Sunday Song Day: Mary ("By My Side" and Weezer), Rich Roll waking me the heck up, plus 3 new podcasts (environmental call-to-action, pediatric nutrition, doctor interviews, and more)
I received a degree in Literary Studies with a focus on creative writing, and one of the primary lessons I learned through that instruction was to visualize the “you” of your audience.
As I’ve been tapping out all these passionate environmental/nutritional illuminations, there is always a soul (or souls) in mind; and as I’ve mentioned, this klaxon was tuned to the only pitch that worked on my stubborn self (and Ian), yet I had no idea the unfathomable depth of stubbornness standstill souls could have when faced with truth, fact, research, and imperative imploring.
I kept the pitch in high howl because there were loved “yous” out there that I couldn’t give up on, and I had made it clear that in the same way folks “vote with their dollars” I’d be showing the importance of this mission (<—we are running toward environmental catastrophe, folks! We need to start acting now!) by removing myself (and my son) from the presence of souls stubbornly carrying on with the destruction of this planet (and themselves, and their kin’s health, and my son’s future, and the future of every species/soul we know).
If you’re going to make a stand, why not make it for the most important thing in this world? (<—The preservation of this rapidly crumbling environment and all the species that depend on it.) And if you’re going to hold firm in a way that goes against your whole culturally-comfortable/always-been-a-peacemaker past, you better make sure you’ve given those souls ample, ample, ample warning.
Well, I had a dream the other night that was so profound it woke me the heck up and I realized just how much time I’ve wasted on those stubborn souls, and how very done I am. I’ve been squandering energy and heart trying to shake awake those who have never had respect or care for my voice to begin with.
Continue for: Sunday Song Day (“By My Side”, Weezer, and a send-up of my oldest friend who’s growing forward right alongside me); how a dream discussion with Rich Roll realigned my whole focus and then lead me toward a perfectly kismet podcast; THREE new podcasts you need to hear (featuring a “climate psychologist”, 2 different/amazing/inspiring pediatrician interviews explaining how to feed your children for best health, plus the ever-inspiring Chuck Carroll with Dr. James Loomis); plus four whole days of examples of what this plant-based whole-food family is feasting on and how we’re thriving via Lifestyle Medicine Pillars.
Live Kindly, Feast Kindly, Grow Forward!
Lifestyle Medicine: Physical Activity & Love
What’s Q’s and my favorite way to squeeze cardio into our days? We take frequent dance breaks, and often start the day with it. Here seen: a brief dance party to Lord Huron’s “Meet Me In The Woods” which was playing on my background playlist, when Q ran in saying:
“This song has one of my favorite lyrics!”
“Really? Cool! What is it?”
“ ‘I took a little journey to the unknown!’…can you back it up so we can dance to it from the beginning?”
<3 His little love-filled face in this photo makes my heart burst! <3
Plant-Based Kiddo Breakfast: whole-grain/sprouted bread, peanut butter, and mango sandwich; with peach and mango on the side.
Summer (Home)Schooling a sci-fi enthusiast. (Pen correction from Papa.)
“It’s Ben from the Umbrella Academy and he’s bowling.”
Lunch
j- purple sweet potatoes (made like our traditional mashed), Quinoa stirfry —with eggplant, garlic scapes,shiitake mushrooms, and peas— romaine, swiss chard, avocado, green onions, and sesame dressing).
Q - leftover arepa pizza, balsamic tomato medley, and green onions.
Wednesday we had loved souls (Ando, David, and Merari) over for plant-based feasting. Andro works with Ian and they’ve been friends for about 5 years now, and his family are lovely, big-hearted souls. The evening was laughter, plant-based illumination, love, and full-bellies.
(Everyone wore masks when approaching the table.)
Dinner: black rice, black beans (compliments of Andro), quick-pickled cabbage, seasoned summer squash medley, cornbread, chopped greens, green onions, easy avocado (with chopped, fresh tomato added), and queso.
Dessert: berry bread, cashew cream, peanut butter, and dark chocolate sauce (<— recipe coming up on Recipe Wednesday, because there’s already too much going on in this post).
Love of my life spreading light in the darkness, like he does all day every day. <3
(Wearing a mechanical arm rig costume his crafty father made him.)
