs cooked in animal fat, bacon, fatty meats, oily fish, freshly prepared vegetables, liver pate and liver cooked any other way, other organs of animals (kidneys, tongue, tripe, lungs, brains). Make meat stock at home from gelatinous meats (feet, necks, heads, offcuts, skin, bones, joints, tails and other less-expensive parts of animals and birds). Make soups with this stock and eat all the meats on the bone, including the bone marrow. Make kefir, yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese from raw organic milk. Eat plenty of raw organic butter and sour cream. If you cannot get raw milk, buy high-fat traditional cheeses, sour cream and natural butter. Make sure that every meal is rich in animal fats (beef, pork, lamb, duck, goose, chicken fat, butter and ghee). Eat fermented foods. Cook your food at home from fresh ingredients. These foods will keep your immune system so powerful and robust, that you will be able to forget about any infection and enjoy your life.

Stop washing your hands with antiseptic and sterilising lotions and potions! You are damaging your bodily microbial community, which is your most fateful ally against any infection! Instead get some soil on your hands! Dig up that useless lawn in front of your house and start growing vegetables and medicinal herbs. Lawns have become important contributors to the damage we, humans, are doing to our planet. Start taking part in reversing that damage! Get in contact with animals: cats, dogs, horses, cows, goats, etc. They are wonderful at maintaining a strong immune system in us, humans. And they are wonderful at taking us out of fear and into love!

Stop wearing a mask! It is not protecting you from anything! In fact, it is accumulating large amounts of microbes and creating a perfect moist environment for them to proliferate. Pathogenic microbes, growing on your mask, produce toxic gases, which you are breathing in. instead, spend more time outside in the sunshine, working in your garden. The beautiful spring has started! It is time to plant, to create new life. If you live in a city, get up to the rooftop of your building and create a roof top garden. There is plenty of know-how for creating such gardens (online and in books). Working outside with soil and plants will lift your spirit, strengthen your immunity, fill your blood with oxygen (which destroys any infection) and fill you with love instead of fear. And it will make your nose, sinuses and throat produce lots of virus-destroying mucous. Keep blowing your nose and clearing your throat, while working in the garden. Through mucous production your upper breathing passages clean themselves up (removing toxins, pollution and microbes), making you much healthier in the process.

Stop hiding indoors!The quarantine, imposed upon us, has given us a perfect opportunity to commune with soil, sunshine, fresh outside air and other humans in our households. Communing and sharing with other human beings is the biggest privilege of our lives! In 'normal' times we often don't have time for this privilege, because we are too busy working, earning, etc. Working together in the fresh air and in the sunlight with your loved ones is a joy! They are not going to infect you with anything dangerous. Instead, infect each other with laughter, enthusiasm, positivity and sense of humour!

And finally, do not allow fear into your life! Fear is nobody's friend! Instead, fill your life with kindness, gratitude and love. Just look at Nature: the infinite perfection of every leaf, every blade of grass, every hair on your cat, every feather on a bird and everything in a human body could only have been created out of energy of Love.

Become a carrier of this energy, an agent of this energy for yourself and everyone around you, and your life will transform! Where Love rules, there can be no fear, no hysteria and no panic pandemic.

Legal disclaimer: this blog is not a call for civil disobedience. I have expressed my personal opinion in this text, and invite the reader to think for themselves.

Find out more about the GAPS book and where to buy it

Find out more about the Heart book and where to buy it

Find out more about the GAPS Stories book and where to buy it

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Latest from the blog...

The Panic Pandemic

[sosayset]

Better than Tofu

Growing up, my parents had one rule for my sister and myself when it came to dinner; you didn’t have to like everything that was served, but you had to at least try it first.  Because of this, I think our family, as a whole, enjoys a wide array of different foods and are pretty open to new ones, too.  So rewind to last week.  The place where I work announced we would be adding the Beyond Burger patty to our menu as an option for our burgers.  If you’re not familiar, Beyond Burger is a product that boasts a ground beef flavored patty made entirely from plant products.  And that is how it’s marketed.  You will get a real burger flavor from plants. 

Veggie burgers are one thing because they are NOTHING like a ground beef patty, but that is and was a bold claim, so I was actually excited to try it for myself and put it to the test.  At the very least, it had to be a step up from tofu, because, well, almost anything would have to be.  So when it went live on our menu and in our kitchen the other day, I placed my order and had the team make my Beyond Burger.  And as the highly influential individual I am </sarcasm>, I decided to report back my thoughts and opinions. 

Our kitchen staff had already tried it prior to my order, and let me know their thoughts.  More importantly, though, they did do is show me the ingredients.  Full disclosure, if you’re going to get something to taste like something it’s not, it will require a lot of...chemistry, for lack of a better term.  Yes, every ingredient was plant based, but there are a lot of extracts of this, and oils of that and the like.  In our conversation, one of them suggested his own concerns over the processes used to obtain specific extracts and the like.  I am less skeptical about that sort of thing, especially in regards to its health concerns, but others are.  So while the process of creating a chicken nugget regularly served in fast food establishments is wholly unappetizing to watch, in fairness, getting plants to taste like beef might be similar. 

However, that wasn’t a deterrent for me, and honestly, if you have eaten a chicken nugget from anywhere, it shouldn’t be for you, either.  Now, I know this is a product that is primarily targeted to the vegetarian and vegan communities, but I am neither.  That said, if you’re going to convince me this is like a real burger, I’m ordering it the way I would any other.  Bacon made an appearance as did cheese.  Sorry, but you should try to eliminate as many variables as possible when it comes to scientific research and product comparisons.

So, how did it do?  Very well, actually.  Now understand that my grandfather was a butcher and often had choice meats for my mom growing up, my parents are very good cooks, as am I, and I work with a kitchen full of outstanding and talented chefs who have access to high quality food, so I’m not someone who is regularly eating fast food burgers or the like.  So when I say that I knew immediately it wasn’t beef, that’s not a harsh criticism.  It would be foolish for someone to suggest that someone couldn’t or wouldn’t know the difference, in my opinion.  While some might not be able to tell, I think a lot would.  If you can tell the difference between a piece of ham and a piece of Spam, you should know the difference between these burgers.  All that said, this did taste very similar to beef.  And it did so things that are sometimes unappealing about beef, such as excess grease. 

The cooks mentioned, and I tend to agree, that the aftertaste was the real giveaway, though.  If you were enjoying a soda with your burger (I actually have been on a soda water kick recently and have changed my two daily pitchers of water to soda water) and burped, you would know conclusively you did not just eat a burger made of ground beef.  If that’s a deal breaker for anyone, so be it, but I’m skeptical that it would. 

Now, I myself am not likely to ever go to a completely vegan or vegetarian diet, and I am not going dive into that debate even slightly, however, this sort of option being available, these sort of products becoming more and more readily available are a good thing, especially if and when they are sold as an alternative, not a specialty item at a higher cost (our burger patties cost the same weather it’s plant based or real ground beef) is a good thing.  For anyone who simply wants to consume less meat regularly, items like this provide an alternative that proves it can actually taste good, or at the very least, familiar to what they already know.  And it is an option for those people who are vegetarian or vegan, as well. 

If you’re looking for a TL;DR summation of everything, I think it occurred to me at the grocery store as I passed by the seafood section.  The Beyond Beef patty is like the artificial crab meat that’s sold.  Anyone who has had real crab knows the moment they taste the artificial stuff that it is not real.  But the artificial crab meat does taste similar, and that seems to be the goal.  In fact, I would be willing to bet that the sausage links that are also offered by Beyond Burger (which we currently do not have as a menu option) would likely rival any hot dog or most other meat links on the market since most of that flavor comes from the spices and seasoning used.  And given this experience, I think those might actually be able to fool someone into believing they were eating meat. 

