#not mentioned but this goes for vegans who think no animal needs meat to survive. dont be responsible for animals ever. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tflatte · 3 years

Text

read max brooks’ devolution the other day, which was A Thing to do right before bed. i liked it though!

it’s a horror novel in similar style to world war z, where some of it is interviews with various peoples, and most of it is the journal of one of the people living in a microcommunity designed and built by tech guys(six word horror story) to be eco-friendly and self-sustaining, except it’s on the slopes of mt rainier and when it erupts, even though they’re out of immediate danger, they’re cut off from things like drone grocery supplies and the internet they need to call for help. which might have worked out okay, except the eruption drove a troop of bigfoots from their usual home. the subtitle of the book is “a firsthand account of the rainier sasquatch massacre” so you can guess how that goes for everyone

spoilers and thoughts under the cut

i was kind of leery about it after i read the free sample off kindle, so it’s been a solid few weeks between reading that and reading the rest of the book, but eventually i decided i can finish it fast enough for a refund if it sucks. the sample was basically the intro to all the characters and, since i was interpreting it as a slasher intro, i will admit i was primed to hate everyone. you have the conflict-avoidant protagonist kate and her useless husband dan, tony the tech guy who designed the place and his “guru” wife yvette, a vegan foodie couple bobbi and vincent, a philosopher, reinhardt, a lesbian psychologist couple, carmen and effie, and their adopted daughter palomino who escaped the rohingya genocide, and mostar, an older woman who’s a sculptor working in a 3D printer. the only people i didn’t hate in the first chapter were palomino, who i was sad about presumably being in the massacre, and mostar, who people were jerks to

tony and yvette were…exactly what that description makes you think they were like. kate went all crushy over tech guy right away and wrote about guru in that annoying “ohhh she’s so BEAUTIFUL and NICE i haaaate her” way. foodie couple…eh. boring and annoying. i don’t even remember their intro. they turn out to be Those kinds of vegans that think animals are all sweet innocent harmless creatures. philosopher was pretentious. there was some hinting that carmen was emotionally abusive, but that never went anywhere? i don’t know if we’re expected to assume that the life-or-death situation improves their relationship like it does for kate and dan. also they gave their daughter a “placeholder” name so she could change it in the future if she wanted. which is fine as a concept but it felt weird that there’s never any mention that she probably had a name before? she’s mostly nonverbal throughout the book so it’s possible that she was never able to tell anyone her original name though. also the placeholder is “palomino” because of how her only possession when she was adopted was a book about horses.

anyway, i was disappointed that the free sample didn’t even mention any ~weird noises in the woods~ but once the volcano erupted things started moving faster. mostar immediately starts prepping for the long haul of being cut off and everyone is like “oh she’s ~crazy~ of course we’ll be reconnected and back to normal super soon” but she is the only person with a brain. tony is like “oh it’s fine we have water and power and heat and yes the volcano erupted but we’re fine and yes we can’t contact the outside world and the satellite radio is saying things are bad but they’re totally not don’t even worry about it” and yvette is alternately spouting bullshit crystal-healing slogans about ~connection~ and ~healing~ and playing social mind games to maintain control. like it feels as if they could’ve turned things into a cult if it wasn’t for getting cut off from supplies. they absolutely feel like people who could have manipulated their ~micro-eco-community~ into total obedience given enough time. they’re already isolated enough to make it work even before the eruption

everyone else in this story is SO FUCKING STUPID about wildlife. like carmen and effie are encouraging pal to hand-feed a random deer apples when they are cut off from getting any food from outside. a literal fucking mountain lion nearly eats pal and mostar chases it off with a homemade spear and yvette starts screaming at her about “it was just scared! how could you hurt it! you provoked it!” despite knowing it was bigfoots breaking into the compost bins, mostar tells everyone that it was a bear so they’ll actually listen but bobbi gets So Offended when she asks if anyone has bear spray and they decide to spread the compost in the fucking woods for the “bears” to eat! no brains! not one! they actually say that bears aren’t aggressive! they are when they’re fucking hungry because a fucking volcano exploded and drove all the food away! then kate and dan get bigfoot footage and prove to everyone that that’s what’s around and they’re like “no this is good most apes are herbivores! maybe they’re friendly! no we’ve never heard any of the seven million cautionary tales about not treating any wildlife, particularly apes, like harmless pets!”

if you hadn’t guessed, the most prevalent theme in this book is “nature is not nice” with a side order of “being too dependent on tech will fuck you over when that tech fails.”

mostar is the best character in the book tbh. she lived in a warzone that she never names but references a lot of things she learned there. including the sniper trick the bigfoots try. as mentioned, she is the only one to have a brain when the plot starts and drags everyone else kicking and screaming into growing one too. except tony and yvette. like a third of the way into the book they go and hole up in their house and proceed to have complete mental breakdowns, then get eaten. as you do. but they’re still terrible so it’s still satisfying. although it’s hinted that part of tony’s might be that he saw or even got chased by a bigfoot. but since he was trying to abandon everyone and save his own ass, it’s not like you work up much sympathy for him

the bigfoots are led by a scarred matriarch ruling what seems to be at least mostly her own family group, which was a touch i liked and made her being dubbed the “alpha” much more tolerable. also the fact that it’s not like kate is the kind of person who’d know more than the most mainstream nature stuff. also the bigfoots appear to be either human-level intelligent or close to it. on top of hurting one human to try to lure the others into a rescue, there’s a moment where one seems to be holding pal hostage(it doesn’t work. effie literally rips the bigfoot’s throat out with her teeth), and it’s speculated that alpha destroying kate’s garden and leaving a pile of dung in the middle might be spite. a very human motivation. kate seems pretty convinced that they’re capable of reason. so that made it a little weird towards the end when “zoo fees” are mentioned in the context of bigfoots. like i appreciated that it wasn’t going to be the standard government coverup angle. the book speculated that the government is planning to reveal the proof when the disaster relief is handled and attract a bunch of tourism based on bigfoots. admittedly primates aren’t especially one of my areas of interest but the way the bigfoots act strikes me as at least smart enough to cause a lot of debate on whether it’s ethical to keep them in captivity, even if they aren’t fully as intelligent as humans.

speaking of the lure, i think that was the most effectively scary part. besides the conceptual horror of them being smart enough to do that(and, you know, the idea of suffering through it), there’s a short but really effective passage that leads you to the slow realization of what alpha is waving at the humans and, therefore, exactly what happened to vincent. terrifying

i also really enjoyed the narrative foils of kate and alpha. maybe that’s not the right word for it but whatever that mirroring they have going on is. how alpha seems to recognize kate as the protagonist/the biggest threat/the enemy alpha. alpha destroying the garden in spite rather than taking the opportunity to kill kate after the burn. kate leading the desecration of alpha’s mate’s body to begin the real fight, alpha killing dan, kate killing alpha. it’s good.

even though she dies for it effie literally ripping juno’s throat out with her teeth to save pal is so fucking cool

i was very glad pal survived, at least potentially. i’m naturally biased in favor of the humans, but i liked the part of the ending where kate’s brother theorizes that maybe nobody’s found her and pal because they decided to hunt down the surviving bigfoots and may even still be out there, tracking the survivors to find other troops and living off bigfoot meat. fuck ‘em up.

4 notes · View notes

kae-karo · 5 years

Note

Hi Katie! I’m a freshman in college. I just started a couple weeks ago but currently have no friends. I have a few acquaintances from classes and clubs I just joined but I feel like everyone already has a group from orientation and such and I don’t want to insert myself. I really like being alone but it gets really sad when I’m the only one on my floor on weekend nights ://. Do you advice as to how I could build stronger connections w ppl and actually make friends???? Thanks and sorry to bother!

oh hi dear! first of all, i hope everything else is getting off to a good start for you! hm, now let me add a quick disclaimer: i made,,,,,,,,,pretty much zero friends in college and i don’t remember most of my time there cause Depression but here’s the advice i think i would’ve liked to follow/would maybe try to make more of an effort to follow if i could go back

for meeting people, generally:

you are probably not alone!!!!! i don’t doubt that if you feel like a bit of an outsider, there are one or more others who feel the same. if you see anyone standing alone, not majorly participating in a group discussion, etc, maybe try reaching out!!! they might be in the same boat as you but more nervous to initiate conversations. this is genuinely how i made a few acquaintances that i do still remember (and follow on various social media) today

in your clubs/classes, you might notice that there’s at least one person who tends to make an effort to include everyone in whatever they’re doing - gravitate toward them! they may be a good resource to help you meet others and feel more included in the group

take advantage of the situations where you have to interact with others - group projects or activities in classes, partner work, labs, etc. there’s some study out there that lists some numbers, but generally it takes a certain number of hours to build a connection with someone! so literally just actively spending time with people is a way to move toward those connections! and hey, maybe they’ve got some time to grab a coffee after you get some work done/take a break and grab a snack/grab dinner between classes or something! the worst thing that can happen is they say no!

put in more effort to meet/talk to people in classes/activities you’re really interested in (and less effort in the classes you’re like,,,,,eh about, cause hey we all only have a certain amount of energy so we should spend it wisely, esp if you’re on the more introverted side!) that shakespeare class you took cause u love shakespeare/theater? that’s where you want to spend your energy and mental effort trying to get to know people, cause the likelihood is those people are the ones who you’ll get on with better, cause hey, they probably have a similar passion/similar interests and boom! that’s something to bond over!

dorm activities!!!! idk if you live in a dorm (most freshman do) but my dorm did like tons of get-to-know-people stuff and tons of general dorm activities - this is a great place/time to really interact with people, cause hey, they live near you! it’s super easy to hang out and you’re far more likely to see them on a regular basis! and then it’s super easy to be like ‘oh hey do u wanna grab dinner, i was just about to head over to the dining hall!’

a quick side mention - there are like some apps i think that help you meet friends in your area? i vaguely remember one from when i was in school that my school mentioned or w.e but i can’t think of the name right now. but if you think that’s something you’re comfy with/interested in, it might help you meet people who you might be more likely to form connections with!

okay now for forming better connections with people... this is definitely where i struggled or could’ve done better honestly

consistency is key - for me, i was always more of the like. i only want to put in effort with people i actually feel like i vibe with and not waste energy on people i just really can’t get along with. the trouble for me was just with following through with that lmao. but like. if you see them in the halls or w.e, take that extra few seconds to be like ‘o hey waddup!’ and mention something from the last time you talked, or something you know relates to something that would be of interest to you both (ie u in anime club? ‘o hey so-and-so, how’s it going? awesome, yeah i’m surviving haha. honestly just living for that next ep of [insert anime here], do you watch that one?’ or whatever - find reasons to connect and extrapolate from them!!!)

