Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Yoga retreat
So this weekend I abandoned my boys and went off to a lodge in Laikipia right near Mt Kenya for a Yoga retreat. It was my first time going on a yoga retreat and it was about time seeing as I love yoga so much.
It was just a LONG way to drive - it took us 6 hours to get there due to bad traffic getting out of Nairobi. And 5 hours to get back due to slow driving!
There was also no cell phone reception there which was quite disturbing... I wanted hourly updates on how Dad and son were getting on dammit! So I ended up going on to very early morning bush walks just so that I could get to the top of the nearest ridge and get some coverage. Nevermind the hippos and ellies we came across!
We did 4 intense sessions during the course of the weekend and I really felt like I made some progress. I managed to get my elbow stand right and I improved my coming up and going down into back bend. We also learnt all about one's chakras and we meditated a fair amount. I'm not into either of those two things to be honest... I just love the physical aspect of yoga. Specifically Ashtanga yoga which is what we do.
I've been practicing Ashtanga now for about a year and 3 months and I LOVE it. I do the primary series twice a week with Oriane - the most amazing yoga teacher I'm sure I'll ever come across. And once a week we do a free form class which ultimately improves our Ashtanga. So 3 yoga classes a week plus a retreat or two should mean I will be able to do the entire primary series sooner or later. I get 3/4 of the way through it, until I get to the posture where my feet have to go behind my head and there I get stuck! So one of my goals this year is to be able to do the entire series. I've already made SUCH progress, its so motivating. And I feel so good and so strong from all this yoga. Its a serious workout.
Benedikt coped really well with Nicolas. Our ayah (nanny) looked after him while Benedikt went on rides on Saturday and Sunday morning then he had Nic the rest of the time. So he had to change pooey nappies, feed him meals and get up in the night - 3 things he doesnt usually do! I think Benedikt really enjoyed the weekend with his son. And he learnt a lot - so much so that this morning Benedikt was telling me how to do things!
Its my mums birthday today - Happy Birthday Lady!
Monday, February 14, 2011
I won the 10 to 4!
So this last weekend was Kenya's biggest mountain bike race, the 10 to 4. I did the 50km last year when I was 5 months pregnant so it was really cool to be able to go and race it properly this year. Although this year it had a new format, it was a 2 day race. Saturday was a tough 90kms with 2000m of climbing and Sunday was 70kms, most of which was downhill with only 600m of climbing, hence the name: From 10000feet to 4000feet down the slopes of Mt Kenya. On Sunday I was lying second for the first 40kms...I'd been riding with the girl in first place for the first 10kms but she dropped me on one of the climbs. Then Benedikt passed me (he and many others had been sent the wrong way early on in the race) just as I was about to catch up to her. So I sat on his wheel and we positively flew passed Joyce. Poor girl! I didnt see her again and she finished quite a while after me, so I think she cooked it on those first few climbs. I was happy with my ride, and very happy to have won. I don't think its because I'm speedy gonzales or anything, I think its more because only a handful of girls took part!
On the Sunday I had another girl in front of me for the first 5kms then I passed her and didnt see another girl the whole day. So I finished first again and won the event overall - WOOHOO!!
Prize giving, which was an irritating FOUR HOURS later was funny as I went I up four times! The first time it was to collect Benedikt's prize of coming third in the one day event (his first day didnt count after the route fiasco), then I went up to collect the Queen of the Mountains prize. (They'd recorded the riders times at the bottom and the top of one of the climbs) I got a camel back and a QOM t shirt. Then I went up for winning Saturday's 'hardcore' event - I got a bottle & a bottle cage plus a fancy fleece. Then I went up finally as winner of the 'extreme' event overall! I won 30k plus a trophy. So all v worth waiting for :-)
We had another fantastic weekend at Borana lodge which is basically a 5 star lodge - they accommodate us cyclists every year at a reduced rate as they are very involved in the race. We took our nanny with us as both of us were riding and she was just amazing. Wow, we have a great nanny. She laughs all the time and just LOVES Nic to bits. She is also very sensible and careful and does everything I ask to the smallest detail. Plus, she is well mannered and grateful to us for anything we do for her. Nicolas just adores her. His face lights up when she arrives in the mornings. I never want to lose her!
