New Year

Now that the holidays are over, my computer troubles are finally solved (somewhat), and I'm getting back into my school routine, I'm happy to be posting to my blog again. The last month has been truly fantastic; I had an amazing time at home with my family, and I had lots of time to experiment cooking and baking. For the Christmas holidays, I made a ton of delicious baked goods from scratch, like gingerbread, coffee cake, and different muffin, cookie, and bread varieties. Once the holidays had passed, I began reading books that I had been meaning to read for ages, and my lifestyle has been greatly impacted as a result.

The first book I read was Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the environmental impacts of meat production as well as the moral and ethical issues surrounding its consumption. It illuminated elements of meat-eating that I hadn't considered during my three months of strict local eating. For example, during my project I was certain that the animals I consumed were free-range, organic, and never treated with antibiotics or hormones. In some cases, like my buffalo, I knew that the animals had happy lives with their farmers. What I had not considered, however, was the slaughter process. Though they are government regulated, the vast majority are dirty and inhumane (Foer goes into much greater detail in his work). Further, I began to think about the fact that meat is actually an animal that has been killed...and the more I thought about it, the more I became averted to it. I've learned that meat is not essential nutritionally, and I feel morally "cleansed" having removed it from my diet.

I continued my pursuit of a greater understanding of food, nutrition, and health, reading books like Mindful Eating, Skinny Bitch, Diet for a Small Planet, and some of the works of Adelle Davis (that began in the 1950's) and the more contemporary writings of Michael Pollan. I learned that many of the things that consumers wish to avoid in meat are also present in dairy products (like antibiotics and hormones), and further that animals raised for dairy products are still treated poorly (to say the least). Likewise, humans through evolution were not intended to digest dairy products - they are difficult for our bodies to handle, and contribute to things like mucus build-up. As someone who has chronic sinus problems, my doctor long ago advised me to stop eating dairy, and I'm finally taking his advice. I've adopted a vegan diet, and although my reasons for doing this are not entirely logical (as I could get milk and eggs from local farms that I know meet the highest standard of quality), it feels right and I'm enjoying this process of discovery. I've been making new dishes and creatively exploring means of obtaining proper nutrition with the absence of animal products. It is truly exciting!

My life has evolved dramatically, and I owe it in great part to my senior project. It has shaped the way I see the world in many ways and has allowed me to obtain  a healthier and happier relationship to food. I am eager to share some of my recipes and dishes and will continue to observe the impact my diet has on my health. In fact, I will soon be getting blood work to help gain a greater understanding of my current nutritional needs, and the results will also be useful as I write my comp. Most importantly, I feel fantastic, enthusiastic, and passionate about life and am eager to continue to explore my interests - especially at Chatham University, where I will be attending graduate school for a Masters in Food Studies degree!