if you do find some people you vibe with, figure out how to make connecting with them easy - get in a group chat or get their number, follow them on social media (with consent lmao) or whatever. make talking to them an easy thing to do, that way you’re more likely to do it even if you don’t have a ton of energy!

thing from the other bullet point - reasons to connect - build on that! start with the easy stuff (like obvious shared interests) and start extrapolating. like in my example, asking if they watch another anime, or if they have any recommendations! communication (and therefore development of connections) is a 2 way street! invite them to participate and then listen and show interest. if they rec a show that sounds mildly interesting, give it a watch and offer your thoughts on it! ask for their opinions on it! stuff like that!

in that same vein, pay attention to the kinds of things they talk about - ask questions and encourage them to talk! like this is just generally a good listening skill, but encouraging people to talk about the things they like is like the Best way to form connections! let someone rant about something they’re super into!

now, a sort of segue which is related but more on the side of like,,,,,,don’t get into unhealthy relationships: take note of how they engage with you. do they just talk about themselves/their interests with no regard for your thoughts/your own interests? do they shame you/make fun of you for stuff in a ‘joking’ way (esp even after you ask them to stop?) do they put you down in front of others even though they seem perfectly nice in one-on-one conversations? do they try to guilt you into doing things? (literally anything you aren’t comfy with - whether it be watching something that you’re not into/might be triggering for you, going to an activity you aren’t really comfy with, hanging out with people you don’t like or who make you uncomfortable, etc etc etc) just watch out for those things, don’t let someone take advantage of your mental/emotional energy and your desire for connection!

okay last point i think - be willing! that means a lot of things - willing to listen to the people you want to form connections with (including being willing to listen if they ask you to stop/express disinterest in something/etc), be willing to put forth effort on your own side to meet a person in the middle (like participating in an activity with them cause it interests them), and be willing to let people go! sometimes you meet someone and, in spite of your best efforts, there just isn’t any clicking between y’all (it may not be a bad relationship/connection, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out) and that’s okay! not everyone will be a great friend! and it’s totally cool to just remember a few things about them and continue to maintain a general acquaintanceship with them where you might casually chat when you see them but neither of you really goes out of their way to push the relationship (cause it just doesn’t feel right). and remember! quality connections are better than just having a ton of connections, that’s how you feel less lonely

okay sorry actual last point here - it’s also okay to have some friends who maybe you don’t get along with for everything but hey man, when y’all talk about anime, they’re awesome! casual friendships like that can be great too - especially if you have diverse interests! that friend you made in your shakespeare class may have mentioned they haven’t really ever gotten into anime, but that person you met in anime club might love talking about all your fave shows! obviously the ideal is to find a person or people you can talk to about everything, but you may not find them right away! or even at college at all! and that’s fine! just find the people that you can build good connections with and roll with it! it’s a little bit like eating a ‘balanced diet’. for someone who’s vegan, that might mean they get their protein all from plant-based foods, while someone who doesn’t have a specific diet may get it from a mix of meat and plants, and someone who’s really trying to eat a lot of protein might be eating a lot of (or exclusively) meat to get their protein! my point there is like. there are a lot of ways to fulfill your nutrition needs, and there are just as many ways to build a healthy spread of connections to fulfill all your emotional needs! there’s no single Right Way to do it, just find ways that work for you!

phew okay i talked a lot but i hope this helps you a bit, dear! oh, one last thought - if you have friends from before college that you connected well with, don’t forget about them! i mean, don’t feel like you can or should rely on them exclusively, but there’s no reason to feel like you have to only get your emotional needs fulfilled by people at your college. that goes for family as well! my sis and i got a lot closer once i went away to college, so if you’ve got any close (or semi-close) family relationships, definitely give those some attention as well! anyway, i hope that helped and i hope you start to feel a little more at home and connected as your year progresses!!!

#advice #anon #ask #kt

9 notes · View notes

bigboxofbees · 5 years

Text

Georgia, Alabama, Missouri and everyone else...

I would like to place a disclaimer here first, since I know some people don't wish to read about this and these are some more serious topics.

This text will include discussions/mentions of:

Abortion

Rape and sexual assault

The holocaust

So if you do not wish to read about those topics, I suggest you skip this text.

Also to note, I'm using pretty heteronormative language here, since I deem it appropriate. However, this does not mean that I ignore the fact that trans men and non-binary individuals can get pregnant, I am well aware, but their perspective might look a bit different from what I'm describing here.

Why did I spend like two hours on this?

In the past week or so, all I've seen all over social media is about abortion. Which makes sense, given the horrendous laws that are being passed as we speak in the US. It's a good thing that people are talking about this, it's extremely important. But it's also very tiring, despite not being american this debate has certainly taken a toll on me. I've wanted to write about this in dept for the whole week, but I haven't been able to get myself to do it. But I'm doing this now. So buckle up, because this is going to be a long post about all the things I've thought about and discussed this past week. However, this is by no means a complete list. And for convenience, I'm going to use different headlines to sort things.

How do we define life and which lives should be protected?

Does life begin at conception? From a legal and scientific perspective, not really. While cells certainly are alive, that doesn't mean that every living cell is part of a living being. And it is living beings we wish to protect, right? Otherwise, we'd protect plants and bacteria as well, and I think we can all agree that plants aren't people. What about animals? They are most certainly living beings, yet we kill them for food (despite the fact that it's possible for almost everyone to live a life without eating meat). I'd argue that any living animal is more worth protecting than an embryo, because animals are sentient. And I am by no means a vegan, but I do find it rather telling when I've asked pro-birth people if they're vegans and all I've gotten was silence.

Speaking from a legal and scientific perspective, a heartbeat does not determine "life". In order to be consider a life, a living being, the organism has to meet a couple of criteria; a embryo or a fetus before around the 25th week does not meet those criteria. What we use to determine life is not a heartbeat, it's brain activity. Brain activity cannot be maintained without a heartbeat, however, a heartbeat can exist without brain activity. That's why relatives can choose to pull the plug when their loved one is brain dead; because they are considered dead, despite the fact that they have a heartbeat. That's why a heartbeat isn't the definition of life; brain activity is.

A fetus can't have more human rights than a person

"It's not your body, it's a separate life! It has the right to life!" Well... does it, really? Let's say it is a person (even though it is not), a fetus cannot be given more rights than a person. Yes, I did say "more rights". Say a fetus would have all the human rights a person has, that still doesn't permit the fetus to use the pregnant person's body against their will. Nobody has the right to use another persons body unless they consent to it, I don't and neither do you. Doesn't matter if it's the only way to survive, it is still not a right to survive using another person's body. So why should a fetus have that right? If a fetus is equal to a living human person, then it doesn't have that right. In fact, you can't do anything to another person's body unless they've given consent, not even after they're dead. Pregnant people should not have less bodily autonomy than a corpse.

The poor becomes poorer

Rich people won't be affected by abortion bans, period. Really, anyone with the means to travel out of state for a weekend can still obtain an abortion legally. So who will be forced to give birth to children? Teenagers with little to no support and the poor, those who's lives are affected the most by unwanted pregnancies. Teenagers who likely have to put their plans for the future on ice to work a low-paying job to support their child, thus landing themselves and the child in poverty. And the poor will be forced to have more children resulting in even more severe poverty. Abortion bans feeds the circle of poverty. I don't mean to be a conspiracy theorist here, but who profits from this? The rich. Who has the most influence over the creation of laws? The rich.

When things get ugly

I've seen several really vile comparisons. But the worst one has to be the one with the holocaust, which I see frequently, tightly followed by slavery. These people consider the termination of embryos and fetuses to be equal to the horrors and dehumanization of the holocaust and of slavery. They can't seem to comprehend that a blob of non-sentient cells is not the same as a living human being. They've argued that "well Hitler and slave owners didn't consider those humans to be people, and you are not considering human life (note: fetuses, but they don't see it that way) people, so how are you any better than Hitler?" In fact, I outright asked a woman if she truly believed a 5 year old child crying for their mother at Auschwitz was equal to an embryo. She said yes, and saw nothing wrong with that. That is probably the most insane thing I have heard this week. Yet it's not too far from what I've seen multiple times; that legal and safe abortion is the "holocaust but for poor innocent babies". And in all honesty, I don't have much to say about this, it's just horrible and I don't know how to respond.

The hypocrisy, it was never about "life"

If it truly was, then this wouldn't be their top priority. And if it was truly about eliminating the need for abortions, this wouldn't be their top priority. Their top priority then would be to reduce the need for abortions through education and accessible birth control for all, and the second step would be to create social programs and fund organizations that help with the financial burden of raising a child, yet the states that have passed these laws do next to nothing to prevent unwanted/unplanned pregnancies nor help those who want to have the child but cannot afford that.

Making abortion illegal would only stop safe abortions from happening, since it does nothing to reduce the need for them. Illegal and unsafe abortions will increase, and women will hurt themselves or kill themselves because they were denied an abortion. It would also mean that all miscarriages would be investigated as a possible crime, putting women in prison for natural miscarriages. Not to mention that I've heard pro-birthers advocate for the death penalty for having an abortion. I have personally encountered pro-birthers who want this to happen, who think women who seek abortions deserve to die from unsafe abortions. How very pro-"life" of them.

I also noticed a parallell with the death penalty, a large portion of pro-birth people support the death penalty and see nothing morally wrong with that. That is also very hypocritical, how can you in the same breath say "all life is precious" and "execute the criminal" without sounding like the biggest fool? By doing that, you are at that point picking and choosing who deserves life according to you, at that means it's no longer about how all life must be protected.

And finally, a fair amount of people who are pro-birth do still think it's okay to have an abortion if you were raped. Why? I thought you cared about all human life? How is this any different? Yet another example of hypocrisy. They know it's cruel to force someone to carry their rapist's child, and they know they can't advocate for that. So for some reason they make an exception, an exception that goes against what they claim is their core belief (keep this particular part in mind when you read the next two parts). It really doesn't make sense, so perhaps it's not truly about "life".

