Courtney+Ugale

=__Introduction __=  The topic I have chosen for this project is non-vegetarian diet vs. a vegetarian diet. I am willing to find out how each side is positive and negative in impacting the environment. I chose to do this project out of curiosity. We know that some farmers have already switched to having their farm powered by cow manure. And by eating more salads we are taking away oxygen. So how do these diets balance out environmentally? This is what I am going to find out in the next few months. I know after this project I am not going to be a vegetarian diehard but I will try and probably change my diet for the benefits of the environment. I hope to learn more about a vegetarian's point of view of eating non-meat products and how eating cows and vegetables impact our environment.

NON-VEGETARIAN DIET(left)  & VEGETARIAN DIET (right)

=VS. =

 YouTube Video:(cannot embed)  [|What is a Vegan Diet?]

Courtney-This sounds like a very intrguing topic and I'm glad you are pursuing this. There is lots to be learned here and I bet most of your classmates don't know much about this. Are you thinking you might do a personal experiment, such as going vegetarian for one week? Just a thought. (If so, it is important to know how to get protein through other means besides meat, which I'm sure you are already learning about...). I was confused by your "farmers and cow manure" part above. How does that tie in exactly? Let me know if you would like to brainstorm further about your project. But it seems you are well on your way... (let me just add, that "vegan" is only one form of vegetarianism, the most extreme. Many people are vegetarian without being vegan. Maybe you already know that but just wanted to clarify after watching the youtube video included).

=**__Research __**=

Source One:
=**"Meat versus a vegetarian diet **" =  URL/Link: http://health.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=288483

__**Summary:**__
 This article is about how your diet affects your health. Five people were put to the test: Mark Berriman- who is a strict vegetarian and does eat dairy products. Harley Johnstone – is a vegan which means he avoids dairy products. Nathan Smith – is the complete opposite of Harley, eating half a kilo of meat per day or anything that has a pulse basically. Jaime Selva – only eats lean meat about four times a week. Edwina Searle – balances out her meat and veggies. These volunteers underwent a blood test. Dietitian, Susie Burrell, was in search of essential supplements for long term health in their blood system. These supplements include: cholesterol, zinc, iron, protein, and Vitamin B-12. Edwina’s (the balancer) was perfect. Jaime’s (lean meat eater) cholesterol was fine, and due to any regular person who eats meat, his levels of zinc, iron, and Vitamin B-12 was normal. Nathan’s (hardcore meat consumer) cholesterol was very high, eating too much saturated fats had an impact on his cholesterol. Mark’s (vegetarian, eats dairy foods also) cholesterol is HDL, which is healthy cholesterol, is unusually high which help get rid of the bad cholesterol. This means Mark is a pretty healthy guy. Harley’s (vegan- keep in mind he doesn’t eat dairy products) level of Vitamin B-12 was extremely low. An average person’s level of Vitamin B-12 would be between 145 – 637, but Harley was 78. Overall Edwina, Jaime, and Mark were healthy. But the healthiest was Mark, since he has they right kind of cholesterol.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__**Reflections:**__
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Now I have some idea of what I’m dealing with. I know the differences between a vegan and a vegetarian. Vegetarians live up to their title by only eating raw foods, like vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Vegans are vegetarians the difference is that they do not eat dairy products at all. Out of this information I realize that you can't eat too much of a single food. Also, to survive in this world you must eat something that is produced by an animal or the producer- an animal. Vitamin B-12 is only found in primarily in animal-based foods.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__**Further Question I Have:**__
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Did Jaime eat anything else other than lean meat? Like vegetables? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Does age have an affect in our blood cells? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> How do vegetarians get their vitamins and minerals if they are not provided in raw foods?media type="youtube" key="q0n1TQZbhNs" height="174" width="212"

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Source Two:

=<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">“Environmental Reasons to be Vegetarian” = = = <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">URL/Link: http://www.meatjunkie.com/essays/environmentalReasons.php <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Pages 1 - 5



