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October 11, 2004
mmmmONDAAAY
Today in nutrition lecture I realized the idiocy of expecting children to eat the same things as the adults at meals: they're at completely different developmental stages. We don't expect infants or toddlers to eat the same meals, but at some point--some point much too soon--we start expecting that children will eat the dinner we prepare, which is often the dinner we want or think should be good for them.
Yeah, Paul was talking about how cleansing greens are, particularly bitter greens, and how generally children don't need to cleanse, and are in more of a building stage. Of course, American children generally eat a lot of things that they probably need to cleanse, starting with their non-vegetarian mother's breast milk. (Yeah, if you're pregnant, you might want to think about quitting meat along with cigs and alcohol.)
We don't care what you put in your body, but...
I forgot to mention last week that on Wednesday I helped sort grapes for a while, and the next day at lunch was wonderful sauvignon blanc grape juice :-)
I'm having issues with the bathrooms. One is, it's only going to get muddier/dirtier as the rains come in more heavily... I wish I had some happy choice other than to live with a filthy bathroom floor, as people slog in with their muddy shoes and the inevitable unfolds.
Two, maintenance just does stuff. I'm well aware that a) the culture here is not one of considering student input into these things and b) I'm probably the only one who cares, but when I come in and the clock has been moved so that photos someone else thought looked good can be put up in its place, or find a chalkboard has been mounted instead of a whiteboard, feelings come up in me ranging from unimportant to unserved to pissed off.
The "feel" of the space and its functionality have been thrown off; the new position is completely inappropriate for the clock. I appreciate the new bulletin board, but the chalkboard... chalkboards are disgusting: dirty, dusty, probably carcinogenic.
I wish our thoughts, feelings, tastes, and needs had been at least checked in with before random changes just occur.
Do you have sugar cravings? Things you can do that I learned about today! 1) Eat a plant based whole foods diet. 2) Chew your food more thoroughly. 3) Add more seaweeds/algaes to your diet, like nori, dulce, spirulina, and chlorella. 4) Cereal grasses: wheat, barley, rye, oat. You can juice 'em or consume the whole food. 5) Use whole stevia instead of artificial sweeteners or refined sugars. 6) Chew licorice bark.
Last night I had a friend read my essay, and he told me how what I'm doing just amazes him, and today walking back to the dorms I was feeling amazed myself, and I thought, "Wow... for once my feelings are congruent with what someone else says." More often when people express their compliments, I don't feel they're really deserved.
Highlight of the day: someone approached my Shiatsu instructor to tell her what a great session I gave him or her. It felt so good to hear that.
Posted by Josh A. at October 11, 2004 08:10 PM
Comments
Really? As a person who will never ever be pregnant, you can not only suggest that all pregnant women give up meat (an unexpectedly necessary source of protein for previously-vegetarian me during my current pregnancy) but then throw us all in the garbage with a hideous dehumanizing comment like "We don't care what you put in *your* body . . . " Who are "we?" And how *could* you be so cruel? So a female person is important when she's in a womb -- but when she is using her womb she's an object to be judged? I know this right-wing-sounding nonsense couldn't be what you meant, and obviously you're under a lot of stress lately adjusting to the unique universe that is Heartwood -- but those of us who do not eat the Heartwood diet are not sinners against some universal standard nor against our children. (Neither are you, even if you give in and eat at the Jack-in-the-Box in Ukiah.) Those dietary ideas are good ideas for lots of people, but no one thing works for everybody, and even more true -- a standard of dietary purity, when combined with the guilt U.S. parents are handed every minute of every day, is a hell of an expectation. To state that my children need to cleanse of my *breastmilk*, for cryin' in the night . . . I know this is just your blog but good grief. If even we holistic freaks can't be each other's ally we're in a world of hurt.
Posted by: SisterMT at October 12, 2004 12:12 AM
Really.
Certainly had some of your issues hooked, didn't you?
We do share an opinion: general suggestions are just that, general. I was talking to Des about some of the benefits algae can provide and he asked, "So what's the catch? Surely it's gotta kill you in some other way." And yes, some people shouldn't be using them, at least not until they deal with other issues in their bodies.
I'm sure some women are too chi deficient, and meat is very tonifying. If that's you, definitely upgrade the quality of the meat you use. Organic, grass fed is very important. Organic dairy is very important... if you're lucky enough to be able to get quality goat dairy, that's fantastic.
But, yeah, if you consume a lot of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones, it shows up in your milk. Some people dispute that. I happen to think it makes sense. And bioaccumulation and all that make other animals a more potent source of such things.
That's just my understanding. If you disagree on any points of fact, say so. But your hysterics don't do anything for me. You may feel judged, but that doesn't mean *I* am the one here judging you. Asking me to hide the truth from you is not asking me to be your ally; it is asking me to enable you.
The reason we don't care what you put in your body when you're not pregnant isn't because you're a woman. The reason we don't care is because you're a person and you have a right to your life. Put whatever you want in it, who am I to say otherwise? I'll continue to post interesting things I learn, and then you get to choose for yourself what you do.
I said that pregnant women, or those planning to become so, "might want to think about quitting meat." That leaves room for others to think about it, consider it, and then choose or dismiss it depending on their own personal situation. The fact is, normally I wouldn't even say that much. Cutting out, cutting back, or upgrading meat is probably a good idea for most Americans, and I haven't blogged about it yet. It suddenly becomes more important to me when we're talking infants.
Responsibility shifts when you become pregnant, as you must currently understand to a far greater personal degree than me. I can only imagine it must be overwhelming, sometimes, to feel so much responsibility to another life. Obviously you're under a lot of stress lately, but please don't take it out on me.
And next time enter a real email address--it doesn't show up on the website, and it shows me you're truly interested in dialogue and not just indignant browbeating.
Posted by: Josh A. at October 12, 2004 06:15 AM
Thanks for sharing what you're learning at Heartwood Josh. I was particularly fascinated by what you wrote on how to deal with a sugar rush. Taking responsibility for the things going into our bodies is a difficult truth to deal with; there's nothing growing in my little garden that can be eaten, and buying everything at the organic shop is neither possible nor feasible. This sure is a clear example of actions having consequences.
Posted by: Ramsey at October 12, 2004 09:28 AM
Aww. Thanks Ramsey :-)
Note, though, that those are for sugar cravings, not rushes. Mostly things that help balance the blood sugar.
I hear you on the difficulties of eating more healthfully. I go back to Sacramento to visit my grandma, and there's almost nothing in the house to eat. So many processed products, no whole grains.
According to Paul, organic isn't nearly as important as whole. Organic is nice, especially with meat & dairy, but I'd choose whole over processed organic.
Posted by: Josh A. at October 12, 2004 09:32 PM