Power play

Being pregnant is much different from getting someone pregnant. One has to be pregnant for 9 months, give birth and alter their body permanently. The other part could simply walk away at any moment and never look back. That is not an option for the one who's pregnant, and they are often the one left to deal with the child once it's born, altering their life to fit the needs of the child. And even if there is a father in the picture, the mother is still more likely to carry most of the responsibility. And if we look to the past, and we only have to rewind a few decades, the woman in the relationship was expected to be a stay at home mom, with no option to have a career. And while she was at home, tending to the home, making sure her husband never had to lift a finger in the house, he was out working and making a name for himself. This power imbalance doesn't exist to the same extent when women have ownership over their own bodies. And I can't help but feeling that this is related to why some people want to criminalize abortion; because if women can exist on the same conditions as them, their spaces are threatened.

It takes two to tango

"Close your legs", "don't have sex unless you want a baby", "it takes two to tango". Sounds familiar? These are all phrases used by pro-birthers, and they are almost almost directed at the female. So why does the man get a pass? When they say "close your legs", they never follow it up with "keep it in your pants". When they say "don't have sex unless you want a baby", they never follow it up with "don't have sex unless you want to be a father". When they say "it takes two to tango", they never follow it up with "if he gets her pregnant, he has to take responsibility and support her".

Men wanting to have sex is seen as natural, normal and a need, but if women want to have sex they need to be punished, the punishment being "having to take responsibility", which really is just code for "pregnancy is a punishment for women wanting to have sex".

A slippery slope

If we consider abortion, the removal of pregnancy, morally wrong because it stops a child from developing, then where do we draw the line? Would embryos at a fertility clinic be entitled to personhood? Would all embryos have to be used to grow a person? Would using a condom be illegal because it interrupts the natural process? Same with other forms of birth control? And what about periods and male masturbation, is that "throwing way" potential life? I know some religious people think contraceptives and plan b should be illegal, and I could definitely see how these types of laws could lead to future restrictions on birth control.

Final thoughts

Pro-"life" has never been about protecting life. It has always been about birthing babies, controlling women in different ways and punishing women who dare to have sex just because she wants to. Pro-birth people also have plenty of flaws in their arguments and the hypocrisy is unbelieveable. Abortion is by no means a black and white issue, it never has been, but criminalizing abortion will do more harm than good and will not stop abortions from happening. And fact of the matter is, morality is subjective. While you may think it's wrong to terminate a pregnancy, I don't. However, I do think it's morally wrong to force your personal beliefs into other people's lives.

#pro choice #womens rights #womens reproductive health #abortion rights #feminism #reproductive rights #abortion #us politics #sociology #philosophy

7 notes · View notes

nuclearmu5hroom · 7 years

Photo

@raythrill and @itsmesaberaltered asked me more about my shit children so here we go (thank you for asking :) )

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything?

Michelle 'Chell' Elizabeth Holoway (don't judge she's named after me cause I'm not original, only the last name is different). She was named after her grandmother (cause I will be in my upper 80s in 2077)

Drake Michael Fenring. The middle name was his fathers but the first name was taken from his family's crest.

2. Do they have any titles? How did they get them?

Both of them hold Doctorates; Drake's has a PhD in Biology and Psychology and Chell holds one in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Both attended CIT.

3. Did they have a good childhood? What are fond memories they have of it? What’s a bad memory?

Chell's favorite memories are of New Years Eve and her Oma would let her drink and she taught her all the good German drinking songs. Worst memories include being assaulted in elementary school by the other kids

Drake can barely remember anything from childhood, but he remembers his first 'invisible man' model which fascinated him when he was 4 or 5. His worst memory was when he was invited to a classmate's birthday party and they got cooler toys than he had which caused panic attacks.

4. What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents?

Chell didn't really have any problems with her parents. She clashed with her Mother when she got older but got along well with her Dad. They would go to Maine to visit family from time to time and went camping that whole schtick.

Drake had a very impersonal relationship with his folks but you wouldn't really know it since he hid it so well. He just didn't really have the capability to care beyond the things that he needed or wanted. His parents were very home-centered and didn't go places or take him to do things most of the time.

5. Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

Chell had an older sister, Erin, who left to study abroad in France and ended up staying there permanently. She was very close with her and the fact that she never got to say goodbye to her dear sister is a huge weight for her.

Drake is an only child and if he wasn't he absorbed his twin in utero.

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

Chell was kinda shit at school; got in trouble a lot for talking back, minor acts of vandalism, truancy but in the subjects she did like she was leagues ahead. Her favorite subjects were English Lit, Sociology, Life Sciences, Small Engine Repair/Metal Shop, and History. Hated Gym/Health and the sheer amount of homework that her Math teachers gave her.

Drake was Valedictorian, High Honors, NHS kinda kid. Excelled in most of his subjects but particularly enjoyed Biology and Science, Math, and Sociology. Disliked Gym, Study Halls and Lunch.

7. Did they have lots of friends as a child? Did they keep any of their childhood friends into adulthood?

Chell tried. She was goofy as fuck when she was growing up and it didn't work out so well for her. She had difficulties making lasting relationships.

Drake pretended to be friendly and well liked but only when he knew he could use it to advance. In any regard, he worked/studied too hard to even really want any friends.

8. Did they have pets as a child? Do they have pets as an adult? Do they like animals?

Chell had cats when she lived with her parents, but opted out since keeping pets was expensive as a college student. Post War though she has Dogmeat and Daisy whom she bought from Gene.

Drake finds their insides fascinating.

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals?

Chell’s got this weird drunken Snow White vibe with the animals of the Commonwealth going on. She loves and protects Radstags and will usually keep some corn or razorgrain on her just to feed them if she ever comes across them. Hates the bugs though, Christ they got big and ugly....

Drake would rather prefer to stay away from them if it can be helped unless he needs to use them.

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?

Chell never really wanted to be a parent, she kinda got knocked up accidentally but she embraced it and she wanted to be a good mom. When Shaun was abducted she thought her life was over. When she found out who her son turned out to be it changed her pretty profoundly. Then when Synth!Shaun came around she was really unprepared but tried to make the best of it. Shaun has his own room back in Sanctuary all decked out with all kinds of toys and posters. She’s a pretty absent parent though unfortunately. Being General means that she’s Mother to all 400,000 settlements. She asked Preston and Curie to be Shaun’s godparents/foster parents and she just comes blowing in every now and then like the drunk aunt.

Drake doesn't want kids but I think we can all guess that by now.

11. Do they have any special diet requirements? Are they a vegetarian? Vegan? Have any allergies?

Nope. Although if you get canned meat anywhere near Drake you’re gonna end up wearing it.

12. What is their favourite food?

As previously mentioned in the last ask, Chell’s favorite food is razorgrain oatmeal with tarberry or mutfruit. Something about its very comforting to her and it lasts a long time. She also makes great Radstag stew (its rare she ever makes it though since she won’t kill them unless they’re suffering)

Drake has an affinity for meat, the rarer the better. He won't touch anything other than Brahmin or Radstag though.

13. What is their least favourite food?

Both of them are completely disgusted by anything that comes off the gigantic fucking bugs in the Commonwealth. Chell will at least attempt to if she's absolutely starving life or death, but will most likely throw up. Drake won't even look at it. He also hates Cram, Salisbury Steak or the Potted Meat that's available too.

14. Do they have any specific memories of food/a restaurant/meal?

Nate used to take Chell out frequently before the War; they were regulars at the Drumlin Diner for a few months after she came home from Anchorage.

Drake was a member of the Boylston Club and most likely would've drank the poisoned wine had he not been in taken as a POW when the bomb fell.

15. Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

Chell is an excellent cook and is even better when she's really high. If she's at the Castle or Sanctuary she will often offer to cook for everyone all night if she can.

Drake is also not terrible, although he prefers to have someone else make his food for him.

16. Do they collect anything? What do they do with it? Where do they keep it?

Chell can't seem to let go of the notion that she still needs prewar money so she'll snag every dollar she can. Turns out that its worth more than caps anyway so she'll spend it just like she used to. She also will snag any and all toys to bring back to Shaun (and maybe keep one or two for herself)

Drake collects....parts...of people...

17. Do they like to take photos? What do they like to take photos of? Selfies? What do they do with their photos?

Neither of them are very comfortable in front of a camera although Chell could be convinced if you ask her nicely and she's not feeling as insecure.

18. What’s their favourite genre of: books, music, tv shows, films, video games and anything else

Chell loves comic books, sci fi, fantasy stuff. Even though she didn't think so at the time, her issue of Gronak that was still on her counter at home in Sanctuary was a major comfort to her. Musical tastes vary but she's really into Swing and Rockabilly. She didn't really watch much TV but fuck if she doesn't jam on Zeta Invaders every night.

Drake goes for classical literature and pours himself into anatomy books (they're like porn to him). Most conventional media disinterests him, but sometimes enjoys classical music (Wagner is probably his favorite if he had one)

19. What’s their least favourite genres?

Chell hates pop country music. Drake has too many to list but its mostly everything. He particularly despises romance or love songs.

20. Do they like musicals? Music in general? What do they do when they’re favourite song comes?

Chell actually gets kind of uncomfortable with musicals in a second hand embarrassment kind of way, but she loves music, cant live without music and has an extensive library of music that was loaded onto a holotape that fortunately survived throughout the years. She doesn't hesitate to dance when her jam comes on and often blasts music while she's fighting to keep her from focusing too much on the fact that she's killing people.

Drake would never admit to it but he does admire most musical actors. Music is often played while hes researching and he finds it stimulating.

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper?

Chell's patient with most people, but loses it around the BOS pretty quickly. She's slow to anger but once the switch is flipped she won't really hesitate to put a bullet in your head for the inconvenience. I'd say you could ask the people in Covenant but they're all dead so...

Drake's temper is short. He's mostly irritated all the time as it is but once he's proper angry there is one of two reactions. One being in his rage he'll stab you as many times as he possibly can, the other being so angry that he freezes and leaves but this might be worse because he'll find someone who can't defend themselves to take it out on.

22. What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

This is a hard question to answer really because context is important. Drake constantly insults everyone he thinks is dumber than he is (which in his eyes is actually everyone). His insults are personal, hand selected daggers that tend to cut to the deeper insecurities of a person. Chell would like to know who glued pubes to Elder Maxson's face and buy them a beer. She'll also use 'babyface', 'kid', 'Junior', 'Micro Maxson', 'limp dick', 'shit heel' etc, etc, etc....

23. Do they have a good memory? Short term or long term? Are they good with names? Or faces?

The drawback of doing so many chems is that Chell's short term memory is kinda shit. She's still having a hard time adjusting to life in the Commonwealth so she can go faceblind occasionally unless there is something very particular about you that she can make note of.

Drake has an excellent memory however this is limited only to after his incident in Russia. He has a difficulties remembering parts of his life before the event.

