another reason for l.o.v.e.

[Image via Top Veg]

Yesterday, I mentioned some of the reasons why I'm doing this raw, vegan fast, but I left out a pretty big one. It has to do with dietary awareness and the effects our choices have on the world. As I've mentioned a bunch of times before, yes, I do still eat meat. I eat it sparingly, and choose the best quality (read: humanely raised) meat, mainly from local producers at the farmer's market. Every once in a while, a piece of questionable chicken ends up in the mix. But for the most part, if I don't know where it's from, I skip the meat and go veg.

Precious resources - like the air we breathe, the water we drink - are adversely affected by agricultural production. This goes for meat, dairy, and produce alike. But anything that has to do with animals eats up like 10-fold the amount of resources. Animals have needs. They need to be fed, to be cared for, to relieve themselves. Where does their feed come from? In big ag, it's mostly genetically modified or chemically treated corn or soy. How is their waste managed? Most likely in waste lagoons (see image left) that pollute waterways and contribute to dead zones like the one in the Gulf of Mexico. (Read more fun facts about animal waste. Even the CDC weighs in on the issue).

And then there are those pesky greenhouse gas emissions. In an article from New Scientist,

Climate-change experts have warned of the high carbon cost of meat for several years.

Beef is particularly damaging. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is released from flatulent cows and by manure as it decays. Furthermore, to produce a kilogram of beef (2.2 pounds), farmers also have to feed a cow 15 kg of grain and 30 kg of forage. Grain requires fertiliser, which is energy intensive to produce.

Read more

Appealing, isn't it? Makes you want to grab a burger, right? BTW, I'm not sure most American cows are getting any forage (This was a Dutch study, original journal article here).

Aside from the environmental issues, there are the ethical concerns. How are these animals really being raised? Grass fed isn't the same as pasture raised. They might still be in a CAFO (confined or concentrated animal feeding operation), even if they are eating what nature intended them to.

Oh, and there's also the world hunger issue. Read more about that here.

If you haven't read enough, a few more compelling arguments and resources for going veg (or at the very least cutting back on meat):

• The Low-carbon Diet [Audobon mag]
• The Meatrix
• GoVeg
• Vegetarian Times

Side note: I apologize if this post is a little fragmented. I'm going to attribute it to the delirium caused by last night's lack of sleep, the slight pang of hunger gnawing at my belly, and I'll throw in some PMS for good measure.

Stay tuned for more exciting details on how my fast is progressing tomorrow, starting with my l.o.v.e. - day 2 morning...

my l.o.v.e. day 1 evening

If you've been reading at all today, you know this post is about. (If not, check out the previous posts here, here, and here.)


Sri Swami Satchidananda, founder of IYI

6:00 pm - My friend Amy talks me into going to Integral Yoga with her for some gentle Hatha. I think she thinks Bikram will kick my butt. I haven't been to IYI in a while, so I acquiesce. I get to the studio feeling really hungry. The easeful class is just what I needed. The pacing is slow, but I'm patient.

7:30 pm - Class is over and the hunger strikes again. It's amazing how I didn't feel hungry at all during class. Yoga is magic!

8:15 pm - The first thing I do when I get home is dig into #6, Vanilla Chia (Chia seeds, brazil nuts, agave, vanilla, sea salt). According to Organic Avenue, vanillin, the major constituent of vanilla beans, is one of the most important aromatic flavor compounds used in foods. Vanillin has antioxidant and anti-tumor activity.

Chewing on the Chia is like chomping on tomato seeds. They squish a bit and get stuck in my teeth. The vanilla is comforting.

8:49 pm - I'm still hungry and have one course left. I'm a bit off schedule, I might just half of it and then make myself a cup of chamomile tea. Looking forward to an early bedtime.

I make the mistake of opening a link to a recipe for Irish soda bread. The thought of baked goods and butter make me salivate. I can feel the bread crumbling in my mouth.

