As the semester closes I have chosen to close this blog as well. Although it has been interesting, and certainly informative, I don't think I've got the time to really continue it. I feel like I've investigated a range of topics that I probably never would have been exposed to, and learned a plethora of facts that, if I brought them up to friends, would probably think I was ridiculous for knowing.
I've found that writing a few blogs a week really has the ability to improve me as a writer, more than I think I would have learned from writing a few papers. It has also been easier to fit in considering it's informal and I can write about whatever I choose. Plenty of things in my everyday life could spark an idea, I hardly ever looked up topics.
On top of everything though I learned a lot about other things. Reading other peoples blogs has been eye opening technologically and emotionally, and has allowed me to learn about things I would have never read about otherwise. Cars, fishing, television production...things that, although I remain uninterested, have helped me become more well rounded.
All in all, I sadly close this blog.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Liquor makes you sicker
Maybe that last shot of Everclear was not the 'lucky one' that you hoped that it would be. Now life sucks and you're missing out on everything fun because you have a hangove
r. Certain drugs claim that they help prevent hangovers, such as chaser, however the general consensus is that they hardly work. Food and drink, however, can work as natural and plentiful remedies that don't require a trip to CVS on your worst day of the year.
Dehydration is one of the major theorized causes of a hangover, which is why it's suggested that when drinking you continue hydrating with fluids (such as water not the cranberry juice in your cocktail). However, considering this will slow down the partying process, it's often a suggestion that goes unpracticed. That's why the next day you should make a point to hydrate sufficiently.
First and foremost you should drink plenty of water. Gatorade is often praised as well for its ability to replenish the electrolytes you lost during your binge. Orange juice is also hailed for its abilities, due to the fast-acting carbohydrates that help counter low blood-sugar levels. It also helps replace the potassium that your body is now running on a limited supply of.
Upon thorough research on the web, I uncovered some other interesting 'cures.'
Burnt toast is apparently a great remedy, as the carbon supposedly has the ability to filter the impurities in your body.
Fatty and greasy foods, though they sound unappealing when even gazing at something as bland as bread makes you want to puke, are sworn by partiers to reduce the effects of alcohol by coating the stomach with the oiliness, thus interrupting alcohol absorption.
Drinking pickle juice appeals to the Polish, they consider it a common remedy for hangovers.
The caffeine in Pepsi and Coke help ease the headache, as well as cola syrup having medicinal abilities to soothe the stomach. Be careful with this advice, however, as drinking too many caffeinated beverages will only cause you to become more dehydrated.
And, my favorite cure, more alcohol. Clearly this is the cure for people now-a-days, as procrastination seems to be very popular. It seems logical to continue consuming alcohol, as your body will need to devote to dealing with the new alcohol it will pay less attention to the old. While this may work for a little while there seems to me to be no point it just putting it off. I would rather get it out of the way rather than wonder if my boss will notice if I smell like a brewery today or not.
I have never tried any of these but certain websites that I checked "swore by partiers" so that seems pretty legitimate. Partiers are usually the most knowledgeable and reasonable people, as well as renowned specialists in the field.
r. Certain drugs claim that they help prevent hangovers, such as chaser, however the general consensus is that they hardly work. Food and drink, however, can work as natural and plentiful remedies that don't require a trip to CVS on your worst day of the year.Dehydration is one of the major theorized causes of a hangover, which is why it's suggested that when drinking you continue hydrating with fluids (such as water not the cranberry juice in your cocktail). However, considering this will slow down the partying process, it's often a suggestion that goes unpracticed. That's why the next day you should make a point to hydrate sufficiently.
First and foremost you should drink plenty of water. Gatorade is often praised as well for its ability to replenish the electrolytes you lost during your binge. Orange juice is also hailed for its abilities, due to the fast-acting carbohydrates that help counter low blood-sugar levels. It also helps replace the potassium that your body is now running on a limited supply of.
Upon thorough research on the web, I uncovered some other interesting 'cures.'
Burnt toast is apparently a great remedy, as the carbon supposedly has the ability to filter the impurities in your body.