In any case, those are my thoughts, and I’ll finish with one last one.  I’m not saying everyone will like it, but I do think everyone should at least try it, at least once.  It is better than tofu. 

[ronaldbryson121]

A Tale of Two Cows Do you REALLY know where your beef stick is coming from?

THIS IS WHAT A HERD OF COMFORTABLE, STRESS-FREE, "GRASS-FINISHED" COWS LOOKS LIKE.

I'LL GET INTO WHAT "GRASS-FINISHED" IS A LITTLE LATER. In like way, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S DIFFERENT THAN GRASS-FED.

Everything considered - I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THAT MAN ABOVE.

JOEL SALATIN, CO-OWNER OF POLYFACE FARMS, IS A WORLD RENOWNED EXPERT ON GRASS-BASED FARMING AND ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTION.

HIS FARM HAS BEEN FEATURED IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, BEST-SELLING BOOKS SUCH AS THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA AND AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY FOOD INC.

In like way, HE'S A RECIPIENT OF THE PRESTIGIOUS HEINZ AWARD IN THE AREA OF ENVIRONMENT.

SO I THINK YOU'LL FEEL SAFE KNOWING THAT OUR BEEF STICKS ONLY COME FROM JOEL'S POLYFACE FARMS.

WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INSIDE OUR PRODUCTS IS REAL GRASS-FED BEEF. On an inconceivably guaranteed level, BEFORE I TELL YOU WHY THE GRASS-FED BEEF INSIDE YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET MAY BE MISLEADING…

See THIS PICTURE.

THIS IS A PICTURE OF "INDUSTRIALIZED COWS". Or on the other hand certainly unquestionably obviously if all else fails ALSO KNOWN AS THE MAJORITY OF THE BEEF YOU SEE AT SUPERMARKETS.

In like way, WHAT THEY'RE EATING FROM IS CALLED IS A FEEDLOT. WHERE THEY'RE GIVEN A DIET OF CORN, ANTIBIOTICS, AND GRAINS…

...A spot of the time MIXED IN WITH CHICKEN MANURE AND FEATHERS.

THE POINT IS TO FATTEN THE COW UP IN RECORD SPEED SO THE FACTORY FARMS CAN SELL MORE MEAT AND MAKE HIGHER PROFITS.

In like way, THAT SAME INDUSTRIALIZED BEEF...FED THAT SAME UNNATURAL COCKTAIL OF A FEEDLOT DIET…

IS WHAT YOU'LL GET IN MOST OTHER BEEF STICK PRODUCTS.

Everything considered, NEVER OURS. WE STAY TRUE TO OUR BELIEFS.

In like way, YOU'RE ONLY GETTING NATURALLY RAISED "Plate of blended greens BAR" BEEF FROM OUR PRODUCTS.

THIS MEANS OUR COWS ARE RAISED ON A DIET OF NATURALLY GROWING PLANTS AND GRASSES FOUND IN OUR FIELDS.

SEND ME AN ORDER OF GRASS-FED BEEF STICKS!

YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU EAT…

YOU ARE ACTUALLY WHAT YOUR FOOD ATE.

THIS IS ALREADY PROVEN IN THE NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN BETWEEN GRAIN-FED BEEF AND GRASS-FED BEEF.

GRASS-FED BEEF HAS WAY MORE VITAMIN An AND VITAMIN E.

Supplement An AND E HELPS PREVENT YOU FROM GETTING SICK AND IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR EYESIGHT.

Not simply THAT, GRASS-FED BEEF CONTAINS MORE OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS.

OMEGA-3S ARE IMPORTANT TO HELP PREVENT HEART DISEASE AND LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE.

Everything considered, THERE IS SOMETHING YOU GET MORE OF WITH GRAIN-FED FACTORY FARM BEEF…

Minute living animals.

Creatures AREN'T MEANT TO BE TRAPPED AND CONFINED IN A TIGHT ENCLOSURE. THEY NEED TO BE ROAMING FREELY.

Everything considered, WHEN YOU LOCK UP AN ANIMAL IN A "Mechanical office PRISON", IT CAUSES A HIGH PRODUCTION OF THE STRESS HORMONE, CORTISOL.

CORTISOL CAUSES DISEASE IN COWS. In like way, THAT'S WHY FEEDLOT DIETS HAVE A SUPPLEMENT OF ANTIBIOTICS TO HELP FIGHT OFF THE BACTERIA.

THE STRESS TRANSFERS INTO THE MEAT OF THE COW. Concentrated on COW MEAT SPOIL A LOT FASTER AND YOU CAN ALMOST "TASTE" IT.

In any case, OUR BEEF FROM POLYFACE FARMS COMES FROM HAPPY, HEALTHY COWS.

THE ONLY DIET THEY'RE GIVEN IS THE NATURAL PLANTS AND GRASS THAT GROW ON THE LAND. In like manner, WE MOVE THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY TO A NEW PASTURE - SO THEY ARE NEVER IN THE SAME EXACT PLACE.

THIS GIVES THEM A FIELD OF NEW FRESH FOOD AND A NEW AREA FOR THEM TO ROAM AROUND FREELY.

Not simply THAT, JOEL CREATED MAKESHIFT SHADES FOR THE COWS TO COOL OFF IF IT'S GETTING TOO HOT.

Vivacious COWS MAKE HEALTHIER BEEF.

Plainly, THIS NATURAL WAY TO RAISING COWS ISN'T AS "Mammoth" AS FACTORY FARMS. Regardless, IN THE LONG RUN, IT'S HEALTHIER FOR THE LAND, THE ANIMALS, AND YOU THE CONSUMER.

SEND ME AN ORDER OF GRASS-FED BEEF STICKS!

IS THE GRASS-FED BEEF REALLY GRASS-FED?

THE "GRASS-FED" LABEL CAN BE DECEIVING.

TO BE GRASS-FED - ONLY MEANS THAT THE COWS ARE STARTED ON A GRASS DIET. THIS MEANS THE COWS CAN RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL GRAIN-SUPPLEMENTED DIET OR END WITH A FULL-GRAIN BASED DIET...AND STILL RECEIVE THE "GRASS-FED" LABEL.

IN FACT, THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE AMONG GRASS-FED BEEF PRODUCTION.

MANY GRASS-FED COWS DURING THEIR LAST FEW MONTHS ARE SENT TO THE FEEDLOT TO FATTEN UP ON GRAINS.

THIS LETS THE FOOD PRODUCER JUSTIFY SLAPPING A "GRASS-FED" LABEL ON THE PACKAGE.

In any case, THE COWS THAT ARE RAISED BY JOEL AT POLYFACE FARMS ARE GRASS-FINISHED.

THIS MEANS THEY ONLY EAT GRASS AND PLANTS THEIR ENTIRE LIVES. THEY START WITH GRASS AND END WITH GRASS.

NO FEEDLOTS. NO GRAIN. NO CORN. NO SOY.

THIS ENSURES THE BEEF WE PRODUCE HAS THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF VITAMINS AND HIGHEST QUALITY TASTE.

THAT IS THE STANDARD OF OUR BRAND. TO BE GRASS-FED AND GRASS-FINISHED.

SEND ME A BOX OF GRASS-FED BEEF STICKS!

OLD-FASHIONALLY RAISED AND PRODUCED

Not only ARE THE COWS RAISED THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY, WE ALSO PRODUCE THE BEEF STICKS USING AN OLD-FASHIONED PROCESS.

THIS "CULTURE PROCESS" IS SIMILAR TO THE METHOD USED TO CONVERT MILK TO YOGURT. BY PRODUCING THE BEEF STICKS USING THIS METHOD, WE GUARANTEE THE HIGHEST QUALITY IN TASTE.

