flowerock_and_relative_food_philosophy epitome of incomprehensibility I'm sort of replying to you a few days ago: I found it interesting what you wrote in illegal_milk and whole_wheat_bread. Sue and Isaac have an interesting food_philosophy. Of course they have an advantage of living in a small village with a large amount of land that they share with my aunt (his mother, her mother-in-law). They don't eat vegetarian, but the meat they eat is what they catch or shoot (sometimes with a crossbow) themselves. Most of the vegetables they eat they grow in the garden. And the raw milk they get locally from a nearby farm. I mentioned you to Sue because she's also from California, and she said if you're reasonably careful there's lots of opportunity for local foraging in the Golden Gate Park. And wild plants are often nutritionally packed. Of course, she also says non-vegan-friendly things, like the fact that eyeballs are very nutritious (and here I thought nothing she could say would gross me out!) At their house, I ate beaver - without it being a sexual euphemism; I'm not in the habit of stealing my cousins' girlfriends, or boyfriends for that matter, but seriously - that one I'm not as sure about, since for beavers they have to use traps. The traps catch and drown them, not making them suffer extensively; but I'm not sure about bear traps, how those can possibly be humane. I know there are too many bears around where they live, but still. The gluten_free diet isn't so much the result of philosophy, but because wheat gives my aunt rashes. I could see it on her forehead - reddish skin, sometimes bumpy. Sue doesn't have that problem, but says cutting out wheat makes her less bloated and hungry. It's a carb, so it's sort of like sugar: quick energy, but rather a bother to digest a lot at once. I think in general people in N. America are falling back on wheat as a default and it'd be better to eat a greater variety of grains, but if you feel better cutting them out entirely, go for it. Diets are notoriously individual sorts of things. Oh yeah, if you want to reintroduce some animal protein, my vote is for eggs. That's mainly because I like the taste and I find they give me good energy. Plus they don't involve killing live animals, although it can be expensive to find fair and good ones. But do what you like, and don't mind me for tossing all these words your way - ignore them if they're not interesting ones! 140814 ... e_o_i Other high-protein foods I had there: venison; cheese which I can't eat much of; the store-bought, non-meat, and very delicious tempeh in a stir-fry, tastier by far than tofu. Other grains: boring rice; nice quinoa; hemp hearts to sprinkle on cereal; chia seeds which sound like they should be dog food but taste friendly enough. 140814 ... flowerock my family hunts duck deer and bear. I love te taste of them, but am happier not eating them. I ate fish today. I think I am happy with that. I can catch and clean fish and have many times before. I forget words quickly so my response may be off topic ish ; ) I cut out grains on reccomendation from a naturopath, it has helped tremendously. it is mostly an effort to cut carbs/sugar to help my gut balance the bacteria and clean it up. I don't really miss grains or dairy. dairy kinda grosses menout now and eggs were making me itchy. corn and soy make me paranoid(I might be one of thise conspiracy nuts) I kind of enjoy being a food_snob I ve accaepted that I am such... I ask for ingredient lists when I eat out (which is almost never because i feel like an annoying ass doing that) today we went out to eat and I asked a lot of questions ordered yummy fish/veggies/potatoes that sounded "safe" and still got itchy... I have indee foraged the golden gate park an surrounding city and east bay and northern cali too... berries apples sacred straw berries grapes and black walnuts.... I love it. and I love chia seeds I just forget ti soak them so they sit in the cubbord a lot... protein... I eat a lot if nuts and seeds and get pea and hemp protein. I found reasonably priced organic grain free dog food at costco for my dog too... I feel crazy buying food for pets when people are starving... but i love my dog... so it goes. she triesto catch ducks and gophers at the park. little hunter. I d love to learn more forgeable plants and stuff and also insects I can eat. my boyfriend and I plan to take wilderness survival classes soon when we can afford to travel again. seems more useful than college at this point ; ) now Im hungry! 140815 ... flowerock I have also been known to use (abuse) foods to combat stress and sadness... this morning is especially frustrating so I am eating a breakfast of dried figs and apricots dipped in peanut butter, which is fine I guess, but I have to force myseld not to eat five times what I should... peanutbutter is like a drug for me, just can't put it down. 140815 ... e_o_i Hm, I realize I wasn't taking allergies/intolerances much into account. My body suddenly decided it was lactose intolerant a year and a bit ago, so I sympathize. (Or symphonize, with undignified burps and farts that will diminish in the absence of dairy foods.) Fish, like eggs, have lots of those omega-thingies... I like shrimp, although they're not the most eco-friendly seafood. And salmon, ditto. My weakness is sugar. No wonder I have tooth problems. I'm trying to eat more fruit instead. The advantage of living further south is that you get a lot of fresh fruit... mmm, fresh oranges... though I guess north is better for some wild berries. 140815 ... flowerock fruit is goid, sweet. I eat sugar in katchup, tomato sauce, and sweetened dark chocolate (72% is the lowest I buy... 85-100% is bedt for me). but I d like to quit that again too. stress just wont let me! 140815 ... flowerocks I ll add too that eating out at restaurants is pretty much over for me, unless it s a place that caters to people with weird diets, and they exist, you just usually have to pay more and no one else will want to go with you (well they might but it s not the same as "getting pizza" or burritos). I ate out recently at a french place that this beautiful older couple took us to. Even after asking about the ingredients I am pretty sure that I ate something I shouldn't have and now my tummy is wonky and I m itchy. I ate ants on a blackberry by accident a week or so ago. boy did that feel strange. living pop rocks with extra zest and a tingly after effect. I feelike jump roping hopscotch fits in here somewhere. maybe I should go to bed so my brain can rearrange. 140815 what's it to you? who go blather from