Animal cruelty, climate change, monoculture...the list goes on.

[ChrissyStar]

I feel hopeless and have decided not to have children because of the state of the world (why would I wish to bring a child into this when I myself, do not like to live here?). Does anyone else feel the same?

[Peppermintbach]

Hi birdy (waves to ChrissyStar and all),

No worries, you’re most welcome. You deserve those words 🙂

Thank you so much for all the vegan cheese suggestions! I’ll have to find out which places stock them. Thanks again. You’re the best...

Hmm...I will keep my eyes peeled for Sheese and biocheese. They sound handy to have in the kitchen.

Your vegan cheese kit sounds perfect for you especially as I know how you enjoy cooking. To be honest, I am a little lazy (by a little, I mean “very”) so I’ll just stick to other people making cheese for me or at least for now anyway. Lol.

I have been doing a little research and stocking up on things like nutritional yeast, flaxseed, walnuts, etc. I have started sprinkling nutritional yeast and ground flaxseed on my veggies to increase certain nutrients. Should probably get a B12 supplement as well though...hmmm...

I’m also consulting a dietician soon for advice to make sure that I do this “right”; he specialises in vegan and vegetarian dietary needs which is why I specifically requested him at the clinic. I think he will be very helpful although I couldn’t get an appointment till October. Popular guy! Lol. I suppose that’s a good sign...

The reason that I’m being somewhat pedantic about the health aspect is because, in my research, I found that a leading cause for people going back to eating meat, dairy, etc was for health reasons. This is not because a vegan or vegetarian diet is inherently bad; they can both be very healthy if planned well, which is a stance backed by dieticians and nutritionists from what I’ve read. Apparently, again based on what I’ve read, the real issue is often more about poor meal planning and well meaning people misunderstanding what constitutes a healthy or unhealthy vegan or vegetarian diet.

For me, as a personal decision (I’m not telling anyone else what to do or what not to do), I don’t want to return to eating meat, etc so I’m trying to be extra vigilant. So if poor meal planning and inadequate knowledge is behind why some people return to old dietary habits then my way to “safeguard” against it (so to speak) is to plan well and try my best to be informed 🙂

Thanks again for all your love, advice and wisdom. Also, I look forward to your “More later” post 🙂

Love,

Pepper xoxo

P.S. Waves to Sez, UB and Grandy 🙂

[Birdy77]

Dear Pepper (hi to all),

That's a fantastic idea to see a dietician so that you start out well on your dairy-free journey. Maybe especially because you're a lazy cook 😉.

I said Pinterest will be your bff, but I lied. Nooch (Nutritional Yeast) will be your bff. Especially if you are a cheese fiend like me. As you will be discovering, it adds a cheesy awesomeness to everything. I made a batch of pizza dough yesterday and I had the idea to add nooch to the dough mixture and it's a winner. I also added it to that vegan Funky Fields "Minced" when I made (more) burgers over the weekend. Nooch makes amazing cheesey sauces (think mac'n'cheese, nachos, cheeze sauce for broccoli/cauliflower etc). Basically it adds a cheezinees and added nutrition to anything and everything.

I think a b12 supplement is a good idea, although nooch is fortified with b12 (depends how much you use it though). Berocca helps (with hangovers as well).

The Victorian-made cheeses I mentioned I get at my local IGA, and I'm not in a metro area, so they shouldn't be too hard to find. The Sheese and biocheese are stocked at the big supermarkets, or you can try to put a request in (every time I go shopping I put a request in for something).

Also check out the Cruelty Free Shop - they have an amazing range of food and deliver cold (and even frozen) food if you don't have an outlet nearby.

If you or anyone likes ricotta, you can make dairy free ricotta by breaking up a block of firm tofu into a food processor, adding some nooch (Nutritional Yeast/Savoury Yeast Flakes ... say, 1/3 cup), some dried Italian Herbs (e.g. a tbsp), olive oil (maybe ... 4 tbsp?), some onion powder, some garlic powder (or a fresh clove of garlic) and a dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Blend it up, scraping down the sides with a spatula every now and then, until it has a ricotta-ish consistency. So yummy. You'd never know it was tofu. To make chèvre, basically make the above, roll it up into a log, rest it in the fridge for a bit, bake it.

Coconut yoghurt ... if you like yoghurt, check out some of the coconut yoghurt available now, so yummy and you would never know they're not dairy if you did a blind taste test.

Ok I think I've rambled on too long. Sorry everyone. I just love vegan cooking! I love veganising recipes and things. Almost anything anyone loves to eat, can be made cruelty-free, I reckon.

Pepper, I am just so excited that you are taking this step, I think it's wonderful.

🌻birdy

[Peppermintbach]

Hi birdy (waves to all),

Chrissystar and all: I hope you’re all doing okay and feel free to chime in any time about animal cruelty, climate change, monoculture, etc 🙂

birdy: Thank you, I think a dietician will be helpful.