Anyway, we chilled at the pool a lot of the time we werent riding. We ate like royalty (I had DIVINE vegan meals each night) and drank a fair amount too :-)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
I've gone vegan
I know you are rolling your eyes and tut tutting but I don't care!
I wasn't going to tell anyone as I knew I would get a lot of slack and that people would think they need to go to a whole lot of effort if I came round for a meal, and that I'd become this tree hugging weirdo. But my new eating habit has slowly leaked out and now everyone here knows. And I'm glad really. I'm proud to not eat animal products! I know that one day everyone will realise its the best way to eat. I just hope this is in my lifetime.
This blog entry took me a long time to do. Its something I'm REALLY passionate about.
The reasons I've become a vegan are as follows:
1. I have been vegetarian for for 17 years now. For the last 5 months of last year (after Nicolas was born) I stopped eating dairy. Mainly because I was on a mission to lose the pregnancy weight I'd put on. It proved to be very easy - both giving up dairy and losing the weight. And I enjoyed it. And never felt healthier! So...it made me realise I could easily become a vegan. I'd always felt it was a bit of a cop out to eat dairy as well, double standards really. So as of the first of January this year I went all the way and officially became a plant eater only.
2. Eating zero animal products is a healthier way of eating.
Milk and milk derivatives are actually not good for you. (Just type in the question 'Is cow's milk good for you' in google and read the results!) We have all been brainwashed into thinking that milk is full of calcium and nutrients and a glass of fresh milk everyday is good for you. Well its not! And its definitely not a good source of calcium, it actually has the opposite effect as the phosphorous in milk prevents the milk from being absorbed, plus milk makes the body more acidic and you need calcium to reduce this acidity, therefore your body's calcium levels can be reduced when you drink milk!
And do you realise we are the only (WEIRD) species that drink the milk from a different species? And that drinks milk all through our lives? Nature designed milk to be drunk in our early years and thats it. Why do you think SO many people are lactose intolerant? We are not supposed to carry on drinking it forever. Especially when it comes from a different species!! Its crazy.
I could go on and on about milk (and dairy) being bad for you, but I won't. Just google it.
Then there is the cholesterol issue. Vegans consume ZERO cholesterol. I will NEVER have high cholesterol levels and that greatly reduces my chances of suffering a heart attack or other heart disease.
I already have (good) low blood pressure and it will certainly stay this way as I as long as I am vegan. Which will be until until I die! Not of heart disease :-)
Its also been proven that many cancers are encouraged by diets rich in meat.
3. Thirdly I am doing it for animal cruelty reasons. I don't want to even go down this road, but basically I believe animal farming is ALL SO WRONG. Its wrong how animals are brought up on farms in cages or in restrictive pens their whole lives. The way chickens beaks are cut off with no pain relief to stop them pecking each other in their overcrowded coops. The birds suffer pain for weeks. Its wrong how pigs are kept in pens where they can't even turn around. Imagine spending your WHOLE life facing in one direction and not being able to move? Imagine how frail and sore and uncomfortable you would be ALL THE TIME.
Its wrong how a dairy cow's young are taken away at birth. Imagine that, having your baby taken away?! And then the over milked lactating cows often suffer mastitis, which never mind how it affects their milk (which you drink) but imagine the pain! I had a very very mild case of it in the early days of breast feeding Nicolas and it was SOooooooooooooo sore. I was rock hard and very very sore to touch. And they STILL milk the cows in this state.