Other than BY USING THIS PROCESS WE ARE ABLE TO KILL ANY BACTERIA. THIS MAKES SURE OUR PRODUCT HAS A LONG-SHELF LIFE AND DOESN'T SPOIL BEFORE YOU GET TO ENJOY IT.

Before long YOU MIGHT'VE GUESSED THAT SLOWER IS USUALLY BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD PRODUCTION.

THIS PROCESS WE USE TO MAKE THE BEEF STICKS IS EXTREMELY SLOW COMPARED TO HOW OTHER UNNATURAL BEEF STICKS ARE MADE.

THAT'S HOW WE DO IT. A little piece at some optional moment RAISED BEEF AND SLOWLY PRODUCED BEEF STICKS.

In any case, BY BEING SLOW WE END UP WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY PRODUCT POSSIBLE.

I'M READY TO ORDER A BOX OF GRASS-FED BEEF STICKS!

Not under any condition like OTHER COMPANIES WE ARE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH OUR ENTIRE PROCESS.

YOU AS A CONSUMER SHOULD KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD IS COMING FROM.

In like manner, WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF OTHER COMPANIES COPYING OUR PROCESS. If all else fails, WE HOPE THEY COPY THE WAY WE RAISE OUR COWS AND PRODUCE OUR PRODUCTS.

Since OUR PROCESS IS BETTER FOR THE LAND AND THE EARTH. JOEL'S MODEL IS ELIMINATING THE ABUNDANCE OF CARBON EMITTED INTO OUR AIR.

WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE SCIENTIFIC DETAILS OF OUR PROCESS...LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT JOEL'S MODEL HAS ON THE EARTH…

JOEL SAYS IF EVERY CATTLE OPERATION IN AMERICA COPIED HIS MODEL OF RAISING COWS…

IN FEWER THAN 10 YEARS, WE COULD TAKE AWAY ALL THE CARBON THAT'S BEEN EMITTED INTO THE AIR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.

SO NOW YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR BEEF STICKS ARE COMING FROM AND HOW IT'S MADE.

THE ONLY THING LEFT TO DO IS…

Structures A BOX FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO ENJOY!

Website:https://farmersbox.com/A3086930

[justanoutlawfic]

Crash: Chapt. 2 [5 Years Later]

Story Summary: Regina Mills is finally allowing herself to be happy after 5 years of sobriety. When she finds love for the first time since her divorce, she's over the moon...until her past comes back to haunt her.

Chapter Summary: 5 years sober and with her ex moving on, Regina decides to make a change.

Also on AO3

5 years sober.

 As Regina held the chip in her hand, it felt heavy. The first year had been hell, the second had been a breeze but she had nearly slipped up in the third. The following two had been what she would consider her new normal. She went to work every day, had her son for most of the month and when she went out with friends, she was the one that said to the waiter “I’ll stick with water, thanks.”

 She had graduated from therapy and only went if she felt like there was something she needed to talk about, but A.A meetings were still a weekly occurrence. She no longer just had a sponsor, but was one herself. Regina was so proud of Killian Jones. He had kicked the habit and had been able to get his daughter back from the system.

“To sobriety,” Killian said, lifting his water glass.

Regina smiled. “To sobriety.” She clinked hers with his. “One year. How does it feel?”

“Pretty damn good. The social worker will only be checking up on me for 6 more months.”

“I get how that is. Just remember, it’s not just for Alice. It’s for you too.”

“I know.” Killian smiled. “I appreciate you doing all of this for me, Regina. I know you’re busy.”

“When I started A.A, Mal was by my side day and night. Of course I’m going to do the same for you.”

 Killian had started drinking heavily after the death of a very close friend of his. He had a number of drunken one night stands that gave him Alice. He tried to clean up his act for her, but when she nearly drowned because he had spent the night drinking, she had been removed from his care. When Killian entered A.A, it had been court ordered but a year later, he knew it was for the best. He reminded Regina a lot of herself. Killian now had a job again, along with a place to live. Alice was more than happy to be reunited with her papa. She was so young, she’d most likely never remember the year they were forced to spend apart.

 “I’m having a BBQ this weekend, to celebrate,” he said. “I’m inviting some people from A.A, along with some of my old friends-the good ones. You should bring Henry.”

“I’d love to. Daniel’s dropping him off tonight, so we’ll be all set. I’m sure he’ll love to see Alice.”

“Still begging you for a baby sister of his own?”

Regina gently rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I’m leaving that to his dad for the moment.”

 After their lunch, Regina headed back home. She had sold the mansion she once shared with Daniel on Mifflin Street, it just didn’t feel the same anymore. Now she resided in a cozy three bedroom, with a nice backyard for Henry and garden for her. She had planted an apple tree her first night of A.A and she loved watching it grow along side of her. According to the books, she still had another year before it’d bear any fruit, but she was patient.

 A few hours later, the doorbell rang and Regina found Daniel and Henry on the other side. Her son had grown up so quickly, already standing tall at 11-years-old. He threw his arms around her and she squeezed him back just as tight.

 “Hey honey.” Regina kissed the top of his head. “How was your week with your dad?”

“Awesome. We went to so many museums and Dad got me a ton of new books.”

“Did you read all of them in one sitting?”

“I still had a few left.”

Regina laughed. “Say goodbye and then wash up for dinner.”

Henry quickly hugged his father. “Bye Dad. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Daniel nodded, kissing his cheek. “Alright, bud. Be good for your mom.”

 Henry dashed into the kitchen, leaving the two exes lingering in the doorway. 5 years ago, there would’ve been a lot of awkward tension, but Regina found it easy to smile around Daniel again. He had been true to his word. The morning after her accident, he had packed up then 6-year-old Henry and moved in with his mother. The divorce papers came a few months later and Daniel got full custody for the first year and a half, while Regina agreed that every other weekend visits would work best while she fought for her sobriety. Two years in, Daniel had agreed to 50/50 custody and things had worked out well. Not long after that, however, he got a job in Boston that would mean more money and better opportunity. After much discussion, it was decided that Henry would stay with his mother and have bi-weekend visitation with his father, switching holidays around. It had been a hard adjustment for all of them, but now it was second nature.

 Regina would be lying if she said she didn’t miss Daniel. She had thought that maybe if she showed she was getting sober that he’d stop the divorce, but the truth was, their marriage had been over long before the accident. After the first terrible incident, they had both pushed each other away. They’d always love each other, they’d always be each other’s firsts, but they simply weren’t meant to be. A part of recovery was acceptance and they had both reached that over the years.

 “So, I can meet you halfway next time?” Regina offered.

“Actually, I’ll be coming into town on Thursday to visit with my mom, so that’s not necessary.” He hesitated off Regina’s nod. “And I’ll um, I’ll be bringing Ariel with me.”

“Ariel?”

“We’ve been seeing each other for a while. I think it’s time for her to meet Henry.”

“Oh.”

“Regina…”

“No, Daniel, it’s only right. It’s been 5 years. I’m honestly surprised this is the first girl you’ve seriously dated since me.”

“Well, you’re a tough act to follow.”

Regina softly smiled. “Back at you.”

“Maybe it’s time you start seeing someone too. That guy you’ve been sponsoring?”

Regina couldn’t help but laugh. “Killian? Yeah, no. But…you may be right about moving on.”

“You deserve to be happy. No matter what happened, you know that now, don’t you?”

“Yeah. Tell me what time you want me to meet up with you and Ariel next weekend, okay? Have a safe trip back.”