Fatty and greasy foods, though they sound unappealing when even gazing at something as bland as bread makes you want to puke, are sworn by partiers to reduce the effects of alcohol by coating the stomach with the oiliness, thus interrupting alcohol absorption.
Drinking pickle juice appeals to the Polish, they consider it a common remedy for hangovers.
The caffeine in Pepsi and Coke help ease the headache, as well as cola syrup having medicinal abilities to soothe the stomach. Be careful with this advice, however, as drinking too many caffeinated beverages will only cause you to become more dehydrated.
And, my favorite cure, more alcohol. Clearly this is the cure for people now-a-days, as procrastination seems to be very popular. It seems logical to continue consuming alcohol, as your body will need to devote to dealing with the new alcohol it will pay less attention to the old. While this may work for a little while there seems to me to be no point it just putting it off. I would rather get it out of the way rather than wonder if my boss will notice if I smell like a brewery today or not.
I have never tried any of these but certain websites that I checked "swore by partiers" so that seems pretty legitimate. Partiers are usually the most knowledgeable and reasonable people, as well as renowned specialists in the field.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Did you take your vitamins?
Turns out taking those vitamins might not be the equivalent of having an apple a day. A study found that after time antioxidants like the ones lining the shelves in CVS (vitamin A, E, C, and beta-carotene, for example) actually lose their antioxidant qualities.
The Cochrane Collaboration is a network of volunteers supported by a small staff, dedicated to improving health-care decision making all over the world. Their study included thousands of individuals over many trials, making their information well-tested and legitimate, as least it's quite enough to scare me. They have recently found some startling results, and I found this statement to be cause of alarm: "Vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin E may increase mortality." Allowing these supplements to sit on the shelves in stores decreases their ability to improve health, and in some cases increases risk of other implications.
A similar study was done with tea, known and praised for its antioxidant abilities. Tea doesn't spoil once packaged, therefore leading many to believe that its always still good. However Mendel Friedman and colleagues from the Albany, Calif.-based Western Regional Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture found "that among the teas we looked at there seems to be a progressive decrease in the amount of antioxidants as a function of time." After the longest period they tested, 6 months, up to 32% of the benefits had been stripped, and considering that the tea that you purchase at the grocery store has probably been sitting there for much longer than just 6 months, you are fooling yourself thinking that its so good for you.
This issue seems kind of shocking to me, and obviously more research is still needed, though I still feel its pertinent. Check out some of those sites and read more about the studies, they're pretty interesting.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Allergic?
Have you ever noticed that those people who have food allergies always seem to have the same ones? I mean in my short life of 18 years I have met probably five to ten people who are lactose intolerant and probably just as many people allergic to nuts. However I have met only a few people allergic to things like cherry flavoring or tomatoes. Though this may seem like a coincidence it actually is not. According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network there are eight foods that account for 90% of all food allergies. It may be important to know a little about each in case you need to cook for or order food for someone affected by these allergens. Of the most common are:
Milk:
It's fortunate if you're allergic to milk (well, not that fortunate) because its easy to substitute for. Often times when people don't have milk they will already naturally make the substitution, without any unwanted repercussions in the taste of the food. For example using water
in hot chocolate instead of milk, or even in oatmeal.
However some things that one who is allergic to milk needs to be aware of is the fact that it may hide slyly in a product that you wouldn't ever consider would have milk in it. This includes being wary of canned tuna (some brands include casein, a milk protein used in many foods as a binding agent) and steak, which is sometimes buttered in restaurants to add flavor.
Eggs:
Eggs are an easy substitute because lately with vegan diets becoming more popular, its necessary to find alternatives for eggs, especially in baking. A few of the recipes for egg substitute are as follow:
Peanuts
On products that contain peanuts a warning is listed on the packaging, which could mean that there might not be peanuts in it but that it's processed on machinery that also processes peanuts. One more thing that may slip past people trying to avoid peanuts is Arachis oil, which is just peanut oil under another name.
