One More Small Change

Month one of my small change challenge has been very doable, but also challenging at times. Mostly, because in addition to my new vegan diet I am also exercising more which leads to sore muscles, which leads to me wanting to stand in the piping hot shower for many minutes.  Some days I shut the water off anyway, but other days I allow myself the indulgence of a 7 minute shower. Next month my vow is even less plastic, and like the eager student I have always been, I started a little early. My bags had come in the mail last week, and I needed to go grocery shopping anyway so off I went to Big Y with my regular shopping bags, and my new veggie bags. They have a tare tag on them that says deduct 1.41 oz (.09 lb), so I was concerned at first that the cashier might not know how to deduct the tare weight....but all was well and I worried for nothing (yay for registers that figure all the math for you).  The bags are great! They hold a lot, and they're very sturdy which makes me glad that I spent the money. At first I thought I might just reuse the plastic veggie bags from the store, but they don't last more than 2-3 uses.  I was very happy too when the lady behind me asked where I had gotten them! When I first started using re-usable shopping bags, I was the only one...that I noticed anyway. Today, I notice at least half dozen others that use them. I'd like to think that people seeing me use these veggie bags will make people think, and perhaps do the same thing. Isn't that how change happens? Now comes the question of what to change next...but at least I have a month to ponder.
Happy Shopping,
Stacie

Placenta, the most beautiful organ

I believe, as many others believe, that the placenta is a very special, and amazing organ, that historically has been treated with great reverence and respect. The word "placenta" comes from the Latin term for "cake".  There are those that do not cut the cord to disconnect the placenta from the baby, but rather let nature take it's course, and allow the umbilical cord detach on it's own, this is known as Lotus Birth.  Many cultures bury the placenta in ritual (article), and see it as an extension of the baby. Some choose to consume it's powers as medicine, known as placentophagy, as it is rich with nutrients and hormones.  Most mammals (with the exclusion of camels) consume their placenta, and there are opioid effects that animals receive by ingesting the amniotic fluid.  Lay midwives back in the day (and some today) understood it's medicinal properties, and would cut off a piece and have the mother hold it in her cheek, if she was hemorrhaging postpartum, to control the bleeding. Regardless of belief held, it was understood that the placenta was not something to be tossed like waste, without honor....like it is done today. This is an extension of today's mainstream birthing culture that gives birth in a hospital setting, with a highly skilled surgeon known as an obstetrician that intervenes too much with the birthing process, and where women often give away their autonomy with the belief that the doctor knows best.  The majority of today's births are induced, with epidurals in place, and one-third of those births are a cesarean delivery.  But let me not digress....

So today if a woman is lucky enough to birth at home with a competent CNM (certified nurse midwife), or CPM (certified professional midwife), she will ask the mother what she would like to do with her placenta. Sometimes women will bury it under a tree, some will consume it raw, as a smoothie, in a stew, or have it encapsulated -in pill form, while others choose nothing at all. If a woman is lucky enough to give birth in a free-standing birth center (which are few and far between) she will also get to choose what to do with her placenta. If a woman gives birth in a hospital, she will have to voice her wish to keep it, then maybe sign a waiver, but will be allowed to take her placenta home......if she is lucky. This is where it gets tricky, because hospitals have policies, hospitals have procedures, hospitals have a "risk management" department that worries of litigation, hospitals have state laws to abide by, and hospitals have incinerators that destroy bio-medical waste.  There was a case in Nevada where a woman fought the hospital to keep her placenta, and won (article). I find it sad that a woman who gives birth in a hospital has to sometimes "fight" to get what rightfully belongs to her. There is nothing sinister in one taking home their placenta. They are not going to take it around the neighborhood for a tour, spilling blood, or dump it in a pond for fish food. They will simply take it to their private home for ritual or consumption.