I get an encouraging email from the nutrition consultant. She alerts me to some symptoms I might experience (headaches, stiff joints, dizziness, nausea, low energy, runny nose or cough [mucus being released], mood swings, and low-grade fever). Dizziness, check. Low energy, check. Mood swings, check. There's one other symptom that's not on the list - hypersensitivity to the cold. The temp has dropped and I can feel it. My face is tingly and my nose, icy.

She also gives some tips on how to help speed the toxins out of my body. I don't think I'll be taking up the colonic offer - yoga and a facial and/or massage will do.

9:05 pm - It's a little late, but I crack open #7, Coconut Mylk (coconut water and coconut meat). According to Organic Avenue, Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is known for being anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal. Coconut oil is also used by thyroid sufferers to increase body metabolism, and to lose weight. Good for me since I fit into the thyroid sufferer category.
The "mylk" is so creamy and soothing. It's fulfilling and rich, and leaves a silky residual coating on my tongue.

A search for "coconut" online brings up a video for Harry Nilsson's "Coconut." My dad used to play that record for us over and over again. We'd dance around like little lunatics.

9:33 pm - As I finish the mylk, I feel a little sleepy. The ambrosial drink has satisfied me. Time to put on the tea.

11:14 pm - Getting ever sleepier. Off to bed to rest my weary head.

empire state building retrofit

One of the most iconic structures in NYC is about to get a makeover. When it was built, it was a model for engineering ingenuity. Now, it's going to serve as a model for energy efficiency. A retrofit is in order. It's estimated that the building's energy consumption will be reduced by 40%.

Video and blurb from Rocky Mountain Institute, one of the partners in the project, below.




In February 2008, project partners Rocky Mountain Institute, the Clinton Climate Initiative, Johnson Controls, Inc., and Jones Lang LaSalle began working with existing and newly created modeling, measurement, and projection tools to fully analyze the Empire State Building's energy use. RMI's Built Environment Team then provided realistic recommendations that would help increase the building's energy efficiency without harming bottom-line performance.

According to RMI's Chief Scientist Amory Lovins, "In order to make cities cleaner and more energy efficient, there is a real need for a replicable model for retrofitting existing buildings. This visionary example will help to significantly reduce carbon emissions and conserve energy in buildings all over the world through these initiatives."

The Empire State Building team will undertake improvements, including window retrofits, daylighting, a radiator insulation retrofit, and a whole-building control system upgrade that will achieve a projected $4.4 million in annual energy savings while reducing energy consumption by close to 40 percent and cutting the building's overall carbon output.

Beyond the numbers, the process that the partners used made this project unique and the improvements possible. The program currently underway at the Empire State Building is the first to provide a comprehensive modeling approach to help capture energy savings on existing buildings. Over time, these breakthrough methods will make the Empire State one of the most efficient pre-war buildings in the world.


Learn more about the retrofit

my l.o.v.e. - day 1 afternoon

It's the afternoon of my lovefast. (The what-it's-all-about here.)

12:13 pm - Stiiillll sippin' the beet juice. I want to milk it as long as I can!

12:25 pm - Just realized that my bladder has been requiring more relief than usual. This will be my third time to get up to pee since I got here (at ~9 am).

Someone in the office is eating what smells like brisket and it's kind of making me sick.

12:54 pm - I'm going into a meeting and I'm not sure if I should take my next meal with me. If I wait I might turn into superhungrymonster. If I bring it, I need to be aware and eat it mindfully.

I've gone through a liter of water. Time for a refill.

2:03 pm - Back from the meeting. I brought course #4 with me - Chipotle Nappa Wrap (pecan, apricot, orange, tomato, date, chipotle, garlic, cilantro, ginger, sea salt, nama shoyu, red and green cabbage, red pepper, parsley, and nappa cabbage). It was the first thing I actually chewed on today (although the instructions say to chew your juices!). Spicy, sweet, nutty, earthy, crunchy. Ate it very slowly and it filled me very quickly. Took a break between rolls.

Feeling a little bit bubbly inside.

Craving something sweet. Trying not to be tempted by the dried apricots and dates sitting on my desk. I think I'm going to put them in someone else's office.

2:27 pm - Getting a little cranky, especially when provoked.

