I recently returned from a trip to Colorado, visiting my aunt and uncle. Hi, Aunt Nene and Uncle Ralph!
Arlo terrorized their gigantic puppy, Jacques, a standard poodle. We went on a few nice hikes, visited Boulder and the Denver Children’s Museum, had lunch with cousins, and enjoyed spending dinner around a full table every night. My aunt mentioned to me before I came that she tried to find a few vegan recipes online but needed help finding one with all the ingredients she was familiar with. I told her not to worry, that we would eat just about anything.
During one of our car rides, I told her about my visit to the neurologist a couple of years ago, which led to me eating meat again. I didn’t have time to share the same semi-lengthy story with Uncle Ralph when he asked me about it during a commercial break for some sports ball on TV. So, I just brushed it off with an, “I used to be vegan, but I’ve eaten meat occasionally for a couple of years.” But that explanation is for another time.
That was all a very roundabout way, my usual, of getting to the point I want to focus on with this post. During a hike with Aunt Nene, she mentioned that she tries to always make time for exercise due to osteoporosis. At the time, it hit me that I’d still classify their diets as healthy compared to most Americans. However, they still aren’t as plant-focused as I’d like them to be – especially if combatting osteoporosis. Not to mention a history of Alzheimer’s in our family. But that, too, I’ll save for another time.
Anyway, although I knew I read at some point that plants are more protective against osteoporosis than dairy, I wasn’t armed with enough information at the time to start a conversation. Besides, when you plan to make a remark that goes against virtually all the information shoved down everyone’s throats from all angles about the need for adequate dairy consumption to prevent osteoporosis – you really need to come prepared if you don’t want to sound like a wackadoodle.
And while I’ve drafted dozens of nutrition-related blog posts on various topics over the past three years, I’ve yet to publish one to the world. It’s easy to get stuck in your head when figuring out your niche. And then there’s the whole figuring out a brand and website/social media handles that represent that niche and are simultaneously available. Then, you have to think through the longevity of that brand and ensure you’ll be able to produce enough relevant content. In the end, I am the owner of over half a dozen Instagram handles. I’ve made nearly as many logos and “branding” templates and have purchased three domain names that I have or will let expire.
In the end, here we are with just my name…writing whatever I want and seeing what piques my interest the most.
As I’m writing this now, it’s dawning on me that perhaps I should have started with an introduction. But, like scientific writing, I always find the introduction easiest to write at the end. That’s probably not the best approach to starting a blog. And while I acknowledge that, I’m probably not going to make much of an attempt to begin with an introduction, either.
Anyway, much like my interest in writing a blog post about osteoporosis as a response to my aunt mentioning her acquaintance with the disease – this is more for my benefit than anyone else’s. Sure, if my aunt or anyone else finds this helpful – FANTASTIC. But this is more to help me stay committed to a plant-focused diet.
I LOVE eating plants. I love cooking. I love cooking plants and spending an exorbitant amount of time chopping up plants in the kitchen. But I’m human. And I’m a mom. And I’m busy. And sometimes lazy. And I just really love eating ice cream and sometimes I get carried away with “treating myself” to sugary, dairy-laden fancy coffees that take me entirely too much time and effort to make.
So, whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or consider yourself plant-based, plant-focused, plant-forward, or any other iteration of person who is trying to eat real food, mostly plants – you’ll probably like it here. As a biologist, turned environmental advocate and nonprofit founder (who spent a considerable amount of time trying to fight against and educate the public on the harms of concentrated animal feeding operations), turned nutrition student, turned stay-at-home mom trying to raise an adventurous eater – I have a lot of opinions. But I also have a lot of opinions informed by science.
Like most things, it’s great to consider scientific evidence before choosing what to put on your plate. And while food is energy and fuel for our bodies, it’s also joy. Like a hundred other things in my life, my philosophy on food can be best described with my favorite John Steinbeck quote: “and once you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.“
Crap. I started out with the intention of writing a blog post about osteoporosis. And now I’ve typed seven whole paragraphs without really mentioning anything of substance on the topic. That, too, will be the focus of a future blog post. It turns out maybe this WAS just an introductory post after all. You’ve got to start somewhere. Thanks for reading this far! Stay tuned for more information about me, some favorite recipes, and conversations about nutrition, wellness, and disease. Including a deep dive into osteoporosis.
Ultimately, I need an outlet for all of my recipes and ramblings. This stay-at-home mom era is undoubtedly the biggest blessing and I’m enjoying every second. That doesn’t change the fact that only talking to a baby all day kind of makes you crazy. So, while I wait for some adult interaction, at least I can pretend like I’m talking to another adult while I carry on with a one-sided conversation via this blog. That said – comments are welcome, encouraged, and really appreciated. Thanks for being here!