Psoriatic Arthritis Journal - 2.5 year Update Page 63

[Lesliec1]

Leslie...This one?

I don't think it was accidental that it seems like a pro-veg ad. I think it was calculated to infer that Chipotle does not do all the bad stuff, and counting on consumers to be generally lazy and morally slack when it comes to assuaging their consciences about their animal consumption.

Yes, that's the one. It's a bit long and the end is maybe too much but I always love her "gems" like the kicking the dog reference.

Now that you mention it I totally agree that it was calculated. The bottom line is that people will now feel OK about ordering meat at Chipotle's. That's a bummer.

I dislike judging people, but I end up doing it anyway sometimes.

As if YOU could ever be judgemental! Opposite! I think it's more a matter of caring than in judging people. As for others not caring, we used to wonder if there's an actual "compassion gene" that some people have or don't have. OK, I know it's more about culture and upbringing ... Anyhow, Nicole, you obviously have a compassion gene. That's why you can't help it! A friend once said that AR people are simply people who can't bear cruelty or torture. I happen to agree with that for the most part. That's why AR tends to attract a lot of misfits: people who were once bullied or outcast and therefore are sensitive to abuse. It's hard being sensitive to the pain of others- much easier not to care! How do all those people do it?

As for that ad, I personally don't like things that give people superficial reasons to feel good about doing so little. Recycling as an issue pisses me off. I know yuppies who pat themselves on the back for walking their recycle bins out to the end of their driveways. Of course we all recycle but it's only a basic responsibility (like not throwing trash out your car window) so don't get too proud over there folks.

Anyway, you're just plain awesome to care about animals. It's ungratifying most of the time - people hate you for it. And would it kill a cow to pick up a pen just once and send us a thank you note? Waaah, what about my feelings, animals?

But funny you mention your DH's attitude. Mine has even a stranger disconnect. He is SUPER sensitive to things right in front of him but can't ever make any type of leap. For example, we had a stupid neighbor who "let" his dog stay out during the day with no water. Every single day my DH would go over there and remove a huge saucer from under a planter, fill it with water for the dog and leave. The next day it would be back. Anyway, how could a person who does that be completely insensitive to other animal issues? That makes less sense to me than someone who doesn't care across the board.

[moonwatcher]

But funny you mention your DH's attitude. Mine has even a stranger disconnect. He is SUPER sensitive to things right in front of him but can't ever make any type of leap. For example, we had a stupid neighbor who "let" his dog stay out during the day with no water. Every single day my DH would go over there and remove a huge saucer from under a planter, fill it with water for the dog and leave. The next day it would be back. Anyway, how could a person who does that be completely insensitive to other animal issues? That makes less sense to me than someone who doesn't care across the board.

I know a lot of people like this, Leslie. Compartmentalization.

xoxo

moonwatcher

[Ruff]

I just watched the ad. It was amazing, beautiful. From that ad I would infer that Chippotle was a vegan restaurant. But your comments tell me otherwise.

Before going vegan I was paleo, and at times a zero carb paleo.....animal foods only.

In NZ all dairy is grass fed. When we were out of the house for earthquake repairs we stayed next to a dairy farm. The cows were out in pasture eating grass all day.

BUT if you actually live next to the fields you see other things. The swollen distended udders, the skinny bony cows, the twice a day 2km walk with sore feet through muddy lanes with a dog and a farmer on a quad bike harrying the rearmost. We actually went vegan during that time...we were out of the house October/November 2012, and it was a relief to be able to ease my conscience on that one.

We are not perfect. I brought free range meat from a butcher out on the plains, and I still buy free range meat for the boy, the only one left in the family not vegan.

I buy lamb for him as much as possible, as it really is truly free range, and mostly left alone. There is the terrible round up and trip to the slaughter house on those appalling lorries, but it is the best I can do.

I have only really opened my eyes since going vegan. Before it was too painful to admit what I was doing. I needed to pretend in order to live with myself.

Now I am having to consider my sheepskin slippers, Ruffs food (cats are carnivores, can do nothing there) and so on. It is not easy. It means admitting my past faults. And NZ is a farming country, we are big meat eaters here. A sausage sizzle is a national pastime.

I don't know what to do in the long run. I could buy oil based slippers, made from synthetic fleece, but how many animal and human lives does oil cost? And there is no running away from this. Even a vegan self supporting community, utilising solar heating has to use unethical products.

Back to basics I suppose.

