A truck-load of caged chickens... another reason to eat local and organic

I'd rather know the chicken and eggs I
eat aren't stuck in shoe-box sized
cages, their beaks cut off and then
pumped full of drugs. Give me
roaming chickens any day... 

Driving to work this morning, I passed a semi-truck with its entire cargo area loaded with cage after cage after cage of chickens. Small, barely-big-enough-for-the-bird cages. Open to the elements. My stomach did a little flip. A voice in my head said this isn't right...

I know some people see these chickens as just birds - they're food, and we're suppposed to have dominion over them - and that it doesn't matter. But not me. It feels cruel, unjust, inhumane. And it's unhealthy - for the bird and for us.

I know not everyone can afford to buy local and organic right now, and that's a big 'shoudn't be' in my mind. But I have to draw the line somewhere, and I just can't eat meat from animals raised this way. I don't need to visit the farm, like they did in an episode of Portlandia, but I want to trust my source. I'd rather eat vegetarian meals than contribute to a food system where animal conditions aren't considered. And I'm not a vegetarian. I enjoy eating meat and I believe my body functions better with at least some animal protein every week.

But watching my cat and other pets (birds included), and having spent time on a friend's farm, I can't believe for a minute that animals don't feel. In addition to being confined to cages with barely enough room to turn around, it's common practice in the commodity chicken market to remove their beaks, fill them with antibiotics and supply feed grown with various pesticides - among other heinous practices. 

A couple of good resources to learn more are Organic Consumers Association and the Environmental Working Group. And while I don't love the title of this one, here's another site that spells it out pretty clearly.

Sustainable and / or organic food could feed the world if big agriculture wasn't calling the shots in our political system. But they are, so the best thing we can do is vote with our purchases. And speak up and speak out when we can. While Scientific American suggests a hybrid approach, this article still states, "When farmers apply best management practices, organic systems, for example, perform relatively better."

Here are a few resources that support organic food production and illustrate why it's important - how it might just eradicate hunger and have a positive impact on our environment.
The Atlantic
PCC Natural Markets
WorldWatch Institute

I may be an enigma, but I'm healthy...

Now I have baffled both my physical therapist and my naturopath. But we're working through it. I am healthy, capable, and infinitely generative.

The physical therapist concluded my foot problems stemmed from weakening hips and glutes (I've mentioned I sit too much), and my calves are compensating, causing my Achilles to tighten in my feet, causing occasional shooting pains.

My naturopath concluded that my slightly-off-kilter liver enzymes, cholesterol, and thyroid just didn't add up, and we're going to retest in a few months. But her instinct tells her I'm healthy, and to watch and wait. There are no additional indicators suggesting that anything's wrong in any way.

I concur. My general feeling / instinct about both of these is that exercise, which I am only recently getting into a renewed rhythm with, will make a big difference if I can maintain consistency and proper form. And I will continue to refine how I eat, the products I use, and how I take care of my inner self (this inner part needs a bit more attention).

I am trusting that all is well, and that I do, indeed, still have work to do here. For that, I'm feeling pretty grateful. Perhaps this was just meant to be a call-out to take notice of where I'm putting my attention, that to create what I'm working toward I need to focus and be clear on my priorities.

And Forrest is back, after an entire seven months away with limited communication. Perhaps having him here, safe from so many unknowns in my imagination, will make a difference, too.

Nothing like a little health scare...

... to catch my attention. It might still be a scare. I don't know yet. When I got the results of my last blood test, I had a bit of a surprise.

Food yet to be.... I am also grateful
for my grandfather's garden as a child.
He taught me to love fresh vegetables.

I have exercised and eaten well for most of my life (although I cringe to think of the Vienna sausages, margarine, Crisco, nacho cheese Doritos, Top Ramen and fast-food burgers of my early years). I made a big change in my mid-20s, though, when I made the connection between food and health. So whether by design or by luck, I've stayed pretty healthy and at a good-for-me weight. And at mid-life, that's no small feat, really, especially given my family genetics. But my recent blood work showed slightly high cholesterol (the kind that isn't supposed to be high) and elevated liver enzymes.

I think I know why my cholesterol is high. I'm barely moving. I sit all day at work. I haven't exercised - much - over the last two years or so. The first year due to... well, not sure why; the last, due to injury from trying to do too much too soon. I've gained some weight. I'm sluggish.

