Public opinion on eating bugs (crickets)

My first thoughts on eating crickets is simple: they are boring. While I have not been able to find crickets, or cricket powder in a sustainable price range (yet), I have started eating cricket based bars. These bars are bland, and one flavour contains honey (another hit on the vegan gains). Overall, I am not impressed.

However I am excited to get my hands on some actual crickets and/or cricket flour so I can start cooking up some baked and pan-fried goods.

It has been very interesting speaking with people about this topic. They are disgusted about the idea of eating crickets. I feel it is important to understand there are many people around the world that eat bugs. I feel there is a lot to learn on the topic of entomophagy.

I view eating crickets as another experiment of nutrition as well as cultural habits. I learned a lot of new concepts and ideas from adapting to a vegan diet. I wonder what I will learn from this new endeavour.

We can be very quick to decide eating a cricket is gross. Do we ever consider what another culture would consider gross that is on our plate?

I am not suggesting eating bugs is the way of the future, or the most optimal way to get nutrients. However, I am experimenting nonetheless.

Eating bugs

Today I am introducing bugs and insects into my diet. Over the last 6 weeks, I have successfully maintained a vegan approach to eating. For those of you following my journey, I have evolved from the most basic of vegan foods to complex nutritionally packed and delicious meals.

I do not wish to immediately return to eating meat ( nor is that a goal at this time ). However, the experimental journey of what I eat continues.

Today I will be trying a cricket based protein bar.

What I like about cricket flour:

Complete protein source
Sustinable
Ethical (I feel)

I feel there is a difference between crickets and beef. I am excited to mess around with bugs and insects.

Having said that, I don't plan on turning over any trees for some light snacks :).

Why I am no longer a vegan

I have completed 5 weeks as a vegan. It has been a great experience and I have learned a lot about food, society, and myself. I have had both great conversations and unpleasant conversations about being a vegan. I have had many conversations about why I changed to a plant based diet. Everything is going great, and as a result I feel I am currently evolving in my personal life. However, I am deciding that as of today, I am no longer a vegan.

Why change from a diet that I enjoy, notice results from, and feel is sustainable for myself as well as society?

The answer is simple: The title

While I am not changing (at this point) the things on my plate, I am changing what I classify myself as.

Over the last 5 weeks, I have been labeled as a vegan.

At first, I thought it was cool. I gained a new community, a new association, and a new title. For those who doubted me, a new challenge to withstand peer pressure, and even opinion-sourced science (because ultimately, that’s what most of it boils down to in the end).

However, by classifying myself as vegan, I also become the black sheep in many groups. I have become the person people put an imaginary microphone in front of to answer impromptu Q + As. It is funny, because much like religion and politics, it is easy to feel the change in body language when you announce a different ideology into a group. People consciously or unconsciously judge me based on my classification. While I am never shy from a question, I do question the intentions of those asking. I am not even completely sure why I am vegan at this point, as I am still in the beginning of my journey – so to answer on behalf an entire belief system, is not fair at this point.

Those are the non-believers. What about my new community? How have I been received?

My new community of friends, by means of diet, has invited me with relatively open arms. However, I feel those arms only extend so far.

I had a recent experience that left me feeling a bit sour about the idea of community. I posed a question asking the group their opinion on eating cricket flour. Perhaps I was a bit naïve, but I generally wondered about the sustainability and ethical aspects of it. Long story short, I don’t feel most people who answered have ever researched eating crickets (a few have), as I felt they were very dismissive and condescending. I was disappointed reading the backlash of comments.

I am sure they all meant well, however I realized something from this. My ideas of vegan community, and the implications tied to labeling myself a vegan, are two things I am no longer interested in. Vegans aren’t a group of elite or more consciously aware people… they are like everyone else, and that is totally okay.

I feel that by labeling myself, I give myself an imposed set of rules to follow. I feel that by labeling myself, I give others the ability to judge me based on their preconceived thoughts of what it means to be ‘vegan’. By joining an ideology, it is expected I share the views of my peers.

These are things I do not want.

