Divine HealthIn pursuit of healthy living.

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer was an informative book. Rather than review it I am going to give you excerpts and one quote from the book that I found to be very powerful.

“I’m not radical. In almost every way, I’m a middle-of-the-road person. I don’t have any piercings. No weird haircut. I don’t do drugs. Politically, I’m liberal on some issues and conservative on others. But see, factory farming is a middle-of-the-road issue – something most reasonable people would agree on if they had access to the truth.” … “If I misuse a corporation’s logo, I could potentially be put in jail; if a corporation abuses a billion birds, the law will protect not the birds, but the corporation’s right to do what it wants. That is what it looks like when you deny animals rights. It’s crazy that the idea of animal rights seems crazy to anyone. We live in a world in which it’s conventional to treat an animal like a hunk of wood and extreme to treat an animal like an animal.” Animal activist “C” in her own words.

From 1935 to 1995, the average weight of “broilers” increased by 65%, while their time-to-market dropped 60% and their feed requirements dropped 57%. To gain a sense of the radicalness of this change, imagine human children growing to be three hundred pounds in ten years, while eating only granola bars and Flintstones vitamins. These birds genetics have been altered in a way that has removed their ability to pro-create and they would be so ill that they need a constant flow of antibiotics to stay alive. Not a single turkey you can buy in a supermarket could walk normally, much less jump or fly. They can’t even have sex. Not the antibiotic free, or organic, or free-range, or anything. They all have the same foolish genetics, and their bodies won’t allow for it anymore. What the industry figured out – and this was a real revolution – is that you don’t need healthy animals to make a profit. Sick animals are more profitable. The animals have paid the price for our desire to have everything available at all times for very little money. If consumers don’t want to pay the farmer to do it right, they shouldn’t eat meat. It’s possible you can’t afford to care, but it’s certain you can’t afford not to care.

Pathogen-infested, feces-splattered chicken can technically be fresh, cage-free, and free-range, and sold in the supermarket legally (the feces does not have to rinsed off first). You’ve seen those commercials with the silly chickens that are plumped with “salt water” right? Well, the truth of the matter is that current laws allow companies chicken to include up to 11% of water soaked up during processing. The problem is the water itself. You see, those who know what’s in that water call it “fecal soup”. That means your chicken is 11% fecal soup.

According to a story published in Consumer Reports, 83% of all chicken meat (including organic and antibiotic-free brands) is infected with either campylobacter or salmonella at the time of purchase. Not too surprising when you consider 11% of the chicken was soaked in feces infected water.

The Union of Concerned Scientists calculated that 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics are given to chickens, pigs and other farmed animals every year. That only accounts for medicine given before they get sick.

If you are intrigued, disgusted, interested or otherwise just want to learn more pick up a copy of the book. I found it to be very informative. If you’ve already read the book please let me know what you thought in the comments.

I’ve heard that saying many times and I have even found myself saying it more than once. Today, I say it with a heavy heart and motivation to take action.

In 2006, I went on a boat tour in Waianae, Oahu with a couple of friends to see the local spinner dolphins. The particular tour we chose did not allow people get in the water with the dolphins because they are eco friendly and don’t believe humans should intrude on the space of these animals. Sailing along next to a pod of dolphins was enough to feed my soul and I didn’t feel the need to be in the water with them. It was really fun watching them jump and swim along and they truly looked happy. While we were out there, we did see a few other tours letting people get into the water.  In all honestly, it seemed pointless because the dolphins would just swim in a different direction anyway.