Tree nuts
This category includes most other nuts that you would be familiar with, including cashews, walnuts, pecans and almonds. Something to watch out for would be hackysacks or beanbags that use crushed nutshells.
Fish
Having a fish allergy doesn't always mean being allergic to all fish. Pollock, salmon, cod, t
una, snapper, eel, and tilapia are among the most common fish to be allergic to. Luckily fish is a pretty easy food to avoid and is more likely to come on in adulthood than in childhood. People with this allergy should be careful of Caesar salad dressing and Worcestershire sauce as well, as they are known to contain anchovies. Someone with a severe fish allergy should also avoid places where fish is cooking such as seafood restaurants as fish protein can become airborne.
Shellfish
Shellfish allergies are similar to fish allergies.
Soy
Avoiding these products may be difficult considering the popularity of soy in today's processed foods. Looking further into the issue its shown that soy is actually an ingredient in over 60% of today's proce
ssed foods. Some culprits include:
This allergy is actually more difficult to manage than one may think. That's because wheat in contained in obscure foods where you would not expect it- such as imitation crab meat, hot dogs and ice cream. There are a few tricks to dealing with a wheat allergy, of these are a few substitutions, these are for one cup of wheat flour:
Milk:
It's fortunate if you're allergic to milk (well, not that fortunate) because its easy to substitute for. Often times when people don't have milk they will already naturally make the substitution, without any unwanted repercussions in the taste of the food. For example using water
in hot chocolate instead of milk, or even in oatmeal.However some things that one who is allergic to milk needs to be aware of is the fact that it may hide slyly in a product that you wouldn't ever consider would have milk in it. This includes being wary of canned tuna (some brands include casein, a milk protein used in many foods as a binding agent) and steak, which is sometimes buttered in restaurants to add flavor.
Eggs:
Eggs are an easy substitute because lately with vegan diets becoming more popular, its necessary to find alternatives for eggs, especially in baking. A few of the recipes for egg substitute are as follow:
- 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 T. liquid, 1 T. vinegar
- 1 tsp. yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 T. water, 1 1/2 T. oil, 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 packet gelatin, 2 T. warm water. Do not mix until ready to use.
Peanuts
On products that contain peanuts a warning is listed on the packaging, which could mean that there might not be peanuts in it but that it's processed on machinery that also processes peanuts. One more thing that may slip past people trying to avoid peanuts is Arachis oil, which is just peanut oil under another name.
Tree nuts
This category includes most other nuts that you would be familiar with, including cashews, walnuts, pecans and almonds. Something to watch out for would be hackysacks or beanbags that use crushed nutshells.
Fish
Having a fish allergy doesn't always mean being allergic to all fish. Pollock, salmon, cod, t
una, snapper, eel, and tilapia are among the most common fish to be allergic to. Luckily fish is a pretty easy food to avoid and is more likely to come on in adulthood than in childhood. People with this allergy should be careful of Caesar salad dressing and Worcestershire sauce as well, as they are known to contain anchovies. Someone with a severe fish allergy should also avoid places where fish is cooking such as seafood restaurants as fish protein can become airborne.Shellfish
Shellfish allergies are similar to fish allergies.
Soy
Avoiding these products may be difficult considering the popularity of soy in today's processed foods. Looking further into the issue its shown that soy is actually an ingredient in over 60% of today's proce
ssed foods. Some culprits include:- cereals
- baby formulas
- crackers
- sauces
- soups
This allergy is actually more difficult to manage than one may think. That's because wheat in contained in obscure foods where you would not expect it- such as imitation crab meat, hot dogs and ice cream. There are a few tricks to dealing with a wheat allergy, of these are a few substitutions, these are for one cup of wheat flour:
- 7/8 cup rice flour
- 5/8 cup potato starch flour
- 1 cup soy flour plus 1/4 cup potato starch flour
- 1 cup corn flour
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Food frenzy
I can't say that I haven't gone for thirds or fourths before, maybe during the holidays or after a particularly long day. However, people like Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi are my heroes!