 She shut the door once he walked off to his car and leaned against it, reflecting on his words. It had taken her a long time to accept what she had done. She hadn’t allowed herself to be happy for a long time, but maybe it was time. Regina had done her best to make up for her past, now it was time to do something for herself.

Robin stood back, watching Roland run around with the other kids. He hadn’t spent too much time at Killian’s house in the past year, but it was comforting to be back there. A part of him would always feel guilty for not spotting the problems that Killian was facing, but his friend had assured him that it wasn’t his fault. Between grieving Marian’s death and becoming a sudden single father to a then 2-year-old, it didn’t allow him to see much else outside his son. He always knew that Killian enjoyed drinking, but he hadn’t seen the big problem until Alice had been taken away by social services. He wished there had been more he could do for his friend, but in the end, all he could do was be supportive through his recovery.

 Now, things were better, for all of them. It had been 5 years since the accident and Robin had found his new normal. He was able to fall asleep at night, whether it be on his side of the bed or the one that Marian once slept on. He could say her name and not break down into tears. Robin could actually look into his son’s eyes and not want to sob because all he saw was Marian. He’d never forget her, but life had gotten easier. As his therapist had told him, that was what moving on was all about.

 A lot of their friends hadn’t stuck by Killian’s side after he had Alice taken away, so Robin found himself not knowing a lot of people at the BBQ. Most of them he figured were from his A.A meetings and there were a few neighbors there as well. He wasn’t used to being the odd man out and he knew he should socialize, but it was easier to just lean back sometimes.

 “Robin!” He looked up and saw Killian standing by the grill. “I’ve got to change Alice real quick, can you watch the burgers?”

“Of course.”

 Robin headed over and took his spot, spatula in hand. He watched the meat, flipping it every so often, watching it slowly turn from pink to brown.

 “Man, you trying to kill the cow all together?”

 He found himself eye to eye with a petite woman. She had raven black hair and deep brown eyes. She was wearing a gray dress with white polka dots, with a pair of bright red flats which added some color the ensemble. She had one eyebrow raised in almost mock teasing.

 “I’d just rather not eat beef tartar,” he shot back.

She rolled her eyes. “There’s a difference between raw and ruining a perfectly good hamburger.”

“You think you can do much better?”

“I happen to know I can. My dad owned a restaurant, I spent a lot of time in kitchens when I was younger.”

“Then you know people have different tastes.”

“Stupid tastes.”

Robin couldn’t help but chuckle. “You often pick fight with strangers?”

“Only when they ruin perfectly good slabs of meat.”

Even when the laughter stopped, a smile remained on his lips. “I’m Robin.” He held out his free hand.

The woman shook it, her own lips tugging upwards into a grin. “Regina. Killian’s sponsor.”

“Oh, you’re the one he’s always talking about.”

“Always?”

“You helped save his life.”

“I just helped him work the program.” Regina waved him off. “He mentioned you quite a bit, though.”

“Oh?”

“In A.A we talk about two groups of friends: friends to avoid if you should stay sober and ones to surround yourself with to do the same. The ironic part is, a lot of the latter are ones you probably chased off with your drinking.”

“Well, I would never imagine walking away from Killian. He went through a hard time, we all did.”

“You were friends with Marian too?”

“A bit more than that. She was my wife.”

 Robin watched the smile drain from her face and a familiar look took its place. Whether it were people he knew before the crash or those that he met after. All of them got that same look, the one any widow could place. Big frown, creased forehead. He waited for the words that almost always followed, but they didn’t come.

 “I can’t imagine.”

Robin nodded, a bit shocked and happy that an apology hadn’t followed. “I was so wrapped up in myself for a long time, I didn’t see what Killian was going through.”

“You can’t blame yourself. My ex-husband witnessed it but there wasn’t much he could do. It’s up to the person to get sober.”

 Robin found his smile coming back and it seemed to make Regina’s appear again as well. They stood there for a moment, until the screen door slammed behind them. Nearly both jumped and found Killian standing there with his daughter on his hip. He smiled, looking between the two of them.

 “Oh, you two met.”

“We did.” Regina wiped her palms on her dress. “Your friend here ruins burgers.’

Robin rolled his eyes. “Yours clearly wants to die of mad cow disease.”

Killian shook his head. “I should’ve known. I’ll take over here.”

 Robin and Regina walked over to the drinks table. He watched as Roland chased around an older boy and he nearly went to stop him, but he noticed the kid didn’t seem to mind. He showed Roland how his NERF gun worked and let him have a few shots with it.

 “Henry always wanted a little sibling,” Regina mused.

“Oh, he’s yours?”

She nodded. “Yup. I’m assuming the little one belongs to you?”

“Roland.”

“He’s adorable, has your dimples.”

Robin smiled, unintentionally showing them off. “Thank you.”

“You know, if the boys are playing so well…maybe they’d like to have a playdate.”

“A playdate? You think your pre-teen would have one with my 7-year-old?”

“He’d love it. And we can have a playdate of our own.” She made a face. “Not in a dirty way, but ya know…”

Robin shook his head, the smile not leaving his face. “I’ll bring the snacks.”

[evolutionsvoid]

For some, this entry may seem a little odd. All my other writings focus on the beasts and creatures of the wilds, species that roam the jungles, mountains and fields. Each entry a daring tale of majestic fauna and daunting adventures! Stories of bizarre encounters and incredible observations! Then all of a sudden I am here talking about simple livestock, how mundane! I would, however, ask that you stay with me and read on! For even the simplest of creatures and dullest of species can be a source of wonder and fascination! Yes, even mere livestock can lead to wonderful tales and moving messages! At least I think so. I am not really sure. What was I going on about again? Ah, right! Nectar Cows! Nectar Cows are large insects that share ties to the tiny, pesky aphids. It is honestly hard to believe at times that these creatures are even related! To think that something that is about the size of a cow can be so close to those little terrors! Oof, it is already making my bark itch thinking about them! Regardless, Nectar Cows belong to the same family, but have obviously gained some unique traits. As stated before, they have grown to massive sizes, rivaling that of an ox or bull! Despite this mass of theirs, they are herbivorous creatures who prefer grass, leaves and shoots. This leads to the next key difference, which is the fact that they have developed chewing mandibles. Other aphids have sucking mouthparts which are perfect for piercing the dermis of a plant and feeding on its juices (and perfect for being an absolute pest! I swear I could bathe in vinegar and still not be free of them!). Due to their large size, this type of feeding is a bit inefficient, so they go with the chewing route! With their mouths pointed downwards, Nectar Cows graze upon grass, brush and young plants, snipping them into bite sized pieces and pulverizing them in the back of their throats. They will also feed on vegetables and fruits that are on the ground, though they prefer ones that are more solid and crunchy. It seems that squishy, wet fruits are difficult for them to grab and chew without them falling back onto the ground. If you ever want to give a snack to a Nectar Cow, stick with things like apples, potatoes and carrots! They love those! Since they are grazing herbivores, Nectar Cows take life rather slowly. Their pace can be sluggish at times, and they never really seem to be in a hurry. All that matters to them is that there is food below them, and if there isn't, then it is time to take a few steps to a fresher patch. With such a slow lifestyle, one can imagine that they would be targets for predators. This is true, but Nectar Cows are not defenseless! First is their thick exoskeleton, which shields them from the front and top. Tooth and claw will have a difficult time piercing this sturdy armor, but crafty attackers may choose to approach from the bottom, going after the exposed abdomen. To help prevent that from happening, the Nectar Cow possesses specialized hind legs. As you may notice, these insects possess large, hooked claws on their back feet, which they use as weapons. When a foe attacks from behind, the Nectar Cow will hunker down with its front two pairs of legs and then kick back with their hind ones. This kick will cause the hooked claws to move in a slashing motion, which can slice into foes or even impale them. Those foolish enough to bother an agitated Nectar Cow may stumble away with a nasty gash, if they are lucky. Unfortunately, this defense only works for their rears and nowhere else. Fortunately, though, they have another tool at their disposal! 