Then there are the slaughter houses. Oh my word those places are just so evil. There is so much pressure in these places get the 'product' out that the workers themselves are often SO cruel and impatient with the stressed out animals who are busy witnessing the death of the animals in front of them. And of course the animals recognise the sight and sound of their kin in pain. (Our dogs know when the other one is in pain for example) And then half the time the animal which is supposed to be stunned before being killed, doesn't become desensitised as the electric shock doesn't do it job and the animal then has its throat cut and is skinned ALIVE. This often means being dipped in scolding hot water.
I've read too many accounts of disgusting farm workers who mutilate the animals and have their bit of sick fun with them during the slaughtering process. Its all just SO disturbing.
I can't actually go on with this topic. It makes me far too upset. If I read or hear about the things that go on at slaughter houses it just affects me for months. I couldnt sleep last night because of all the nasty images I had in my head after reading some sites.
Read about some of the stuff going on at slaughter houses here and here and here.
And those are MILD stories. I have heard of such awful goings on with animal farming that I just can't bear it. I HATE HUMANS.
And yes, I know this bad stuff doesn't happen on all farms, all the time. But it happens A LOT and on many farms. And thats enough.
4. Another very important reason is the effect the farming of animals has on our environment. 'A recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change' according to Peta. Can you just imagine how much manure there is to dispose of from all those cows, pigs, sheep and chickens? And the manure is full of salt, minerals, some harmful substances like lead and mercury, and its got (growth) hormones in it, plus antibiotics. This manure is then dispersed over crop lands. This reduces the fertility of the soil dramatically which is difficult to reverse. Read about it here. It also means the crops end up with those substances in them. So besides from soil erosion, the manure and urine also pollute the air and the nearby rivers and water ways. Then there is the deforestation that occurs to make way for the animal lots and massive farms. 'Grazing occupies 26 percent of the Earth's terrestrial surface, while feed crop production requires about a third of all arable land' according to the UN's FAO.
And there is the additional water pollution thanks to all the pesticides sprayed on the vast quantities of animal feed, plus the huge drain the farming industry puts on our precious water resources.
Then '...livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport' according to this web site and many other sites have similar statistics listed.
The detrimental effects on our environment are SO much lower when it comes to feeding a vegan. Organic farming of crops is the only way to go. Here is another article on the effect of factory farming on the environment.
But I don't have to supply you with these references... just do your own homework! Its ALL out there, easy to research and discover.
5. One big reason that I am able to go vegan is because Benedikt supports me. He won't become a vegan with me (unfortunately) but he can see why I am doing this and he sees how healthily a vegan can eat. Benedikt generally doesn't eat meat during the week and he happily eats the vegan dishes I make. He even loves some of them! Benedikt really only eats meat when we go out or on weekends when he makes it himself. I don't cook meat and I prefer not to buy it either. So if he wants meat he sorts himself out. He never moans about this and if anything, he is feeling the benefits of eating as a vegan/vegetarian. (He does eat a little dairy daily)
Benedikt would prefer to only eat meat from farms that he knows treat animals well, in Germany this would be easy. But here in Kenya its difficult to know where the meat or dairy comes from.
So ja, thanks darling for being so understanding!
6. Its an excellent way to keep (bad) fat out of my diet. Now that I am vegan, I also don't eat cakes, biscuits, muffins, chocolate, ice cream, milkshakes and anything with cheese or butter on or in. What are the first things you give up when you diet? Exactly. So by cutting these things out for good (plus all meat obviously) I am putting myself on a life long healthy eating plan.
7. There is absolutely nothing that a diet which includes meat has that a plant based diet doesn't. If I had a dollar for every time I was asked 'So how do you get your protein?', I'd be SO stinking rich. See this person's answer to this question (and read her site in general please!). All the vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats that we require are present in plant foods. And nearly all of the time plants are better sources of these daily nutrients that we need too. For example a cup of almonds has a more calcium than a cup of milk. (Cows get their calcium from the grass/fodder they eat anyway!) Plus calcium is more easily absorbed and digested when coming from nuts. Most seeds and nuts have calcium in them in fact. In fact seeds and nuts are SO jam packed with goodies its incredible. I eat a handful of seeds (sunflower, linseed, fenugreek, fennel, dill, sesame, pumpkin etc) every day with my oats for breakfast. And by doing that I am eating almost my RDA of Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Sodium, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid and Folate. I eat nuts every day too. Who doesn't like nuts? Yum!