Spinner Dolphin in Waianae, Oahu

In 2007, my husband and I took a trip to Tulum, Riviera Maya, Mexico. We heard XelHa was a natural aquarium and Eco Park that would be a fun place to visit. We talked to our hotel concierge and she told us all about the Dolphin Experience and we were instantly sold. This time I did have the urge to be in the water with the dolphins. Upon arrival, we were given a quick safety briefing about what to do and not to do while in the water with the dolphins. Before we knew it, we were standing on a step 3 feet deep in the water with dolphins all around us. It was quite magical and overwhelming at the same time. They were peaceful, mindful and seemed to enjoy our touch. It felt like the experience of a lifetime that one wished would never end. The last part of our time with the dolphins was the highlight.  When instructed, I swam to the middle of the tank and stretched my legs out behind with my arms in front and before I knew it two dolphins came from behind and pushed me up by my feet out of the water for about 20 feet. It was exhilarating and probably the most incredible feeling I’ve ever had in water or with animals. I had a true understanding why dolphin trainers love their job because swimming and interacting with these animals is incredible. You get a sense for how intelligent they are.

Enjoying time with a dolphin at XelHa

Two dolphins pushed me by my feet up and out of the water!

In 2009, I read an article about Pro Surfer Dave Rastovich, actress Hayden Panettiere  and a few others paddling on their surfboards into a cove in Taiji, Japan in an effort to stop the inhumane killing of dolphins. It was really interesting and I looked forward to learning more about this.

Now it’s 2010 and I finally watched The Cove which won an Oscar for best documentary. This film made me think if only I knew then…I wouldn’t have visited XelHa and certainly wouldn’t have swam with the dolphins. Even though it was an incredible experience, it deeply saddens me that I contributed to the nasty practice of dolphin captivity and killing. The film shows dolphin trainers selecting the ones they would like to purchase and they pay quite a bit, as much as $150,000 per dolphin. The rest of them are herded in to a small cove where they are slaughtered. The Japanese government allows this practice and defends it saying the dolphins do not suffer. You should watch the film and decide for yourself.  I’m pretty sure the sounds and images will convince you. If the inhumane act of killing these intelligent animals doesn’t bother you then let’s examine the health concern. The Japanese often sell the dolphin meat under the cover of other names such as tuna, whale and other fish. The interesting thing is that the general Japanese population is being fooled and they have no idea they are eating this mercury laden meat. The mercury levels in dolphin meat is believed to be at least ten times the levels considered safe. Some of the dolphin meat tested in the film had 5,000 times more mercury than is allowed under Japanese law! You can learn more about mercury poisoning in the book Diagnosis: Mercury. I don’t think anyone should be subject to eating this toxic meat.

The Cove brought me to tears and has inspired me to do more about this awful situation. “You are either an activist or an inactivist” was a statement in the film that resonated with me. I’ve heard several people refer to activists as radical, fanatical, extreme and many other connotations. What about being inactive though? Shouldn’t that be negative? If you say someone is inactive physically we know that their health will likely deteriorate or an inactive employee might get fired. Why then, is it okay to be inactive about things you care about? For me, it is not okay and I plan to take action and become more active in supporting the things I care about: animal welfare and food. Who’s with me?

Viva! is an international animal rights organization. I found this film on their website and wanted you to see the piglets running around and playing. I think it’s a great demonstration of the behavior I discussed in my previous post about Daisy. The film was based in the UK but it is a well known fact that similar practices and factory farms also exist in the US. If you watch to the end you might think twice about the pork you are buying at the local grocery store.

If this short film is not enough to turn you off of pork all together then maybe you’ll consider buying it from farmers who raise their pigs humanely and without antibiotics or corn based diets. You can visit the Eat Well Guide and put in search criteria to find stores, farmers markets and even restaurants and other options to buy local, sustainable, organic, grass finished meats as well as fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables.

I think I might try out some “fakin” or whatever they call fake bacon….and I’ll report back the results.

My awareness of eating animals started back in high school but probably not the way one might imagine. Every day in history class this cute boy and his friend would try to talk to me. One week when we had a test coming up they asked me if I wanted to form a “study group” with them and of course I did! The cute one was a cowboy of sorts and eventually I started dating him and learned about his 4-H  involvement which included training guide dogs and raising pigs.