When your cub wants to be in the “nightly reading” photo.
Oh Boy, talk about happy weeping!
Let me tell you about Mary!
Mary and I met in nursery school and were bestfriends by kindergarten. We attended a private Catholic school, and we were both quirky kiddos whose classmates made it quite cruelly clear that we were outsiders.
Luckily for us, we had eachother.
By second grade, Mary and I joined the church’s children’s choir, and this cemented in us a new love of singing together. I honestly can’t remember if we were doing this beforehand, but I know once we learned “For the Beauty of the Earth” we started singing it together in our off-hours alllllll the dang time, and then branched out to more songs than I can think of.
Mary was/is a supremely strong and talented soprano, and I started out as a tiny-voiced soprano but was a breathy-tenor by 4th grade. That just gave us more options. :-) When we sang together, our voices melded together perfectly because we’d been honing that craft for years: it was our all-time favorite way to pass the time.
As I explained in the last “Sunday Song Day” post, literally getting on the same wavelength as another soul and then finding ways to weave harmonies around that connection is a profound way to bond. When you start it in elementary and keep it going through highschool, you can create pure connective-catharsis.
I am historically PETRIFIED of singing alone, but when I sang with Mary I felt calmer, centered, and connected to something greater than myself.
Through a childhood where I often felt neither safe or strong, Mary made me feel both. As I’ve mentioned before, Mary’s house was my refuge for many years, her family treated me like one of their own (<—her father was one of the best/kindest/most-mirthful/most-loving souls who ever graced this earth, and I miss him/think about him daily).That 60’s throwback cover photo? That’s the 2 of us on my 13th birthday all dressed up for our school’s Halloween party in some of Mary’s mother’s hand-me-down hippy wear.
We grew up in that era without internet and ready access to any-song-you-want-to-hear, so we were the sort of souls who would perch next to a radio anxiously awaiting favorites, would squeal in excitement when they came on, and then diligently listen so we could replicate them in voice. We bought cassettes that were played on perpetual loop, and our musical favorites morphed from Boyz II Men, to Weird Al, to Weezer, to anything that was playing on the local alternative rock station.
Of all the albums we crushed on, though, I don’t think a single one was played as much as Weezer’s “Blue Album”. To this day I could still sing you every riff of guitar, bass, and harmony found within; and in my head they are often in Mary’s voice. That album came at just the right moment in my life, because it was brilliant mix of angst and harmonic order. You felt unraveled in the purest-reverb-wailing way, and then knit back together in crisp order.
Similarly, Mary's friendship (and her kin) kept me sane through a depressive childhood whirl; and I wish every child a friend like I found in her: someone you can laugh and be silly with, someone you can talk to about any topic under the sun, someone who is there for you through your roughest patches, someone you can grow with. I imagine we'd be more grounded and peaceful if we all knew the same love.
At some point in highschool, there was a youth group plan to do a production of Godspell that never grew beyond practice sessions (which was GREAT because I had been assigned Sonia due to my low voice, but I was vastly uncomfortable being cast in a roll that is widely described as “the sexy one” and where I was meant to march on down the aisle with a feather boa <— remember, this is the same soul who is petrified of solos, let alone sultry ones), and the fateful bright-side of that whole mess was that Mary and I learned “By My Side” because our characters were meant to sing it as a duo.
It was the summer before our senior year of highschool, Mary and I were suppose to sing that song alone in front of a whole congregation, and I walked in red-faced and hyperventilating to tell her that I'd just been informed that my family was moving to New York (<—we lived in Champaign, IL at the time). All we could do was hug each other and sob, and then we were promptly launched in front of a crowd to sing:
Where are you going? Where are you going?
Can you take me with you? For my hand is cold,
And needs warmth
Where are you going?
Far beyond where the horizon lies, where the horizon lies.
And the land sinks into a mellow blueness,
Oh, please take me with you.
We had a few months of summer singing, several letters mailed back and forth after the departure, but the last time I was able to see her in person was for her wedding in 2005. Mary moved to the South, I remained in New York, we had years of stumbling through our own health calamities, new families to keep us busy, and we dropped in and out of contact.
