Journey to Sustainability

I grew up in a very conservative town, conservative state.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with being conservative, however, now that I look back on my education, I realize how much I feel was left out of a proper 'science' education in highschool.

Growing up in a place with virtually no diversity, and really no variance in religions or opinions, I knew I needed to move.  As soon as I was 18, I packed up and headed for college- I chose a Binghamton University in upstate NY.

It was definitely different, and I would be lying if I said that my first year there was all roses and no thorns. It felt like a different world.  But once I got the hang of it, I fell in love.  I loved the open minds, I loved the freedom of expression, it was for me, a very liberating experience!

Of course, my choice of study was anthropology and I wanted to a do a minor in linguistics.  I absolutely love foreign languages - today I study German on Monday, Hindi on Tuesday, French on Wednesday, Danish on Thursday, Swahili on Friday, Spanish on Saturday and Italian on Sunday :)  

It's a bit of an obsession.  However, my love for culture and language pales in comparison to my love for nature and animals.  

In my first year, I needed to take at least 1 science course.  I chose biology.  I have never been too fond of science, but it was beyond fascinating to me.  They never taught science like this at my high school!  On top of that, they never not once spoke about some of the global catastrophes we are facing today!  

To be honest, I was actually a bit horrified with the realities that were happening on earth due to our lack of connection to earths cycles, rhythms and natural processes.  

How could humanity be on the brink of collapse and not be taking these issues more seriously?

It baffled my mind.

It was no later than one semester after that I had met someone who was studying environmental science, and she inspired me to do the same.  At the time I was actually terrified of the sciences.  It wasn't my strong suit, but I made the decision that I would rather push myself for a reason greater than myself, than to have an easy life laid out in front of me, with perhaps little meaning.. especially if the existence of humanity itself was dependent on our ability to confront these issues and to rise up together to change our habits.  

In the beginning of my studies I felt so much anger and hatred towards humanity.  I would come home crying every day because of what I was learning.  I know right.. it's pretty pathetic, if you have never tried studying envi science in school as a major.. please do so.. hahah you might understand my extreme dismay for all of civilization.  

I decided that change needed to start from above.  Our leaders needed to lead the way and it was their responsibility.

Hence - I specialized in policy and law.  

After four years of studying politics.  I realized, our government is a mess, policies are a joke, law doesn't necessarily mean action, and to even get things as far as policies and law - a hell of a lot of convincing, debating, lobbying, advertising, persuasion, campaigning, etc, etc would first need to take place.

We've created one heck of mess for ourselves!  

This swinged me in the complete opposite direction.  If our leaders don't have the capacity to do change things, who does?  WE DO!  

more importantly, I DO!

I made the intention from that day forward to be and do everything in my power to live as sustainable as I could, in respect with all of life.

This has led me down the most beautiful journey, the most beautiful life.  I can't claim to be living sustainability as of yet, but it is my end goal, and every day its in my thoughts, every day it's in my questions.... how can I do this better?  How can I do this with as least harm as possible?

One thing that became very clear, fairly soon, was how much a change in diet can seriously positively impact our bodies, our world and of course our beloved fellow beings!  

I know there are many ways to be healthy.  I know there are many ways to save the planet.  But currently in my world view, out of everything I have ever read, I have ever studied.  This by far seems to have the greatest most amazing positive impact.

1-  Eating Local.  --  Is huge, know your farmer -- local does not mean from your 'local' grocery store.   It actually has to be locally made products, otherwise it doesn't count.

2- Eating Vegan -- Many people have a lot of issues towards this.  Being vegan isn't necessarily about being an 'extremist' or ultra fanatic about gaining weight.  This is quite an expansive topic, and many extensive articles can be found online.  Basically -- the dairy and meat industry are destroying our rainforests and pristine lands at a rapid pace.  We have a beautiful opportunity at our door, that we don't have to be a part of it.  We  have the amazing ability to say no to animal abuse, rainforest destruction, loss of biodiversity, polluted waters, displaced indigenous people, mistreated workers.. we have the incredible opportunity to contribute to a world of peace and harmony, and in so doing... through karma.. through science.. (Also many resources on the web on how a plant based diet can cure just about anything) also becoming healthier ourselves!! I first went vegan for the animals.. I was pretty disgusted by the factory farm videos that I saw and then the environmental destruction.  But with time, I came to realize how easy it is to maintain weight.. not have aches and pains.. not have health problems all my friends are experiencing.. or knee surgeries.. hip surgeries.. gall bladder removals.. I mean.. I would have neverrr expected any of these benefits..  Its absolutely beautiful, that this way of living is possible!  <3  

My time spent on farms is as much as possible.. currently living one one at the moment.. but I feel its important.. if not on a farm.. wherever you are.. you can reconnect to nature.  When I was living in India in an apartment.. I started buying pots of soil and planting old veggies!  It was beautiful to watch them grow and to have that connection to the land.. even 4 stories above the earth!  