Looking forward to #5, which I'll eat in an hour.

Going to Bikram yoga tonight, a little nervous about feeling dizzy or lightheaded.

3:03 pm - All I can think about is eating the next course. I get a cup of hot water (not supposed to drink tea) thinking it might help.

I think there's a thunderstorm abrewin' in my gut.

3:39 pm - Sweet crunchy relief. Hello #5 beet salad! (beets, cucumber, tahini, dill, lemon juice) I find myself chewing a lot more than I normally would. Savoring the sensation, feeling the mandibular muscles at work. I have two more courses left and I'm saving them 'til after Bikram (class is at 6 pm, and I'm following the 2-hour rule). Looking forward to cozying up to #6 and #7 in the comfort of my home.

3:59 pm - Still crunching away. The food is very satisfying in the short term, but then a serious hunger sets in. Water is supposed to help curb that feeling.

I have a meeting in a bit and then I'm dashing out to yoga. Stay tuned for the evening installment around 8:30 pm...

my l.o.v.e. - day 1 morning

Today is the first day of my raw, vegan fast. I've never done anything like this before, so I thought it'd be a good idea to document the experience. Read more about why I'm doing this here.

8 am - I'm supposed to drink water with fresh lemon juice, but I don't have any lemons so I substitute with apple cider vinegar. I drink up the detoxifying elixir. Nausea ensues.

I didn't sleep well last night, I hope that doesn't affect my level of hunger throughout the day.

8:50 am - I pick up my goodie bag from Organic Avenue. It's heavier than I expect. When I get to the office, I'm actually surprised by the quantity of "food." There are 7 meals, 4 of them liquid. I'm supposed to consume them in the order they are numbered and at the time dictated in an email I received last night. I hope I have enough self control not to eat them all at once.


Today's sustenance

9:09 am - Item #1 is an energy elixir (contents unknown). It's muddy dark green and tastes a bit like matcha green tea. Here are some of the potential benefits: May promote growth of strong nails, smooth skin, and healthy hair, help maintain normal blood-sugar levels, help promote regular intestinal health, digestion, and healthy intestinal flora, stabilize mood swings, support physical health while you heal, and clarify and sharpen your eyesight.

9:30 am - I open item #2, a big bottle of pear juice before the suggested time of 10 am. Was feeling kinda shaky and couldn't take it. The juice is really delicious.

10:14 am - I'm still slowly sipping the pear juice, trying to enjoy every sweet bit of it. I'm hungry and feel a headache coming on. Not sure if this is due to lack of sleep last night or lack of food. I actually feel hungrier than usual. Maybe it's because I'm focusing on the sensations. My next course is 46 minutes away (but who's counting?)

10:59 - By some minor miracle, my hunger is subsiding. I feel less lightheaded and the headache never arrived. I'm drinking lots of water in between courses. Even though it's technically time for course #3, I think I'm going to wait it out a little longer.

11:23 - Oh yeah, I'm hungry! Time for #3. It's a beet red veggie juice, pretty darn tasty (read about the power of the beet here). My belly is feeling kind of full, but I know I'm hungry. I just need to take it slowly.

11:53 - Still sipping on the veggie juice. I feel a bit tingly and hyperalert. So far, the pacing of this is working out okay. I get hungry at just about the time when the next course is up, as long as I drink plenty of water in between.

toms = awesome

TOMS shoes not only look super cool, they help people, too. If you don't know their business practice it's this: for every TOMS shoe you buy, a pair is given to shoeless, poverty stricken people who would otherwise be vulnerable to disease.

If that doesn't move you, watch the following video. And if that doesn't move you, you might be missing something (it's called a heart).

my l.o.v.e. (live organic vegan experience)

I've had vegetarian days, vegan meals, and raw food snacks. But I've never done anything like this before.

Those of you who know me or follow this blog know that I eat meat. And for those of you who are in the same boat, this might seem a little strange to you. Tomorrow (Monday) it begins. My 5 day experiment with raw, vegan food. From morning til evening that's all I'll consume.