When I stepped out of my too-shy-to-be-a-soloist shadow and started harking all this environmental/nutritional info, Mary was one of my first helpful skeptics. And I mean that without snark. Mary has an incredibly keen/curious mind and she asked good questions and she never blasted me with criticism or cruelty, she simply asked for more illumination.
I had no idea she had been taking that info and applying it to her own life until she posted the above comment and it made me happy-weep like a dang fool. Like one of our old harmonic pairings, we had started in unison, branched off on our own melodic paths, and then joined back stronger than ever to find her right “By My Side” again.
When I read Mary’s comment out loud to Q (and explained that I was his age when I first met her), he listened thoughtfully and then exclaimed, “That is so exciting! I'm so happy for them! Good job, Mama! We’re saving the earth!"
That right there folks, is why I continue to sound this klaxon!
If I was silent we’d continue to ignorantly ruin this earth while filling ourselves with preventable disease, and the more souls I can wake up the lesser our destructive impact and the better those loved ones feel.
It’s a win-win positive-for-all path, you just need to wake up and grow forward.
Think you can’t be excited about plant-based foods? Over here, every single meal is cause for celebration.
Here seen, Q downright ecstatic about his breakfast: whole-grain/sprouted bread with peanut butter and peach, with kiwi and peach on the side.
Another day of outdoor homeschooling, while I worked on painting the house.
The amount of Mama Bear eye-rolling that goes on over here is epic.
Q learned about Bobbitts on a nature documentary and has become obsessed.
Lunch: black rice, ruby kraut, bell peppers, lettuce, swiss chard, green onions, furikake, Q’s Sesame Dressing, and corn-on-the-cob.
Thursday, I was preparing dinner when I received this happy-weeping heart-lift from my friend Maggie.
Maggie comes from a family bursting with so much light it is downright staggering. I don’t think I ever saw her big-hearted father not laughing or with the twinkle in his eyes showing that he was moments away from doing so, her mother is one of the kindest/warmest/funniest souls I’ve ever known, her sister Mali was one of my bestfriends/protectors/all-around-favorite souls all during my Oswego years (her laugh also brightens up this whole world), Maggie is one of the strongest/wisest/fiercest mothers I’ve ever met, and her daughter has all the attributes of that powerful lineage crystallized into a form that is going to shake this world the heck up!
She didn’t need to share that, she could have gone about her day, but it lit up my whole night and likely lead to the powerful dream that realigned this website’s arc.
Want some more info on how plant-based diets are crucial for cardiovascular health? Check out this old essay about Dr Kim Williams, TMAO, and his long-form podcast interview with Physiotherapist Simon Hill. That podcast is one of my all-time favorites, because you have the president emeritus of the American College of Cardiology explaining in down-to-earth terms all the science that is imploring you away from animal products and explaining exactly how and why they harming you.
And for the love of goodness, PLEASE go buy a copy of world-renowned cardiologist Dr Dean Ornish’s book “Undo It”. It’s going to blow your mind right open with the hundreds of studies referenced therein, and it’ll better your whole life (or the life of someone you may love.)
Delicious Dinner: black rice, black beans (compliments of Andro), quick-pickled cabbage, seasoned summer squash medley, cornbread, chopped greens, green onions, easy avocado (with chopped, fresh tomato added), and queso.
If you’re worried about losing flavor in the plant-based realm you are 100% wrong, friend.
Like Mary, I have never enjoyed food more or felt better after eating it. Over here it is a celebration before and after every meal.
Nightly Reading
So, I’ve explained before how I am a lucid dreamer and how those dreams are often where I wrestle with serious topics, and for months I’ve been trying to untangle the fine line of shaking y’all awake to the importance of moving forward knotted with the frustration that howling and conflict are not at all my desired/usual/comfortable states. But the stakes are so high, so what’s a fraught Mama Bear to do?
That night I had a LOT of dreams, but the last one was the most poignant and it woke me up with a rattle.