Due to their herbivorous ways, Nectar Cows encounter a lot of plants that do not wish to be eaten. There are plenty of species out there that contain bitter flavors, toxic sap and poisonous chemicals. This is meant to deter herbivores, but the Nectar Cow is not easily put off. They are capable of munching through these defenses without pause, taking these noxious juices and storing them in special sacs. These sacs are located all over their body, positioned right below their numerous siphuncule. These hard tubes can be found on their backs and all over their face plates, as they are positioned for defense! When a predator or unwelcome guest comes stalking close, the Nectar Cow will tighten its body and spray a misty cocktail of nasty fluids! Often this discharge is sharply bitter in smell and extremely nasty in taste. I once got hosed in the face with this mist of theirs and I can confirm it is quite disgusting! The taste is like if you took a copper piece, dipped it in a light acid and then stuck it in your mouth. Burning, sharp and somewhat metallic. I definitely would not recommend trying it! Often this spray is more than enough to scare away enemies, and it can even ward off the farmers who raise them! Thankfully, this spray is reliant on the food they eat, so wise farmers will feed them plants and vegetation that do not contain these foul fluids. The other thing to keep in mind is that this spray is not endless. They must eat to replenish their stocks, so if you bait them into discharging all their mist, then they cannot do again until they eat enough food. As you can probably tell from the name and the way I have talked about them, Nectar Cows are a domesticated species. So much so, that they pretty much came into existence through selective breeding and domestication. That's probably why they achieved such a large size! This large mass of theirs is perfect for their role as livestock, and they provide many products for those who raise them. The most obvious resource they create is their "nectar" or "honeydew," which is secreted from their abdomens (For clarification, "honeydew" is used by ants, while dryads prefer the term "nectar"). This yellowish fluid is sweet in flavor and is collected to be used as drink, cooking ingredient or sapling food. Think of it like the milk that comes from a mammalian cow, except that it is not totally repulsively fatty and horrendously curd- bluuugh, I can't even say it! Just the thought makes me want to hurl! How can people drink that stuff raw?! Anyways, this secreted nectar of theirs has made them popular with dryads and giant ants. In fact, it is believed that the giant ants were the first to begin the breeding of these insects, as their honeydew provided an efficient food source for them! Nectar Cows that are kept by giant ant colonies tend to be free-range, though they stay close to tunnel entrances. That way soldiers and workers can keep an eye on them and tear apart any predators that try to prey on their herd. While the ants allow their herds to graze on wild plants, they will supplement their diet with fungi that is grown in their underground farms. Any fungus that is not edible for the ants will be removed and given to the Nectar Cows so that no resources are wasted! How efficient! For dryads, Nectar Cows are often kept in pens at night and let out during the day to graze. During daylight hours is when they will collect the nectar, pouring it into buckets that are then bottled up and taken to market. This will be sold under the name "cow nectar" in order to differentiate between this fluid and the stuff that comes from plants. Due to its sugary content, the cow nectar is often used for baking desserts or sweetening up a dish. For dryad settlements that live in areas where Nectar Pod plants cannot properly grow, they will instead use cow nectar to feed sproutlings and saplings. It is an important source of nutrition for them at early stages, as they have not fully developed their stomachs. Cow nectar and other types of nectar are easy to digest and give them the fuel needed to grow! Good luck weaning them off it, though! That stage is a rough one to deal with!   Besides nectar (or honeydew), these insects also provide food through their meat and eggs. The meat of a Nectar cow is quite juicy and has a hint of sweetness to it. It is often cut from their legs, thorax and abdomen, but careful butchery is needed! For meat that is carved from their abdomen, one needs to be sure to extract the sacs that contain their mist juices without puncturing them. One wrong move and your meat is now infused with a horrid bitterness and sharp metallic taste. That is why no one ever takes meat from their heads, as there are too many sacs to remove for it to be worth it. Due to its juiciness and texture, Nectar Cow meat is best shredded and added into a dish or soup. For dryads, it is a meat that works well on its own, but other species need extra seasonings and flavors to help tone down the sweetness. In non-dryad butcher shops, the flesh of a Nectar Cow is sold under the label "honey beef." Their eggs are also collected and sold as food, as Nectar Cows lay quite a lot of them! To insure survival, these insects can lay over a dozen of them at a time, which is a little much for one farmer to handle! To keep populations in check, the farmer will cull these eggs and sell a majority of them at market. These eggs are wonderful boiled whole or cracked open and baked! Some people swear that you can crack a raw one open and chug its contents, but I am a bit wary of that. They say it is a great pick me up and a quick source of nutrition, but that sounds way too much like a Floral Dryad thing for me to trust it. I have definitely heard that some of those crazy gals apply coats of that nasty mist fluid to their petals before bed, as it is supposed to create a healthy sheen. Pretty sure that is a load of garbage, because if that was true, Nectar Cow farmers would blind the entire town each time the sun came out. Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian                     ----------------------------------------- The Nectar Cow is one of the latest victims to the massive backlog. It is one of those wonderful moments where you draw something up, are happy with it, than have it get stuck waiting for months on end for posting, then at last its day comes and you realize that you hate it. Well wouldn't you know, the Nectar Cow came up for posting and I realized I didn't like its look anymore. This called for an emergency redraw, which I am happy with, but it makes me wonder what piece will be the next victim (too late, I already know!).  

[drlaurynlax]

Pegan 101: All You Need to Know About Paleo & Vegan

Pegan: Protein & Vegan Unite 

Some things in life just don’t make sense. 

Like:

How your checked luggage makes it to your final destination after your flight change in Dallas/Fort Worth (amidst a sea of thousands of other bags)

Why we say “Fine” or “Good” every time someone asks: “How are you?”

How many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

And, why the human body needs protein?—specifically why it needs or benefits from “creature” or animal protein.

No ifs, ands or buts about it, the human body is like a plant that needs water and sunshine. 

The Pegan Diet

We require a balance of water, fats, carbohydrates and proteins to be a well-oiled machine, and when we neglect any of those to the extreme, over time, our body suffers for it. Pegan is an approach that uses the combination the paleo and vegan principles.

Sure you can find some trace amounts of fat in carbohydrates. 

Sure your body can convert proteins into some form of ‘energy’—like you get from carbs and fats.

And sure some plant sources contain proteins (like nuts, beans and broccoli)

…But for the primary source of each of the three main nutrients (protein, fat and veggies), our body THRIVES upon the real deal powerhouse sources:

Healthy Fats, like: avocados, extra virgin olive oil, coconut, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, lard, tallow, pasture-raised egg yolks, raw nuts and seeds

Nutrient Dense Veggies & Fruits, like: Asparagus, Greens, Squash, Broccoli, Cauliflower Beets, Carrots, Apples, Oranges Berries, and more

And Sustainably-Raised Proteins, like: Grass-fed Beef and Bison, Pasture-raised Chicken, Wild-caught Fish, Pasture Raised Eggs, Organic Organ meat. 

Of the three macro-nutrients, protein is probably the most mis-understood.

We know “carbs give us energy.” We’re told “fats help boost metabolism, improve brain function and balance blood sugar.”

But as for protein…All we really know is: “It helps us build muscle…right?”

Enter: The protein dilemma:

“Why” do we need it?

What are the best sources to get it? 

What happens when we DON’T get enough? 

And how much of it we really need ?

Unfortunately, Dr. Google isn’t the most helpful in this situation.

Search “protein requirements” on Dr. Google and your sure to come across thousands upon thousands of conflicting information.

