Jennifer Yager 12/13/24 Jennifer Yager 12/13/24

26. You Don’t Have to Eat Animals.

Today I am writing a note to myself in this post. Making the gradual change to becoming a plant-based eater seems like the obvious choice once you’ve done it for a few years, but that shadow of a doubt about whether it is the right or best thing to do for the individual person does creep in. I believe that is because only about 1% of people in our society eat a Vegan diet. When 99% of people around you, and almost everyone in your personal life, are doing something different, it can take practice to feel confident.

I am putting this message out there to anyone else who wants to do the right thing for themselves but sometimes questions their decisions. Not eating animals or their products is always the right thing to do for the animals who would otherwise be eaten of course, but are we able to get what we need while abstaining?

The answer is yes. Also, it is critical to ensure a reliable source of vitamin B12. My family and I take a supplement. Cyanocobalamin 50mcg daily or 2,000mcg weekly, or 1,000mcg twice per week is both cheap and more than adequate (for ages 9+, younger kids need half that, and anyone over 65 needs 1,000mcg/day). There are other “active” forms of cobalamin (B12), such as methylcobalamin, which are more expensive and not necessarily more effective, but for some people with genetic variants, may be better.

Other nutrients are worth considering as well, such as vitamin D (both omnivores and vegetarians alike may need a boost), idodine (idodized salt is an easy answer), and a few others that may require a bit of attention for all eaters, including plant-based eaters.

Not everyone wants to stop eating animals or their products, but those who feel strongly about doing so for various reasons can feel confident that it is possible to do so safely and effectively. There are many great resources to help in the process, which doesn’t need to take place overnight, by the way. I recently picked up Brenda Davis, RD’s new book “Nourish,” which she wrote with Dr. Reshema Shah, MD, MPH. This book or other resources written by Brenda Davis are comprehensive and can serve as a guideline. There are many reputable, science-backed resources out there to help. It is possible and probably not as difficult as you think.

In a time when we are taking a closer look at our food environment, especially ultra-processed foods, one simple, planet-friendly answer is switching to a whole food plant-based eating pattern. Thank you, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, for coining the term. Our human population vastly outnumbers that of wild land-animal species, and the animals we raise to feed our growing human population dwarfs our own numbers. We don’t have to grown and then kill billions of animals each day to feed ourselves. It is our norm to do so, but humans are capable of innovation and can adapt to a less violent, more sustainable way of feeding ourselves.

I wrote this to myself because sometimes I need a reminder that I am doing something for myself and my family that is good for us and feels like the right thing to do. We are not missing out on anything and gaining compassion and empowerment in the process.

Do you want to improve your eating patterns toward plant-based eating, yet you doubt the viability of a plant-based lifestyle? What are your specific concerns?

Jennifer Yager 11/9/24 Jennifer Yager 11/9/24

25. Like a Huge Wave

An analogy popped into my head today. If you’ve watched the HBO documentary “The 100 Foot Wave,” you know about the mega ocean waves surfed by experts in Portugal and other rare spots on Earth. The circumstances are perfect for bringing together unfathomable water volumes into awe-inspiring peaks.

Plant-based eating is like that one gigantic wave. It has proven health benefits in every body system. It is good for the environment. It is good for the animals. It is good for the soul. At least, that is true for me.

If it were necessary to eat meat and other animal products for optimal health, I would have a more challenging time recommending this way of eating to others. But we can have it all! A fire ignited when I learned about the benefits of a plant-based eating pattern because all the elements came together to make one giant wave. The separate waves/values do not cancel or diminish one another.

Can you think of anything that has lit you up in this way? What is your passion?

*As always, this website and blog information is not medical advice. Please consult your medical professional if you are changing your health behaviors, including starting a new diet or exercise program.

Jennifer Yager 8/5/24 Jennifer Yager 8/5/24

24. Loving Self

Yesterday, out of nowhere, my 9-year-old daughter said, “You should like yourself how you are, or you’ll never be happy, right?” Later that day, when we were in the car, she said, “I love my arms. They are long, defender arms (basketball defense). I especially love this part (points to a cafe au lait birth mark on her upper arm).” She was smiling away, looking her arms up and down.