As I evolve, my thoughts are allowed to change. As an independent, I am not tied to any expectations, or guidelines. By being anonymous in diet, I am not spotlighted by others. I do not allow judgment, because I am not asking to be different.

Today I am no longer a vegan.

Today, I no longer have a title.

Today, I simply do not eat animal products.

The Vegan Diet

I would describe myself as someone who is open to the idea of trying new things, open to the idea that my way may not be the most efficient, and open to the never-ending opportunity to improve.

I have tried many different diet/eating strategies, some out of curiosity, some out of advice from people I respect, some of out dares, and some to better understand the people I set out to help guide on their journeys of self-improvement and self-fulfillment.

The shortest eating strategy I have tried is the vegan diet, lasting about a day. Some aspects I was fearful of going into it were losing muscle, becoming weak, not fitting into my social circle, and feeling constantly hungry (never, “full”). With these reservations, it was quite obvious that at that time I was not going to succeed.

Fast-forward to today

Last night I watched a documentary titled ‘Cowspiracy' on Netflix. It has successfully allowed me to question a very sacred and engrained concept I have held dear: eating primarily meat is the only way to build muscle, live healthy, be strong, masculine, and most importantly, it is the way we were designed to live.

The last part is ultimately the only part I had not properly considered, in the way that the film was able to highlight, the way we were designed to live.

The film discussed in detail, that while thousands of years ago we ate primarily meat, our population was substantially lower, and had a much smaller footprint on our world. We ate inside of our own ecosystems, and we were not ruining our environment. Flash forward to today, and now (as per the film) our society is eating an enormous amount of meat/dairy/fish. This film states that as a result, eating these foods has now become marginally the number one contributing factor to oceans being ruined, rainforests being destroyed, and pollution, in the world. The meat/dairy/fish industry will be the downfall of our world, not cars and oil. That, for me, was a very thought provoking idea I had never considered in the past. However accurate this portrayal is, I am definitely interested in learning more.

With an increasing population, it is clear that the land, water, food, and demand required to raise livestock will increase as well. The film estimates that this equation is already unsustainable.

So, while it is the way of our ancestors, using this film's calculations, we have two choices (if we want to stop destroying our planet):

1. Remove most of the meat eating/overall population.
2. Reduce meat/dairy/fish consumption on a massive scale.

While I reflect, and look up some information sources that my friends have graciously sent my way, I have suspended my meat, dairy, and fish eating habits. While this is my second attempt at adopting a vegan lifestyle, I feel I have a more meaningful purpose this time around, which ultimately puts me in a better position to change.

I use the word suspend, because ultimately there are a few things I will need to address, assess, and overcome if I am to be successful. Those things are:

1.     How to still feel ‘full’ in my meals if they are primarily greens.

2.     How my muscle mass changes, for better or worse, without animal products.

3.     How my sleep changes, for better or worse.

4.     How my strength changes, for better or worse.

5.     How my mood changes, if at all.

All in all, I am excited to test out the vegan diet once again. I would highly recommend watching the documentary. I am not saying I am done eating meat, as it widely depends on how I conquer those 5 question marks.  I am not saying that we should change our beliefs based on one documentary. I am suggesting that it is okay to question our beliefs, as it can either change a previous thought, or strengthen our original beliefs.

My main justification for my meat-centered diets was simply that we have always eaten this way.

The number one trait for survival, based on Darwinism, is the ability to adapt.

Maybe this is the way we adapt, not only for our own species' survival, but for the entire planet's.

The Perfect Day List

The perfect day

When is the last time you had a perfect day? Before you answer, I must confess, the answer is not important. What is important is the process, and the checklist you started to create mentally that would have provided the answer. 

Recently, in my personal life, I have made many changes based on the idea of living a perfect day. This perfect day is not meant to be every day, but instead something we strive for and hit enough days to satisfy our wants and needs. Below, I share my concept of a perfect day. In reflection, I invite you to write down a list of what your views of a perfect day consist of. How many days of the week do you reach this perfect day? Do you want to reach this day, more days? Is it sustainable? What changes would you have to make to better live, or close the gap, on what your perfect day looks like?