The liver enzymes sent me spinning. With any luck, the high numbers are a fluke and related to the two glasses of wine I'd had the Saturday night before my Thursday morning blood draw. Since I so rarely drink now, the guy at the supplement store said it's possible. Still, I couldn't help but flash back to all the years I over-consumed: the self-abusive teen years, the early 20s backslide, the early 30s divorce, a couple of single years, and then trying to keep up with my hard-drinking social circle until about 40, when I finally had enough. Chances are, any damage from those years would have shown up sooner (thank god for teenage resilience), so right now I'm just counting my blessings and trusting that maybe I have a higher purpose and that all will be well.

What this did, though, was got me moving again, in a much bigger, consistent way. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've exercised since my late teens (despite countless bad habits to counter-weight the benefit in those earlier years), but stopped running - my exercise of choice since anxiety kicked in at 32 - in late December, 2009, when I lost my resistance to cold temperatures and couldn't make myself leave the house for much of anything but work. I did, however, continue to go to the climbing gym pretty regularly til June, 2012. Good for strength and balance, but not for maintaining general fitness or keeping off the weight from a mostly sedentary lifestyle. In 2010, 2011 and the beginning of 2012, I dabbled in exercise doing things like Zumba, marina walks, and 'dancing' in my living room aerobic-style to Motown, alt rock, post-punk and some 70's classics (I sure hope nobody can see through my curtains) - but nothing consistent to maintain an acceptable level of fitness.

In June 2012, I decided to start running again - slowly, just a run / walk routine. But I quickly added in some stair climbing from the beach to upper Golden Gardens park, and damned if it wasn't too much too soon. An injury sidelined me. Despite joining a gym in November, it's been nearly a year since I've done any kind of consistent exercise.

Now I'm in physical therapy for what I thought was plantar fasciitis but appears to be more hip and glute related due to sitting too much. My calves are insanely tight, and my poor feet aren't able to handle the burden. I am now on a regimen back to health: a run / walk program, heinous glute strengthening exercises called 'fire hydrants', and a variety of other stretches and toning exercises. It seems to be helping - my body feels better and I have more energy, but the real test will be the next blood draw. I don't have the genes to be a slacker. I just don't and I know this.

I do have other things in my favor. When I read about liver health, I give myself points for these:

Black beans, brown rice, avocado
and a dollop of sour cream (all
organic) - a typical weeknight dinner.

• My daily diet is better than most. I love kefir and yogurt, I've always loved vegetables, and I don't eat a ton of fruit or meat - and when I do, it's likely organic and, in the case of meat, grass-fed. My morning cereal is gluten free and my naturopath says the amount of soy I use in tea and over cereal is nothing to worry about. Black beans are a favorite, and I've given up white rice for brown. I don't eat junk food, or rarely, and nothing with high fructose corn syrup goes in my body. Ever. I am a label reader. And I avoid aspartame and sugar and white flour and rice (mostly - sushi being an exception, although I prefer sashimi), and attempt to be GMO-free. I admit I indulge in Theo organic dark chocolate every single day, and I do like tea and coffee for their caffeinated impact. I've started making a green juice every few days. And I finally found a Kombucha I like (GT's raw, organic gingerade - yum!). 
• My supplements are the result of previous blood draws - I take only what my blood work shows I need - D3, DHEA, cod liver oil, cal/mag and a thyroid boost. And the only drugs I take are allergy meds.
• Most of my personal products are nearly toxin-free, with organic ingredients when they're available. I use soaps, shampoos, cosmetics (except mascara), lotions, potions and household cleaners and detergents that are free of the most egregious additives. I do get my hair colored. I'm not a complete purist; I'm not interested in looking my age (although my "real age" according to my biometrics is 38 - that I can live with!) and I want to always look my best. But I also want to age well and stay healthy.

So the piece that's missing was vigorous exercise and while I'm not there yet, I'm getting there. I have left my personal little pity party that kicked in with the injury behind and I'm about six weeks into my new plan and so far, so good.

Now I'm crossing my fingers, saying a few prayers and asking for grace that my next blood tests come back within normal range. My mantra: I'm healthy in every way. I'll keep you posted.