My cowboy had befriended a man that owned a large ranch about 25 minutes northeast of where we lived; the city we lived in bordered a lot of farm and vacant land. This rancher used to have dairy cows and horses but had since retired. A few people paid him money to board their horses there but it was mostly empty. Since he was raising the pigs for 4H (essentially a good cause) the man let him use the space he needed for free. That spring and summer I would go help him feed the pigs and create mud pits for them to cool off in. The County Fair is the culminating event; he would bring the pigs there to be on display for a few days and show them. There are awards for showmanship (how well the person does handling the animal) and awards for the animal (body composition). The better your animal does the more money you will make per pound for the animal at auction. That’s the hard part; you have to auction off your animal. That year I didn’t really think about what was happening, especially when he got a $600+ check! That’s a lot of money for a 17 year old!

By the time the next year rolled around we were still dating when it came time to enroll for the 4H swine program and naturally I signed up because I loved hanging out at the ranch. We went to an auction and picked out the piglets we wanted. I picked the one I thought was the cutest without any regard for any of the other qualities I was supposed to consider. As soon as we got our pigs back to the ranch I named my pig Daisy. I had an immediate connection with Daisy and naming her probably only solidified that bond. Most of the time Daisy was more like a dog than a pig. Sure she liked to roll around in the mud and make funny noises but she liked to be scratched and even play fetch! I played with Daisy every single day for the four months that I raised her. When the time came to show her I realized I hadn’t taught her how to walk with me in accordance with the criteria we would be judged on. I didn’t do well showing her but she looked great and took 2^nd place for her part of the competition. I was going through the motions and not thinking about the big picture or what was actually going to happen to my little Daisy. We went to auction and I was excited to hear I would receive $475 ($226 net) for Miss Daisy. As we walked out of the auction ring I was directed to a ramp that led into a semi-truck…that’s when it all hit me. She was literally walking straight to her death. I cried, I looked like the biggest baby and everyone thought I was crazy. This is why we raise them, they said, to make money and feed people. Ohhhh no no no, not Daisy I thought. But what would I have done with her? Keep her and let her continue to grow to 5-600+ pounds? I knew there was no alternative; there was nothing I could do to change her fate at that point. I decided then and there that I was not going to eat pork for a very, very long time. I needed to know that there was NO possible way I was eating my beautiful Daisy.

Prior to this horrible experience I didn’t have a big desire for pork; I never really liked it that much. After selling Daisy I didn’t eat any pork at all for about 6 or 7 years. In the time since then I’ve only eaten bacon and not very often. I have a hard time not thinking about the dog like behaviors Daisy displayed when I do eat pork, it’s really not dissimilar to eating a dog in my mind, which I would never ever do, not even if you paid me a million dollars! When I watch movies about factory farms and animal abuse I am a hundred times more affected watching the pigs and cows than I am watching the turkeys and chickens. However, the older I get and as my awareness increases I find myself becoming more sensitive to the birds. 

After watching Food, Inc, King Corn and reading several of Michael Pollan’s books along with watching a film by Dr. Weil about eating well I am starting to see the benefits of excluding meat from my diet far outweigh the enjoyment of eating it. Notice I didn’t say the benefits of actually eating meat; that’s because I don’t believe there are any. I suppose one could argue that the protein, iron or maybe certain other nutrients are good for us but overall I think the bad stuff in meat cancels out anything good. Once again, I’ll keep it real and say it the way I think it is; I believe people eat meat and don’t want to give it up simply because they like it. The way it tastes in different dishes and all of the ways one can get creative cooking it. I understand that but I am going to find out if I can get the same enjoyment from cooking only fruits, veggies, grains, nuts and other earth and body friendly foods.  I’m not here to preach or tell you that you should give up meat, although I do think everyone could benefit from eating less of it and I will promote that. My purpose here is to take in information from different sources and put it to use in my life. I’ve encountered a few vegetarians that seem to have a chip on their shoulder and they act like they know it all and they are better than their carnivore friends. I sincerely hope that I never act like that, I only want to share the knowledge I am taking in.

In case you are wondering, the cowboy turned out to be a real jerk. The only thing I can thank him for is making me aware of eating animals.

Playing with Daisy on the ranch

Daisy and I at the County Fair