Competitive eating has been, according to I.F.O.C.E (The International Federation of Competitive Eating) "among the most diverse, dynamic and demanding sports in history." Tell me why these superstars aren't pulling in the millions of dollars that basketball or football players make every year?! It has always been a fascinating sport, consisting of all different kinds of challenges. It mostly only uses one food, such as hot dogs or pies. Usually the idea is to eat as much food as possible as quick as you can. However, competitions sometimes throw in twists, such as eating the pies with no hands, which ultimately results in the most barbaric fiend winning.
There are two organizations that regulate the sport and ensure the safety of the competitors. One, as mentioned above, I.F.O.C.E, and second AICE (Association of Independent Competitive Eaters). Both organizations focus on maintaining the safety of the competitors and the spectators while still creating environments that the media and the public can enjoy. However, one of the major differences between the two is the range of their competition coverage. AICE covers competitions held within just the United States, whereas IFOCE also coordinates with Japan, England, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Thailand and Ukraine.
The sport of competitive eating actually has quite the history. For example, Nathan's fourth of July hot dog eating contest, being one the the most well known, actually first took place in 1916. This competition has occurred almost every year since, only being canceled twice due to current events at the time. This single event is hailed as the international championship event to which some have even mentioned it to resemble the Olympics of competitive eating.
Another amazing contest that is held by GoldenPalace.net is a competition to break a world record. The rules are that the IFOCE competitors must attempt to eat more than 36.5 grilled cheese sandwiches within ten minutes. As big of a fan of the delicious and cheesy treat that is the grilled cheese sandwich, I might not be able to devour 37 of them in that amount of time. However, if I could accomplish this task it might be well worth my time because the prize is $100,000.
One of the other more well-known competitions would be the World Pizza Eating Competition held by the Bacci Pizzeria in Chicago, Illinois. While the rules are unclear, the prize is $2,500 and the title of World Pizza Eating Champion. However there are far less known competitions ranging from what might be considered normal, such as pie-eating contests, to the very strange competitions like World Asparagus Eating Championship. There also appears to be competitions for "Good garlicky greens," "Louisiana Downs World's Grit Eating," and "Spike TV's World Pig-Skin Eating." Most of which are sanctioned by the IFOCE. If interested in reading more on these competitions you can visit the Major League Eating web page for more information.
While not all of these events are greatly publicized, there are still many options to view some of these competitions. Spike TV has been known to show the larger competitions. Other TV channels such as the Food Channel and the Travel Channel have various programs that display all kinds of competitions. Shows like Man v. Food like I have mentioned in previous blogs, where the media covers smaller restaurants and the competitions they hold in order to get their name out into the public.
Grilled cheese eating!
Competitive eating has been, according to I.F.O.C.E (The International Federation of Competitive Eating) "among the most diverse, dynamic and demanding sports in history." Tell me why these superstars aren't pulling in the millions of dollars that basketball or football players make every year?! It has always been a fascinating sport, consisting of all different kinds of challenges. It mostly only uses one food, such as hot dogs or pies. Usually the idea is to eat as much food as possible as quick as you can. However, competitions sometimes throw in twists, such as eating the pies with no hands, which ultimately results in the most barbaric fiend winning.
There are two organizations that regulate the sport and ensure the safety of the competitors. One, as mentioned above, I.F.O.C.E, and second AICE (Association of Independent Competitive Eaters). Both organizations focus on maintaining the safety of the competitors and the spectators while still creating environments that the media and the public can enjoy. However, one of the major differences between the two is the range of their competition coverage. AICE covers competitions held within just the United States, whereas IFOCE also coordinates with Japan, England, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Thailand and Ukraine.
The sport of competitive eating actually has quite the history. For example, Nathan's fourth of July hot dog eating contest, being one the the most well known, actually first took place in 1916. This competition has occurred almost every year since, only being canceled twice due to current events at the time. This single event is hailed as the international championship event to which some have even mentioned it to resemble the Olympics of competitive eating.