Fitness and body-building communities tell us to eat dry tuna packets, chug a protein shake after our workouts and even to toss some raw eggs in there while we’re at it

Vegan-enthusiasts say we can get all the protein we need from plants and grains

And pro-Paleo heads tell us to eat more bacon and juicy steaks

Let’s clear the clutter, and get to know a little bit more about protein.

Why Do I Need Protein?

Many reasons, including:

Tissue/cell growth and repair

Metabolism

Brain function

Immunity

Energy

1. Tissue & Cell Growth/Repair

Proteins are composed of varying combos of amino acids that make up the structure of every tissue, cell and substance in your body—your heart, your nails and hair, your hormones, your skin, your other organs, your brain cells.  

We need these amino acids in order to continue building tissues and sustaining life. 

Amino acids found in protein help with the growth, repair and healthy maintenance of our tissues and structures, and we require a constant supply of amino acids to keep on keeping on.

2. Metabolism 

Proteins play a dynamic role in revving our metabolism (keep our cells and engine going and going and going) since they are a major building block of our hormones and

The primary protein hormones are insulin (which regulates blood sugar) and thyroid hormone—which controls your metabolic rate (how efficiently your body burns and uses fuel).

3. Brain Function

Proteins are also a major building block of your mood, emotions and all around brain power. Amino acids (simply put, protein is made of amino acids) make up your neurotransmitters—biochemical messengers whose job it is to carry signals from one brain cell to another. 

Brain cells transmit all sorts of signals to the different parts of the body to carry out individual tasks—from throwing a ball, to avoiding a car wreck, to brainstorming a new idea, to crying when you watch a sad movie. 

The better your messengers (neurotransmitters) are fed with complete proteins, the more efficiently they deliver “the goods”—the ability to think clearly, respond, fire and achieve your big dreams. 

(Think about your mom telling you to clean your room as a kid, and you paying off your younger brother to do it – the more you paid him, the cleaner the room… The more you feed your body with quality amino acids, the more your cells can communicate, and the more efficient and wise your brain!).

Amino acids are also essential for our boosting our feel good brain chemicals—like serotonin and dopamine.  When we don’t eat enough good protein, the brain can’t produce enough of these neurotransmitters. This is a reason why sometimes amino acid therapy is used as a treatment for depression.

4. Immunity

“Antibodies” are proteins that form in response to a foreign stimulus, known as an antigen. 

Our ability to fight off antigens (bacteria, fungi, illness, disease and other pathogens) lies in the power of our antibodies.

Different antigens, or invaders, require different “antibody” proteins to fight them off—hence why we need a variety of proteins and complete amino acid profile. 

5. Energy

Food gives us energy. Duh.

And a balance of different foods—carbs, fats and proteins—gives us the balance of energy sources we need for different body needs. 

Protein, as mentioned above, are big on “building, growing and repairing” tissues—meaning they spur a lot of bio-chemical reactions and enzyme activity in our cells. 

Energy. 

Think of protein as the turbo power for supercharging cellular activity (and metabolism) to go, go, go. 

In addition, protein comprises hemoglobin in your cells—an iron-bearing protein that is the key component of the red blood cell, meaning: Oxygen. Meaning: Energy.

(That’s why people with iron-deficiencies or anemia often have low energy). 

What Are the Best Sources?

There are a total of 22 amino acids found in the various proteins we need. 

Eight of these are essential amino acids—amino acids ONLY found in the foods we eat. The body can produce the rest of the amino acids from these 8 essential aminos, but otherwise, we need to eat protein to allow for optimal and complete amino acid production.

Animal proteins  contain ALL the essential amino acids in the right proportions to one another—also known as a “complete protein.”

True some of these essential acids can be found in plan proteins. However, the majority of plans do NOT have the adequate amounts our body needs throughout its lifetime.

Therefore, plant protein is incomplete protein (even if combined with other plants to try to make it more complete). 

While vegetarian and vegan-based diets do use the power of food combining (like rice and beans, or whole grains and nuts) to re-create a “pseduo-complete” protein (a combination of the essential amino acids glued together from the two separate sources), if this is our sole source of “complete” protein, over time, this can wreak havoc…namely on our gut.

Anti-Nutrients and More

Grains, legumes and nuts contain components known as “anti-nutrients” including lectins and phytates—known for their protection of plants from predators and weather in the wild…and protection from complete digestion in our guts.

Our guts have a hard time breaking down these anti-nutrients, and when we eat a lot of them, the stage is set for a host of GI “issues” like constipation, bloating, malabsorption, leaky gut, intestinal permeability, bacterial overgrowth, and beyond.

Complete Proteins

Hints why the most complete and easily assimilated versions of complete proteins (with all the amino acids we need) come directly from the main sources of protein—such as:

Grass-fed Beef

Grass-fed Bison

Pasture Raised/Organic Chicken

Pasture-Raised Eggs

Wild-caught fish and wild-caught seafood

Turkey

Pork

Lamb

Venison

Secondary sources of plant-based proteins (i.e. not ideal to solely rely upon), include:

Plant-Based Protein

Lentils

Beans

Quinoa

Seeds and Nuts

Nutritional Yeast

Nuts

Peas

Seeds

Spirulina

Fermented Tofu, Tempeh, Miso, Natto 

  What happens when we DON’T get enough? 

Two words: Body breakdown.

When we don’t get the complete profile of amino acids over time, things break down. 

From hormone imbalances, to lowered mood, lowered energy, decreased muscle repair (and results in the gym if training), lowered immunity…things don’t function quite as efficiently or effectively because enzymatic activity is sllllloooooowwwwweeeeeddddd (protein intake is not driving the ship).

Not to mention: Digestive disturbances. 

With protein out of the picture, often times plant-based diets turn into grain, bean and nut based diets, or raw-veggie diets—all of which CAN comprise part of a healthy diet, but leave our bodies trying to meet its needs for protein with secondary sources that are hard to break down. 

Couple this with the widespread popularity of fake veggie proteins, like vegan sausage, processed soy products, tofurkey, seitan and overly processed veggie burgers, and our gut says, “Thankyou, but no thankyou.”

Often times the health side effects of not eating animal or creature based protein are hidden for many years.

The honeymoon euphoria of feeling cleansed and alive is common for several in the beginning, only to run into problems like infertility, crazy PMS, skin breakouts, constipation, bloating, bacterial overgrowth, autoimmune conditions, increased illness, slowed metabolism and mineral/vitamin deficiencies months or years later. 

Case in point: My meatless mayhem.

Meatless Mayhem

I went meat free for about a year and a half during my eating disorder days. 

My decision was intertwined with my obsession and desire to “be healthy,” and, in my mind, vegetarian and vegan based diets were the holy grail of health. 

In order to fill the gaps that turkey, chicken and beef once filled between sandwich bread, alongside rice or on top of spaghetti, I ate more grains and “low fat” foods, like fruit, steamed broccoli, fat-free yogurt and low-fat packaged snacks (crackers, bars, pretzels).

Little did I realize that the symptoms I began to experience were my body’s way of crying out for meat—not just the potatoes. 

Constipation, bloating, skin rashes, anemia, loss of period, dark circles under my eyes, brittle nails and hair soon replaced the initial spark and energy I felt for being able to deny myself something that most lazy Americans ate too much of (Big Macs, steaks and turkey sandwiches). 

However, denial was rampant—as I refused to correlate my diet with any of these side effects (never!) until…the day I decided to give chicken a try again.

Fast forward several months later, and my energy, digestive woes and even mental clarity had been restored.

Magic!

(See “Food for Though” below). 

So how Much Protein Do I Need?

Not as much (or as little) as you may think—depending on what “camp” you fall into, as well as current stage of life and goals.