My daughters constantly blow me away. The things they say sometimes absolutely floor me. I spend most of my parenting life overreacting and self-reflecting on parenting “mistakes,” like speaking too harshly out of stress and urgency to not be late to this or that. But sometimes, they say something that reminds me that we are doing something right.

My daughter’s unabashed, joyful declaration of her love for her arms was possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. It was so short and fleeting that if I had not been paying attention, the moment would have passed like any other. Recalling it now brings me to tears of happiness.

It is so healthy to love oneself as genuinely as my little daughter expressed. Unfortunately, this kind of self-love seems to dissolve as the pressures of modern life mount. She will face puberty, middle school, high school, young adulthood, and so on… I hope she continues to love herself and follow her heart even when it takes her against the grain.

Our job is to encourage her without suppressing her spirit. It sounds easier than it is in practice. All parents know this. Wherever life takes her, she will be wildly successful by any measure if she continues to love herself as she does now.

Part of the process of aging on the other end of the spectrum is regrowing that innocent, untinged, innate self-love that gets chipped away over time. The first step is taking a step back and identifying our self-love or lack thereof.

Do you ever think about how you love yourself? Are you more often congratulatory or critical of yourself?

Jennifer Yager 8/2/24 Jennifer Yager 8/2/24

23. Happy Birthday To Me!

Birthdays aren’t typically a big deal to me. I look forward to a special day but also cringe away from attention. Today, I turn 43 years young. It is an opportunity to reflect on all the great things in my life.

I have better health now than in years past, thanks to intentional habit changes, including plant-based eating, daily exercise, less toxic substances (ie alcohol and processed foods), and more consistent sleep as my kids grow older. The surprise side effect of plant-based eating for me is not only the beneficial health effects, proven in scientific studies over and over, but the lightness that comes from living according to my values. I have learned that I can nourish myself in a better-than-average way without relying on eating the bodies of animals to do so. That is the win that I have been reflecting on most lately.

It is also important for me to acknowledge daily that nothing is promised. Health can always change for the worse, even when habits are perfect. Accidents can happen at any time. Cancer can occur spontaneously. A global pandemic can turn the whole world upside down. I don’t dwell on these negatives. Instead, I am grateful for what I have right now, and I enjoy sharing empowering messages.

The future has not yet come, but it can be affected by the choices I make right now. Sometimes, I take the present moment to relax and do nothing. This helps store and restore energy. Other times, I choose to do something uncomfortable that requires energy, such as learning a new skill to add meaning to my life and family. Like money in a stock market account, small inputs now might have outsized payoffs in the future.

What has the last year of your life brought that surprised you?

Jennifer Yager 7/31/24 Jennifer Yager 7/31/24

22. Chew On This

One thing that has crossed my mind is the way people think of animal-based foods as singular, “clean,” “unprocessed,” “natural,” “paleo,” etc… It even gets me wondering about my own eating practices and whether perhaps some of my plant-based foods are somehow inferior.

If I am questioning myself, surely others who are eliminating animal-based foods must also have their doubts, so I felt it was important to write about it.

Animals raised for human consumption are not exactly creatures of nature. They have been selectively bred for centuries to produce the farmed animals we see today. The animals raised on farms in modern times did not evolve via natural selection. They were selectively bred by humans to maximize their yield of meat, milk, or eggs.

The same goes for most fruits, vegetables, grains, and plant-based foods. So, nothing’s perfect, right?

The big question is: What are the farmed animals that people eat eating themselves?? The plants!! So if you’re worried about eating soy because of phytoestrogens and the like, or you’re concerned that a non-organic grain was grown with fertilizer, remember that the animals producing meat, dairy, fish, and eggs are eating much more plant food than humans are eating.

In turn, the animals raised for food are bioconcentrating components of the plants they eat for food themselves. People typically think of animal-based foods as sources of the macronutrient protein.But this is a highly inefficient conversion, meaning only a small percentage of the protein eaten by farm animals translates to a protein that is consumed when humans eat them: around 3% for cows and 10% for chickens (the most efficient).

We can eat plants directly and still get more than enough protein, assuming we eat a variety of plant-based foods with adequate calories overall. We are not missing out on an unprocessed food by eliminating animal products, rather, we are eating more efficiently and conserving the land used to grow crops for animal consumption.

