ADA states the obvious – everyone goes nuts

So the American Dietetic Association came out with a new research report showing that vegetarian and vegan diets have health benefits over omnivorous diets for all people in all age groups (including children and breastfeeding women), but only if you eat a balanced diet.

This irks me. It is almost like saying that it is important to eat a balanced diet if you’re going to be vegetarian, but if you eat meat, it doesn’t matter. Because meat will make up nutritional deficits? In America, omnivorous diets are the norm, and because you’re suggesting a change from the norm, everyone has to make a big deal about it, but it makes it sound like omnivorous diets are inherently more healthy, but this latest ADA study shows they are not.

Any diet is more healthy when it’s balanced. Obviously. And I have my doubts about whether most people eating meat really eat a very “balanced” diet, but no one cautions against omnivorous diets because of it. You know?

The other thing about the warnings and cautions for vegetarians is that it makes people think it’s harder than it is. I have been vegetarian and vegan on and off for years. I found being vegan a little more difficult because your “on the go” options become a little slimmer, but once you learn which processed foods are vegan it gets easier (unless you like subsisting on gas station apples). For example, did you know that Oreo’s are vegan? They aren’t healthy, but they are vegan. You’re allowed eat junk food as a vegan. Just like any other diet, it’s all about moderation. My dad would say, “It isn’t what you do sometimes; it’s what you do all the time.”

I was at my aunt’s house this weekend, and she said that she feels like whenever she makes vegetarian dishes she has to go all out - find a recipe, spend hours cooking, and drop hundreds of dollars on strange vegetables. And I think this is a common concern, but it isn’t true. I can’t tell you how many nights I eat plain old spaghetti, which costs about $3 for 8 servings. Sometimes I put extra veggies in the sauce or have a simple side salad. Veggie lasagna is also much simpler than it seems – you can use frozen veggies and jarred sauce. I don’t even cook the noodles ahead of time. You can make soups and stews and tacos (just substitute beans) and veggie burgers with fries and casseroles and stir-fries and basically anything except for meat. I think the trick is not to look for complicated vegetarian recipes, but to revamp what you normally eat. And if you enjoy cooking complicated recipes, then do that too. Just don’t feel like you have to in order to be vegetarian.

A note about tofu and soy “meat” since people seem to feel very strongly about it: I eat very little tofu, which I do like. I grew up eating it, so I think that helps, but the trick is not to expect it to taste like meat because it is never going to. You can drown it in BBQ sauce and deep-fry it, but it will just taste like deep fried BBQ tofu – not fried chicken. And the same goes for soy burgers and tofu hot dogs – they are not going to taste like meat. They taste very good, but in their own way.

But you know what? Who says you can never ever eat meat again if you declare yourself vegetarian? You could be a weekday vegetarian. You could plan yearly “veg breaks.” If you think you’re really going to miss the hamburgers at your 4th of July picnic every year, then have that burger once a year. I promise there are no vegetarian police to come arrest you.

I would also just like to say that my boyfriend has been a vegetarian for a lot longer than I have… something like 7-10 years, and he says he never thought he could be a vegetarian. In fact, the story goes that he became vegetarian on a bet – someone bet him that he couldn’t go without meat for a month and he just kept going. So this isn’t just a chick thing. Men will survive without meat. I even have a couple of raw vegan friends who lift weights and are all muscle-y. So being really active isn’t even an excuse.

There are plenty of good reasons to be a vegetarian, like it's healthier for you, it's better for the planet, and you don't have to worry about cruelty to animals. Well, you still have to worry about cruelty to animals, just not the ones you're eating.

10 things even I can do to save the environment - Retro blog

I originally posted this on my myspace blog on December 13, 2007. Ah, remember 2007? What a year.

It's great that "going green" has become so fashionable, but I have a problem with the movement's lack of good suggestions for regular people to green up their lives. The suggestions are usually buy a hybrid car and new windows (which I can't afford) or obvious things like recycling (which is still important). So I came up with my own list. Enjoy.