As a baseline, aim for at least 25% of your plate to have a whole-sourced complete amino acid protein with most meals. 

In terms of percentages for a given day, a healthy amount for general health in both men and women falls somewhere between 10-20% of total intake (about 65-130 grams/men, and 50-100 grams/women). 

If muscle gain, weight loss or blood sugar re-balancing is part of your goals, bumping that protein up to at least 20-35% of total intake (130-230 grams/men, 100-176 grams/women) is ideal. 

My Meatless Mayhem

You Can Have Your Cake & Eat It Too

I think author Michael Pollan said it best: “Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Translation: 

Eat food your body recognizes as ‘food.’

Eat to satisfaction and nourishment for energy levels. 

Base your plate on fresh veggies, fruits, healthy oils and fats, and some nuts and seeds. 

Simple. 

Eating vegan or vegetarian based dishes are NOT a bad thing. 

In fact, with the rainbow of tastes and varieties out there, plants make eating both delicious and nutritious. 

Above all, food is medicine. And animal-based protein (with all the amino acids) is part of that equation. 

For optimal health and nourishment, incorporating the “real deal” is the quickest route to the most nutrients that your body recognizes and absorbs as protein.

The best part? 

You CAN have your cake and eat it too. 

Consider incorporating the best of “both worlds” with a Pegan-inspired philosophy (hybrid of vegan and paleo eating): A plant-based diet with meat and animal protein as a “condiment” (about 25-percent of your plate.

That said, NO LABELS are necessary.

Food For Thought

Often times, the BIGGEST thing standing in our way of giving our body what it needs is our moral ties to our food. We make ourselves feel guilty if we so much as THINK with the idea of adding animal protein to a vegan based diet.

Or, overwhelm overtakes us if we TOY with the idea of eating some sushi WITH rice (gasp, grains).

Enough!

Rules aside, your body is a smart cookie. And when we give it balance and listen to what our body is telling us, we may very well find that…

You can be “vegan” or “vegetarian” with some “medicinal protein” fuel. 

And you can eat a paleo-based diet with some ancient grains, rice or beans.

And you can have those “20%” bites—like your grandmother’s famous chocolate chip cookies, a slice of pumpkin cheesecake, or a handful of chips and Queso at the restaurant, and live to tell about it. 

Break the Rules. 

Vegan-Paleo Recipes

Yesterday, we talked all about protein—why we need it, what happens to our body when we don’t get it and how to incorporate it into a plant-based diet. 

Essentially, for optimal health:

Eat real food. Mostly plants. And “supplement” with animal-based protein as a condiment of your meals (about 1/4 of your plate at least) if the thought of protein (with ALL the amino acids you need) is hard to stomach. 

Need some inspiration in the kitchen?

Here are some of my favorite “Pegan”-based recipes from around the web you should try:

Mains

Better Than Restaurant Falafel by Minimalist Baker

Paleo Vegan BBQ Meatballs by Sweet Designs (use avocado oil or coconut oil)

Plantain Seed Veggie Burger by Purely Twins  

Sweet Potato Noodles with Creamy Cashew Sauce

Braised Lentils & Vegetables by Cafe Johnsonia  

Coconut Curry Lentil Soup by Veg Angela  

Garlic Spaghetti Squash by Meat Free Keto (add chickpeas, blackens or ground turkey or bison for some protein)

Grain Free Saffron Rice by Against All Grain (add salmon, chickpeas, fermented organic tofu or tempeh for some protein)

Savory Indian Pancakes by My Heart Beet

Stuffed Acorn Squash Bowls by Healing & Eating (pack with lentils or chickpeas if you can’t stomach ground meat)

Cauliflower Pizza Crust by Detoxinista (top with pesto, dried tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, chicken or tempeh) 

Quinoa Salad by Primal Palate (throw in some canned wild salmon or wild-caught tuna) 

Creamy Broccoli & Cheese Soup by Blissful Basil (add some pulled chicken, pork or white fish to round it out)

Cornbread by A Girl Worth Saving (add a side of lentils, soaked beans or Beanless Paleo Chili like this Meat & Veggie Chili by Lauren Fuentes)

Side Dishes

Creamed Spinach by Eat Drink Paleo

Balsalmic Roasted Beets by The Primal Palate   

Spiced Winter Squash by the Primal Palate

Cauliflower Mash by Whole Living Lauren  

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries by Clean Eating Veggie Girl  

Sweets & Treats

Chia Seed Pudding with Paleo Krunch (or use Wildway, Paleonola cereals) by The Thin Kitchen

Carrot Cake Cheesecake by One Green Planet

Real Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Against All Grain

3-Ingredient Flourless Brownies by The Big Man’s World

Almond Butter Blondies by Cook It Up Paleo  

Orange Creamsicle Bars by Om Nomally

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream by Two Peas in a Pod

Caramelized Banana Vanilla Bean Ice Cream by Get Inspired Everyday  

Recommended Reads

In addition to these amazing recipes, here are a few books to spark your brain for more info on protein, protein myths, and a balanced approach to both plant and protein dining:

Eat the Yolks by Liz Wolfe  

The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith  

Breaking Vegan by Jordan Younger

The Meat Fix by John Nicholson  

Health Food Junkies by Steven Bratman   

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

The post Pegan 101: All You Need to Know About Paleo & Vegan appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/uncategorized/pegan-101-all-you-need-to-know/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

[kinneyhouston46-blog]

Much better Effects In The Kitchen Area Using This Advice

Cooking can be Residence-Made Foods Are More healthy And Less costly - Look At The Following Tips To Make The Most Of Your House! for most people that have recently still left enhanced comfort with their parents' preparing food. This article gives a handful of helpful tips towards the rookie chefs who would like to consider their hand without slicing, burning, or maiming them selves in the process. Appropriate process and planning techniques are in depth in to aid inexperienced chefs brave the insidious dangers of the cooking community. In case you have an extremely essential occasion where by you are going to be cooking for an individual that you just love or perhaps your manager, try to stay with a food that you know will prove good. The Best Culinary Advice You May Actually Read is not the time to become striving new stuff as you want to be a number of it comes out correct. Left over vegetable parts shouldn't be wasted. Broccoli shirts, carrot sections and onion peelings can be included in your plant, beef or poultry inventory, to fill it with added flavor. Get Preparing food By Using These Tips to add the stock in your preferred dishes to further improve their flavor and show up being a excellent make in front of your family and friends. Once you period a bit of various meats, try it out before you begin in order to cook all of it. Hamburgers, meatballs and meatloaf all call for some mindful seasoning. After introducing your mixture of seasonings, usually do not prepare the complete section of meats. Prepare a tiny, veteran patty and style the effect. After you have carried this out, you may make a decision if you want to modify the seasoning or prepare food it. Think of purchasing big meat roasts or pork shoulder area to help make while in each of your few days night time. After you have this for dinner, retailer it within your fridge in order that you be able to produce many different types of sandwiches, as the week advances. Optimize your importance and restrict your bills by conserving foods. When food preparation steak, be sure the pan you might be using is actually hot to ensure that it sears the outside the beef and maintains all of the fruit drinks inside. This may cause your steak flavor fantastic, and it also won't be dehydrated out, given that every one of the flavour remains to be closed inside of the meat. Get a quality loaf of a loaf of bread which can be used being a aspect bit to various meals. Loaves of bread should go wonderful with any recipe containing sauce or cheeses, since you can dip it in a range of different toppings. Feature a loaf of Italian or French loaves of bread along with your after that meal. When shaving greens for meals say for example a vinaigrette or a salad, make use of a coarse microplane, also referred to as a grater or zester, to grate them into small items. The tastes of your veggies are genuinely unlocked when grated with all the microplane. For your preparing food prowess will grow, become familiar with to enjoy the versatility of stocks and shares and broths. As an alternative to acquiring these valuable components at the store or wasting your time cooking food them in modest batches, make shares in large quantities. It is possible to retailer excess carry in plastic bags in your fridge, all set for swift use within long term tasty recipes. It does not matter should you just want to come up with a recipe for the loved ones to savor or if you are preparing food for a day, cooking food can be a talent that will constantly come in handy. Every single traditions around the globe takes time to take a seat using their loved ones for the food, discussing the thrill of eating and friendship. If you are using the above mentioned suggestions, you may turn out to be a remarkable prepare and everybody will request you to make for the following big loved ones function.