I was at some manner of health club, awaiting a ride from Rich Roll who I was supposed to be interviewing for this site (<—which is fascinating because I don’t do interviews, and y’all can just go buy his books or listen to his podcast <3 He is a font of inspiration!); but as I was waiting I was approached by this little man who was in great distress. When I say “little man” I mean that he didn’t come above my knee (<—I’m only 5’4). He had the head and arms of a full grown adult, but his torso and lower-half were almost non-existent. He was wailing (like crying but with no tears, just the sound of it), and making the tonal sounds of complaining but there were no direct words to decipher, it was all just distraught noise. I kept trying to comfort him, and he kept slamming his hands on the ground and screaming louder. I tried to reason with him and he kept shaking his head. I eventually tried to walk away but he followed me, hollering louder.
He was frightening me, and I had just scaled a wall trying to get out of his reach when Rich arrived; and as soon as he appeared the little man disappeared. All of a sudden, we were standing outside of a building Ian and I used to work at in Brooklyn, and I found myself trying to explain to Rich that I was out of sorts because of the encounter with the little man, and he said, “There are so many bigger things in this realm that need our focus, why pay attention to the little man that isn’t listening anyway?”
What had been a faint voice in the background grew louder and louder until I realized it was Q’s voice yelling, “Environmental Catastrophe!” on repeat.
I woke up with start. Wrote it all down. Realized that I had been wasting my energy focusing this howl on the folks who are so ingrained in their bad habits that they’ll never listen, and went in search of a new Rich Roll Podcast to listen to because it had been a few weeks since I’d last checked for one.
It was with a kismet punch to the gut that I stumbled upon this “environmental psychologist” interview with Margaret Klein Salamon where the words “Environmental Catastrophe!” are actually used, and where they go deep into the weeds of how to be an advocate for environmental change and precisely WHY you want to avoid getting into the weeds with shut-ear souls.
“But more than anything, this is a discourse about effective altruism–and the actionable steps we can take now to backtrack from the global suicide that grows closer daily.
It’s normal to feel disheartened. Action seems futile. And 2020 has maxed out our collective bandwidth to emotionally manage crises and revolutions. But embracing the truth and finding a way to contribute to positive change is not only mandatory — it’s a path to hope. And to girding your life with more meaning, inclusion and empathy.
This is one of my increasingly rare audio-only podcasts. You can find it streaming wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Margaret’s ideologies have totally reframed how I perceive, address, and talk about the climate crisis. My hope is that her words offer you a perspective that is honest and hopeful.
But more than anything, my hope is that it inspires you to do something.”
We, are not powerless. Each of us have SOMETHING we can do to help turn the tide. One of the biggest things we can do (and even the United Nations is urging you) is start shifting toward a plant-based diet to reduce emissions and environmental impact. Best side effect? Better health.
Speaking of better health, I was so lit up by that podcast, I went in search of Dr. Yami’s (<—favorite inspiring plant-based pediatrician I had first heard about through Switch4Good) podcast and found this amazing interview with pediatrician Dr. Laura Pridemore.
“In this episode of Veggie Doctor Radio, I have an engaging conversation with Dr. Laura about raising plant-based kids and the wisdom she has gained over the years.
Her plant-based journey
Her approach to encouraging families to integrate more whole plant foods into their children’s diets
Her opinion on whether it is safe to raise fully plant-based children (spoiler: YES)
What parents need to consider if they are raising a plant-based child
How she empowers parents to do the work it takes to develop long-term healthy habits
What mistakes she made in her parenting journey and what she would differently if she could do it again (<—same mistakes I made!)
What she wishes more parents knew
If you’re anything like I was, the “Ugh, should I go Plant-Based?!” path is fraught with fear that you won’t get enough nutrients, and you may be also concerned about your children getting what they need too. I’ve gone over it many times before, but if you’re still worried: GIVE THOSE TWO PEDIATRICIANS A LISTEN. They are fonts of hands-on knowledge, paired with years of research into the efficacy, and they are inspiring/down-to-earth souls to boot.
I don’t have a pic of his breakfast from this particular morning (it was a gigantic apple and some Ripple), but I do have this photo of him saying, “Hold still, Mama. I need to memorize the color of your eyes for the drawing I’m working on.”
“It’s a costume dance party under the stars and moon; and there is David Barber as a pirate, and Mama as a Sasquatch, and me as a sandworm, and Grandma as a beautiful sunflower!”