What do you think about these concepts? Have you also experienced some of these doubts and concerns?

Jennifer Yager 7/17/24 Jennifer Yager 7/17/24

21. Done

Today was the last day of my SMART goal to run 1 mile every day for 30 days. One thing I noticed is how quickly time seems to pass. Each day I couldn’t believe how many days had passed, and now it’s DONE.

Setting a SMART goal (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) absolutely helped me accomplish my modest goal. Simply saying, “I’m going to run a mile every day….” has not worked in the past.

This simple method can be applied to any goal. For example, if you want to eat more plant-based meals, you might set a SMART goal of eating a plant-based lunch every Wednesday for four consecutive weeks. Even if something comes up unexpectedly, like a catered lunch at work one Wednesday, setting a goal will help you reflect on your habits and lifestyle to find pitfalls or opportunities you may have missed.

You aim to eat a plant-based lunch every Wednesday for four consecutive weeks. The first two Wednesdays go smoothly. You pack lunch on one of the days and eat out at a vegan smoothie/salad shop the second week. In the third week, your employer unexpectedly caters lunch for the office, and none of the offerings are plant-based. You wish to enjoy the free food with your colleagues and are uncomfortable announcing to everyone that you’re opting out due to a SMART goal.

What are your options? You could politely decline the free lunch and stick with your plant-based lunch from home. You could gladly accept the free catered lunch and switch your plant-based lunch day that week - maybe by the third week, you’re enjoying eating plant-based so much that you’ve made it a more regular habit anyway! You could accept the catered lunch and make a note of the skipped week when you reflect on your goal at the end of the 4-week period.

All of these are acceptable. It’s your goal, and you can decide what to do with it. No two people are precisely the same or have the same goals or motivations.

Is it more important to achieve set goals or to learn from them?

Jennifer Yager 7/16/24 Jennifer Yager 7/16/24

20. SMART Goal Update

Today is day 29 of my 30-day SMART Goal to run one mile per day. I have run more miles than a marathon. My exercise tolerance has noticeably increased. My heart rate stays lower for much longer than when I started almost a month ago. My youngest child initially did not love that I was stepping out for 15 minutes to jog each morning, but now she says: “You’re going for your run? You’ll be back soon.” I feel proud of accomplishing setting a goal and sticking to it.

In the past, I have vaguely said, “I am going to run a mile a day,” but I did not make it specific or time-bound. This was different. When I went out for my mile while visiting family, my aunt said, “That is a nice commitment you’ve made to yourself.” I like the way she framed it. We have been busy as a family the past few weeks, but I have stuck to my plan and stepped out to jog each day.

My husband was inspired to set a SMART Goal himself, and he started a professional/educational goal this week for the next 30 days. SMART Goals are contagious!!

How is your SMART Goal going?

Jennifer Yager 7/1/24 Jennifer Yager 7/1/24

19. SMART Goal Update

Today, I completed mile #14. I have been sticking to my goal and running one mile daily, making it a priority. My knees feel good. My exercise tolerance has noticeably increased (my heart rate stays lower for longer). Two days ago I completed my mile with my husband, and he continued to do more as is his usual routine. It was nice to share that with him. In summary: so far, so good!!

How is your SMART goal going?

Jennifer Yager 6/20/24 Jennifer Yager 6/20/24

18. SMART Goal Day 3

To recap: My SMART goal is the run 1 mile daily for 30 days in a row. If I miss a day for some reason, I will just start fresh the next day rather than try to “make up” the mile. After 30 days, I will reflect and adjust.

Day 1 felt strong. I ran the mile outside, up the road 0.5 mile and back 0.5 mile. Day 2 was more challenging because it was 90 degrees outside, and all three kids were home. I ran around the house a bunch of times until I hit 1 mile. This was not as enjoyable.

Day 3 is today. I ran a 1 mile loop around the roads near my house. My knees ached at the start, but I had a stong finish thanks to a downhill end plus an upbeat favorites list in my headphones.

Achy knees have always plagued me. Even as a kid, I grew tall quickly and suffered aches and pains in middleschool. To counteract this now, I’m supplementing with strength training 3x/week with guidance from my Fit Vegan Coaching program (thanks, Sara!) https://fitvegancoaching.com It is important to follow the advice of your personal medical professionals and training experts to ensure good form and avoid injuries when taking on new physical challenges.