So besides from nuts and seeds, I get EXCELLENT sources of protein from beans, lentils, soya products, tofu, chickpeas, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes and whole grains for example. There are many other veggies that contain protein too.
Here is one article on plant based proteins and here is another.
Soya beans are a complete protein food, meaning they contain all 8 essential amino acids (like meat does). But as a vegan I don't need to eat soy every day. I eat a variety of foods that I know contain protein everyday and in this way I easily get all the essential amino acids I need.
8. Its cheaper to eat as a vegan. (Maybe thats why Benedikt is so supportive!) Meat is expensive. Veggies are cheaper. Tofu is dirt cheap. Beans are ridiculously cheap. So all you (suckers!) out there are paying more to eat food that is bad for you, that comes with a lot of bad fat, and that causes all sorts of health problems! Silly billys :-)
9. Because I LOVE vegan food. I LOVE fruit and veggies. I love how good they are for me. I love how they taste. And how they are not fattening. And how many yummy dishes you can make with them. And how they give me energy. And how my skin and body looks good. I love being able to do sport every day and feel myself getting stronger and stronger. I love sleeping well every night. And I love how I can eat and eat and eat veggies till I pop and I wont get fat. I have a VERY healthy appetite so I am happy that I eat majority fat free foods!
Read about another girls reasons to go vegan here
I know that the way I now eat is far better than a diet that includes animal products. Its not my job to educate the population on this matter either, so do some research yourself and see what you are really putting into your body when you drink that milkshake or eat that omlette with bacon bits.
There are however, distinct disadvantages to being a vegan:
- I'll have to explain for the rest of my life why I am eating this way. And deal with the same questions over and over again. And endure all the shaking heads and weird looks
- Its going to be socially challenging. People expect each other to eat like they do. And when I don't tuck in to that rack of ribs or enjoy the salmon starter I will be confronted... Or if the host wants to do a cheese fondue... will I have to decline the invite? People won't easily accept me being different.
- Eating out may be difficult. Popping round somewhere for drinks and snacks will often mean I just have drinks. (Not so bad! :-)) Going to my German in laws for holidays will mean they have to think of my diet even more so than when I was just vegetarian. Going to parties, braais, away for weekends, on conferences, to dinners, all these things may prove to be hard if there is no vegan food on the menu. I may just eat a hell of a lot of salad!
Also, in a restaurant it won't always be easy to tell if dishes have dairy in (ie cream in the soup, or butter on the veggies etc). And the waiter may not be that reliable! In these cases I am going to be relaxed about it and just order what I think is best.
Although it won't always be tough, people often make vegan dishes without even knowing it. I've been to 2 lunches in the last few weeks where I didnt say anything and I ate very well!
- I will miss cheese. And carrot cake!
I do love the taste of cheese. Who doesn't! And of course I love cheesecake and a good chocolate cake or muffins or a don pedro. But so far I am finding it easy to go without these things. And all I have to do is think of what they contain (and what animal suffered) and ask myself if they have ANYTHING good in them at all? I think not!
- Here in kenya there are no cute little organic vegan shops, pah-lease! So I wont be eating vegan chocolate or vegan ice cream either. Maybe when we go to Germany I will try it. But I do find that the longer I go without something the more I don't miss it. And I certainly don't need those fake sausages or veggie chicken breasts - really!
- I am less tolerant of anyone who eats animal products. Perhaps because those closest to me (Benedikt and my sister) understand the issue and are almost vegetarians themselves. Well, my sister is actually a proper vegetarian now (yay) and Benedikt is a part time one. So ja, I look at people eating mountains of meat and I am horrified. It never used to bother me that much. But now it does - because of the bigger picture I guess. ie animal cruelty and the environmental impact...but mostly because I know what they are putting into their bodies - krap krap and more krap!