24. What is their sleeping pattern like? Do they snore? What do they like to sleep on? A soft or hard mattress?

Both wake up frequently with nightmares although Chell's gets better if she's romanced. She carries her own sleeping bag for the road and prefers to sleep as far away from ground level as she can. If she got really drunk the night before she tends to snore a little haha. It doesn't matter what surface if she's tired enough, which is all the time.

Drake's a primadonna when it comes to the surface on which he sleeps. If there's no bed he just won't. He only ever really sleeps for 2 or 3 hours at a time anyway.

25. What do they find funny? Do they have a good sense of humour? Are they funny themselves?

Chell's pretty entertaining I'd say. She tends to pull her personality from whomever she's with at the time in order to fit in better so if she's around Deacon or Hancock (or Elijah ^-^) there's an abnormal amount of asshattery going around. She teases Nick and Preston relentlessly but its in good humor. Piper and Mac don't quite get her humor really since she makes a hell of a lot of references to old world things. She has a lot of snark for Danse.

Drake finds humiliating people great fun. He enjoys watching them become uncomfortable and waits for them to start stumbling over their words before he becomes mean. When tables are turned though hes a spoiled sport and will sulk or lash out at whoever's trying to joke with him.

26. How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions?

Chell does all of the above. Sing, dance, generally silly. She's affectionate as heck and hugs and kisses everyone.

Drake is the one that hides as much as he can.

27. What makes them sad? Do they cry regularly? Do they cry openly or hide it? What are they like they are sad?

Chell is an emotional creature and cries when warranted. She doesn't like to display this in front of people though and withdraws. She will lie to you if you ask her if she's ok.

Drake doesn't have much empathy towards others but he despairs if he finds himself in a position where he has no control over any aspect of a situation. When he's afraid, he will cry, and he cries ugly.

28. What is their biggest fear? What in general scares them? How do they act when they’re scared?

Chell's fear is losing everyone she loves again. If her companion falls in combat she often acts very stupidly to rush to them and save them.

Drake's fear is humiliation and failure. If hes confronted by someone stronger willed than he is hes filled with dread and will find any excuse to leave their presence. If he cant, he panics and cries.

29. What do they do when they find out someone else’s fear? Do they tease them? Or get very over protective?

Chell is definitely protective of this information and only teases Deacon and his fear of heights.

Drake will actively try to find out what those fears are so he can exploit you and get you to do something you normally wouldn't.

30. Do they exercise? Regularly? Or only when forced? What do they act like pre-work out and post-work out?

Basically living post war is an endurance challenge in and of itself so there's no real need for either of them to exercise, however Chell can go for hours under the sheets ;)

31. Do they drink? What are they like drunk? What are they like hungover? How do they act when other people are drunk or hungover? Kind or teasing?

Chell's drunk like maybe a 3rd of her waking life. She's pretty high functioning and its a whole lot of fun whether or not she's drunk. She gets pretty handsy more so than normal so *grabby grabby*

Drake prefers to abstain completely.

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like?

Pre war, Chell went for comfortable; jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirt and usually had her hair pulled back out of her face. Post war, she sticks with practical and light, outfits that can afford her the most dexterity. Bedtime is usually just a tank top and undies (or nothing). No make up ever.

Pre war Drake preferred higher end made garments, often custom tailored. Post war, he is severely disappointed in the variety (?) of choices so he tends to stick with either his SRB uniform or just a simple lab coat. Drake doesn't feel comfortable enough above ground to change into other clothes.

33. What underwear do they wear? Boxers or briefs? Lacey? Comfy granny panties?

(WOOOO)

Chell WISHES she had more exciting undies but she's just thankful she has the ratty ass bra and panties she found at Fallon's. Sometimes if

Drake wears black boxers.

34. What is their body type? How tall are they? Do they like their body?

Chell is 5'4" thin but not unhealthy. She has no problems with the size of her body but she's self conscious of the scar on her face.

Drake is 5'7" and lean due to a high metabolism and preference for proteins over carbs. He hates his physical form and really just can't wait to get it over with.

35. What’s their guilty pleasure? What is their totally unguilty pleasure?

Chell definitely feels guilty about the amount of chems she does. She knows its destroying her but they feel good and she cant get busted by the fuzz anymore. Her unguilty pleasure though is probably her sexual appetite which she has no shame in whatsoever.

Drake doesn’t quite get the concept of personal guilt per se because that would mean he cares about what other people think about him. He is starting to recognize the fact that people and livestock have very similar cuts of meat.

36. What are they good at? What hobbies do they like? Can they sing?

Chells ok at singing, she does it for fun most of the time. She’s very good at cooking chems and makes some of the best in the Commonwealth.

Drake would probably be good at taxidermy if he applied himself but he feels most hobbies are a waste of time.

37. Do they like to read? Are they a fast or slow reader? Do they like poetry? Fictional or non fiction?

Chell likes to read but doesn't have much time for it to be honest. She sticks to comic books and the old covert manuals that she finds laying around. It doesn't take her long to get through a full sized novel though, she just wishes she could stay still long enough to pay attention.

Drake reads pretty regularly if he can; usually old text books if they’re still intact. His favorite Fiction is Dante’s Inferno and carries a copy with him during his down time.

38. What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

Chell admires people who see the value of being free to live the life they want, rather than how others want them to live it.

Drake can admire someone who can be cruel with little or no effort. The more ruthless, the better

39. Do they like letters? Or prefer emails/messaging?

Chell likes love letters cause she’s sappy and appreciates a handwritten thought.

Drake doesn't want anyone to communicate with him so none.

40. Do they like energy drinks? Coffee? Sugary food? Or can they naturally stay awake and alert?

Coffee for both; Chell HATES Nuka Cola but loves snack cakes and sweet rolls. Drake is the only one who can function without any kind of stimulant so he only drinks coffee if hes in the mood.

41. What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physically and mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship?

Chell’s bi/pan, not picky about looks considering she has her own self esteem issues. She’s attracted to kind people, people who like to cause trouble, and people who can hang out and indulge in mind altering substances

Drake is Gay/Aro. hes attracted to pretty men younger than he is. He tends to look for people who are naturally submissive but he abhors the idea of a relationship. Its too much baggage for him to care anything about.

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition?

Chell’s ultimate goal is to secure a place for people to live without having to worry if they’re going to die the next day and to rebuild her own life.

Drake’s is to replace all the incompetent idiots with higher functioning Synths but some dumb blonde bitch had to fuck it up....

43. Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non religious people?

Chell had studied the occult as a teenager since it ran in her family and she tried to learn as much as she could about other culture’s mythos. Nowadays though that faith is pretty shaken since the bombs and Shaun and all that.

Drake hates the idea of God. There is no salvation, there is no divine intervention. There is life, and death, and the pain in between.

44. What is their favourite season? Type of weather? Are they good in the cold or the heat? What weather do they complain in the most?

Both prefer it to be cooler. Hate the heat cause heat sucks and who wants to be sticky and sweaty all the time?

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves?

Chell tries hard to get people to like her, she seeks validation often. She sometimes feels like she’s being annoying or bothers people too much. She would like to hope that others see her as a kind and loving person though.

Drake is a monster and he knows it and is completely unapologetic. He doesn't care what others think about him as long as they do what they’re told.

46. Do they make a good first impression? Does their first impression reflect them accurately? How do they introduce themselves?

Chell can be awkward at first until she gets to know you and can match your personality better. Sometimes this doesn't translate well and she comes across as disingenuous or lacking in her own personality. If its your first time meeting her she will use her title as General to introduce herself (or codename depending if you have your Geiger counter or not)

Drake isn't friendly but he stays neutral so long as he doesn't have to interact with you too much. Its the most misleading thing about him since he can come across as “that nice guy from the office” all too well.

47. How do they act in a formal occasion? What do they think of black tie wear? Do they enjoy fancy parties and love to chit chat or loathe the whole event?

Chell gets real bored at fancy parties, preferring to tear it up with the dregs of society better. Rich people pay good money for chems though so she’ll sometimes try to squeeze a few more caps out of them to invest in her settlements.

Drake actually somewhat enjoys the status of attending high class events, believing himself to be amongst peers of his caliber. He still doesn't like interacting much though and will often stay by the sidelines and observe.

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend?

Chell throws the BEST parties. Most of the time they’re held in Goodneighbor but occasionally on major holidays the big settlements like Starlight, The Castle, and Sanctuary go all out too with open pit BBQ and lots of beer and liquor and music and dancing.

Drake sometimes wishes he could allow himself to feel that kind of revelry but dismisses that thought as soon as it forms. He has work to do and why on earth would he want to associate with the squabble?

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them?

Chell has a baby picture of Shaun that she keeps close to her as a reminder of what used to be. It might not have always been the best for her but the late nights being up with the baby were bittersweet and she knows she’ll never get that time back.

Drake keeps two teeth, an incisor and a molar, with him at all times but he’ll never show anyone. These came from his first test subject in Anchorage.

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?

Chell takes her sleeping bag, her Deliverer, a change of clothes, some prewar money, a knife, 3 of each chem, a bottle of Whiskey, some left over steak and her headphones.

Drake takes his 10mm, a knife, a book or two, and some questionable looking meat.

#long post #oc details #chell #drake #my ocs #asks #itsmesaberaltered #raythrill #also tagging your other blog ray #raynersjournal #thanks for asking :)

4 notes · View notes

foragehawaii-blog · 5 years

Text

Plant-only diets...What’s Missing?

(copied from my newsletter)

It is no doubt that a human can survive on a plant based diet with proper supplementation, but is it appropriate for optimal health and more importantly for the health of our babies and children? The answer is the subject of hot debate in a vegan versus omnivore battle that has eaters pretty charged up. With climate change being one of the greatest threats to our world population, the concern for saving energy and stopping deforestation are so 1990. Nowadays its all about kicking meat to save the planet. But what are the health consequences?

My biggest concern about the plant-based agenda is that pregnant women and kids will suffer from deficiencies by removing food groups that supply important nutrients for physical and mental development and function. As a self-proclaimed alpha-female, it saddens me to think of even greater numbers of anemia in young girls. Anemia manifests itself as lethargy, lack of concentration and memory, and other symptoms that only progress gender stereotypes. (Women need greater amounts of iron due to loss of blood during mensuration.) I can only imagine what a 14 year old's idea of a vegan diet is.

But shouldn’t we all go vegan for our health and to save the planet? I’ve addressed the greenhouse gases issue in a previous newsletter, but for this newsletter I would like to address the nutrition. Considering there is plenty of evidence to suggest that ruminants actually play an important role in our ecosystem and deserve a place in the food chain to help feed our populations and store carbon, lets consider what is best for human health.