How are your SMART goals going? Remember, it’s Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Releant, and Time-bound.

Jennifer Yager 6/18/24 Jennifer Yager 6/18/24

17. Setting Goals

An important aspect of getting positive results in any area is first to set goals. In Lifestyle Medicine practice we encourage people to set SMART goals.

S - Specific

M - Measurable

A - Achievable

R - Relevant

T - Time-bound

One goal that has been on my mind for a while is jogging one mile daily. This goal is personal, as it is a step towards improving my cardiovascular health and stamina. Cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S., and I have a family history. Let’s break it down into a SMART goal:

S—Specific: I will jog one mile daily, either outside or inside. If I miss a day for any reason, I will move on and pick it up again the next day rather than try to “make up” the mile. My goal will be to jog the entire mile, but I will slow my pace to a walk or take a break if needed.

M—Measurable: I can measure one mile/day by plotting routes on a running website or using the GPS on my phone or a smart watch. Treadmills have distance-measuring functions for indoor runs.

A—Achievable: I think I can manage this goal. A 1-mile jog will take me about 15 minutes per day. My neighborhood is safe for jogging. I do not have a treadmill (ours broke), but I can use one at a gym or jog throughout the house in a pinch.

R - Relevant: Jogging daily is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health.

T - Time-bound: I will jog one mile daily for 30 days. After 30 days, I will review my progress and adjust the goal. If I am not able to meet my goal, I will adjust accordingly. If my goal feels too easy after 30 days, I will increase it.

That was simple! Now, let’s see how I do. One mile down for today!

Do you have any goals rolling around in the back of your mind? Can your goal be broken down into a SMART goal?

Jennifer Yager 6/17/24 Jennifer Yager 6/17/24

16. Cardio Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

What’s the right amout of cardiovascular exercise for optimal health? What is cardio anyway?

Cardiovascular exercise is doing any activity that elevates your heart rate and increases oxygen use by muscles, which is evidenced by increase rate of breathing. If you can comfortably talk but not sing, you’re walking/jogging/biking vigorously enough to count as moderate cardio.

Studies show that ANY amount of physical activity that is intentionally done for the purpose of exercise is good and improves health above baseline. The sweet spot is 150 minutes per week. This can be broken down any way, like 30 minutes per day 5 days per week, or 2 hours one day then 30 minutes another day.

Above 150 minutes/week, the returns are not quite as dramatic, but the returns continue to increase until (maybe).

Everyone knows about aiming for 10,000 steps, especially now that many people have smart watches and smartphones that record their every move. The 10,000 steps metric is more of a proxy for how much you move in general throughout the day. Hitting 10,000 is great, but it is ok not to get too hung up on counting steps. As a frame of reference, on average, we walk about 2,000 steps per mile. Keeping track of step counts is a great way to know whether you are maximizing your daily routine for body movement. If your steps are low, you might want to consider taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking farther away from work.

Consider setting a SMART goal to increase cardio in your life: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example: “I will walk 2 miles/day either outside or on a treadmill Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for one month. At the end of the month, look back and see how you did. If you didn’t meet the goal, don’t despair; rather, dial back the goal so that it is Achievable. If it was too easy, dial up.

Are you surprised about these cardio recommendations? Is this more than you expected? Less?

Jennifer Yager 6/11/24 Jennifer Yager 6/11/24

15. This Is Kind of Gross…

I was outside doing some yard work and cleaning off lawn furniture that was covered with bird poop. It grossed me out as it would anyone. How can a few innocent robins, blue jays, and the occasional cardinal make such a mess? I got to work, washed it off, and moved on.

Farming, in general, is difficult, dirty work, but animal agriculture is incredibly messy because of, well, poop.

Coming from a dairy family, I have direct experience with this less glamorous aspect of farming. Proponents of regenerative agriculture will point to the benefits of manure for enriching soil in the circle of life. There is some truth to that, but the number of animals we raise and process for food creates much more waste than we can feasibly recycle. The waste inevitably runs into water supplies or contaminates nearby irrigation water, occasionally infecting produce grown for human consumption.