When I gave birth back in 2002, we took home our placenta, well my mother in-law took it home in a cooler, and it was placed in our freezer. I didn't consume it, though in retrospect I certainly should have, instead we had a Blessing ceremony in our back yard, and planted it under a baby sugar maple. We did the same thing when I gave birth again in 2004. I gave birth in Rhode Island, and didn't even have to sign a waiver back then. They simply triple bagged it, and handed it over. Today this same hospital holds the placenta in a cold fridge for 24 hours, but releases it with a signed religious waiver. Now that I am a Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist that serves Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, it is interesting to see the different policies of each state. No problem (so far) in RI, there was one issue at one hospital in MA, but they eventually released it, and no issues at other MA hospitals. Connecticut, the lovely state that I now call home considers the placenta "pathological" and therefore bio-medical waste, and so far 2 hospitals have refused to let their patients take her placenta home.  Now as far as I can discern from the DEP site, they give the hospital discretion as to allow a patient to take home an organ, or limb etc.(see #21), but advise caution, and restraint. I find this matter utterly ridiculous because first of all a placenta is not "pathological" in literal terms, unless it is diseased or abnormal- which is of course possible, but not probable. Second of all, it is a sacred organ (not a kidney) that belongs to both mother and child, which has historically shown to have spiritual and medicinal value. It is my sincere hope to get that one client in Connecticut, with some fortitude to challenge this "policy" of withholding placentas and treating them as trash!

Seriously,
Stacie

My veggie balls with pics

With the exception of the *milk ingredient that's in the bread crumbs, these are dairy-free.  I'm posting because as my daughter says, they're like my "masterpiece of food". I used tvp at my husband's request.

shredded green squash, shredded carrots, onions, and green peppers

chopped baby bella mushrooms added

adding a spoonful of tomato paste, after I added chopped red pepper and olives

some italian herbs and a little bit of olive oil

the tvp that's been re-hydrated

the breadcrumbs

added hemp seeds then mixed it!

I used a melon baller to form them, and I made patties out of the rest

baked at 400 for 20 min., turned them over and baked for another 10 min.

The finished masterpiece!

Tonight's dinner!

Feeling good!

Well, it's been 3 months more or less (minus my indulging during the holidays) since going vegan, and I feel great! It hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be, it's simply been a mindset change, so I guess I was ready. As long as I am eating healthy food- lots of fresh, organic fruits & veggies, whole grains, nuts & seeds I am getting everything I need. There were a couple of days where I was really tired, but it hasn't been the norm.  I just got my 5lb bucket of hemp seeds which I love. Let me just say though, that if I am not eating cheese, I am also not eating cheese substitute, or tofu cheese, it's gross. I don't care what anybody says, there is no substitute for cheese. Nutritional yeast has been great in place of parmesan cheese in my pasta, or pizza, but as far as a slice of something on a sandwich? No way! Feel free to disagree, I guess anybody could eventually get used to something in it's place, but personally, I'll stick with just the necessities. My husband thinks I am crazy to go without cheese, but it is an addiction. It's like the alcoholic that can't have a few beers, they need the 12-pack. If I got a block of Cracker Barrel cheese, in the past, it would be gone in two days!! Here's an article about how one can be addicted to cheese. So if I couldn't moderate my cheese intake, then I'd say I was addicted!  Case in point, when I indulged in cheese & crackers along with my Mom's yummy vegetable lasagne on Christmas Eve, the next day all I could think about was consuming more cheese! But I was able to recognize it, acknowledge it, refused to give in, and the craving eventually subsided....I'm so proud of me :) So as much as I enjoyed cheese, I don't think I should ever eat it again. Time will tell, I guess.

Anticipating Change for February

Greenings!
So my showers are still short and sweet. I haven't shaved my legs lately lol, but when I do I'll just use the sink. Girls still like the shower in addition to the occasional bath so that they can play with their naked "Barbie Dolls". I have been thinking about my next change, and I would like to continue to reduce my plastic use. We have the shopping bags, buy in bulk as much as possible (wish we had a co-op close by), don't use bottled water etc., but the plastic that I haven't yet cut out is the veggie bags at the grocery store. So I may have to invest in some veggie bags like these , but would like to find a cheaper version. Anyone? Also, when I get cheese from the deli, I'll have them use butcher paper, or bring my own container. Definitely a small change, but because I buy so many fruits and veggies with my diet I think it will seriously decrease the plastic. This blog really got me thinking about how much plastic is used in packaging, even little things like a chip bag. I really like what Sun Chips are doing by using solar energy, and having compostable packaging.
Have a Green Day!

My first small change of 2010

Month one, and I am back on my vegan diet (had a small relapse with a vegetable lasagne on Christmas). I am also vowing to cut down the time I spend in the shower and using less hot water. I bought a timer that I will set at 5 minutes per shower, and I will enjoy it warm, instead of my usual burn- the -skin piping hot temperature. I'm also hoping to get my girls to take showers and less baths. I know one of them like showers, the other child may need a little more encouragement. We already use a water saving shower head, and faucets, and our toilet is a newer model that uses less water, although it's not as cool as these.
Here's a link on saving water in the bathroom.

Happy New Year!!!