Since early humans evolved away from their vegan ape ancestors, history hasn’t recorded a single group of people living off a strictly plant based diet through generations. Evidence of early humans eating bone marrow dates back over 2 million years. Every human culture known to man included some type of animal food in their diet regularly or throughout the year. There are points in history when animal foods were omitted for periods of time or at times throughout the year, but not a single example exists of strictly plant eating humans that completely omitted animal foods. More importantly, most cultures have specific animal foods that are emphasized in preparation to, during, and after pregnancy to ensure healthy offspring.

Our bodies have evolved to need certain nutrients not available from plants. I look at it this way, would I rather feed my body 70% of what it needs to function properly, or 100%? More importantly, would I rather feed my baby's developing brain 70% of what it needs to function properly, or 100%? Would I rather get this from a lab, or from real food? The problem is, nutrition science is always changing and the latest research is showing that our current recommendations for numerous vitamins, minerals, and essential compounds are set far too low for optimal health. What about supplementation? Well thank goodness that we have man made B12. That is essentially the only nutrient our body cannot make that is not found in plant foods (with the exception of very small amounts found in seaweed.) That being said, even if our body can make compounds not found in plant foods, that doesn’t always mean we can make enough to be healthy and function properly. Add to that the lack of nutrition in the deficient soils that are growing our food, and you have a recipe for deficiencies all around. And although cereals are fortified with many vitamins and minerals we are missing in foods, combining vitamins and minerals together in supplemental form doesn’t allow the body to properly absorb each nutrient because of antagonistic receptors. Our best bet is to eat nutrient dense foods from local healthy soil found on organic farms that practice permaculture principles, along with properly raised and harvested animals and seafood.

So what are you getting from animal foods that are hard to get from plant foods?

VITAMIN B12- Impossible to get in adequate amounts from plant foods. Deficiency causes anemia. Plays an essential role in production of red blood cells and DNA. I've seen this deficiency first hand when my sister fell ill from it. She was bedridden for a month before doctors diagnosed her. Not fun. This vitamin, along with others are also being research for the important role they play in mental health. Its about time to consider diet as a solution to depression.

PREFORMED VITAMIN A (retinol)- Most people associate vitamin A with carrots, however carrots do not contain vitamin A, they contain beta-carotene that our body can use to make vitamin A considering we are in near perfect health. There is also a large percentage of the population who genetically cannot covert beta-cartotene from plants into preformed vitamin A and must get it from animal foods. On top of that, the conversion of beta carotene to vitamin A decreases as the dietary dose increases meaning the more sweet potatoes you eat, the less beta-carotene converts to vitamin A. Plants are just not a good source for vitamin A requirements.

VITAMIN K2 - There are actually two main forms of Vitamin K. K1 is primarily found in plant foods, and K2 is primarily found in animal foods. K2 is often overlooked but extremely important (emphasis on essential!) for blood clotting, heart health, and bone health. It is strongly associated with preventing heart disease and cancer. Many professionals believe that these two compounds should be grouped as separate vitamins especially because it is impossible to get the essential K2 from K1.

DHA- Not all Omega 3 Fatty Acids are created equal. Our body can use ALA (the omega 3 fatty acid form found in plant foods) to make DHA and EPA but at a very low conversation rate, not enough to meet daily needs for mental health. Considering DHA makes up 30% of our brain matter, I wouldn't want to rely on a plant based diet to properly support my brain. I wrote in detail about the difference of plant-based versus animal based omega 3 fatty acids here.

HEME IRON- When I was a vegetarian, D-1 Athlete, and nutrition major I struggled with iron deficiency. Whenever I would tell people this there response was, eat more spinach! That was terrible advice. Unfortunately the USDA nutrient database does not take into account bioavailability when listing nutrients in foods. In the case of iron, only a small percentage of non-heme iron (found in plant foods) is absorbed in the body compared to heme iron (from blood sources) which is between 15-35%. Eating heme iron with non heme iron increases non-heme iron bioavailability fourfold. However, calcium, tannins, fiber, and caffiene all prevent iron absorption. Not helpful when the exhaustion from being iron deficient leads one to be dependent on lattes! Red meat and liver are the best sources of iron. It can take up to a year to completely deplete iron stores and up to a year to restore them. This is the most common deficiency found world-wide.

ZINC- Zinc found in plant-based sources like legumes and whole grains is absorbed less efficiently because of other plant compounds that inhibit absorption. Meat and shellfish are the best sources of zinc.

COMPLETE PROTEIN, AMINO ACIDS & OTHER COMPOUNDS: -Glycine (insert my love of bone broth here) -Carnosine -Creatine -Taurine -Choline -Carnosine Plant-only diets are almost always high carb. Complete proteins and a number of conditionally essential amino acids and organic compounds are often lacking in plant-based diets. Protein is an important component of every cell in our body. Low protein diets often increase one's desire for sweets (insert type 2 diabetes) Quick tip: If you find yourself craving lots of sweets, eat protein! Conclusion The argument can be made that proper and careful supplementation can support a healthy vegan diet, however, from strictly plant sources you would still fall short of some of these nutrients, not to mention you would probably be eating a lot of processed foods. For pregnant woman and children, the science just doesn't prove that a vegan diet is adequate. Red Meat, eggs, & fish are truly superfoods and eating "nose to tail" is just as important in order to balance our amino acid intake and get sufficient nutrients. I don't know about you, but every year that goes by I find myself questioning what should I eat for health? The recommendations are always changing but the safest bet is to eat like our ancestors did long before diet related disease began. Whole foods from good sources, in moderation. That being said, I'm sure this topic will continue to be debated, but I honestly feel like we are conducting a large human experiment with strictly plant-only diets that may prove to be quite detrimental to babies and children. We have already done this with highly processed and refined foods and are now seeing the massive affects on the human race. Fertility of our land and people is built into the symbiosis of the ecosystem. By taking animals out of the equation we most certainly lose that fertility.

0 notes

shirtrose7-blog · 5 years

Text

With skin-boosting, cold-fighting benefits, zinc is here to give magnesium a run for its money - Well+Good

If calcium and magnesium are the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper of the mineral world, think of zinc as their killer backing band in A Star is Born. In other words, although this nutrient isn’t usually front-and-center in the spotlight, our bodies’ performance wouldn’t be nearly as harmonious without it.

See, zinc is one of 16 essential minerals that we need to survive. Yet it’s considered a trace mineral, meaning we only need small amounts of it. Perhaps that’s why we don’t hear as much about it as we do major minerals—including iron, sodium, potassium, and, yes, calcium and magnesium—which our bodies use in larger amounts. But zinc actually plays a mega-important role in skin health, immunity, and more, so it’s definitely worth keeping tabs on your intake.

Luckily, it should be easy to get all the zinc you need—8 mg per day for women and 11 mg per day for men—through your diet, as long as you’re eating a variety of whole foods. According to nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, animal protein and dairy are high in zinc, as are plant foods such as cashews, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, and oatmeal. (Here’s a cheat-sheet of the best zinc sources to get you started.) But there’s one caveat. “Plant-based foods [like grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds] contain phytates, which may bind to zinc and make it less absorbable,” says Jackson Blatner. So if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just don’t eat a ton of meat, you’ll just want to ensure you’re doubling down on zinc-rich foods, says Jackson Blatner—or take a multivitamin containing zinc if you’re concerned that your diet’s not doing the job.

Follow those guidelines and you’re sure to revel in the many benefits of zinc, which are outlined here. Judging by this list, I’d say this lesser-known mineral is overdue for its own moment in the sun, no?

5 benefits of zinc to know about

1. Zinc may help boost the immune system: “One of zinc’s most-researched benefits is immunity—especially when it comes to decreasing cold length and severity,” says Jackson Blatner. For one thing, zinc is critical for the normal development of immune cells, which is why it’s important to consistently get enough of the mineral in your diet. But a 2011 meta-analysis of 13 randomized, placebo-controlled trials found that zinc supplements can be used in SOS moments to reduce the duration and severity of a cold. (Just be sure if you do try this to take the lozenge, syrup, or tablet within 24 hours of symptoms appearing, as zinc’s impact on a cold lessens over time.)

2. It can help heal skin—acne included: Jackson Blatner points out that zinc also plays a key role in wound healing—in fact, it’s involved with every stage of the process, from blood coagulation and inflammation to tissue renewal and scar formation. So if you find that it takes a while for cuts, scrapes, and burns to heal, you may want to take a look at your zinc intake. Some studies have also found that certain forms of the mineral can soothe breakouts when supplemented orally or as an ingredient in topical acne treatments—however, many of these studies had small sample sizes, so it’s best to talk with your dermatologist and see if this option’s right for you.

3. Zinc may help keep your vision healthy as you age: Several studies—including a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 3,597 people—found that supplementing with zinc can help protect against advanced age-related macular degeneration. This is a condition that can lead to vision loss, and it’s most common in those over 50. However, it’s unclear exactly what dose of zinc is most beneficial, or even if zinc alone has a significant impact, so talk to your doctor if you’re thinking about taking zinc for this purpose.

4. It could also help keep your breath fresher: Jackson Blatner says that dental products containing zinc might help reduce bad breath. One small randomized, controlled trial of 187 people found that a zinc toothpaste was more effective at combatting halitosis than a placebo, while an even smaller study of 10 people determined zinc mouthwash to be highly effective in eliminating the volatile sulfur compounds that cause bad breath. However, more research is required (on larger samples of people) to confirm this benefit.

5. It could help reduce inflammation: Some researchers believe that low zinc levels are associated with systemic inflammation, a condition that’s linked with everything from heart disease to cancer. One recent study showed that mice who received zinc supplementation showed lower levels of inflammation than a control group—however, more research needs to be done on humans before any definitive conclusions can be made.

Are there any side effects to taking zinc?

Jackson Blatner always recommends trying to reap zinc benefits (and those of every other vitamin and mineral) through whole-food sources, as opposed to relying on supplements to meet your nutritional needs. But, as mentioned before, there are some cases in which an added boost of the mineral could be helpful. “Someone could take extra zinc at the first sign of a cold to decrease the length of the cold and decrease severity of symptoms,” she says. “Plus, the need for zinc goes up during pregnancy to help with healthy cell growth, so that’s why zinc is in prenatal vitamins.” Your doctor may also recommend zinc supplements in certain situations, says Blatner—for instance, if you’re on blood-pressure medication that causes you to lose more zinc in your urine.