When animals go to slaughter for meat, they do not stop pooping at the entrance to the facility. They continue to drop their waste as they move toward their ultimate fate. Then, they are “processed” or cut into parts. Fecal bacteria can be found on meat in stores. This is why meat should be heated to specified minimum temperatures to kill bacteria before consumption.

My intention is not to throw the animal agriculture business under the bus; instead, it is to point out a fact we tend to ignore for obvious reasons. It doesn’t sit well to think of this part of farm life. Similarly, it doesn’t feel great to imagine killing animals for food. To continue eating meat, we tend not to dwell on the negatives, but it is worth understanding the food we eat to make informed choices.

Have you ever spent time considering the process that brings meat to grocery stores?

Jennifer Yager 6/10/24 Jennifer Yager 6/10/24

14. Why Do I Care?

Why bother putting time and energy into writing about plant-based eating? Why do I care what other people eat? Initially, I lacked confidence in choosing a plant-based eating pattern. I am here to help anyone who wants to shift their way of eating but is still determining whether it is possible to live a healthy life while only eating plants (plus vitamin B12).

I am my biggest critic, and I am willing to bet that is true for most people. Our social media culture involves too much “compare and despair.” My goal is to listen and support rather than dictate what I think is the correct way to live. I also greatly respect evidence-based medicine and use that as my guidepost for making health-related choices.

Evidence-based medicine + compassion for animals supports a plant-based eating pattern. Here’s a reminder that it does not have to be one or the other, all or none. Even eating a plant-based meal daily or one day each week makes an enormous difference for your health, the animals, and the planet. If everyone made a small commitment to eat one plant-based meal per day or week regularly, it would have an even more significant impact than a few people going 100% plant-based.

Would switching one meal or day per week to plant-based fit your lifestyle? Would that help you feel aligned with your values?

Jennifer Yager 6/9/24 Jennifer Yager 6/9/24

13. Connecting With Nature

There is scientific evidence that time spent in nature improves well-being. This is not surprising. Recently, efforts have increased to improve access to green spaces like parks and indoor plants. Exposure to nature by planting gardens or potted flowers increased gut microbiome diversity.

One of the variables that motivates me to move away from eating animals is love of nature. I will not go so far as to say that eating animal-derived foods is unnatural. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate a diverse omnivorous diet, but most of their food was likely a wide variety of plant-derived foods, which is not to say that there isn’t room in a healthy modern diet for animal-derived foods, but eating animals is not necessary for optimal health either.

The works of Jonathan Safran Foer, particularly Eating Animals and We Are The Weather, have had a profound impact on my choices.

My kids have an incredible affinity for bugs. They don't just observe them; they interact with them, rescuing them from the house and setting them free outside. My daughter even finds them 'cute' and eagerly explores bug and caterpillar books weekly during her library class. Their love for nature is genuinely infectious.

Most people I know love animals, including farm animals. Despite our natural connection with animals, we compartmentalize these feelings because we enjoy eating meat and think it’s necessary for good health. One of my goals in writing this blog is to support the choice not to eat meat and the confidence to know that you are also making an excellent choice for your health. Even reducing the consumption of animal-derived foods makes a huge difference in development.

Do you eat meat? Do you experience cognitive dissonance when you interact with beautiful animals in your life?

Jennifer Yager 6/8/24 Jennifer Yager 6/8/24

12. Take Your Time

I have noticed that when listening to inspirational stories from people who “go vegan” or “go plant-based,” many say they saw a troubling video or read a book and made the change overnight. It is admirable and feels nice and neat. You see that there’s an old way of doing something and a better way, and you do it better right then and there.

It makes for a compelling narrative, and it gets me every time. I want to be that person and simply make a change like that. But I have found that my complicated life is busy, and things don’t usually play out that way. I imagine everyone’s lives are busy and complex, but we all adapt to new things differently. For most people, habit change takes time and repetition over time.

When making a dietary shift, gradual change may be better than an overnight turnaround. A totally plant-based diet, which excludes all animal products, is a restrictive eating pattern. If the change is not planned properly to account for elements that will have to be obtained differently, such as vitamin B12, key nutrients can be missed.

Of course, my point is not that eating 100% plant-based is unsafe or inadequate. In fact, it can be optimal! My point is that making lifestyle changes is more of a marathon than a sprint. If your expectations of perfection and ease are too lofty, you are more likely to say, “Forget it!” and abandon the mission altogether.