1. Conserve energy - Ok, this might fall into the obvious category, but little things do add up, plus it can save you money. Here are some suggestions: replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, turn off all appliances and electronics when you leave/ sleep, hang clothes to dry, keep the thermostat low in the winter and high in the summer.
2. Reduce paper waste – I get an ass load of junk mail, so I recently added my name to the "do not send me so much freaking mail list," and you can too! Go here: https://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/. You can also pay bills online and opt out of paper billing, reuse paper as scrap paper, use cloth instead of paper products like napkins. This year I'm using paper bags and newspaper to wrap all my gifts, and I'm decorating them with pictures cut out of catalogs.
3. Generate less trash – Trash is a huge problem, and we Americans love to make lots of it! The first step in generating less trash is to buy less trash. Pay attention to packaging. Don't put fruits and veggies in a bag unless you really need to. Get a reusable, cloth shopping bag. Find creative ways to reuse what might otherwise be trash. Buy in bulk. Compost and make your own nutrient rich dirt! Here's an article on how you can do it even in a third story apartment: http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/urbancomposting.php
4. Buy local and/or organic – Farmer's markets are actually really awesome, and they are all over the place. You can find one in your area here: http://www.localharvest.org/. Buying local means your food has to travel less. Buying organic means fewer pesticides entering the food web and polluting waterways – not to mention less cancer for you!
5. Join the Green Party – If the democrats were so great, Baltimore (and Maryland for that matter) would be a utopia. The GP is the fastest growing third party in the US and is the only party serious about cleaning up the environment (among other important issues). And you can really make a difference in this party because it's structured to empower people on a local level. Learn more about the GP in Maryland at http://mdgreens.org// or the national GP at http://gp.org/.
6. Buy used and freecycle – Ok, seriously. There is so much junk floating around it's just irresponsible to buy everything new. And buying used is great for a lot of reasons. First, you're not contributing to more waste. Second, you pay way less. Third, you can find interesting and unique items not mass produced in some dirty sweatshop. And freecycling is giving and getting stuff for free! Go to freecycle.org and sign up for a list in your area. You'll probably be surprised at how awesome this is. I was!
7. Eat less (or no) meat – What finally convinced me to become a vegetarian is the environmental impact it has. Research shows that being a vegetarian has greater impact than driving a Prius (which is good because I can't afford to drive a Prius anyway). But seriously, being a vegetarian is actually very easy. You can get protein from all kinds of food. There are substitutes for basically everything – that actually taste good. The only time it's kind of inconvenient is when I eat out and have limited options, but that's relatively rare. Here's an article to try to convince you: http://www.alternet.org/environment/47668.
8. Use public transportation – This can be difficult depending on where you live, but research your options. You may find out that you can take a commuter bus when you travel to a nearby city. You might be closer to a metro/light rail/train than you thought. Some people think they don't like public transportation because it's inconvenient, but I think it's WAY more convenient than driving. You don't have to worry about parking or crazy, aggressive drivers or how drunk you get. Plus you can sleep, read, crochet, or whatever you'd rather be doing besides driving.
9. Use natural cleaners – I am guilty of buying those caustic, toxic chemicals to clean my apartment. But it's important to remember that when you rinse those things down the drain, they enter the ecosystem and watershed. But don't worry, you don't have to have nasty mildew growing in your shower. There are great alternatives, including a whole slew of products like Seventh Generation that claim to be eco-friendly. You can also make a lot of cleaners out of safe stuff you probably have around your house anyway like vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda. Here's a great resource: http://www.naturodoc.com/library/lifestyle/cleaner.htm
10. Get inspired – This might seem obvious too, but our society does not make these suggestions convenient and it takes some motivation to stick to it. I stumbled on this great little movie recently, and it helped inspire me, so I thought I'd share it with all of you: http://www.storyofstuff.com/.

I would love to hear what you guys do in your everyday lives to try to protect the environment or save precious resources. Post them as a comment if that's your thing.

Have a great (green) holiday everyone!
Shanna