If you do decide to take a zinc supplement, just know that it can interact with certain medications. According to Jackson Blatner, zinc shouldn’t be taken at the same time as antibiotics, Penicillamine, or iron supplements—it’s best to wait two to three hours in between. It’s also worth noting that getting too much zinc can prevent your body from properly absorbing copper, so be sure to stay under 40 mg per day. But if you’re getting zinc through your diet, you don’t have to worry about any of that. As Jackson Blatner says, “Food first is always the best advice, for all nutrients.”

To up your zinc game in the most delicious way possible, whip up this almond butter cashew banana cheesecake and these sweet-and-savory tahini overnight oats.

Source: https://www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/zinc-benefits/

0 notes

torydobyns-blog · 7 years

Text

Portfolio Draft

ARGUMENT 1

Link to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kids__kitchen/

ARGUMENT 2

Why Fad Diets Don’t Stick

Everytime we turn around, there is some sort of new diet trend. First everyone was going around drinking juice instead of eating. Then there was that time when people ate grapefruit three meals a day. Today, veganism, the gluten free diet, the paleo diet, the Atkins diet and crash dieting are some popular trends. It is interesting how these diet trends rarely last more than a year or so. Every time we turn around there is a new diet that will “change your life.” Well if this is true they why do they not stay to change peoples lives for more than a year? The answer is because they do not work and there is no such thing as a miracle diet, or we would all be doing it.

Nearly any diet out there can be made healthy or unhealthy, yes it is possible to be an unhealthy vegan. A vegan can eat as much bread, packed food and sugar as they want. Meanwhile they are restricted from eating eggs that contain vitamins like selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals including copper, iron and zinc. When looking at the gluten free diet that originated from the dietary restrictions that those with a medical condition called Celiac Disease must follow, this same phenomenon is occurring. People are resorting to eating packaged gluten free foods like bread, pasta or cookies. Many of these products actually contain more sugar or additives making them less healthy. A study of the Gluten Free Diet, has shown “no scientific evidence supporting that eliminating gluten promotes weight loss [or] increased energy levels” (Nutrition and Health Education, 2015). The Gluten Free diet is not the only example of this, almost every fad diet follows a similar trend.

Another diet we are seeing a lot of is the Paleo Diet which is nicknamed as the “caveman diet.” This diet “centers on the idea that eating like our original ancestors is aligned with our genetics and therefore optimal for good health” (1). This diet is pretty unrealistic for most people and many of the Paleo Diet followers are not even true followers. Think about it, cavemen didn't have cars, boats, and planes to transport food across the world. They ate whatever they could find around them. This means that a true follower of the Paleo Diet would only eat foods that are local. The reality is most followers of the Paleo Diet shop at the grocery store, not go hunting and gathering in their backyards. Well, certain aspects of how our ancestors ate was good, the primary aspect is that they did not have processed foods. They did not have the technology to alter the foods they were eating and add preservatives to them. However, this has lead to the assumption that everything the “cavemen” ate is good for us. In this diet, there is a large amount of red meat consumed which can lead to overconsumption of saturated fats, increasing risk of heart disease. Not to mention, didn’t the supporters of the veganism just tell us red meat was bad?

Certain aspects of the Paleo Diet may be beneficial such as eliminating packed foods, but this does not mean every aspect is perfect and we should restrict ourselves from healthy foods not included in this diet plan. Nutrition specialist, Alex Nella says when she has customers wanting to try the Paleo Diet she encourages “them to use the paleo as the starting point of a healthy diet but to add beans, lentils, nuts, whole grains, and low-fat or nonfat dairy or other calcium sources such as dark leafy greens, tofu, and soy or almond milk” (1). Why eliminate these foods that are provide beneficial nutrients if you don’t have to? This is the central problem with fad diets: every diet has its pros and cons. In particular, overly restrictive diets that force their participants to eliminate foods that are beneficial to health.

So why are we still buying into this? Food is one of the most commonly advertised products in the United States, it has become a “product of affluence” and people want to buy products they think are high class. The same goes for diet trends. People are even influenced by social media and pop culture figures. If Kim Kardashian announces that she is going vegan, there will probably be a bunch of new wanna-be Kardashian’s running around announcing that they are going vegan. We need proper education on this matter in order for people to be able to make better decisions.

UC Davis Health System, Department of Public Affairs and Marketing. (2015, June 10). Is the Paleo Diet Safe? Retrieved September 25, 2016, from http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/welcome/features/2014-2015/06/20150603_paleo-diet.html

Some Tips for all the Fad Diet Participants

Although I am not a supporter of fad diets, the reality is they have a tremendous number of followers. Many of these followers simply follow the guidelines of the diets with no further knowledge of the best ways within the diet to eat. Here I have provided a few tips to help maximize the potential of some common fad diets.

Vegan:

The vegan diet is hard to critique because there are so many different reasons why people chose to do this. There are those who are vegans for health reasons, environmental reasons, morality, or even social justice. Well, for those who are vegans for health and nutrition reasons I would like to provide a few tips. It is easy to become a vegan and end up eating less healthy than you were before. B12 is product produced by “anaerobic microorganisms” and therefore can only be obtained from animal products. B12 deficiencies can lead to anemia which make you feel weak and tired. Luckily, there is an easy solution to those who do not want to eat meat: take a B12 supplement. Another common trend with veganism is an increase in consumption of packaged foods. This is common sense, if you are looking to be healthy, do not replace things like meat, milk, and eggs with bread and chips. Focus replacing animal products with things like nuts, whole grains, beans, and tofu.

Gluten-Free:

Although the gluten-free diet was established for those with celiac disease, the reality is, there are many people who follow this diet who do not have the disease. Gluten is “a general name for the proteins found in wheat” that can help food hold it’s shape. The common misconception with the gluten-free diet is that it will lead to weight loss and cause us to feel more energized. There is “no scientific evidence supporting that eliminating gluten promotes weight loss [or] increased energy levels.” The reason why so many people think this is because eating a gluten-free diet often goes hand and hand with reduced intake of bread, packed foods and other wheat based products with little nutritional value. The problem is that this diet has become so trendy, grocery stores have become lined with gluten-free products that replace wheat products with potato starch. Eating these products have no health benefits unless you are intolerant to gluten. As a matter a fact, many of these gluten free products are actually less healthy because they contain more sugar and other additives. So, when it comes down to it, if you are going to go gluten-free (and are not intolerant to gluten) there is no point if your going to eat packed gluten free foods. If you want to find success in this diet, try replacing wheat based products with things like fruits, vegetables, nuts, quinoa and beans, not processed potato starch products.

Juice Cleanse:

For those of you who haven’t heard of this crazy trend, a juice cleanse is a fad diet that only allows you to drink fruit and vegetables juices and restricts all other food consumption. If you're thinking what I thought when I first heard about this you be thinking how on earth this could sustain a person. Well, the answer is: it can’t. People use this diet because they think it is a fast way to lose weight and will help get rid of all the toxins in our body. This diet goes completely against the idea of a balanced diet completely restricting all proteins and fats, which are two nutrients essential to our survival. Juice cleanses “might appear to work in the short term” but are “not a long term solution for weight loss and can be dangerous.” When you drastically reduce your caloric intake for a short term, most people will gain the weight right back. This is based on the idea that when we drastically cut out calories, our bodies will adjust to this and develop a lower metabolism. This slows down the rate at which our bodies burn calories, which, last time I checked should be the last thing that anyone trying to lose weight should want. The other claimed benefit of a juice cleanse is that it will rid out body of its toxins. This idea that we need to do this is based on nothing. Our body has a great natural cleansing system built into our kidneys and liver. So, the bottom line: skip the juice and let your kidneys and liver handle this one.

The Reality Behind Gluten-Free Diets (2015, October 8). Retrieved September 25, 2016, from http://www.uwhealth.org/nutrition-diet/the-reality-behind-gluten-free-diets/31084

Millar, B. (2010, April 20). How crash diets harm your health - CNN.com. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/20/crash.diets.harm.health/index.html

ARGUMENT 3

Food- The Only Medicine You Need

With the highest obesity rate in the world, it is clear that the standard American diet likely needs some adjusting. It is suggested “that obesity is second only to smoking as a preventable cause of death” (Flegal). It is hard to say exactly how many deaths per year are caused by obesity because these numbers exclude other health factors of a person, but it can be estimated that “obesity causes about 300,000 deaths per year in the United States” alone (Flegal). This number is very misleading because it does not account for the various other diseases excluding obesity that can be attributed to problems with diet. In reality, the vast majority of premature deaths can be attributed to unhealthy dietary and lifestyle choices and frequently can be better healed by changes in these dietary choices than by medicine. This problem could be better addressed if people were better informed about healthy eating and doctors were required to have nutritional education as part of their schooling.

One can say that dietary changes can help prevent disease, but there is really no incentive to believe this until we have concrete evidence. In his book How Not to Die Michael Greger tells the story if his grandmother and her battle against what was thought to be fatal heart disease. When Dr. Greger’s grandmother was battling from heart disease, she had numerous open heart surgeries and was on countless prescription drugs that had all failed. She was in a wheelchair and “could no longer walk without great pain in her chest and legs” (Greger, 2015). After all of the medicines and operation had been tried, it was recommended that she change her diet to a whole-food and plant-based diet. After only three weeks of this dietary change, Mrs. Greger “was not only out of her wheelchair but walking 10 miles a day” (Greger, 2015). This kind of recovery is not unusual or specific to heart disease. There are scientifically proven dietary changes that can help prevent and reverse the effects of the top 15 leading causes of death in America.

The 15 leading causes of death including; various types of cancer, lung disease, high blood pressure, suicide, and brain diseases account for 1.6 million deaths per year in the United States. Greger argues that this does not have to be the case and simple “nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches” (Greger, 2015). To highlight some examples; replacing dairy with flaxseed can reduce the risks of many common cancers, consuming soy can increase the life expectancy of patients with breast cancer, and hibiscus tea is proven to be a better drug for patients with high blood pressure than the typical drugs prescribed to patients. The western diet; filled with processed foods and lacking plants is also proved to increase the risks of mental illnesses like depression, stress, bipolar disorder and anxiety. Despite all the research and case studies that have proved how dietary changes can improve health, doctors still continue to prescribe medicines and perform operations that may very well be less effective and more costly than these simple lifestyle changes because that is what they are trained to do.