Instead of racing toward a perfect start, it may be more realistic to start small and grow new habits over time. This may also improve long-term success.

Have you ever tried eating plant-based but abandoned it because it felt too difficult?

Jennifer Yager 6/7/24 Jennifer Yager 6/7/24

11. Will Kids Eat Plant-Based Foods?

As parents, we all aim to raise our kids to the best of our abilities. It is a daily, repeating, endless affair that we can all relate to. I am personally driven to break out of the Standard American Diet and strive for better health, and of course, I want the same for my kids. But will they eat whole plant-based foods?

One of the most anxiety-inducing topics for parents is what to feed their kids. It's a seemingly simple task, yet we all want to get it right. The food environment in our society, however, doesn’t always make it easy to choose the best foods. Every day presents a new challenge: a classmate's birthday at school, the tempting ice cream truck, or another hot dog grilling holiday. Even ordinary occasions can lead to less-than-ideal food choices, like a late evening of after-school activities or getting stuck at work and resorting to fast food.

These are regular occurrences in every household, mine included. So, how do we set ourselves up for success most of the time? Again, in this area, perfection is not the goal and may even lead to disordered eating, so we aim to optimize opportunities to trade less ideal foods for better options when possible. An obvious example is having whole, fresh foods on hand and prepared. We peel and cut carrots to keep in the fridge. When we buy strawberries or melons, we wash and cut them right away, so they are just as easy to grab as a less nutrient-dense option, such as a box of crackers. Kids don’t want to wait for food when hungry, so making good choices easy goes a long way.

One of my three kids is more selective about what she is willing to eat than the other two. Encouraging her to try “new” things usually has the opposite effect than intended. So I recruited her assistance in writing on this topic and asked her: “Which plant foods do you like to eat?” She didn’t miss a beat and provided the following list after saying: “kids hate fruits and vegetables!” Her list: Apples and peanut butter, broccoli with noodles, strawberry smoothies, veggie lasagna, veggie pizza, kale chips, fresh lettuce out of the garden, fresh strawberries, carrot sticks, celery with peanut butter/raisins, green spinach, green blender muffins, black bean brownies, carrots with peanut butter (I sense a theme), noodles with tomato sauce, homemade popcorn, veggie nuggets, Ezeikiel bread (sesame), raspberries, watermelon, energy bites, and homemade granola bars. I felt optimistic about her list!

In conclusion, if you aren’t sure which foods your kids will eat, consider starting by asking them. Also, repeated exposures to “new” foods result in kids acquiring a taste for different things, so persistence may pay off. A Parent’s Guide to Intuitive Eating by Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster is an excellent primer on feeding kids a plant-based diet. She is a pediatrician and makes recommendations based on evidence-based medicine.

Does feeding kids stress you out? What are your strategies for providing a solid base of more nutrient-dense food to balance the onslaught of the Standard American Diet?

Jennifer Yager 5/10/24 Jennifer Yager 5/10/24

10. All or None?

Embarking on a new dietary journey, such as incorporating more plant-based meals, may seem like a monumental task. However, a more approachable way to this exciting adventure is to focus on what to add rather than what to subtract. By introducing more plant-based foods like beans, greens, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, you naturally reduce the space for animal-based foods without feeling like you're giving up anything.

Coming from a dairy family, I have worried that the people who love me the most would be judgemental or flat-out offended by my decision to switch to a plant-based eating pattern. They’ve been curious, wondering if eating more plants might help them.

I personally tend to be the type to go “all in” on things. I have a goal, and I stick to it, which is great, but it can lead to self-judgment or anxiety if things don’t go exactly as planned. This is never a good approach to eating behavior, which is ideally pleasurable and physically and emotionally nourishing.

One of the benefits of incorporating plant-based meals or days during the week, of course, is positive environmental impact. There are over 8 billion people on the planet. Only about 1-3% of the world's population eats a totally plant-based diet (www.quora.com). If the remaining 97-99% of people switched a portion of their meals to plant-based, it would have an enormous impact overall.