Now I realize it's about taking actions at all levels.  It's about doing what you can, sharing your journey with friends and family, supporting your community in green and eco events, being involved politically - following stories voting for policies and actions that count, volunteering when you can with worthwhile projects, donating as much as you can afford to environmental organizations.  This year alone I've spent atleast $1000 on green organizations.. and it doesn't include the amount of volunteer hours I've also spent... It's the most fulfilling satisfying heart warming thing to be able to support causes that resonate with your heart!  I am not heavy earner either.. I've definitely earned less than that in the past 3-4 months.  But I have realized the more you GIVE to mother earth, the more she provides you with everything you could possibly need and more.

Money means absolutely nothing.

But if you care for her, she will provide you with clothing, food, shelter, love and warmth.

So far has been my experience at least. 

Many blessings to your Journey to Sustainability.

Also recently posted this on my fb page: Jubilant Life.
Many people may be interested in becoming vegan, but because it's such a dramatic change from the 'common' diet, many people become afraid.  I know I was absolutely clueless when I first started.  I read multiple cookbooks, before I was able to kind of get a feel for what I needed to do and what I was eating.  But every step of the journey was beautiful and eye opening.. I wouldn't change it for anything.  

I started off with being vegetarian-- before I could muster being vegan.. I remember being SOO afraid that I wouldn't get my protein, that I ate soy cereal, soy milk 3x a day.. and every other soy product available.. so I would have enough !  Which was absolute craziness when I think about it now.. but I didn't know at that time.  I actually developed a pretty serious allergy to soy, because I over consumed it, lucky for me I didn't blame the vegetarian diet.. but quickly came to realize that the overconsumption of soy was making me sick!  After I figured that one out.. everything was smooth sailing :)  Unfortunately I wasn't so smart when I finally had the guts to go from vegetarian to vegan.  Well, meaning that once I was vegan.. I actually flip flopped from being vegan to vegetarian on and off because I wasn't convinced at that time that vegan was actually that healthy for anyone.  

And when I finally became vegetarian again after being vegan for a full year.. I got extremely sick.. I suffered from re-occurent yeast infections, depression, low energy.. I mean miserable.. It was a pretty hard 6 months.  But I never actually pinned it on milk!!  Finally I went raw vegan.. and all symptoms magically disappeared almost overnight!  

For some reason I still wasn't convinced that it was the milk.. and once on the road.. raw vegan was a bit hard for me to keep up with so I slipped back to vegetarian.. I got even more sick than previously.. fevers after fevers.. colds after viruses.. for months on end!  Diarrhea and terrible stomach pains.. I even fainted!  It was pretty bad.. I still couldnt figure it out.

It went on for 6 more months of on and off illnesses, finally I attended a seminar by Dr. Nanditah Sha. She was a homeopath doctor until she realized that advising food and nutrition gave her patients more successful results and in the long term!  She currently is the head of Sharan organization in India and teaches workshops all over called, "Peas Vs. Pills"  

I attended one of her workshops.. and it all clicked into place.. Milk is not a natural food.. You can live off of it, but it won't give you superior health in comparison to what kind of health you could have if you replaced those calories with greens.. or other vegetable foods.  

I haven't looked back since that workshop.  I haven't gotten sick either.  My mental health is for the most part awesome -- apart from if I see tooo much negative news in the media.. but I know everything is as it should be.. and I need to trust life, while doing whatever part i can :)  

All is well.

That's my journey, there ya have it.

My ultimate ultimate goal.  Is to someday live in an eco-community where everyone helps and cares for each other.. all of our needs are met by our surroundings in a sustainable way.  Life grows abundantly and perfectly.. :)

That's my dream! Someday :)  

Oh PS. this is what I posted on fb today about protein:

Common myth of today: That by eliminating animal products we won't get enough protein. 