<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **__Summary:__**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> The environmental reasons to convert to vegetarian is simple. Cows destroy the land they graze on. But that’s not all, studies show that cows contribute crucially to deforestation, soil erosion, water scarcity, global warming, depletion of fossil fuels, and loss of biodiversity. The actual trouble is eating the cows. Farmers raise their cattle the same not changing their habits with use of labor, water, and fuel. A vegetarian a year consumes 300 to 400 pounds of grain. Compare that to meat eater, which is 2000 pounds of grain a year. Why such a big difference? 80% of the 2000 pounds are from cows, chickens, and pigs. Statistics are provided in the article to why we should convert into eating fewer cows <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> __**Reflections:**__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> This article made me think about the food that I eat at dinner. I’m 75% Filipino, so I do consume meat everyday once due to dinner. Although I do consume meat through my Filipino heritage, the dishes that are made are mixed with none other than vegetables. So it balances out. It is a lot to ask for someone to convert his or her lifelong diet into not eating meat. Thus, this article is trying to say that if you seriously want to help the environment then become a vegetarian. The article is bias. It seems that everything is black and white when is comes to what you eat. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> __**Further Questions I Have:**__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> What would happen if everyone were a vegetarian? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> What is the negativity of being a vegetarian? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> How do meat eaters respond to this?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Source Three:

=<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> “Eight Arguments in Favor of Eating Meat and Objections Thereto” = = = <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> URL/Link: [|http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/~yount/text/meatarg.html]

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> A Perspective of a Journalist about eating meat: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> URL/Link: http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/eating-meat-is-only-human/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> __**Summary:**__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> The eight reasons to why we should be able to eat meat. This articles states why we should be able to eat meat. Eight Reasons Are: **Reason One:** “The Bible says we shall have dominion over the animals and I take that to mean that we can eat meat and use animals however we want.” **Reason Two:** “I’ve been brought up eating meat and never questioned it. Our culture accepts eating meat as well. Therefore, I should be able to eat meat.” **Reason Three:** “I love the way meat tastes. I won’t deprive myself of this. Therefore, I should be able to eat meat.” **Reason Four:** “Our teeth are made for eating meat. All animals that have teeth like ours eat meat. So we should be able to eat meat.” **Reason Five:**"We need the protein that is provided in meat. Therefore, we should be able to eat meat."**Reason Six:** “The process of evolution has placed humans, the stronger, in a position to be able to use the weaker (non-human animals) for our eating and other pleasures. Other animals besides us eat meat (i.e., other animals) are they immoral? E.g., if the lion eats the zebra, that isn’t morally wrong. So it’s a natural instinct we have to eat meat. Therefore, we should be able to eat meat.” **Reason Seven:** “Non-human animals are a-moral beings. Non-human animals cannot question their actions like humans can, and this is what makes humans special. If beings cannot question how they live, then they have no intrinsic worth or rights. Therefore, we should be able to eat meat.” **Reason Eight:** “Humans are more intelligent and more rational than non-humans. These characteristics give us the right or opportunity to be able to use non-humans for food. Therefore, we should be able to eat meat.” (The sentences in quotations came directly from the link above) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> __**Reflection:**__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> I totally understand where this article is coming from. We should have a right to eat meat. It’s not right to say that people who eat meat are unethical and don’t have sympathy. These eight reasons are really strong and prove their point. We shouldn’t deny meat by not eating it, it is here for a reason and that is to eat until we are content. This article doesn’t seem bias, it just states why we should be able to meat. It really comes down if people want to live with or without meat. It’s a personal choice and shouldn’t be wrong in people’s perspectives, whether you're vegetarian or not.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> __**Further Questions I Have:**__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> How does eating meat affect the environment?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">media type="youtube" key="TwJZEKQNd7M" height="255" width="314"

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Source Four:

=<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">"Change your diet, save the world" = = = <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> URL/LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrqZs9n3bmk <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> (cannot embed vegetarian related videos from YouTube for some reason)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> __**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Summary:**__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> The video is about the environmental affects if you don’t change your diet. It starts out with comparing how much amount of food you will eat in your lifetime. It moves on to telling that more animals have to be raise if everyone continues to eat at the rate they’re eating at. They then talk about how we feed the natural resources to the animals that are being raised. The machine then absorbs the water while the narrator says that our planet is already at a vegetable shortage, and is getting worse. We are wasting more crops and water for animals than just raising them by oneself. But it doesn’t stop there, farming has led to fecal waste from the animals and goes into our water system killing the marine environment. Animals do fart and burp, this is released into the air attributing to global warming. To lessen all of this changing your diet can lead to becoming a vegetarian, consequently you can help save the world.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **__Reflection:__** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> I finally have the answer to how meat affects the environment. As I watched this I was thinking about what if everyone in the world converted into only eating raw foods. Wouldn’t it just cause more harm to the world? If we weren’t to eat these cows and let them live free, the population would be massive. We cannot force everyone into eating just fruits and vegetables. Also, farmers are converting to have their farms powered by their cattle manure. Farmers realize what's going on. They are also contributing to the environment by finding alternatives. I watch Discovery Channel - Dirty Jobs; so farmers are really powering their farms on cow manure. So, in conclusion, I think everything needs to balance out. We cannot have majority of people relying on all meat or all vegetables.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **__Further Questions I Have:__** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> How does planting more vegetables affect the environment?

= = = = = = = = = =

Source Five: =<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">“Trying to Connect the Dinner Plate to Climate Change” = = = <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">URL/Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/business/media/29adco.html

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> __**Summary:**__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Raising more cattle contribute more to global warming than all SUVs combined. Driving is cleaner for the environment than eating meat. “In late November, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization issued a report stating that the livestock business generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined.” Everyone who are vegetarians expected a great addition to the family. But environmentalists still blamed those heavy duty vehicles like Hummers, instead of their dinner.‘“Environmentalists are still pointing their fingers at Hummers and S.U.V.’s when they should be pointing at the dinner plate,” said Matt A. Prescott,’ More advertisements have been made to help encourage vegetarianism. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> (All things in quotations have been taken directly off of the link above)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> __**Reflection:**__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> It was kind of hard to find a recent newspaper source. The latest I got was August 30, 2007. I searched through nytimes.com, usatoday.com, washingtonpost.com, and much more. I’m glad I found an article related to my issue. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> So it is confirmed, meat causes more release of greenhouse gasses than cars. Isn’t that weird? Who would think that food had such an impact on the environment? More people should consider going vegetarian for one day. It can make a difference. It doesn’t matter how much amount of difference as long as it helps in some way. It’s better not to add to the problem but to deduct.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **__Further Questions:__** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Does growing more vegetables impact the environment at all?

=**__<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Data Table: __**=
 * <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Questions: ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Did I <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Answer The Question: ** ||
 * What is healthier a vegetarian diet or a meat diet? || Yes ||
 * How is the environment being impacted by vegetarians? || Yes ||
 * Is eating meat immoral and wrong? || Yes ||
 * How does cattle affect the environment? || Yes ||
 * How does eating vegetables affect the environment? || No- couldn't find an answer ||
 * How is it more green when I am eating greens? || No- couldn't find an answer ||
 * Are farmers doing anything to help? || Yes/No - didn't elaborate ||
 * How can I help? || Yes ||
 * Why shouldn't I eat meat? || Yes ||
 * What is the first step into becoming a vegetarian? || No- need to elaborate ||

November 30, 2006

1950 - 2007*

 * = **__Year__** ||= **__Chicken__** ||= **__Turkey__** ||= **__Veal__** ||= **__Lamb__** ||= **__Beef__^** ||= **__Pork__** ||= **__Total__** ||
 * =  ||||||||||||||= (retail cut equiv./ lb. per person) ||
 * = **1950** ||= 21 ||= 3 ||= 7 ||= 4 ||= 44 ||= 65 ||= 144 ||
 * = **1955** ||= 21 ||= 4 ||= 9 ||= 4 ||= 56 ||= 62 ||= 156 ||
 * = **1960** ||= 28 ||= 5 ||= 5 ||= 4 ||= 59 ||= 59 ||= 161 ||
 * = **1965** ||= 33 ||= 6 ||= 4 ||= 3 ||= 70 ||= 52 ||= 169 ||
 * = **1970** ||= 40 ||= 6 ||= 2 ||= 3 ||= 82 ||= 55 ||= 189 ||
 * = **1975** ||= 39 ||= 7 ||= 3 ||= 2 ||= 85 ||= 43 ||= 178 ||
 * = **1980** ||= 47 ||= 8 ||= 2 ||= 1 ||= 75 ||= 57 ||= 190 ||
 * = **1985** ||= 52 ||= 9 ||= 2 ||= 1 ||= 77 ||= 51 ||= 194 ||
 * = **1990** ||= 61 ||= 14 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 66 ||= 49 ||= 193 ||
 * = **1995** ||= 69 ||= 14 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 65 ||= 51 ||= 202 ||
 * = **2000** ||= 77 ||= 14 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 67 ||= 51 ||= 211 ||
 * = **2001** ||= 77 ||= 14 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 65 ||= 50 ||= 208 ||
 * = **2002** ||= 81 ||= 14 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 67 ||= 51 ||= 215 ||
 * = **2003** ||= 82 ||= 14 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 64 ||= 52 ||= 213 ||
 * = **2004** ||= 85 ||= 13 ||= 0 ||= 1 ||= 65 ||= 51 ||= 216 ||
 * = **2005*** ||= 86 ||= 17 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 65 ||= 50 ||= 219 ||
 * = **2006*** ||= 87 ||= 17 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 65 ||= 49 ||= 220 ||
 * = **2007*** ||= 87 ||= 17 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 66 ||= 51 ||= 222 ||
 * = **2007*** ||= 87 ||= 17 ||= 1 ||= 1 ||= 66 ||= 51 ||= 222 ||