I wish people would learn more about the meat they eat, where it came from and how the animal was treated. And how its not good for them! And yes, I wish everyone would leann how much better plant foods are for them.
- Most people would think that being vegan would make me as thin as a rake. But thats not true! I still have to watch what I eat... even though I eat very little fattening foods there is still A LOT out there for me to eat. And I am ALWAYS hungry because I exercise twice a day these days! So ja, being thin does not go hand in hand with being vegan.
You also get unhealthy, fat vegans! There are lots of processed foods out there that are vegan. eg someone who eats pasta & sauce & chips and bread every day is hardly going to be thin & healthy
So there we go.
I challenge you all to not be sheep! Read up about eating animals and see how bad it can be for you and how bad IT IS for the environment. And find out how much the animals suffer. Think of your pet and putting them through the same thing. Its no different just because the animals being slaughtered are not your pets and you haven't bonded with them.
Some resources:
http://www.veganoutreach.org
http://www.petaf.org.uk/
http://vegan.com
To name just a few sites. There are many many many many many many more!
Books:
Skinny bitch - Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin - everyone PLEASE read this book if you have a chance it is BRILLIANT!
Eating animals - Jonathan Safran
The china study - T. Colin Campbell
And there are many more good books. Check here
Films: (I haven't seen any of these but believe they are brutally honest - perfect)
Meat Your Meat
Earthlings
Life Behind Bars
Behind the Mask
I wasn't going to tell anyone as I knew I would get a lot of slack and that people would think they need to go to a whole lot of effort if I came round for a meal, and that I'd become this tree hugging weirdo. But my new eating habit has slowly leaked out and now everyone here knows. And I'm glad really. I'm proud to not eat animal products! I know that one day everyone will realise its the best way to eat. I just hope this is in my lifetime.
This blog entry took me a long time to do. Its something I'm REALLY passionate about.
The reasons I've become a vegan are as follows:
1. I have been vegetarian for for 17 years now. For the last 5 months of last year (after Nicolas was born) I stopped eating dairy. Mainly because I was on a mission to lose the pregnancy weight I'd put on. It proved to be very easy - both giving up dairy and losing the weight. And I enjoyed it. And never felt healthier! So...it made me realise I could easily become a vegan. I'd always felt it was a bit of a cop out to eat dairy as well, double standards really. So as of the first of January this year I went all the way and officially became a plant eater only.
2. Eating zero animal products is a healthier way of eating.
Milk and milk derivatives are actually not good for you. (Just type in the question 'Is cow's milk good for you' in google and read the results!) We have all been brainwashed into thinking that milk is full of calcium and nutrients and a glass of fresh milk everyday is good for you. Well its not! And its definitely not a good source of calcium, it actually has the opposite effect as the phosphorous in milk prevents the milk from being absorbed, plus milk makes the body more acidic and you need calcium to reduce this acidity, therefore your body's calcium levels can be reduced when you drink milk!
And do you realise we are the only (WEIRD) species that drink the milk from a different species? And that drinks milk all through our lives? Nature designed milk to be drunk in our early years and thats it. Why do you think SO many people are lactose intolerant? We are not supposed to carry on drinking it forever. Especially when it comes from a different species!! Its crazy.
I could go on and on about milk (and dairy) being bad for you, but I won't. Just google it.
Then there is the cholesterol issue. Vegans consume ZERO cholesterol. I will NEVER have high cholesterol levels and that greatly reduces my chances of suffering a heart attack or other heart disease.
I already have (good) low blood pressure and it will certainly stay this way as I as long as I am vegan. Which will be until until I die! Not of heart disease :-)
Its also been proven that many cancers are encouraged by diets rich in meat.