Being that I'm a newbie to the raw thing, I've decided to take the easy route and have all of my meals prepared for me. The chefs at Organic Avenue, healthful living emporium based in the Lower East Side, will be working their magic with organic veggies, fruits, and nuts.

So some of you might ask, why the heck are you doing this?

A few reasons:

Acid reflux - I've had it on and off for a few years and have gone down the pharmaceutical path (begrudgingly), experiencing temporary relief only to face it again without knowing the trigger. If I eliminate all of the usual dietary suspects - dairy, meat, alcohol - I'm hoping I can target the guilty party.

Spring detox - It's like spring cleaning, but for your insides. Detoxing after the long sleepy winter is supposed to awaken the body's digestive system and might even help prevent or lessen allergy symptoms.

Plain ol' curiosity - I like new experiences. Plus, I know vegans and raw foodists who swear by it. It's only 5 days, so why not try it out?

Timing - My real love is out of town this week on business, so I won't be tempted by his omnivoric dietary leanings.

I'll be posting my daily experiences with the fast (aka L.O.V.E. easy). I'm anticipating some gripes, groans, and grumbles. However, I hope by the end of the week I'll be bouncing about and aglow with euphoric energy. Stay tuned!

expensive flotsam and jestam

[Image: Brett Flashnick for The New York Times]

When I heard about this problem it really irked me. People who bought boats in boom time and can no longer afford them are abandoning them. They remove all identification, sand off their cutesy vanity names (like Pier Pressure or Sea-N-Red, a little too appropriate now), and run the boat aground or just push it out to sea.

Of course it bothers me that these people are treating the ocean like a dump. Boats are full of (and covered with) toxic chemicals and made of ingredients that are not always so biodegradable. But there's something deeper than the disregard for the environment here. There's an opportunity going unnoticed.

It's true that the boats have become a financial burden, they can't be sold because the market is flooded, and proper disposal is costly. But couldn't the materials used in these unwanted boats be reutilized elsewhere? We've all seen those tote bags made from repurposed sail cloth. Why can't the same idea be applied to the whole boat?

We live on a planet of finite resources. We take from the earth and repay it with trash. Why can't we give old goods a new life so that we don't end up living on a giant garbage dump?

Have any ideas for how old abandoned boats can be reclaimed and reused?
Drop a line in the comments section.

[inspired by this NY Times article]

green pays

Here's a great example of how taking steps to reduce our impact on the planet also improves the bottom line. NBC, giant TV network, saved
$2 million last year by "going green."

Read the blurb here.

really, really free market

This Sunday, March 29th. Need I say more?

[via Nonsense NYC]

Really, Really Free Market

A bazaar and a celebration, where we discard capitalist notions of interaction and have fun trying new models of exchange. Expect and share free food, skills, music, clothing, books, other things and fun.

This is an open participatory event some groups and individuals are planning to bring and share food, clothes, skills, music, and things, but there has always been space for you to do the same.

Expect to find: beginner salsa dance instruction, no partner needed 5-6p, radical reference, haircuts, dental consults from a dentist, hugs, tax planning assistance, tax resistance, face-painting, food by freegan.info, silk screening, tarot card reading, beginner guitar lessons, and more and more. Live music by Holy!Holy!Holy! from St. Charles, Missouri, Guitaro (5000), and Justin Remer of the Elastic No-No Band.

Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South, Manhattan
2-7p; $free
myspace.com/anewworldinourhearts

permaculture applies

[Image: Chelsea Green via Treehugger

If there's one thing I want to focus on from a permaculture class I attended last weekend it's this: start small and intensively.

The principles of permaculture can apply to gardening, but they don't have to. Starting out small and intensive is good for any endeavor and -- like planting a small, easy-to-maintain garden -- is about not taking on too much at once and nurturing what's right in front of you. For instance, I'm building my new website (where this here blog will be moving) and I'm juggling too many elements at a time. It can be really discouraging. I've put too much on my plate. But after the concept of small-scale intensive gardening entered my little brain I realized, oh, I should apply this to my website. I'm now going to introduce small bites at a time. I'm going to practice patience by not launching the whole project all at once. I'm planting the seeds and waiting to see what takes.