To be fair though, I feel anyone who plans to make a major change in their diet, and for whatever the reason, could still benefit from visiting their GP and/or a dietician 🙂

If we relate it back to mental health, the way I see it is that our physical health (e.g. nutrition) and mental health are interconnected so one inevitably will affect the other....

Thanks birdy 🙂 You’re right that some nutritional yeast (nooch) contains B12. Very true.

But I read that not all nooch contains B12. Apparently, according to one nutritionist online, it depends on the product itself so she advised that we need to look for one that explicitly states it’s fortified with B12 🙂

If it doesn’t say it’s fortified then it may not contain B12. She advised supplements as a backup for some people. I’ll double check with my dietician when I see him in October for his opinion ...anyway, just sharing the fun stuff I’ve been reading up on 😉 Interesting hey...

Thank you for the hangover tip 😉 It should come in handy at some point. Look at me, going on about health then being happy to drink...let’s not even start talking about my own hypocrisy. Lol

Your nooch reinforced pizza dough sounds delicious! Nooch does have a certain cheesy and salty flavour so I can see why it would work as a substitute to traditional cheese

I think your ricotta sounds really tasty plus easy and doable. Quick and easy is very important to me; I leave the more complicated and time consuming recipes to others. Lol. I think that I already have most of those ingredients that you mentioned so maybe I’ll try it out one day. Thank you 🙂

Great tip! I have tried coconut yoghurt before. It’s a good alternative but i think the taste isn’t really for me. Then again, I’m not a big yoghurt person in general lol.

Speaking of food, I have been making this simple and tasty breakfast a couple of times each week that is packed with nutrients: whole grain oats, chia, soy milk, mixed raw nuts, banana, strawberries, dates and ground flaxseed 🙂

I was reading something interesting. It was a theory on why (some) people responded so negatively to the plastic bag ban at some places. Apparently, it’s due to customers perception that supermarkets have “breached” their “psychological contract.”

Pepper xoxo

[Birdy77]

Hello Pepper, Chrissystar and everyone 😊

Pepper, I read about that "psychological contract" as well, and that the backlash from customers was partly to do with the fact that if they no longer received free plastic bags at the checkout, that they had expected the supermarkets to reduce the use of plastic throughout the store?

There is such a huge amount of plastic in all the packaging, even pasta that comes in those cardboard boxes still has a little plastic window in them. Why is that even necessary? We know what the pasta looks like. Things like flour, rice, sugar, oats, ... almost everything is packaged in plastic in the suoermarkets.

I used to be able to do the majority of my shopping at a food co-operative, where you bring your own jars/containers, and fill them from their bulk bins. It was brilliant. Then I moved to a different area and there's nothing like that here.

I don't think the supermarkets did themselves or their credibility any favours by then providing free bags again. It's all just so dumb really.

Blurgh.

🌻birdy

[Peppermintbach]

Hi birdy (waves to Chrissystar and all),

Yes, I agree that there is a slightly ridiculous (and laughable, albeit in a messed up way) element to this whole plastic situation.

I think some supermarkets started giving out free plastic bags again because it was starting to eat into their profits as some people were buying less (plus the whole outrage thing). Also, depending on the state, legislation varies.

I read that NSW is the only state that lacks formal bans on single use plastic bans. The other states have formal bans in place.

For example, major supermarkets in QLD and WA now potentially face fines if they give out single use plastic bans. All the other states also have formal bans in place whereas NSW is apparently relying on the industry to self regulate/self impose the bans.

I don’t know enough about the production and packaging process but I’m assuming the use plastic is a combination of convenience, branding products (e.g. you can stamp a brand on plastic packaging but you can’t exactly stamp your brand on refillable containers that people bring from home), current consumer expectations and habits, etc.

I was going to say something else...I’ve forgotten now. Lol.

it will come to me...

Pepper xoxo

[Birdy77]

Hi ChrissyStar and all,

I hope you remember what else you wanted to say Pepper 😊

NSW is so behind the times, it's ridiculous. It frustrates me. Off topic but I saw NSW dedicates the tiniest amount also to public libraries, way below every other state and territory. Very short sighted.

I saw some article about Woolies saying their profits were down this month because of the bag situation! How stupid.

It is just so annoying, people need to get with it and BYO bag ... it is not difficult.

About the branding on plastic etc I agree it's all about marketing and brands and so on. Our society is so addicted to brands and advertising and convenience ... and so disconnected from what the actual ingredients are, where they come from, who was exploited to produce it, what land was ruined to bring it into being. I think we mentioned those coffee pods that a lot of people use these days, and the fact that those plastic coffee pods end up in landfill ... not to mention I wonder if any of them contain fair trade coffee???