Sandworms for days. :-)
Lunch: black rice, quick-pickled cabbage, easy avocado, lettuce, swiss chard, green onions, furikake, and Q’s Sesame Dressing.
Dessert: berry bread, cashew cream,almond butter, banana, and dark chocolate sauce (<— recipe coming up on Recipe Wednesday, because there’s already too much going on in this post).
Q and I share one dessert, lest anyone see these and get horrified. :-)
Some food for thought from another favorite doctor: Dr Garth Davis.
Love and Grandparents: the sight of a cub running to great his grandmother.
Friday night, we spaced out the living room so that we could have Q’s grandmother and his Opa come over to watch “Best in Show”.
Dinner: Cappello Chili with queso, quick pickled cabbage, squash, green onions,romaine.
Nightly Reading.
Plant Based Kiddo Breakfast: whole-grain/sprouted bread with cashew cream, peanut butter, peach, and the remaining peach on the side.
Get fiber, whole grains, and plenty of protein into your kiddos and even ones who are little Hobbits (<—he is my mini-me) will carry on happily ‘til lunch without the whines of, “But I’m hunnnnngry!” and will have ample energy to plow through their days. <3
Had my morning (heart-lifting) meeting with Crystal and then went on to pick up our weekly CSA haul.
The many beautiful colors that can come from “greens”.
While I worked through the haul and prepped various items for meals through the week, this one kept popping up to show me the work he was doing on his Lego Beetlejuice Sandworm.
Saturday Lunch: black rice, quick-pickled cabbage, easy avocado, roasted eggplant, lettuce, swiss chard, green onions, furikake, and Q’s Sesame Dressing.
We are a house that a) relies on making a big batch of something we can work on through the week, and b) will never (EVER) get tired of rice and sesame dressing paired with vegetables. It’s delicious, nutritious,beautiful to look at, and oh-so-filling.
Dessert (shared): Cappello Black Bean Brownies, cashew cream, almond butter, and banana.
“Look Mama! I’ve completed the double-mouth!”
“Look, Mama! It’s an Exogorth and you, me, and Papa are riding it and we’re wearing spacesuits so we’re protected from space. And in the sky is Tatooine with a Sarlaac, and Earth with a squid, and there’s a full moon and a cratered moon.”
When your cub gets tired of the time it’s taking you to cook, so he takes his talking-mouth up to the roof to pace back and forth while telling tales to his hardworking Papa. <3
Dinner: Cappello Chili with queso, quick pickled cabbage, squash, green onions,romaine, and a side of corn-on-the-cob with EARTH-FRIENDLY/COMPASSIONATE/HORMONE-FREE Miyoko’s butter. Best part about Miyoko’s (<—aside from the things I previously mentioned?) they are working with dairy farms to convert their operations to plant-based sources.
Nightly Reading
A third and equally helpful podcast for you to dig into is this “Can Kids Be Vegan? Listen to the Science” interview with Dr. Yami on the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine “Exam Room Podcast” with Chuck Carrol.
After listening to Dr. Yami’s podcast, I had hoped over to Exam Room to see if there were any new interviews to check out, was delighted to see she’s getting air over there too.
“On this episode of The Exam Room™ podcast, Yami Cazorla-Lancaster DO, MPH, MS, FAAP, joins “The Weight Loss Champion” Chuck Carroll to talk about the research that changed her from being a “milk pusher” to an advocate for plant-based diets. Dr. Yami also talks about:
What health issues can happen to children who drink an abundance of milk and eat a lot of cheese.
How those problems can follow children into adulthood and intensify as they grow older.
The science showing milk does not protect bones from fractures.
The healthiest way for children to build strong bones.
The milk alternatives that parents should consider giving children.
Plant foods that are high in calcium.”
Just as it was oddly kismet to have that Rich Roll dream and them stumble into a fresh environmental podcast; I had a soul asking me about how to get enough calcium into kids (and adults) on a plant-based diet, and then I found myself listening to a whole podcast dedicated to that very thing.
Worried about calcium? I’ve covered that before in these essays, and Physician’s Committee has a great page dedicated to this topic too (listing out a feast of plant-based sources), but give this podcast a listen. Not only does Dr. Yami give you a helpful earful, it’s followed up Dr. Jim Loomis answering the following:
How can you get enough calcium without eating dairy?