3. Thirdly I am doing it for animal cruelty reasons. I don't want to even go down this road, but basically I believe animal farming is ALL SO WRONG. Its wrong how animals are brought up on farms in cages or in restrictive pens their whole lives. The way chickens beaks are cut off with no pain relief to stop them pecking each other in their overcrowded coops. The birds suffer pain for weeks. Its wrong how pigs are kept in pens where they can't even turn around. Imagine spending your WHOLE life facing in one direction and not being able to move? Imagine how frail and sore and uncomfortable you would be ALL THE TIME.
Its wrong how a dairy cow's young are taken away at birth. Imagine that, having your baby taken away?! And then the over milked lactating cows often suffer mastitis, which never mind how it affects their milk (which you drink) but imagine the pain! I had a very very mild case of it in the early days of breast feeding Nicolas and it was SOooooooooooooo sore. I was rock hard and very very sore to touch. And they STILL milk the cows in this state.
Then there are the slaughter houses. Oh my word those places are just so evil. There is so much pressure in these places get the 'product' out that the workers themselves are often SO cruel and impatient with the stressed out animals who are busy witnessing the death of the animals in front of them. And of course the animals recognise the sight and sound of their kin in pain. (Our dogs know when the other one is in pain for example) And then half the time the animal which is supposed to be stunned before being killed, doesn't become desensitised as the electric shock doesn't do it job and the animal then has its throat cut and is skinned ALIVE. This often means being dipped in scolding hot water.
I've read too many accounts of disgusting farm workers who mutilate the animals and have their bit of sick fun with them during the slaughtering process. Its all just SO disturbing.
I can't actually go on with this topic. It makes me far too upset. If I read or hear about the things that go on at slaughter houses it just affects me for months. I couldnt sleep last night because of all the nasty images I had in my head after reading some sites.
Read about some of the stuff going on at slaughter houses here and here and here.
And those are MILD stories. I have heard of such awful goings on with animal farming that I just can't bear it. I HATE HUMANS.
And yes, I know this bad stuff doesn't happen on all farms, all the time. But it happens A LOT and on many farms. And thats enough.
4. Another very important reason is the effect the farming of animals has on our environment. 'A recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change' according to Peta. Can you just imagine how much manure there is to dispose of from all those cows, pigs, sheep and chickens? And the manure is full of salt, minerals, some harmful substances like lead and mercury, and its got (growth) hormones in it, plus antibiotics. This manure is then dispersed over crop lands. This reduces the fertility of the soil dramatically which is difficult to reverse. Read about it here. It also means the crops end up with those substances in them. So besides from soil erosion, the manure and urine also pollute the air and the nearby rivers and water ways. Then there is the deforestation that occurs to make way for the animal lots and massive farms. 'Grazing occupies 26 percent of the Earth's terrestrial surface, while feed crop production requires about a third of all arable land' according to the UN's FAO.
And there is the additional water pollution thanks to all the pesticides sprayed on the vast quantities of animal feed, plus the huge drain the farming industry puts on our precious water resources.
Then '...livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport' according to this web site and many other sites have similar statistics listed.
The detrimental effects on our environment are SO much lower when it comes to feeding a vegan. Organic farming of crops is the only way to go. Here is another article on the effect of factory farming on the environment.
But I don't have to supply you with these references... just do your own homework! Its ALL out there, easy to research and discover.
5. One big reason that I am able to go vegan is because Benedikt supports me. He won't become a vegan with me (unfortunately) but he can see why I am doing this and he sees how healthily a vegan can eat. Benedikt generally doesn't eat meat during the week and he happily eats the vegan dishes I make. He even loves some of them! Benedikt really only eats meat when we go out or on weekends when he makes it himself. I don't cook meat and I prefer not to buy it either. So if he wants meat he sorts himself out. He never moans about this and if anything, he is feeling the benefits of eating as a vegan/vegetarian. (He does eat a little dairy daily)
Benedikt would prefer to only eat meat from farms that he knows treat animals well, in Germany this would be easy. But here in Kenya its difficult to know where the meat or dairy comes from.