I saw an article about a couple of young women in Melbourne who set up a coffee grounds collection service, they collect the used grounds each week from cafes that subscribe to their service and compost them at some local community gardens. Instead of this 100% compostable waste product going to landfill, it's now going towards growing veges for the community and esp for those who don't have a garden of their own. Way to go ladies!

Good news on the live export front this week was the biggest live exporter in Australia has had their licence cancelled (finally) due to repeated breaches of regulations. After a long, 15 year legal battle brought by animal rights activists, a sliver of justice for innocent sheep.

I saw a really valid observation made somewhere this week about how often the govt and others talk about "the environment" and "the planet" ... when actually it is "our environment" and "our planet" ... this simple distinction is really salient I think. There is this massive disconnect with so much in our post modern lives ... we don't see that every single thing in our world in interconnected and has an impact on everything else. It's sad.

Stay connected everyone. Stay concerned about what matters. Live your truth with passion and compassion.

🌻birdy

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Chrissystar and all,

Chrissystar: I hope you’re okay...kind thoughts to you...

birdy: I’m very happy to hear that there has been some justice served for the innocent sheep 🙂 It sure has been (is) one long and painful battle (s for lack of a better word)...thank you so much for sharing this with us...

Yes, I agree with you that there is sometimes a disconnect between our environment and (some) people. I suppose sometimes it’s a genuine lack of awareness and other times, I feel some people forget or try ignore the fact that Planet Earth is everyone’s home.

The thing is I feel sometimes people choose immediate pleasure, avoidance and/or convenience is chosen over long term environmental sustainability, which is reflected in the the/our distinction.

In my personal opinion, to motivate any stakeholder to act, I think it’s helps to speak their “language” (so to speak). For example, obviously large corporations aren’t charities. Their main interest and responsibility is to their shareholders so to speak their “language” would be to sell better environmental practices in a way that will either help them make (even more) profit, increase their market share or improve their brand image, etc. At least that’s my opinion anyway...

I also think that mental health issues related to concerns about climate change (as well as the actual physical environment itself affecting our health and livelihoods, and therefore our wellbeing) will become a bigger and bigger issue over time...

Love,

Pepper xoxo

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Chrissystar, birdy and all,

Chrissystar: been thinking about you. I hope your adoption research/process is going well...I’ve heard that it can be a tough process xoxo

birdy and all:

I wanted an outlet to purge some of my own difficult feelings. I’ve chosen this thread purely because I feel it’s probably the most relevant one for what I want to say (plus I feel most comfortable talking about certain issues on this thread).

I hope that’s okay. Thank you all so much for understanding...

I’ve been a little hesitant to express some of my thoughts but recently, I’ve been feeling increasingly uncomfortable with some of my own choices and behaviours when it comes to animals...and I don’t really have anyone in the offline realm to talk to about this issue so I’m talking about it here...

Now, I understand that I’m only speaking for myself here and expressing my own personal decisions. I realise and appreciate that there are diverse views on this topic...and that my perspective is one of many. Sorry if this is scattered or convoluted...

Long story short, there are things that I’m struggling to continue to justify to myself...

For a considerable amount of time, I justified to myself that being vegetarian was doing “enough.” I don’t mean this as criticism or judgment towards my fellow vegetarians (friendly wave if you’re reading) but this is a personal struggle that I’m now facing...

I have been finding my old reasoning/mentality sits less (and less) well with me over time...my own guilt is growing...I have a lot of inner conflict...

I realise there’s another option; one that I chucked in the “too hard” basket for a long time. I’m only speaking for myself here but for a whole range of reasons, I feel that I want to make some major changes personally.

I appreciate that this option may not be for everyone but, as I said, I’m only speaking for myself here...sighs, in order for my behaviour to align with my views about animals, I feel that I want to go vegan. Or else, I feel there’s a real disconnect there that I’m really struggling with...

So that’s it for now...thank you so much for giving me this space to share some of my thoughts and feelings. It really means a lot 🙂

Pepper xoxox

[Birdy77]

Dearest Pepper ❤

I will write more, but for now, I want you to know that you've been heard.

I feel your pain (I honestly, completely do).

I am hear listening, understanding, emphasising.

Opening our eyes is a really difficult thing to do ... it's like stepping out into the dark side .... but if you let your heart speak, and if keep your focus on the ones that suffer, it's easy (to do, but not to feel .... be prepared for some sleepless nights my beautiful friend).

I am by your side.

I will write more.

I admire your courage.

Big love.

🌻birdy

[Birdy77]

Hi ChrissyStar and all.

I came across this quite, thought it was apt for this thread:

Here's what I think integrity is: it's choosing courage over comfort. Choosing what's right over what's fun, fast or easy. And practicing your values.

Brené Brown