Another amazing contest that is held by GoldenPalace.net is a competition to break a world record. The rules are that the IFOCE competitors must attempt to eat more than 36.5 grilled cheese sandwiches within ten minutes. As big of a fan of the delicious and cheesy treat that is the grilled cheese sandwich, I might not be able to devour 37 of them in that amount of time. However, if I could accomplish this task it might be well worth my time because the prize is $100,000.
One of the other more well-known competitions would be the World Pizza Eating Competition held by the Bacci Pizzeria in Chicago, Illinois. While the rules are unclear, the prize is $2,500 and the title of World Pizza Eating Champion. However there are far less known competitions ranging from what might be considered normal, such as pie-eating contests, to the very strange competitions like World Asparagus Eating Championship. There also appears to be competitions for "Good garlicky greens," "Louisiana Downs World's Grit Eating," and "Spike TV's World Pig-Skin Eating." Most of which are sanctioned by the IFOCE. If interested in reading more on these competitions you can visit the Major League Eating web page for more information.
While not all of these events are greatly publicized, there are still many options to view some of these competitions. Spike TV has been known to show the larger competitions. Other TV channels such as the Food Channel and the Travel Channel have various programs that display all kinds of competitions. Shows like Man v. Food like I have mentioned in previous blogs, where the media covers smaller restaurants and the competitions they hold in order to get their name out into the public.
Grilled cheese eating!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tired? Try tryptophan
Need to pull an all-nighter to finish that 15 page report on the history of the magic 8-ball? Well the first thing you need to do is put down that Elk meat smothered in Swiss cheese and coated in chocolate.
Certain foods (such as milk, eggs, cheese, meat, fish and nuts) have components of their chemical makeup that help to lull you to sleep. Now this can be great, I think, if you want to go to sleep. However that is seldom the case for me, and maybe you, so this information should be beneficial!
Tryptophan, you are the devil. According to definition, Tryptophan: is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet. It is encoded in the standard genetic code as the codon UGG.
Now what would be most revelant to you, I assume, is the fact that one of it's purposes is that it synthesizes serotonin. Serotonin plays the role of a neurotransmitter in the Central Nervous System. This is where it does the work that we can usually associate it with, having a role in the modulation of aggression, anger, body temperature, appetite, sleep, mood, and metabolism, along with various others. Obviously, therefore, eating foods that are high in tryptophan encourage the release of sleep hormones.
If your diet is lacking in this amino acid, however, certain conditions can be developed such as
I'm sure that you've heard that turkey makes you sleepy. On the subject I'll address this issue. While turkey does have the magic chemical, it has less than even cheddar cheese. No one ever assumes that they're sleepy because of that sandwich they had for lunch, but yet, poor turkey is always singled out. The real truth of this myth probably stems from the fact that large amounts of turkey are eaten particularly at Thanksgiving, one of, if not the, largest meal of the year. Thus, the drowsiness most likely can be attributed to the intake of carbohydrates, not the turkey specifically.
Christopher Wanjek, LiveScience's Bad Medicine Columnist, debunks the traditional turkey myth.
So, if you're ever wondering, "WHY am I so tired?!" Search vehemently online for the glycemic index on every food you consumed during the day. :)
Certain foods (such as milk, eggs, cheese, meat, fish and nuts) have components of their chemical makeup that help to lull you to sleep. Now this can be great, I think, if you want to go to sleep. However that is seldom the case for me, and maybe you, so this information should be beneficial!
Tryptophan, you are the devil. According to definition, Tryptophan: is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet. It is encoded in the standard genetic code as the codon UGG.
Now what would be most revelant to you, I assume, is the fact that one of it's purposes is that it synthesizes serotonin. Serotonin plays the role of a neurotransmitter in the Central Nervous System. This is where it does the work that we can usually associate it with, having a role in the modulation of aggression, anger, body temperature, appetite, sleep, mood, and metabolism, along with various others. Obviously, therefore, eating foods that are high in tryptophan encourage the release of sleep hormones.