Taken from Super Immunity by Dr. Joel Fuhrman,

"Don't buy the fallacy that you need more protien - protein deficiency does not cause long-term fatigue."

"One of the most common symptoms that occurs when someone lowers the amount of animal protein and eliminates sweets from the diet is temporary fatigue. This is just part of the normal detoxification process that most people have to get through. Again, this process most often results in mild symptoms that last less than 5 days. Reducing salt intake suddenly can also cause fatigue from a lowering of blood pressure, which occurs from a temporary dip of sodium in the bloodstream as the kidneys adjust. It could take a few weeks for the kidneys, accustomed to dumping a huge sodium load, to recognize that they need to stop removing so much sodium from the system. This initial miscalculation contributes to the fatigue experienced the first week after a major change in one's diet. "

Basically as long as you are getting full on whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, lentils/beans, sprouts and maybe some grains minus deep fried or processed foods, you will be getting plenty of protein. Protein deficiency is a deficiency in calories and nutrients - this is what you might see in poverty stricken areas, where all the food they have to eat may be white rice (which is completely void of nutrients - it's empty calories) and most likely not enough to even create the sensation of fullness.

Actually our modern world for the most part suffers the opposite problem, protein overload. A high protein diet is associated with:

-osteoporosis
-strain on kidneys
-cancer
-damage to internal organs
-nutritional deficiencies

Eating animal proteins more than 1x a week, can put someone at risk for these problems. Even on a complete vegan diet, high protein foods such as lentils - is best eaten 1x per day (1/2 cup per serving), and of course nuts and seeds are highly recommended to be consumed at least 1 oz per day - but also not going too much over that amount either.

--read more--
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/5-negative-high-protein-diet-effects.html#b

Sustainability of sustainability

I think I am mostly impatient.  There are some things in life, I just want instant gratification.  I don't want to have to wait around, and do this first, then do that, I just want life to be the way I want it to be.  And then, resulting in my own angst.

I live in this world, where I buy food from the store- it usually comes in some kind of holder - plastic bag, cardboard, plastic wrapping.  I do my best to stick with fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, but unfortunately I do cave and buy into this consumerish world.  I've gotten better over the years.  The entire store used to be mine to choose from, but with every passing new piece of information, my choice of product has designated me to two sections in the grocery store.  Produce and Natural food section (s).  Which I love.  After going vegan and palm oil free I've gotten to be a pro at reading labels.  I really keep whatever I buy outside of the produce section to a minimum - if I get anything at all! I usually end up back there, when it's been a longer day at work, or I just got paid and I feel like treating myself to some almond butter, vegan waffles, bread maybe some granola bars.. maybe a jar of pickles.  Sometimes I like to buy canned tomatoes or canned beans - normally I like to cook with beans which I soak and cook myself or fresh tomatoes, but sometimes it's nice to have quicker items on hand.

Other than that, all my shopping is done in the fresh!  Which is awesome, and I really enjoy, but it could be better.

Because even that little batch of celery and and a bundle of carrots - come in bags.  I guess as a consumer I could write the manufacturer and demand alternatives.

Better yet, I need to be in a place where I can grow my own food year round.  Or some kind of barter system with neighbors.  When I was living in Ithaca NY, the community aspect was absolutely amazing.  They all helped each other, they all traded home-made items or home-grown stuff throughout the year and they even have something called the Ithaca dollar.  It's just an amazing place.  It's somewhere that I wouldn't mind settling for sure!

Food is just one aspect.  I live on a farm, 30 minutes away from town.  I know 30 minutes is relatively small compared to what others do, I've commuted over an hour to work in the past.  I knew people who commuted 2 hours!  And, hey at my last job I commuted 5!  But I did have housing at my last job.  Anyway 30 minutes adds up.. and for someone who isn't too keen on the whole .. buying oil thing.  Yeah, it would be great to know more about how I could convert my car into a solar vehicle.  Any green engineers out there?
I should get one of those flinstone cars :)

And then of course the whole culture thing.  We drive in isolation, often we may work in isolation, we come home and our source of interaction is through a screen.  Social situations often have multiple people gathered around a screen.  Seriously?  And yes, that's me!  I am totally in front of a screen right now, after a day of work.

And of course I'm interested in going to grad school.  I was lucky enough to get a job at the university working in the soils lab.  The department that I am working in, is all about sustainability, agroecology, essentially.