Eating a more plant-forward diet is a personal decision that can result in many benefits, including living in alignment with values, including love of animals and love of nature. Also, dietary patterns are not in and of themselves religions. Some religions include guidelines about what to eat or when to fast, but you don’t need to take an oath or forsake traditions in order to adjust what you eat. I have found it fun and exciting to make delicious plant-based recipes and honor holidays and family traditions in new ways.

Conclusion: If you want to try eating plant-based food, it’s okay to try it for a meal or a day without giving up a part of yourself. Thinking it’s only an all-or-nothing decision can cause decision paralysis, in which case most of us just stick with what’s familiar. Adding a plant-based day to your routine might even teach you something new, like making a favorite meal without animal products or how your body feels with different nourishment.

How realistic would it be for you to try a new plant-based routine?

Jennifer Yager 5/9/24 Jennifer Yager 5/9/24

9. Relating to Mammals

Being around dairy cows during my childhood, one might assume that I would pretty much know all the ins and outs of extracting milk from cows. The most common question asked when someone learns I grew up on a dairy farm is: “Have you milked a cow??” The answer has always been and remains “no.” I have never personally milked a cow. I did not have the passion for farming that my dad and other farm kids I encountered seemed to have. However, I did love interacting with the animals.

When I became a breastfeeding mother nine years ago, I gained a much deeper appreciation for the trials and tribulations of producing and excreting milk. Before giving birth, I assumed that this was a natural process that would just happen. It was a black box for me, as I believe it is for many new mothers. I’d seen breastfeeding mothers placidly feed their babies and thought there was not much to do, or I didn’t give it much thought at all. Sure, I attended all the classes for new parents, including the one on breastfeeding, but it wasn’t very helpful when real life arrived in the form of my baby girl.

When my daughter was born, I was thrust abruptly into the world of breastfeeding. She didn’t know how to do it, and neither did I. My husband and mom had never done it either, so they weren’t much help other than suggesting, “Maybe just give her a bottle… it’s not worth the stress.” That is sound advice for any mother whose mental and emotional health is taking a toll to the extent that it’s causing problems. Fed is best. I was stubborn/persistent and stuck with it. The full account of my struggles with breastfeeding the first time around could fill an entire book, so I won’t get into it too much. We were fortunate to hire a lactation consultant and eventually got the hang of it, so the summary is that we figured it out.

Another unexpected result of breastfeeding was a strange bonding experience with my dad, of all people. I would mention in passing that I was eating more oats or drinking loads of water to increase milk production, and my dad would casually nod along and say something like, “Yeah, that’s what we do for the cows.” Then he’d throw in another strategy in all sincerity. I mean, the similarities were uncanny. All of my breastfeeding struggles, from mastitis to blocked ducts and ramping up or down production by various methods relying on principles of supply and demand, were the stuff of my dad’s life’s work. The weird thing was, in hindsight, that this was so shocking to me. Cows are mammals; I am a mammal. We both produce milk in pretty much the exact same way.

My friend had a similar revelation at our wedding, which took place on my parents’ farm. She was pumping during the reception, only to look out the window and see milk cows lining up for their next milking. Another Mind-Blow!

It took breastfeeding my own child after living on a farm most of my life to make this connection in such a direct way; I understand why the general population does not always think about the connection. Drinking cow’s milk is a normal part of everyday life in the USA. Strangely, people are freaked out by breast milk… from humans. I was timid about putting my pumped milk in the work fridge and brought a cooler instead. It’s getting better, but mothers continue to struggle to find time/space at work for pumping. It’s another topic that could be a book unto itself, but I digress.

Here’s your reminder that cows make milk for their babies, just like humans (or dogs, or cats, or deer, or mice..) make milk for our babies. The cows must become pregnant and give birth in order to produce milk. Then they “dry up” and get pregnant again, give birth again, etc… on repeat until they age out of the process. They do not retire to the field to graze the rest of their lives away in peaceful retirement because that would be financially unsustainable for any dairy farm. After their calf-bearing years end, the cows usually go to slaughter. These are facts. I’m sharing my experience with you to shorten and simplify your path to the same realization if you’re not there in case you are inclined as I am to ponder the origins of your food.

Did you know soy milk has a similar protein content and less sugar than cow’s milk?