[dailyhealthynews]

Plant-based preferences are rising, focus on health and better-for-you options

June 21, 2021 — Driven by the COVID-19, consumers are taking a more proactive approach to their holistic wellbeing, which is influenced by what they look for in snacks. Convenience snacks and healthy takeout foods are all the rage again as more consumers leave the home for work, education, and social events. Plant-based snacks in particular are gaining in importance.

FoodIngredientsFirst speaks to key suppliers to the snacking arena who will focus on the key issues that dominate the space.

According to John Powers, Marketing Director, Snacking and Baked Goods at ADM, snack buyers will notice recognizable and natural elements such as vegetable proteins and healthy ingredients as these snacks are often perceived as being of higher quality or better -you.

Click to enlargeNot only are consumers looking for healthier snacks to use at home, they also want a balance between enjoyment and health.“Our Outside VoiceSM research shows that more than 70 percent of consumers consider protein from plant sources to be healthy. Additionally, the growing interest in plant-based diets and snacks is tied to an increasing desire for a healthier lifestyle, sustainability and food safety, which has accelerated due to the pandemic. “

Changing the way consumers eat snacks Last year’s uncertainty has had a huge impact on buying behavior, including the way people snack.

“As snacking becomes more prevalent, people expect it to play a bigger role in providing their daily diet,” Powers outlines. “Consumers have been opting for healthier snacks since the beginning of the pandemic and are turning to plant-based whole-food ingredients such as old grains, beans, nuts and seeds for their nutritional benefits and their fascinating texture and taste.”

In particular, snacks like puffed pea chips, multigrain crackers, and bars that are low in sugar, high in protein, and healthy fats are becoming increasingly popular as they appeal to conscious consumers of all ages, Powers said.

Plant-based nutrition heats up For Myriam Snaet, Head of Market Intelligence and Consumer Insights at Beneo, the sector is developing rapidly. “Since every second consumer is ‘very or extremely’ interested in plant-based foods and beverages, many other manufacturers are looking for plant-based snack alternatives.”

Over half (52 percent) of parents in the UK say there should be more plant-based snacks for kids, she notes. “This demand is primarily driven by the perceived health benefits of herbal products, with 70 percent of consumers worldwide agreeing that long-term health is a major driver of wanting more plant-based nutrition.”

According to Beneo, 60 percent of global consumers say that herbal solutions are a taste preference.

Keeping an eye on the health of children

Click to enlargeConsumers are taking a more proactive approach to their holistic wellbeing, which is influenced by what they look for in children’s snacks. Health comes first for everyone and influences the type of snacks consumers choose.

“This trend is even more pronounced when buying snacks for children: three quarters of consumers worldwide say that it is ‘extremely or very important’ that children’s products ensure better nutrition,” says Snaet.

“Concern for long-term health affects children’s snacks as well as promoting digestive health (76 percent), as well as snacks that keep a child full longer (69 percent) and plant-based snacks (52 percent). . “

“Since health is the focus for old and young consumers alike, manufacturers must make it easier for buyers to switch to healthier snacks through transparent communication, labeling and claims. With this in mind, it is becoming increasingly important to use natural, functional ingredients that will appeal to parents and enable a healthier diet, ”she comments.

ADM’s Powers believes that parents and caregivers are much more likely to adhere to stricter health-focused guidelines when choosing snacks for their children, including low-sugar snacks and a range of clean-label free and clean label guidelines.

“76 percent of parents say they are trying to give their children more balanced snacks, and 83 percent are willing to prepare freshly made snacks for their children.”

In addition, families with children are willing to spend more on snacks and put more effort into finding options that the kids will want to eat.

“We see an opportunity for brands to develop parent-friendly offers that are free of biological and other future-oriented functional properties and also meet the taste expectations of children,” he explains.

Industry has to adapt With many consumers now referring to themselves as vegan and flexitarian, these categories are proving to be incredibly popular and profitable.

“Our customers’ demand for support in developing dairy and meat-free recipe reformulations has increased significantly as they want to expand their range and offer more choices,” adds Snaet.

Seven out of ten consumers now say they would like healthier options across all luxury categories, she notes.

“The opportunity for food manufacturers is to fulfill that desire with more natural and cleaner meat-analog snacks that help dispel the perception of meat snacks as highly processed.”

In addition, there is enormous scope for products that promote acceptable enjoyment, thanks to planet-friendly offers with plant-based solutions with a high protein content and low or light positioning.

“As consumers demand more from their snacks, we expect more healthy snacks to hit the market that offer a number of other benefits,” notes Sneat.

Click to enlargeEnvironmental and animal welfare concerns are also motivating factors for the popularity of plant-based diets.

Stefan Wagemans, Account Manager at Bösch Boden Spies, says that huge fast-food restaurants want to become vegetarian and vegan-friendly, because environmentally and health-conscious consumers want to eat there too.

“Cooperation between fast food restaurants and manufacturers of meat alternatives has made tasty, plant-based products possible. This enables consumers to make conscious choices when snacking, ”he comments.

Blurred lines Powers says there will also be more options for meat alternatives as the line between meals and snacks continues to blur.

“For example, 13 percent of consumers said they had snacked on a meal at least once in the past week, and 47 percent reported that they had snacked leftovers at least once in the past week.”

“As such, nutritious and plant-rich meatballs, meatballs, and schnitzel can turn into a quick, hearty snack. Vegetable alternatives to seafood such as crab cakes, fish fingers or breaded prawns are gaining in importance as starters and meal solutions, ”explains Powers.

ADM also sees consumer interest in versatile and practical formats such as alternatives to pork, poultry and beef schnitzel and bottoms that will speed up meal preparation for home cooks who have practiced their cooking skills during the pandemic.

Snacking beyond the pandemic Consumers are more willing to replace their meat consumption with plant-based alternatives. However, the taste profile of plant-based alternatives is crucial.

“As the technology used to develop meat alternatives improves, consumer expectations continue to rise. High quality and value-adding ingredients and processing are a must to meet consumer demand. Business-to-business ingredients suppliers therefore play a decisive role in the switch to plant-based products, ”explains Wagemans from Bösch Boden Spies.

The pandemic has drawn consumers’ attention to their health. Combined with concerns about global warming and animal welfare, vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian lifestyles are becoming increasingly popular.

In order to give consumers the option to replace normal products with animal ingredients, the industry should look for plant-based solutions, Wagemans said.

“On-the-go snack packs and convenience snacks will increase as people leave home, when they reopen to work, school, stores, restaurants and travel,” adds ADM’s Powers.

“Plant-forward snack options, including meat analogues like alternative jerky or sticks, stand a unique opportunity as they tick the boxes for convenient, flavor-wrapped snacks while meeting consumer perceptions for healthier options.”

Additionally, emerging plant-based snacks with exotic flavor combinations are poised for further growth as they tempt people to travel through their taste buds, Powers predicts.

By Elizabeth Green

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source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/plant-based-preferences-are-rising-focus-on-health-and-better-for-you-options/