The transition towards food based healing and prevention of disease is a challenge because so few people are educated on the topic, particularly doctors. In 2016, 2 out of 3 Americans were considered overweight or obese. Being overweight is classified by a body mass index (BMI) of over 25. These people are all told by their doctors that they need to lose weight, but are given minimal instruction on how to do so. This is because the majority of doctors in America have very little background in nutrition. On average medical “students received 23.9 contact hours of nutrition instruction during medical school” (Adams, 2008). Only 27 percent of schools even require a separate course in nutrition. The majority of “graduating medical students report that the time dedicated to nutrition instruction” during their schooling was “inadequate” (Adams, 2008). Doctors respond to health risks in the ways they are educated to do. With all of the recent findings revolving around nutrition based cures, the education for doctors needs to be altered. Doctors also have a skewed idea of how much their patients know about nutrition. In reality, there is no required education in nutrition in primary, secondary, or higher education.

A survey was conducted where 1,015 adults were chosen at random by telephone number varying in demographics and were asked a series of health related questions. The results were shocking. Only “7 percent of individuals in households with children ages 13 to 17 knew that skim milk and Coca-Cola have about the same number of calories” per glass (Physicians Committee, 2012). Only 36 percent of these people “realized that fish and beef have the same amount of fiber” which is none because animal products do not contain fiber (Physicians Committee, 2012). The majority, being 78 percent could not identify foods high in calcium such as milk and beans (Physicians Committee, 2012). Even if doctors are educated enough to tell their patents to eat more fiber, or calcium or protein, most Americans do not know how to go about this. However, we cannot blame these people for lacking this understanding. How should they know when they have never been educated?

Due to this lack of education among medical professions and the common-folk, people looking to improve their diet result to following diet trends and advertisements. In America, food is one of the most commonly advertised products. The way a product is advertised affects the buyer's perspective on it, if is true or not. Food is no different than the “glossy billboards of dressed-up food products are as ubiquitous as images of shiny cars or sexy teenagers advertising Ralph Lauren’s latest collection” (Why is America so fixed on food fads, 2010). People want to buy food that is advertised in a glamorous way, just as people want to try the diet that the latest Hollywood movie-star has tried. There has shown to be a direct correlation between those who watch television from a young age and those who develop unhealthy eating habits. The sense of trust in advertisements within the food industry is too strong. However, we cannot blame these people for following advertisements and trends because they are given no other option.

Transitioning towards food-based disease prevention has the capability to save millions of lives and cut down on health care expenses. Dietary changes are extremely affordable when compared to the costs of medicines and surgeries. Improving nutrition health would also cut down on the expenses of running hospitals because the occupation levels would decrease. This has the potential to get the ongoing issue of making healthcare more affordable. In order for this to happen, our education system needs to be altered for both medical professionals and the general population.

References

Adams, K. M., Lindell, K. C., Kohlmeier, M., & Zeisel, S. H. (2006, April). Status of nutrition education in medical schools. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430660/

Flegal, K. M., Williamson, D. F., Pamuk, E. R., & Rosenberg, H. M. (2004, September). Estimating Deaths Attributable to Obesity in the United States. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448478/

Greger, M., & Stone, G. (2015). HOW NOT TO DIE: discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease. New York, NY: Flatiron books.

Greger, M. (2018). NutritionFacts.org | The Latest in Nutrition Related Research. Retrieved March 1, 2018, from https://www.nutritionfacts.org

Harris, J. L., & Bargh, J. A. (2009, October). The Relationship between Television Viewing and Unhealthy Eating: Implications for Children and Media Interventions. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829711/

Overweight & Obesity Statistics. (2017, August 01). Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity

Why is America so fixed on food fads? (2010, August 2). Retrieved October 03, 2016, from http://www.salon.cm/2010/08/02/america_food_fads/

THEORY OF WRITING

No two pieces of writing are the same just as no two rhetorical situations are the same which is why creating a theory of writing that is applicable across disciplines is so important. We see writing in so many different forms, which makes the idea of a theory of writing tricky. What could a text message and a academic essay every have in common? Well, they both have an audience, context, and some sort of persuasive purpose. “Every audience at any moment is capable of being changed in someway” which is exactly why we have writing and rhetoric (Bitzer 3). A text message that reads something like “meet at the library at 5:00” may not seem persuasive, but it really is. It still has a purpose to persuade the audience of the message to come to the library. However, just because every piece of writing is persuasive, that does not mean all writing is equally effective in persuasion. In order to write effectively, we must consider the audience and the context of the situation.

The audience of a piece of writing should be the group you want to persuade. When writing academically, it is a common misconception that the audience is who is reading the writing, which is typically a teacher. When deciding on an audience, it should be reflective of the content of the writing. If you are writing an academic essay on the dangers of underage drinking, the audience should not be your teacher who is reading it, it should be underage drinkers. When keeping this specific audience in mind, it will be easier to establish proper tone and jargon that is suitable to the audience.

Considering the context of a piece of writing helps inform “the reader about why a document was written and how it was written” (Moxley 2009). Without context, there really is no prurouse for the writing. If we go back to the underage drinking example, in order to make this an effective argument there must be some sort of problem at hand. If no one drank underange, there would be no reason to write this. Context is was gives reason for the writing. Considering contexts comes as second nature to many writers, but in order to become a good writer you must question the context and determine why it is relevant.

Considering audience and context is crucial in developing writing, but these aspects of writing are always subject to change. I think that good writing is really never complete. No matter how smart someone is, no one can have all of the knowledge in the world. As we navigate through the world, we should be constantly receiving our ideas as we gain more knowledge through different experiences. As Steven Johnson says “we are often better served by connecting ideas than we are by protecting them” (Johnson 22). As we connect ideas, our current visions can and should change meaning that no good piece of writing is ever complete.

Moxley, J. (2009, October 28). Consider Your Context. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from https://writingcommons.org/open-text/writing-processes/think-rhetorically/714-consider-your-context

0 notes

thecoroutfitters · 7 years

Link

Let’s begin today’s article with the sad story of Christopher McCandless, the quintessential hipster whose decomposed body was found by moose hunters 25 years ago on September 6, 1992 in the close vicinity of Denali National Park.

This guy who became famous after a movie was made based on his diary has died of starvation inside a rusty bus that was used as an improvised shelter (prior to him) by dog mushers, trappers, and various other outdoors enthusiasts.

A note was found which reads:

“I NEED YOUR HELP. I AM INJURED, NEAR DEATH, AND TOO WEAK TO HIKE OUT OF HERE. I AM ALL ALONE, THIS IS NO JOKE. IN THE NAME OF GOD, PLEASE REMAIN TO SAVE ME. I AM OUT COLLECTING BERRIES CLOSE BY AND SHALL RETURN THIS EVENING. THANK YOU,” CHRIS McCANDLESS

Obviously, eating a diet based on berries and unicorn tears in an outdoors survival scenario is not the best idea in the world, as Christopher McCandless discovered the hard way. This guy died a horrible death by starvation, because of his naive and idealistic view of the world.

The thing is, Christopher McCandless died of starvation in an area that was bursting with wildlife, but due to a lack of skills and imagination, he chose to try to live (if you can call it living) on an ascetic diet.

An autopsy determined that at the time of his death, he weighed a mere 67 pounds and he had almost zero body fat. It has been speculated that he might have poisoned himself by eating wild potato seeds.

However, the lesson to be taken home is that one can’t rely on weeds and seeds for survival in an outdoors SHTF situation.

3 Second SEAL Test Will Tell You If You’ll Survive A SHTF Situation

I mean, okay, eating the inner tree bark, pine cone nuts, acorns, pine needles, leaves, weeds, and other plant-based foods may keep you alive for a while, but in the long run, you’ll get exhausted and maybe even poisoned if you don’t know what you’re eating. Our bodies are not designed to function properly with that stuff (we can’t digest cellulose, for example).

Not to mention that staying healthy and powerful on a raw-vegan elf/squirrel-based diet is nearly impossible because your body needs more protein than you can gather from pine nuts, if for no other reason than you burn more energy extracting them than you gain from eating them.

Even if, theoretically speaking, most people can live for weeks in a row without food, you’ll not be able to do anything of value while starving. And most people are totally clueless when it comes to what to eat when there’s no McDonalds nor a 7-Eleven around. In a survival situation, you’ll require all of your strength and stamina to stay alive. As a friend of mine nicely put it, can you fight a bear while on a grass diet? Forget about it, right?

When it comes to survival eating, one must pay attention to details, especially if you’re an outdoor enthusiast. Don’t get me wrong; I am not downplaying the importance of plants and veggies, but eating grass and berries is not enough.

A true survivalist should master the skill of correctly identifying edible plants in the wilderness. In a survival situation, you don’t want to take any chances such as eating a mushroom or a plant that may poison you.

What to Eat Then?

With only a few exceptions, one may eat anything that swims, flies, walks or crawls the Earth. People confronted with the dire straits of starvation have resorted even to cannibalism, not to mention eating leaves and bugs for nourishment. A survivor must go past his or her personal bias and eat what is available to stay alive.

Plants

When it comes to eating wild plants and fruit, the first lesson to absorb is how to stay away from poisonous stuff. The first rule of wilderness survival eating is to stay away from what you don’t know. If there’s any doubt, don’t eat it. If you’re not the “botanical dude/dudette” type (you don’t have a mental list of wild edibles), the general rule of thumb is to stay away from plants with:

fine hair

spines

milky sap

thorns

seeds inside pods

beans and bulbs with a bitter/soapy taste (read alkaloids)

grain heads with purple, pink or black spurs

plants with 3-leaved pattern.

Obviously, you can learn a lot about edible plants, but you’ll have to go study the phenomenon thoroughly. And speaking of edible plants, there is one plant that may keep you alive indefinitely, and I am talking about cattails.

Check out this article for further reference. Cattails are an awesome survival food and they’re easy to find, as they grow spontaneously near ponds, lakes and rivers.

Bugs

Though it’s off-putting to think about, when discussing a balanced survival diet, insects are an excellent source of protein and they also contain some of the most important nutrients required by your body, (besides protein): fat and minerals.

Edible bugs are an awesome survival food, provided you can get past your preconceptions. Regarding commonly found edible insects in North America, here are a few:

grasshoppers

crickets

locusts

caterpillars (including when in larvae stage/moth)

ants

June bugs

termites

mealworms

centipedes

Stay away from brightly colored insects, as they may be poisonous. Generally speaking, insects will provide you with 65% to 80% protein. Compare that to beef’s puny 20% protein, and you’ll see why insects are recommended by many survivalists. Insects can be consumed raw or in a stew. Or, you can mix them with edible plants.