Jennifer Yager 5/2/24 Jennifer Yager 5/2/24

8. Intention Matters

What we choose to eat on a day-to-day basis affects our health. This seems simple enough. There is room for imperfection, of course. Our bodies are amazing, sophisticated biological systems that can adapt to various conditions, including the nutrition we input. What we choose to eat as a collective also has implications because the human species is vast, and we all need to eat.

According to OurWorldInData.org, 34% of mammals on Earth are human beings, 62% are livestock (broadly, animals raised to produce products for human consumption), and only 4% are wild animals. This statistic, while shocking, also highlights our role as problem solvers. We have flourished, inventing agriculture as a way of modifying our previously nomadic existence to one of settlement and population growth. The invention of agriculture around 12,000 years ago was a major turning point for the human species. Now, we are responsible for using this knowledge to make sustainable dietary choices.

Now that our population has eclipsed wild species, we are raising more livestock than ever to feed everyone. Additionally, animal foods have traditionally been considered superior, special, luxurious, and associated with prosperity. In modern times, however, many people find animal products easier to obtain. This is partially because populations of people worldwide have experienced economic growth. The downside of this is that more people are suffering from “diseases of affluence,” such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and overweight due in some part to overconsumption of animal products.

Raising livestock and harvesting sea life for food burdens our environment by clearing forests for grazing, increasing greenhouse gas emissions via methane production (cow burps), animal waste management (or lack thereof), raising mono-crops for animal feed, disruption of ocean ecosystems, and routine excessive administration of antibiotics to farmed animals (according to the National Institutes of Health, 80% of antibiotics are sold for use in animal agriculture!!).

It is important to take a close look at what we eat. Our planet is abundant in resources, and we can all flourish with plenty of nutritious food. This abundance should give us hope that we can make sustainable dietary choices, likely by cutting down the percentage that our overall diet is derived from animal agriculture. This doesn’t mean everyone needs to eat an exclusively plant-based diet. It might mean eating plant-based meals each week or cutting down on beef (a major land-use animal).

These are complex issues, but one approach is straightforward: eat more plants and fewer animals. Don’t worry; there are loads of healthy plant-based protein options. Shifting toward plants when you’re accustomed to eating animals does involve a learning curve, so give it a chance and try different things. It feels good to know you’re eating for a healthier you and a healthier planet at the same time!

Have you tried adding plant-based meals to your routine?

Jennifer Yager 4/27/24 Jennifer Yager 4/27/24

7. Meditation

Why is it that the things we will benefit from the most are sometimes the hardest to do, even if it is just 5 minutes a day? I’ve been working with a professional coach, Jessie Mahoney, MD, for a few months now, and one of the aspects of her work that I most admire is the importance she places on cultivating a meditation practice. She is a trained yoga teacher and meditation guide. I started listening to her podcast and knew I wanted more of this in my life.

During our first session, she assigned homework, and one of the more important pieces was to meditate daily, just for 5 minutes. She knows I’m busy… aren’t we all? She didn’t make it a big, intimidating thing: practice meditation for 5 minutes daily via any platform. You can even do it in the parking garage at work if you can’t find 5 silent minutes anywhere else. It seems like such an easy thing to check off the list each day.

Yet I find myself running away from this small corner of my day. I have more important things to do, right?? No. These five minutes help me center and focus so that all the other minutes in my days can be more meaningfully spent. My mind is often scattered and racing around to all the things I want to accomplish at all times. This method of working things out in my mind continuously seems to pay off, or I wouldn’t do it. I am planning my work day while organizing after-school activities and dinner, which are all simultaneously in my mind. I tell myself that all of these things eventually get done, so this habit of overthinking must work. This may be a false narrative. Maybe I can get things done while being kinder to myself by being more present in any given moment.

Meditation is self-compassion. It provides a reason to stop, relax into a comfortable physical posture, and let the thoughts do what they do without judgment. This doesn’t mean the thoughts stop swirling, but for me, it does mean they have a chance to sort and settle just enough so that I can proceed through the rest of my day with more self-compassion.

Personally, I didn’t feel ready to commit to a subscription through an app or service right away, so I just Googled " 5-minute meditation” and added a theme here and there, like “loving kindness,” for example. It doesn’t have to be complicated, perfect, or expensive. There’s no right or wrong way to do it.

Do you have a meditation practice?