I guess it's kind of like, how my ideal world is just living in complete unison with my surroundings and since our world works opposite of that right now.  It's about somehow blending my ideas about how the world should be, and how the world actually is.  It's about finding a way that I fit into this tangled assortedness.

It's just interesting because working in the lab, of course when testing the soils for nitrates and ammonium, etc etc.  There are many other chemicals that need to be used.  There are very special ways to dispose of all of the chemicals and we do end up having to throw away many plastic gloves, paper towels and glass pipettes, among other things.  Of course many of this stuff can't really be recycled, because it comes from a lab.  I totally understand that.  But it definitely makes me think.

It reminds me of that quote, which I am terrible at remember things verbatim, but it goes something like...
you can't get yourself out of a mess with the same thinking that got you into it.
or
sometimes its not about fixing the old, but creating the new.

I wish I knew where I could find the original quotes... :) such is the mind!

Basically, it may be worth the slow process of scientific experiments of finding out the best way to plant things and the exact minimum needed and specific results of xyz to show the world how important xyz are!

Or of being on this amazing project where something absolutely miraculous happens and the whole scientific community is blown away by the beautiful results!

As of now I have no idea what that would be.  I just want to learn and grow with the world on how we can make this a better, healthier more beautiful place.  A place where we can proudly announce that we are from planet earth and we care about her wellbeing as well as every fellow member as well!

But maybe the real reason I am interested i going back to school is to understand this world more fully in terms of 'science' and so I can know that language.  I would love to see the segregation between science, farmers, permaculturists and community end!  Can't we all learn to work together and do things in a more efficient beautiful, harmonious way?

There is also this pull in me.. this yearning.. it could also be from my head, maybe my heart, maybe my body or my values.. to travel.  To learn about all the sustainable, open-minded, health conscious communities in the world!  To learn from them to experience their core values and methods of operating and working.  I don't necessarily feel close to doing it anytime soon.  But it's a thought that comes to my mind multiple times a week.  I know I need to be patient.  I can't have my cake and eat it too!

There must be a lot of value in going back to school anyway.. and if I am able to do it, maybe I will have a lot to share with communities along the way.  It's hard to know.

Anyway.  One day at a time.

Gomukh

First off, I apologize for my delay in putting up pictures for Gorukana, for some reason my camera and my computer weren't syncing properly and now somehow I've misplaced my camera batteries.

I have been spending some time visiting organic farms in the Pune area.

The day before yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Gomukh, a sustainable farming operation about 2 hours from Pune.  It is near Chinmaya Vibhooti.  They deliver to Pune, and are working on having a store outlet in Pune.  Which personally I am very excited for, because as it is the only place I have found organic fresh vegetables and sometimes fruits is in Dorabjees, which is a bit of a stretch from where I live, Magarpatta City.

And in their outlet they will not be using plastic!  Which is awesome!

The farm is beautiful, unfortunately this time I didn't take pictures, but I've offered to help volunteer next week there, so by that time hopefully I will have found my camera batteries!  :)

They are located on a hillside, and have about 8 acres.  They grow a variety of vegetables, and I was impressed to see them using the forest/jungle ecosystem to their advantage.  Beneath the jungle canopy they were experimenting with coffee beans as a ground cover and passion fruit as the vertical layer- a climbing vine, which doesn't damage the tree as it grows, it lives symbiotically with the tree which supports it!

There were also local high school kids working on the farm when I got there.  They had come from an international school nearby, and in exchange for working on the farm either they were awarded with scholarships or became eligible for scholarships.  It's definitely a wonderful thing to see our youth, learning sustainable technologies and systems at such a young age!

Gomukh also works with many of the farmers in the area, teaching them about organic production and giving them seeds to work with.  Because of the farmers taking of these practices, Gomukh is able to provide organic food to ~220 families.  My family being one of them!  Their produce is awesome :)

They have a greywater filtration system, basically a garden with plants which are very capable of filtering the water back to clean form.  They have also created a pond which helps maintain water on site throughout the dry season for their production as well as surrounding animals.

They have left much of their land in it's natural state, this is a very important aspect of farming!  It allows nature to be, and in so doing also allows nature to let whatever you are doing be!  The owner, Ashwin Paranje and his wife Judit, were saying that their are many animals in the forest, even monkeys, but none of them really bother with their crops because there is more than enough food for them in the jungle itself.

Energy efficiency is also another integral part of their work, they have a few solar panels and they are actively looking into more renewable technologies to reduce their dependency on oil.