I will do the best I can, in the circumstances I find myself, with the resources available to me at the time.

[nicoles]

Well, now you all have got me thinking and I am doing a bit of compartmentalizing myself.

We don't have any down blankets or leather shoes, except for a pair my DH bought secondhand, which may or may not be 'OK' ... And to be truly vegan, no honey or wool or silk should be in the mix. We have some wool items (Irish sweaters and scarves) and some silk items, and some Maine local honey a friend gave as a gift.

And then we have two cats. Yes, cats are OBLIGATE CARNIVORES. Therein lies my dilemma.

It is cruelty to feed cats vegan food. I tried it briefly, and one poor kitty ballooned in weight so that she could not clean herself properly, while the other became very anxious, pee'd where she should not, and had bloody stools and mucous in her stools. Both were more fatigued and both showed very obvious signs of addiction to the vegan dry food.

In one of his videos on the Pleasure Trap, Doug Lisle mentioned his cat was vegan and on vegan food, so I had decided to go for it. I tired as many varieties as I could find, but in the end decided it was as least as cruel to force my cats to eat in ways that were bad or them as it was to have non-vegan cats.

So I switched to Newman's Organic cat food, too. And they are both doing great.

I think Doug Lisle might have it wrong, giving his cat vegan food. I have since learned that cats, unlike dogs, are true carnivores and have seen with my own eyes that they thrive - as we do!- on eating the diet appropriate for them.

In a perfect, vegan, AR lifestyle I would not even have a pet. But then again, being a softie for animals is how we got our cats - every cat i have ever had, and every dog for that matter, has been a rescue who would have been put down otherwise.


So I do compartmentalize about what I feed my cats. And I am more moved by their plight emotionally, as I care about them as individual animals, and see any suffering or health in front of my own eyes daily.

See? I have no right to judge.

[Ruff]

You are right, we all have no reason to cast the first stone.

I will not have any more pets after Ruff and the cats have gone. I will support animal rescue with money, and campaign for proper de-sexing of animals to reduce the unwanted population. But I will care for the animals I currently have in the best way I can.

I have also decided to keep the products I already have, like leather shoes and sheepskin slippers and use them up, as it seems like a double waste of life otherwise.

I am off the the vegetarian expo today and it will be interesting to see what they have to say about all this. It is actually run by the Vegan Society, and there may be creative ways of dealing with these issues. Maybe I shouldn't wear my leather shoes though.......

[Lesliec1]

Yeah, don't beat yourself up about the cat issue. You're right that "in a perfect vegan world..." but the "pets issue" is something mankind has already screwed up many, many moons ago. So that's when reality smacks your beliefs upside the head. It's an issue that confuses us all and there's a lot of guilt there. Nicole, you're a kind and responsible person who doesn't justify things. (That's my pet peeve when people won't own their faults or imperfections. Wanna see my list? haha)

Ruff, you're so cool! I love everything you said in your last post. The most dedicated hardcore AR people I know don't rescue "pets" because they feel their time is better spent helping larger numbers as best they can. Sounds like your sensibilities too. I am not so evolved. Maybe some day.

[Lesliec1]

Your posts make me think too much. Cut that out.

I was just out walking my lil monster and I thought of something that relates to both of your last things - that ad and also trying to be perfect.

In my life, I've known maybe 3 or 4 people who I would consider "perfect." I appreciate them so much. I need those examples so I can see that's it's not that hard to live as "cleanly" as possible. They don't breed, wear sweat shop clothes etc and are all super kind, non-judgemental people.

Anyway, I can see them on fb and they still seem to be living well. Except one. She now works for an offshoot of HSUS that works with Whole Foods to promote "humane meat." How flippin' gross is that? Aargh; No words for that. I feel betrayed; That someone I admired and respected above all others would sell out so bad. SO bad. Unless perhaps she has a brain tumor and isn't responsible for her actions... oy freekin' vey.

But anyway, I was thinking about your posts and all those people I knew and I ended up walking a lot farther than I thought I could. Cool.

[nicoles]

Ruff, I love your long term plan! You rock!!

Leslie! Walking farther than you thought you could!! This is wonderful news! Made my morning!

[nicoles]

This article I came across today might explain to some degree why overeating increases my joint pain!