Please keep in mind, everyone's idea of a perfect day is different. The narrative to mine is of a young, single, fitness enthralled male. This is not the perfect day, but instead my perfect day. 

1. A relaxing morning with time to reflect and collect my thoughts and set the intention for the day.

2. A workout, where I accomplish what I set out to.

3. Clients

4. Lunch, in public, in the company of friends, or the observation of others. Followed by a trip to the market, where I pick out my dinner based on what my body tells me.

5. Clients

6. Coffee

6. Clients

7. Home, where I can decompress, get some do nothing time in.

8. Dinner, a warm home cooked meal, where I am present in enjoying while I reflect. 

9. A movie, or some reading, or the company of good friends, while I wind down.

10. Stretching, soothing music, journaling my thoughts as I prepare for bed. 

 When making your list, keep in mind that it is subject to change. However, by being mindful of your list, I believe we can find better fulfillment in each and every day. Sometimes, if your list and your days don't match, you may need to dramatically change your environment. In the end, your perfect day is something you deserve to experience. 

So, what does your perfect day look like?

Relaxation Through Observation

 

I find a great deal of relaxation from observing others. I find it extremely therapeutic, personally, to consciously enjoy coffee while watching others, studying others, and considering others. I find it is a great way to stop thinking of my own wants and needs, and ponder others. 

I think that for many people, it can feel as if their day is go-go-go and everything can quickly become about how much they can bleed out of the day. I feel that can be a stressful, close-minded approach to each day, and as a result life in general. One way I combat that is by meditating, and one form of meditation I find helps is simply watching others walk by.

Watching others is enjoyable because it's nice to join them for a glimpse of their life. I am not saying I can read minds, but based on their fashion, their gate, and their mannerisms, I feel you can get to know someone. You may not know their hopes and dreams, but at least a little bit about them. 

One aspect I am extremely intrigued in is someone's gate. Their stride, their speed, their movement, possible injuries, it is really interesting to observe and speculate hypotheticals.

In considering others, I wonder who they are, where they are going, what they like, even what kind of person they strive to be, even what they dislike. 

This is one way I relax, in the peaceful, distant observation of others.

If you are interested in trying this out yourself, here's what I would recommend.

1. Find a coffee shop with a window in a foot traffic area

2. Buy something, like coffee

3. Drink it black, healthier :p

4. Put some music in, and start relaxing.

Things to not do

1. Put a trench coat on

2. Sit at a park bench

It goes without saying, but obviously one should be mindful of how they go about observing others.

Stay happy friends

Sugar in "healthy" snacks

Sugar; the great debate. On one side of the spectrum of opinion, it is viewed as a highly addictive chemical designed to weaken our society for control. That is the extreme side. On the other side, some say it is simply a sweetener to make food taste better. Obviously, there are a lot of views in between. While I am not writing my opinion today, I am suggesting it is in a lot more than one might suspect, even when healthy eating is the goal. 

I frequent "health food" stores, for the simple fact that they normally have the things I eat or are interested in trying out (crickets is next up on my experimentation plate). Today, I was feeling some coconut as a treat. In this store, It took me ten minutes to find a snack without a type of sugar in it. Every power bar, every snack, every "natural", "organic", and "non-gmo" thing I could find had sugar hidden in the ingredients list. I find it intriguing, because I often run into this problem when looking for snacks or treats. 

I am currently avoiding sugar additives, so while I can enjoy strawberries, I cannot enjoy strawberry flavoured products.

For your own health, start looking at the healthy things you are eating. Check out if there are sugar additives, natural flavours, or weird names you are not familiar with. If there is, is it really that healthy? Would there be better, truly healthier ways to eat and snack? Do not fall trap for words like natural and non-gmo.... The food industry adapts as we do, stay ahead of the curve! 

Love Your Grandma? Make Her Carry Her Own Groceries

   I feel that as a society, the older people get, the easier we try to make life for them in an attempt to soothe the aging process. We soothe the process is by creating structural conveniences, such as closer parking spots, ramps, elevators, escalators, and preferred seating. Another way we soothe the process is by cultural expectations, like carrying groceries, giving our seat away, running errands for, and the overall approach of having our beloved elders physically do as little as possible. I feel that by attempting to soothe the aging process, we are actually speeding it up, ultimately doing more harm than good.