Does calcium from plants interfere with iron absorption?
Want some inspiration? Chuck, the energetic/enthusiastic/super-kind soul who hosts the Exam Room podcast transformed his whole life through a plant-based diet. Sound like hyperbole? Chuck’s before-and-after is below.
What’s holding you back, dear souls? Think of all the amazing things you can accomplish, all the health that is awaiting you, all the compassion you will radiate, all the emissions you will save: as soon as you start taking steps forward.
How y’all doing on that goal to get at least 30 plants in you within a week? The best nutritionally-focused docs recommend that you get at least 30 different plants into you within the week. Why? Your microbiome is bettered by plant diversity and your microbiome is dependent on all the fiber found within those plants.
Is your diet a rotation of meat and grains? That’s what mine used to be, and the amount of plants I consumed was laughably limited… and then I grew forward.
You only make what you measure, and America is sadly known to be severely deficient in fiber. Gut health = whole health so it is worth focusing on and measuring how you can do better. (We use this list to see which color we need to increase.)
What’s the most impactful thing you can do as an individual to help your kin, community, millions of species, and planet? Transition as plant-based as possible.🌎♥️
Why? Plant-Based foods are environmentally imperative 🌎. They also promote ideal health💪 (which takes stress off our overburdened health care system), are inexpensive🙌, delicious🤤, & compassionate. 💕
Why imperative, though? 🤔We’re approaching (& have crossed) climate tipping points that will doom our kin & millions of other species. 😱📣Reducing/eliminating animal products is the *most impactful thing an individual can do* to prevent worse. 🌎🔥
Why? Animal Agriculture creates more emissions than the entire transportation sector combined, it’s tied to water waste/loss/pollution (<-- freshwater is our most precious resource💧), land loss/deforestation (<-- exacerbates climate change by reducing our ability to sequester carbon🔥🌎), ocean acidification (<-- FYI 50-85% of earth’s oxygen originates from oceanic plankton🌊) & vast species loss/extinction/suffering💔📣🌎
Plus, consuming animal products is tied to increased risk of cardiovascular disease❤️🩹, diabetes👎, cancer👎, and chronic disease👎; whereas Plant-Based feasting is linked to preventing/reversing some of our most common diseases (<— like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer); plus it promotes ideal health & robust strength (ie Olympians, Weightlifters, Endurance Athletes are thriving via PBWFs too). 🎉🙌♥️
What organizations are promoting plant-based diets for best health and environmental stability? National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic, Yale, the United Nations, Harvard School of Health, American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, The American Academy of Pediatrics, National Kidney Foundation, even the Parkinson’s Foundation.
We’re all overwhelmed in one way or another, but for the sake of our kin (and the millions of species we share this planet with) we need to start pivoting forward. As someone who once rarely ate green things & used to eat animal products at every meal, I can assure you that is possible, affordable, enjoyable, & purposeful to pivot Plant-Based. In fact, our whole family is now healthier/stronger than ever. 🙌♥️
Anecdotally, our son had failure-to-thrive, was also plagued with perpetual ear-infections/sinus-infections, and had an omnipresent runny nose. What was he eating? Grass-fed milk, organic/antibiotic-free/grass-fed/local meats, eggs from organic-fed/well-loved chickens from a neighbor, every meal came with vegetables, and we limited junkfood. He was healed via a plant-based diet: he’s launched out of that diagnosis and the last time he had a sinus-infection (or was sick at all) was in 2019 when he had some cheese at a school Christmas party. Before shifting to PBWF’s he was sick every month, and how he’s a robust, vital, thriving kiddo. 🙌🎉♥️
If you think any of the above sounds over-reached/absurd/impossible, please go read the links above. I understand the inclination to hackle-raise (<—because I was once totally there) but the science is clear: any step we make forward is imperative (<—and again “STEPS” is the focus. Don’t leap, just start making steps!). It’s as simple as starting with one meal a week and growing from there.💕
We have the ability (deliciously, healthfully, kindly, inexpensively) to *preserve/protect* the planet we share with millions of species & our kin. How are we going to use that power today?✌️🤟🖖