If your diet is lacking in this amino acid, however, certain conditions can be developed such as
- depression
- anxiety
- impatience
- impulsiveness
- irritability
- insomnia
- unexplained weight gain/loss
I'm sure that you've heard that turkey makes you sleepy. On the subject I'll address this issue. While turkey does have the magic chemical, it has less than even cheddar cheese. No one ever assumes that they're sleepy because of that sandwich they had for lunch, but yet, poor turkey is always singled out. The real truth of this myth probably stems from the fact that large amounts of turkey are eaten particularly at Thanksgiving, one of, if not the, largest meal of the year. Thus, the drowsiness most likely can be attributed to the intake of carbohydrates, not the turkey specifically.
Christopher Wanjek, LiveScience's Bad Medicine Columnist, debunks the traditional turkey myth.
The massive intake of carb-heavy calories stimulates the release of insulin, which in turn triggers the uptake of most amino acids from the blood into the muscles except for tryptophan.With other amino acids swept out of the bloodstream, tryptophan—from turkey or ham or any meat or cheese, for that matter—can better make its way to the brain to produce serotonin. Without that insulin surge, tryptophan would have to compete with all the other kinds of amino acids in the big meal as they make their way to the brain via a common chemical transport route. And not enough tryptophan would make it to the brain because other basic amino acids are far more plentiful in food.
So, if you're ever wondering, "WHY am I so tired?!" Search vehemently online for the glycemic index on every food you consumed during the day. :)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
animate animals
The comedian Kevin Brennan, who I mentioned in an earlier blog, has a funny act about vegetarians. He says: "I was on a date with a vegetarian once..I ordered a chicken sandwich and the woman's like, "You eat MEAT? I could never eat a living thing I'm a vegetarian!"And so I'm like well you know plants are living things too...they're just easier to catch." I thought that the point he made was pretty legitimate, I mean, plants ARE living. Eating fresh vegetables are necessary for our diets in order to get the proper intake of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. So on this topic I started thinking and on a tangent I came up with my idea for this blog. Eating living things that aren't so vital and that are hardly conventional.
In some cultures such as Judaism, the practice of eating live animals is absolutely forbidden. For instance, of the Noahide laws, or the seven laws of Noah, one includes a dietary law which prohibits the taking of flesh from an animal while it's still living. In my opinion Noah knew what was up. Eating animals while they're still alive is only cool if the animal is incredibly disgusting or really terrifying- and it's being eaten by someone on TV getting paid (or with the lure of) a fantastic sum of money or terrific prizes. Also, I'm not one to take things that make my life easier for granted. I mean sure it's a hard life for Bear Grylls but I've got modern conveniences that make me bubble with joy. The microwave! The stove! The oven! Ding! Food is done! We have these abilities today in most countries, and it's a horrible tragedy to me to think of people simply gobbling up their food while it's still kicking.
Octopus. They're kind of cute in cartoons with their big squishy heads and droopy legs flopping around. However I don't think I would find them quite as charming if I had a great big juicy live specimen on my plate for dinner. The Koreans believe that this sannakji, a raw dish of octopus tentacles, brings stamina and strength. While I must admit that the tentacles are sliced up into pieces to make them easier to eat, that doesn't mean that they aren't still squirming. The little babies are seasoned with sesame oil and considered ready to serve. One who eats them must be very careful as well, as their suction cups can get stuck to your throat and cause a choking hazard, so they must be swallowed quickly. I think I'll stick to eating pasta packed full of carbs to build up strength instead of these unfortunate creatures.
San zhi er, or "three screams" is possibly even worse than the octopus. In this case the little critter being devoured is a baby mouse. "Three screams" refers to the cries of the rodent as is meets its death. The first scream is emitted when the mouse is stuck with the chopsticks (or fork depending on how authentically Chinese you are), the second comes with the mouse is dipped in seasonings, and the third and last- when the diner takes a bite. I'm not one to be fighting against animal cruelty, I mean, I love me some veal and chicken cordon bleu and tasty bacon strips- but this seems ridiculous to me.