Some might see permaculture as some new age gardening thing. But really, it is the very embodiment of sustainability. It's defined by the Permaculture Institute as "an ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of human endeavor. It teaches us how build natural homes, grow our own food, restore diminished landscapes and ecosystems, catch rainwater, build communities and much more." The much more part is applying it to all of our actions, including building websites.

On a related note...

A little birdy sent me this article in the New York Times about a guy in Jackson, Mississippi who practices "slow gardening." I think it's just another way to say "permaculture," though I guess it doesn't matter what you call it. It just makes sense. Lawns don't make sense. If you have land, grow food on it. And we don't have to return to a full-scale agrarian society to grow food on our little plots of land called yards. Start small, and intensively.

There's also this thing called SPIN (Small Plot INtensive) farming that I read about a year or so ago. I think it couldn't have come at a better time. It's a way of creating an income from food your grow in your own backyard. You don't have to have a 100-acre farm to grow and sell produce. Just remember, start small and build on your successes.

oh no they didn't

My jaw dropped and I couldn't stop shaking my head when the commercial came on. It was touting clean coal, and it was featuring President Obama. I don't know what to say other than clean coal is not real. First of all, the technology to make coal "clean" doesn't exist. Secondly, the mining of coal is not only detrimental, it's polluting in and of itself.

To learn more about why coal can never be clean (save a miracle), go to This Is Reality.

brooklyn food conference

More than exercise, nutrition dictates a person's health and fitness level. Unfortunately, there is a frightening amount of inequality in access to healthful food. Here are some (NYC-centric) facts:

• Residents in the poorest neighborhoods of NYC have higher rates of obesity and mortality compared to those in wealthier areas: >3 times the number of diabetes-related deaths and ~1.5 times the deaths from heart disease[1]
• In 2001, the life expectancy in NYC’s poorest neighborhoods was 8 years shorter than in its wealthiest neighborhoods[1]
• Over 70% of adults in Central Brooklyn (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights & Brownsville) are overweight or obese, compared with 53% in Northwest Brooklyn (Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Ft. Greene, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Heights and Red Hook)[2]
• About 91% of New Yorkers do not eat the recommended servings of at least 5 fruits and/or vegetables per day[2]
• North and Central Brooklyn, the neighborhoods in Brooklyn with the highest proportions of residents who don’t eat at least 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day, also have the highest rates of obesity; between 25% to 34%[3]
• The Upper East Side/Gramercy neighborhoods, where a high proportion of people eat at least 5 fruits and/or vegetables a day also has the lowest prevalence of obesity; between 8% to 15%[3]
• Lack of access to fruits and vegetables has been linked to obesity and related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke[3]

The Brooklyn Food Conference, taking place May 2 at PS 321 and John Jay High School in Park Slope, will address this and other food issues. Activists, farmers, educators, citizens, restaurateurs, and other food experts will gather for a day of talks and activities, followed by a dinner prepared by local chefs.

Featured speakers include:

• Dan Barber, executive chef and owner of Blue Hill Restaurant
• Anne Lappe, co-author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen
• Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System
• LaDonna Redmond, head of the Institute of Community Resource Development in Chicago

“Never before have there been such compelling reasons to rethink our energy policy, our environmental policy, and our health care system – and we cannot make headway on any of these without addressing food,” said Dan Barber, who will speak at the opening plenary session. (I wonder if he'll also have a hand in preparing the food... I sure hope so!)

The conference is free, the dinner is $20. Register here.


References: 1. Karpati A, Kerker B, Mostashari F, Singh T, Hajat A, Thorpe L, Bassett, M, Henning K, Frieden T. 2. Website of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Physical Activity and Nutrition Program. Available at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cdp/cdp_pan.shtml. Accessed February 1, 2009. 3. Health Disparities in New York City. New York: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2004. Roberts M, Kerker B, Mostashari F, Van Wye G, Thorpe L. Obesity and Health: Risks and Behaviors. NYC Vital Signs 2005; 4(2): 1-4.