[lmggallagher]

The vegan/AR conversation continues to make us think and for Leslie walk (how cool walking and using brain same time I must try this )

I feel I am not doing well on this but at least one the cat food issue Nicole and I got to the same brand of food - Newman's Own Organics BTW are the healthiest my cats have ever been too - girl cat has always been a tub and now she is sleek and gorgeous - to the extent the vet was terribly excited by her improvement. A plug for Newman's sorry).

I am not buying more leather products - but I am not tossing what I have either. If I found something leather in a thrift store I can't tell you what my thought process might be, but I do have the "do the right thing convos" with myself for most purchases.

Aside: I am trying hard to make sure that all my purchases are thrift store because I want to be out of the consumption cycle as much as possible. If I can find it thrift stores, free cycle or Craig's list then I will consider a store purchase.

I guess my grey area is wool. I hope Leslie doesn't see this as me justifying, as I am not trying to do that more like thinking it through. Looking for the holes in what I do here. I buy artisan wool and generally sold by folks that like put the names of the sheep on the skeins. I also have bought whole fleeces for my own spinning, often at the farm or at a specific sheep show. Back then I knew all the farms I purchased from and had visited them. I met some of my sheep donors and their dogs - everyone looked like life was good. Spinning, knitting and I hope weaving are my hobbies and are handed down skills in my family. So engrained that I don't think I'd able to stop. I don't buy manufactured woolens I make my own. But I do have a thrift store collection of Ralph Lauren sweaters, which I am admitting to here ( some cotton) . I guess if I see another one of those I have to have the talk with myself now I haven't been doing any of this since I have been back in the Bay Area because I am working on organizing the house with any free time I have. So I can make adjustments for stuff I haven't thought about - like exploring new fibers when I get back to it. But really things like cotton and hemp can be human rights (farm workers) issues too - it's just a big ball of worms.

Leslie is PETA the best source to help me sort out my thinking on this? Are there other good ones?

[lmggallagher]

Nicole:

Oh another good article. You must just research all day. I have friends like that they finally wised up and became librarians

The FODMAP thing is being very interesting: all of a sudden I am measuring most of my recipes. I went from no control on portions to a maniacal level of care in this area.

I found that to get a half starch to veggies ratio for MWL that I really have to expand my ingredients per meal in both categories. My nutrient densities are higher because of this.

Also, as they have pre-excluded the problem saccharide foods - my cravings for those have diminished and also for other forms of sugars. Sugars and salt were my big addictions. Except for one instance of going over on pineapple I have not had a single craving since starting.

I figured out the pineapple one, when I did the CronOmeter log that night. I was way under on calories that day and my gut tells me then it wants sugar - the fast fix. I think the the other angle of that was lack of good sleep the prior night.

From my reading on all issues and studies gut - it seems it has a brain of its own and it talks to the other brain too. Bacteria and biofilms manipulate the messaging too for their own benefit - it's all kind of creepy.

I don't know enough yet to conjecture - but I am less and less thinking we have all the control we think we do on cravings and over eating. It could be we have to starve out the bad players in the gut before we start slamming ourselves that it's control or emotional issues on our end. I need to read lots more and OMG I have like 3 big books I am trying to get through on this.

Needless to say, so far I am just completely gobsmacked at all the complexity of this!!!!

AND I BLAME YOU FOR SENDING ME OFF ON THIS SNARK HUNT (..just kidding - I am actually greatly indebted..) xoxoxox - Michelle

[MSNomad]

This article I came across today might explain to some degree why overeating increases my joint pain!

Thanks for posting that... really interesting!

[MSNomad]

I'd love to go sea kayaking and come upon a pod of orcas. I mean, I'd be scared you-know-what-less, but it would be amazing!

I'm thinking you would sound something like this!

This video from two kayakers was from this past summer when orcas came into Liberty Bay near Poulsbo, WA!

[nicoles]

Michelle- Sad to say, but my cats are their healthiest on the Newman's Own, too. Shhh.

I do the "as much thrift store as possible" thing too, for lot's of reasons.

Which are the three big books you are needing to read? It is very complex, isn't it!

MSNomad - What a great video!!! I saw one once with a family on the water and a whale came by and swam under the boat. Ah! Here it is! I think I'd sound more like the girl, in truth.

[nicoles]

(I posted this in the Emotional/Compulsive Overeaters Thread, but it is such good info I want it here too, since that one gets buried a lot.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just read on another forum an excellent synopsis of The Hunger fix, by Dr Pamela Peeke, who was featured in McDougall short video, and also I think at the ASW.