Brains are very important in the role of society as a whole. Obviously the human brain is what sets us apart from other primates, rodents, birds, fish, etc. Therefore with our big, intelligence endowed brains, we should be smart enough not to eat monkey brains. Monkey brai
ns are believed by the Chinese to cure impotence, and the practice has sadly led to over-hunting. There seems to be other, more tested, methods to cure impotence in today's world. As a matter of fact, watch TV for about an hour and you'll see 2 or 3 of them. Anyway, the process is not without horror in itself. The monkey is first intoxicated with rice wine to subdue him, then their limbs are bound to keep them from fidgeting and fighting once they come to. The monkey is tied underneath a table with a hole cut in the top, where it's bald head (having been previously shaved) is showing through the top of the table. The skull is cut open and the brains are seasoned while the creature is still alive. The diners dig in immediately while the brains are still warm. Haven't they heard of popping it into the microwave or something? There are plenty of other ways to heat up a delicious treat other than by using body temperature. Hm, natural though I guess?
So, if you're into the freshest food, here's a few ideas. Actually very popular!
In some cultures such as Judaism, the practice of eating live animals is absolutely forbidden. For instance, of the Noahide laws, or the seven laws of Noah, one includes a dietary law which prohibits the taking of flesh from an animal while it's still living. In my opinion Noah knew what was up. Eating animals while they're still alive is only cool if the animal is incredibly disgusting or really terrifying- and it's being eaten by someone on TV getting paid (or with the lure of) a fantastic sum of money or terrific prizes. Also, I'm not one to take things that make my life easier for granted. I mean sure it's a hard life for Bear Grylls but I've got modern conveniences that make me bubble with joy. The microwave! The stove! The oven! Ding! Food is done! We have these abilities today in most countries, and it's a horrible tragedy to me to think of people simply gobbling up their food while it's still kicking.
Octopus. They're kind of cute in cartoons with their big squishy heads and droopy legs flopping around. However I don't think I would find them quite as charming if I had a great big juicy live specimen on my plate for dinner. The Koreans believe that this sannakji, a raw dish of octopus tentacles, brings stamina and strength. While I must admit that the tentacles are sliced up into pieces to make them easier to eat, that doesn't mean that they aren't still squirming. The little babies are seasoned with sesame oil and considered ready to serve. One who eats them must be very careful as well, as their suction cups can get stuck to your throat and cause a choking hazard, so they must be swallowed quickly. I think I'll stick to eating pasta packed full of carbs to build up strength instead of these unfortunate creatures.
San zhi er, or "three screams" is possibly even worse than the octopus. In this case the little critter being devoured is a baby mouse. "Three screams" refers to the cries of the rodent as is meets its death. The first scream is emitted when the mouse is stuck with the chopsticks (or fork depending on how authentically Chinese you are), the second comes with the mouse is dipped in seasonings, and the third and last- when the diner takes a bite. I'm not one to be fighting against animal cruelty, I mean, I love me some veal and chicken cordon bleu and tasty bacon strips- but this seems ridiculous to me.
Brains are very important in the role of society as a whole. Obviously the human brain is what sets us apart from other primates, rodents, birds, fish, etc. Therefore with our big, intelligence endowed brains, we should be smart enough not to eat monkey brains. Monkey brai
ns are believed by the Chinese to cure impotence, and the practice has sadly led to over-hunting. There seems to be other, more tested, methods to cure impotence in today's world. As a matter of fact, watch TV for about an hour and you'll see 2 or 3 of them. Anyway, the process is not without horror in itself. The monkey is first intoxicated with rice wine to subdue him, then their limbs are bound to keep them from fidgeting and fighting once they come to. The monkey is tied underneath a table with a hole cut in the top, where it's bald head (having been previously shaved) is showing through the top of the table. The skull is cut open and the brains are seasoned while the creature is still alive. The diners dig in immediately while the brains are still warm. Haven't they heard of popping it into the microwave or something? There are plenty of other ways to heat up a delicious treat other than by using body temperature. Hm, natural though I guess?So, if you're into the freshest food, here's a few ideas. Actually very popular!
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