   Now you might be confused. Let us take the less socially considered approach to our elders.

   I want you to suspend the idea of life measured by a number, and consider it instead by one’s ability to move. For the majority, one of the main components to someone’s quality of life is their ability to move.

   I do not believe that we automatically lose the ability to bend over and pick something up, climb stairs, and hold bags because of our age. We do not lose any ability because of an arbitrary number; people take them away from us by stepping in to our movement tasks.

Even the best intentions can have immobilizing consequences.

   I think life presents us many movement tests, and our day-to-day tasks are our homework and practice. A movement test might be catching yourself from falling, running for a bus, pushing your car off a road, playing catch, or even defending yourself in a life and death situation. A movement test is something you may not have planned for, but have to complete. Our day-to-day homework is in our daily moving, stretching, strengthening, as well as other practicing our own body awareness. Without practice, we will absolutely fail our movement tests. It is a very constant idea, especially as we age. I find that we, as a society, step in and complete the day-to-day tasks, with good intentions, accidently sabotaging any chance of successfully completing a movement test. This is where copying off of someone else’s homework only works until you are tested. Anybody who has tried to cheat in school would be familiar with this unfortunate outcome.

   I feel one major goal for an aging individual is preserving their independence. An article I had sent to me by a friend suggested that healthier people die more quickly. At first, I was confused, but after reading it, the title made sense. As we ‘improve’ in many aspects, people are living longer, on average, than our ancestors. However, they are living many of their later years with a lesser quality of life. The article states that a healthier person’s health shifts at a much faster rate, therefore making the process much quicker. Ideally, one would be independent, living life, until they depart with us. Instead of 10 years of discomfort and waiting, one could ideally have a day or two transition. You always hear stories about older people who were grocery shopping, cooking, and even playing euchre with their friends, and then the next day, gone. I feel that mobility is a huge factor to consider in that article, as well in this.

   So, is not giving up your seat, not bending over to grab something, and not holding the door the way to live your life in the name of movement justice? No, that will undoubtedly make you look like a complete ass. In the general public, I would recommend maintaining the social norms because most people would never consider this as a concept. However, for our friends and family members, I do think it is an important conversation to have. Our bodies are incredible, and will adapt to what we guide them to do. If we do nothing, and move minimally, eventually, that is what our body will accept as the norm. Eventually, if unchallenged, even something as remedial as getting out of bed, will become a movement test. It is important to do our homework, so when we are tested, we can overcome and move well. Slow down the process, challenge immobility in our elders and we will keep them healthier longer.

Move and invite movement constantly.

Organic Broccoli

I want to give an organic-and-affordable high five to the broccoli that is sold at my local Costco. At this present time, the only food item I buy from them is their Broccoli. The reason why? The price, it is frozen, and it is organic.

So what about that price?

The only reason why I feel someone would ever decide against organic in this day and age is the price to purchase it.

Costco sells 4 500g frozen bags for just under $10.00. Personally, for me that costs just under $2.50 per day (I think it is exactly $2.37). That is within my food budget.

Why frozen?

Some people will say vegetables are healthier quick frozen, and some will say fresh. Personally, if I think my food may not be fresh, or it may be even remotely bad, it goes in the garbage. I recognize my personal food-crazy behaviour, and I consider throwing away food both wasteful and lighting money on fire. Frozen prevents the opportunity to throw food down the garbage.

Convenience.

People are busy, and in a culture where everything is go-go-go, 60 seconds of effort can decide if someone reaches for a healthy option, or a box of Oreos. I am someone who is willing to commit 20 minutes a day to prepping and cooking my food. I feel a huge thing for me is convenience. Call me lazy, but the fact that this broccoli is already separated in 500g bags and ready to drop into a frying pan – warms my heart. Also, for those who are counting their macros and micros, it is 500g every serving, no eye-measuring and second guessing.

If you want a healthy, affordable and convenient option – nature’s touch organic broccoli is for you.