Other Creatures

However, when it comes to putting meat on the table, the name of the game is fishing, trapping, and of course hunting. Having the skills to set traps, snares, and nets will keep you alive and kicking for a long time in any survival scenario imaginable.

It’s important to realize one simple thing: if you don’t have the tools for hunting large game, you should focus on smaller animals. They’re easier to catch and also they’re abundant. And speaking of small game, fish is an excellent source of fat and protein, and basically all North American fish are edible.

The same goes for amphibians (read frogs, check out this piece) and most of the reptiles. You can DIY nets, fishhooks, and traps for catching fish in a survival scenario.

Field-expedient methods include using wire, needles, and pins (any piece of metal actually) for making fishhooks. Alternatively, you may use coconut shell, bone, plant-thorns or seashells. Another method for catching fish is to use fish traps and gill nets. Finally, there’s spearfishing, but you would require Rambo-like skills for that.

Next, all species of birds are edible (including bird eggs), but if you plan to capture birds, you’ll have to master the art of trapping, snaring, or laying bird traps. In a survival scenario, trapping is the most feasible method to maintain a steady supply of fish and other fresh meat on the table, provided you know the rules of engagement, meaning you are educated on the lifestyles and habits of the animals you’re hunting.

Snares, pitfalls, and deadfalls are among the best known and easiest to improvise traps. Check out this article for further reference.

Another method for hunting small game would be to use a slingshot or a bow and arrow, but you’d require advanced skills in order to use them in a comprehensive way, i.e. you’ll have to practice long and hard with a bow and arrow or slingshot before being able to put meat on the table.

Obviously, if you’d ask me, I’d never go out in the middle of nowhere without my .22 rifle and copious amounts of ammo.

Now, it’s your turn to share your survival food tips with others in the dedicated comment-section below.

This article has been written by Chris Black for Survivopedia.

from Survivopedia Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

#SHTF #TEOTWAWKI #MARTIALLAW #BUGOUT #PREPPERBAG #USAF #USSOCOM #ARMY #NAVY #SurvivalFirestarter #Sur

0 notes

robertsmorgan · 8 years

Text

6 Healthy Lifestyle Changes to Make Today

Over the years, I’ve helped thousands of people make better choices for themselves and their health. People from all backgrounds say they feel sick, tired, and depressed. What’s truly scary is that people begin to accept that feeling as normal.

It doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to, nor should you, resign yourself to feeling perpetually run-down and exhausted. Some of the most effective ways to improve your health are simple and accessible to almost everyone. You don’t need a lot of money; you just need the drive to cultivate healthy habits.

When people ask me what the best medicine is, do you know what I tell them? The best medicine is a prevention-based lifestyle.

6 Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

The six simplest things you can incorporate in your life are sunshine, clean air, fresh water, sleep, exercise, and most of all— a clean, healthy diet. That’s it. Improving these six things can improve anyone’s health. They require no fancy equipment, no special training, no 16-disc instructional DVD set, no payment plan. You can start improving your life yourself, today, right now.

1. Get Some Sunshine

Soaking up the sun has received a lot of bad press in recent years, and everyone now associates the sun’s UV rays with wrinkles and skin cancer. While it’s true that you shouldn’t spend all day in the sun, we’ve swung too far in the other direction, and people are quick to reach for chemically-suspect sunscreens or avoid the sun entirely. In reality, UV rays account for only about one-tenth of 1% of the total global burden of disease. You’re far more likely to get sick from too little sunlight.[1]

Moderate exposure to direct sunshine boosts the health of both your mind and body. In addition to enhancing your mental state, exposure to sunlight directly affects the body’s production of melatonin and can promote more restful sleep. Sunlight is also vital to the body’s ability to produce vitamin D, an incredibly important nutrient that supports cardiovascular health, bone health, and the immune system. In fact, sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, as the nutrient is relatively uncommon in food.

That’s not to say you should ignore the risk of UV-related cancer. As in all things health-related, you must find the right balance. Be smart about your level of sunshine exposure. Try to get at least 15-30 minutes of direct sunlight every day. Avoid sunscreens. At best, they prevent vitamin D production. Worse, many sunscreens contain harsh chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin and cause dozens of health problems. If you are out in the glaring sun all day, make use of shade and wear sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats, and loose-fitting, long-sleeved clothing to avoid sunburn. If you must use sunscreen, only buy organic, mineral and plant-based varieties.

2. Breathe Clean Air

As the old saying goes, you can survive weeks without food, days without water, but only a few minutes without air. Given its extreme importance, it almost goes without saying that the best air is fresh and clean.

Clean air helps prevent respiratory ailments like asthma or allergies and supplies your body with the oxygen that all living cells need. Breathing dirty air can cause big problems.

A lot of people associate poor air quality with smog or industrial pollution. You may be surprised to learn that, according to the EPA, indoor air quality is usually 2-5x worse than that outside. That may be a best-case scenario; in the worst cases, indoor air can be up to 100x more toxic.[2]

Oddly, efficient construction may be largely to blame. It’s energy efficient for a building to be sealed up tight, but it also allows for the accumulation and concentration of air pollutants. These pollutants include the VOCs and chemical fumes that off-gas from furniture, paint, flooring materials, and other indoor building materials.

Don’t think an air freshener is going to “clean” the air. Most air fresheners just release an equally toxic chemical fragrance to mask odors.[3] Instead, get an air purification device for your home, preferably one that uses both HEPA and UV filters. You can also open the windows and get a few houseplants; they’re excellent, natural air filters that release clean oxygen. Better yet, go outside in nature and enjoy the fresh air first hand.

3. Stay Hydrated

By some estimates, 75% of people suffer from chronic mild dehydration.[4] This affects your health in more ways than just feeling a bit thirsty. At a minimum, chronic dehydration causes a severe drop in your energy levels. Worse, since 70% of your body is water, dehydration can negatively affect every process in your body, including bone and tissue regeneration, natural detoxification abilities, immune function—all of it. Even blinking your eyes and the beating of your heart require water.

Madison Avenue marketing wizards spend millions of dollars trying to convince us that water is plain and boring. Instead, they say, we should quench our thirst with overpriced, carbonated liquid candy like soda and energy drinks. Don’t listen. You need fresh water to function; there is no substitute. Coffee, sodas, and energy drinks are not good hydrators. In fact, the caffeine and sugar are diuretics that cause your body to lose water. Avoid.

How much water do you need? Eight cups a day is the standard recommendation. That’s a fairly good rule of thumb, but it doesn’t account for body size or activity level. A better guideline is to drink half your bodyweight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, drink 90 ounces of water per day. Of course, people’s needs differ based on many factors. Body size, physical activity, external temperature, sweatiness, health, and dozens of other factors all affect how much water you need. Start with the half-your-weight rule as a base and add water as needed.

4. Get Enough Rest

Have you noticed that in some circles, missing several hours of sleep a night is considered a badge of honor while sleeping the full, recommended 8 hours is seen as a weakness? This thinking is completely backwards.

Adequate sleep—about 7-8 hours a night for most people—is absolutely necessary for a healthy body and mind. Rest promotes normal hormone levels and neurotransmitter responses. Skipping sleep can lead to poor work performance, car accidents, relationship problems, anger, and depression.[5]

Why are so many people walking around completely exhausted? For most people, the problem isn’t that they’re too busy, it’s that they just need to turn off the TV, put down the phone, and close their eyes. In fact, trying to fall asleep with the TV or other gadgets on will only derail your body’s natural circadian rhythm.[6]

Just put away the smartphone and go to bed. Make your sleeping space as dark as possible. If that’s not feasible, try wearing a sleep mask. It’s a great strategy for blocking out light. And, just as you’ve always heard, aim for about 8 hours of sleep every night.

5. Exercise Often

Exercise is vital to your health and mood. Unequivocally, research shows that your chances of living a long, healthy life are better if you exercise regularly. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises that regular physical activity reduces mortality rates of many chronic diseases and helps improve or prevent many illnesses and conditions.[7]

You don’t need to have the physique of an Olympian to see health benefits. Even light to moderate exercise can offer tremendous health benefits. Although forty-five minutes to an hour is better for most people, just 30 minutes of moderate activity a few times a week can boost energy levels, help you sleep better, sharpen your mind, and strengthen your defense against illness.

To maximize the benefits, exercise outdoors. Studies have shown that exercising outside promotes endurance, enthusiasm, pleasure, and self-esteem. It also helps reduce depression and fatigue.[8] One study found that people who exercised outside exercised longer and more frequently.[9] Not to mention that exercising outdoors can also help you get your daily dose of sunshine.

6. Follow a Clean Diet

You may be familiar with the expression, “garbage in, garbage out.” Nowhere is that more true than in regard to the food you eat. Good nutrition is vital to your health. You can exercise and sleep twice as much as anyone else, but without a clean and balanced diet, you will feel down and fatigued.

There are many, many schools of thought on what type of diet is the best. Although there are a few unshakeable principles, it has to be an individual choice. Personally, I both follow and recommend a raw, vegan diet, but everyone has to decide what works for their life.

Most of the animals raised for mass production are raised in squalid conditions and treated inhumanely. Not only is this unnecessarily cruel, it promotes diseased animals that yield toxic animal products. A plant-based diet avoids these dangers, but if you do decide to consume meat and dairy, at least avoid the worst of it. Only consume animal products that are produced organically, in a free range environment, with ethical standards in place.

And, while it’s a contentious topic, I believe there’s more than sufficient evidence to avoid genetically modified food, AKA GMOs.[10] Italy, France, Germany, Greece, and dozens of other countries have limited or outright banned these foods. In the United States, however, they are everywhere. Buying organic food is the easiest way to avoid GMOs. According to both U.S. and Canadian law, a product with the “100% Certified Organic” label, it cannot contain any genetically modified organisms.

Finally, get in the habit of making your own food and avoid the mass-produced food products that are largely found in the center of the grocery store—boxed, packaged, and loaded with junk, especially refined carbohydrates. A few years ago, researchers at Princeton even confirmed that sugar is more addictive than heroin. It’s no surprise Americans buy more soda than water.[11]

Most of your grocery shopping should consist of whole, raw foods. Vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. I won’t say all prepackaged food is terrible for you, but the vast majority of them contain a minefield of suspect ingredients.

There you have it. Six easy, cost-effective tips to transform your health. Have you put any of these into practice? How has it affected your life?

The post 6 Healthy Lifestyle Changes to Make Today appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

from Robert Morgan Blog http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/healthy-lifestyle-changes-to-make-today/

0 notes