Anyway, it was FASCINATING! Apparently the book explains easily and scientifically how the brain's dopamine reward system is effected when we eat very tasty, high-fat, salt, sugar foods. However, Dr Peeke's dietary advice is NOT in line with this WOE - she advocates lean meats, etc.

My take on her synposis is this:

Firstly, we all know ancient humans did not have constant access to highly palatable foods that are so readily available today. Because of food scarcity, and to ensure our survival, the pleasure/reward systems of the human race developed/evolved so that these types of high-calorie, rich foods would really get them going, and give us a huge rush of the happies. Like drugs do. Like, they are addictive. We all pretty much know that by now, right?

Second, it is quite apparent that major food companies know that we are all hardwired to be slaves to these foods, and even hire neuroscientists to help them create better ones (See: End of Overeating, David Kessler.) So, in order to make the most money, they create the most addictive food. Who needs sugar in pasta sauce, or salt in salsa, or oil in hummus? They all taste fine without those additions. But they taste like CRACK* with them in, you know?

Now, third, when we eat these highly palatable, processed foods, we gut a rush of dopamine. Feels goooood, right? WE WANT MORE!!! Even if it is not healthful. The pull for the dopamine reward is sooo strong it feels uncontrollable. And sugar is more addictive that cocaine. A formidable enemy. And we have nothing in our way of getting more. Out of Doritos? NO more doughnuts? Well, just go on down to the store and get some, et voila! Binge time.

Ah, but aside from the health consequences, there is the rub: Our dopamine receptors were never designed to keep up with putting out a constant flow of the happy juice. So they down-regulate. Meaning, they GO AWAY. So now, we can eat the same amount of food and get the same amount of pleasure - we need MORE to get the same effect. And the more we eat, the less dopamine receptors we have, so we need even MORE.

Uh Oh

See where this is going?

Yeah. Not pretty.

Oh, but there is GOOD NEWS! We can get them back, those receptors! Here's how:

1) Stay 100% away from our food "drugs". Just like an alcoholic cannot have even one little bitty drink and stay sober, a food addict (and we all have been one to one degree or another, though some more than others - talking to myself here, haha) cannot have one cookie, one slice of cake, one steak - WHATEVER - without continuing that cycle of dopamine down-regulation.

2) Exercise regularly

3) Learn new things

4) Connect with people

5) Have new experiences - travel, take a class, etc

6) Achieve a goal like Ruff's recent race! She is still high from it, I bet!

7) Have sex! No surprise there, hehe

Surround yourself with color!! Or eat colorful foods! (NO Lucky Charms)

And the OP said there were more things she could not recall.

Anyway - that is exactly what we all set out to do here - we are eating well, exercising as we can, connecting on the forum and elsewhere, etc, etc......and we are renewing our dopamine receptors all the while!

AND THEN. We think. Our our addictive brain (or other people we know) whispers....

"You have been doing so well. You DESERVE a treat. Just ONE won't hurt, and here are 200 or so justifications for that."

And then, with our dopamine receptors in full bloom after doing all the good things, that "just one" thing tastes SOOOOOO GOOOOD since all dopamine receptors are there to make the happy brain juice, that we get a HUGE RUSH OF HOLYCOWTHISISSOFREEEEEKINGGOOOD!!!

direct quote from the book:

"And, then, wham. The flavors are way more intense than you remember. Sweets are really sweet, fats even more tempting, and you cannot get enough of your salty starches. You think to yourself, 'This is amazing. Seriously, I think this is the best thing I've ever had in my life. Man, my fix never tasted so good.'

Then one piece of chocolate becomes four bars. One cookie becomes two boxes. You scarf up the whole pizza.

How is that so?
...
We now know that when you awaken the sleeping dragon of addiction, it becomes stronger, more powerful, and twice as deadly as before.
It's not because [you're] "weak" or "bad"...It's due to a specific biological phenomenon called "supersensitivity." When an addicted person is deprived of her fix, her drug of choice, for awhile, and then she encounters it again, the dopamine rush that results is that much more powerful—exactly because that person is recuperating."

So next time that little voice whispers that just one can't hurt, be armed with this knowledge. It CAN and WILL hurt. Maybe it will hurt some more than others, but it will be a huge challenge for everyone.
If it does happen? Just stop. Don't yell at yourself. Don't even blame yourself. Willpower is no match for Biology. You are literally powerless, not only in an OA sense, but in a scientific sense.

You know what to do. The rest is up to you. Knowledge is power.