So ja, thanks darling for being so understanding!
6. Its an excellent way to keep (bad) fat out of my diet. Now that I am vegan, I also don't eat cakes, biscuits, muffins, chocolate, ice cream, milkshakes and anything with cheese or butter on or in. What are the first things you give up when you diet? Exactly. So by cutting these things out for good (plus all meat obviously) I am putting myself on a life long healthy eating plan.
7. There is absolutely nothing that a diet which includes meat has that a plant based diet doesn't. If I had a dollar for every time I was asked 'So how do you get your protein?', I'd be SO stinking rich. See this person's answer to this question (and read her site in general please!). All the vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats that we require are present in plant foods. And nearly all of the time plants are better sources of these daily nutrients that we need too. For example a cup of almonds has a more calcium than a cup of milk. (Cows get their calcium from the grass/fodder they eat anyway!) Plus calcium is more easily absorbed and digested when coming from nuts. Most seeds and nuts have calcium in them in fact. In fact seeds and nuts are SO jam packed with goodies its incredible. I eat a handful of seeds (sunflower, linseed, fenugreek, fennel, dill, sesame, pumpkin etc) every day with my oats for breakfast. And by doing that I am eating almost my RDA of Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Sodium, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid and Folate. I eat nuts every day too. Who doesn't like nuts? Yum!
So besides from nuts and seeds, I get EXCELLENT sources of protein from beans, lentils, soya products, tofu, chickpeas, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes and whole grains for example. There are many other veggies that contain protein too.
Here is one article on plant based proteins and here is another.
Soya beans are a complete protein food, meaning they contain all 8 essential amino acids (like meat does). But as a vegan I don't need to eat soy every day. I eat a variety of foods that I know contain protein everyday and in this way I easily get all the essential amino acids I need.
8. Its cheaper to eat as a vegan. (Maybe thats why Benedikt is so supportive!) Meat is expensive. Veggies are cheaper. Tofu is dirt cheap. Beans are ridiculously cheap. So all you (suckers!) out there are paying more to eat food that is bad for you, that comes with a lot of bad fat, and that causes all sorts of health problems! Silly billys :-)
9. Because I LOVE vegan food. I LOVE fruit and veggies. I love how good they are for me. I love how they taste. And how they are not fattening. And how many yummy dishes you can make with them. And how they give me energy. And how my skin and body looks good. I love being able to do sport every day and feel myself getting stronger and stronger. I love sleeping well every night. And I love how I can eat and eat and eat veggies till I pop and I wont get fat. I have a VERY healthy appetite so I am happy that I eat majority fat free foods!
Read about another girls reasons to go vegan here
I know that the way I now eat is far better than a diet that includes animal products. Its not my job to educate the population on this matter either, so do some research yourself and see what you are really putting into your body when you drink that milkshake or eat that omlette with bacon bits.
There are however, distinct disadvantages to being a vegan:
- I'll have to explain for the rest of my life why I am eating this way. And deal with the same questions over and over again. And endure all the shaking heads and weird looks
- Its going to be socially challenging. People expect each other to eat like they do. And when I don't tuck in to that rack of ribs or enjoy the salmon starter I will be confronted... Or if the host wants to do a cheese fondue... will I have to decline the invite? People won't easily accept me being different.
- Eating out may be difficult. Popping round somewhere for drinks and snacks will often mean I just have drinks. (Not so bad! :-)) Going to my German in laws for holidays will mean they have to think of my diet even more so than when I was just vegetarian. Going to parties, braais, away for weekends, on conferences, to dinners, all these things may prove to be hard if there is no vegan food on the menu. I may just eat a hell of a lot of salad!
Also, in a restaurant it won't always be easy to tell if dishes have dairy in (ie cream in the soup, or butter on the veggies etc). And the waiter may not be that reliable! In these cases I am going to be relaxed about it and just order what I think is best.
Although it won't always be tough, people often make vegan dishes without even knowing it. I've been to 2 lunches in the last few weeks where I didnt say anything and I ate very well!
- I will miss cheese. And carrot cake!
I do love the taste of cheese. Who doesn't! And of course I love cheesecake and a good chocolate cake or muffins or a don pedro. But so far I am finding it easy to go without these things. And all I have to do is think of what they contain (and what animal suffered) and ask myself if they have ANYTHING good in them at all? I think not!
- Here in kenya there are no cute little organic vegan shops, pah-lease! So I wont be eating vegan chocolate or vegan ice cream either. Maybe when we go to Germany I will try it. But I do find that the longer I go without something the more I don't miss it. And I certainly don't need those fake sausages or veggie chicken breasts - really!
- I am less tolerant of anyone who eats animal products. Perhaps because those closest to me (Benedikt and my sister) understand the issue and are almost vegetarians themselves. Well, my sister is actually a proper vegetarian now (yay) and Benedikt is a part time one. So ja, I look at people eating mountains of meat and I am horrified. It never used to bother me that much. But now it does - because of the bigger picture I guess. ie animal cruelty and the environmental impact...but mostly because I know what they are putting into their bodies - krap krap and more krap!
I wish people would learn more about the meat they eat, where it came from and how the animal was treated. And how its not good for them! And yes, I wish everyone would leann how much better plant foods are for them.
- Most people would think that being vegan would make me as thin as a rake. But thats not true! I still have to watch what I eat... even though I eat very little fattening foods there is still A LOT out there for me to eat. And I am ALWAYS hungry because I exercise twice a day these days! So ja, being thin does not go hand in hand with being vegan.
You also get unhealthy, fat vegans! There are lots of processed foods out there that are vegan. eg someone who eats pasta & sauce & chips and bread every day is hardly going to be thin & healthy
So there we go.
I challenge you all to not be sheep! Read up about eating animals and see how bad it can be for you and how bad IT IS for the environment. And find out how much the animals suffer. Think of your pet and putting them through the same thing. Its no different just because the animals being slaughtered are not your pets and you haven't bonded with them.
Some resources:
http://www.veganoutreach.org
http://www.petaf.org.uk/
http://vegan.com
To name just a few sites. There are many many many many many many more!
Books:
Skinny bitch - Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin - everyone PLEASE read this book if you have a chance it is BRILLIANT!
Eating animals - Jonathan Safran
The china study - T. Colin Campbell
And there are many more good books. Check here
Films: (I haven't seen any of these but believe they are brutally honest - perfect)
Meat Your Meat
Earthlings
Life Behind Bars
Behind the Mask
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Camping at Lake Naivasha (again)
So we packed the bikes, the tents, our bags, food & drinks for the weekend, the travel cot and all the other paraphernalia for Nicolas, PLUS the dogs into the car and headed off to Camp Carnellys this last weekend. We made a little kraal with our tents (we met 4 friends there), drank some wine, had a meal at the casual camp restaurant & had a great first night.
If you can sleep through endless dog barking (not ours) and hippos roaring and ducks honking that is. The boys all went for a loooooooooooooooooooooong ride on the Saturday. They did 90kms and 1900m of climbing in 8 hours. I had decided not to go with them as I didnt want to leave our ayah (yes, we took our nanny!) alone with Nicolas AND the dogs for the entire day. So I took the dogs for a 2 hour run to knacker them (and me) out.
Saturday night was a disaster.
The campsite next door (known for being a party destination of note) hosted an ALL NIGHT thumping, screaming party. I used to not mind these kinds of things but now with a baby, its different. Nicolas was amazing though. He only woke once for some milk and took a little longer to fall back to sleep, but still, he slept through it. AMAZINGLY. On Sunday we all went on 4 hour ride, through beautiful scenery and through Hells Gate nature reserve.
Oh yes, Nicolas now has 2 teeth! You can just see them when he smiles, its SO cute!
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