URL/Link: http://www.hsus.org/farm/resources/pubs/stats_meat_consumption.html
 * *Data for 2005 are estimates; data for 2006-2007 are projections. ||
 * ^Excluding veal. ||
 * Source: USDA, Economic Research Service. ||

=__**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Interview **__= =<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">"An interview with Dr. Harris" = <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">My interview was with someone outside of Punahou. His name is Dr. Harris. I found Dr. Harris through [|vsh.org]. He was kind enough to give up last Friday afternoon to help me with this project. Dr. Harris has not eaten meat over 40 years. Still today, he is a vegan and opposes animal food. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Some of these questions are answered indirectly. The other two questions: How is more green if we are eating greens? and Should other people become vegetarians/vegans for the same reasons you became one? were answered. The interview went smoothly, in the beginning he went through slides and then I asked him some questions about the environment. Dr. Harris knew a lot about the environment and other details. He wass also kind enough to give me a copy of the slide show he shared with me. I learned a lot from him. All my questions have been answered in this interview...
 * ===__**Questions asked during interview**__=== ||
 * 1. Are you a vegetarian or vegan? ||
 * 2. How long have you been a vegetarian or vegan? ||
 * 3. What reasons did you choose to become a vegetarian or vegan? ||
 * 4. How does growing more vegetables effect the environment? ||
 * 5. Does having more cattle impact the environment more than vegetables? ||
 * 6. How can we help the environment if we still eat meat? ||
 * 7. Are farmers doing anything to help the environment? ||
 * 8. What is the first step into becoming a vegetarian? ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">media type="file" key="Cugale w: Dr. Harris.mov" width="200" height="40"

=<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__**Taking Action**__ = = = ="<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">No Meat, Just Going Cold Turkey." = =<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> = =<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> = = = Throughout the past few months I gained a lot of knowledge about this specific topic. Most of my learning came from the internet and interviewing with Dr. Harris just topped it off. I think all my questions have been answered. I found the basic answer for each of my questions, but it goes way in depth. Just by eating meat can cause so much. Dr. Harris was a good reference. He’s a hardcore vegan since the 1960s where the issue with the environment was not even in mind. He helped me understand better on my topic and was very certain in his answers and information he had given. He is quite a knowledgeable man, I have no regrets to meeting him. Yes, I have been surprised by the facts I found out along the way. I thought that vitamins that exist in the world can always be supplied by vegetables and fruits. As it turns out the only thing that raw foods do not provide is Vitamin B-12. Through step 2 of this project, my eyes were open to what I never really realized. The way animals take up a lot of space and how much water we waste on them. There is a way to help the environmental impact. Going vegetarian can help in some way.

The idea of going vegetarian was proposed through Ms. Y. Although I would like to see how long I can go without meat, I think taking smaller steps like saying a week is a great idea to helping this issue. I tested the waters by eating a Caesar Salad (provided by the snack bar) this past Thursday. It made me content, which was a good sign. I’ll be keeping a journal, I’ll admit there might be some temptations at first, but hopefully I overcome them. The journal will include every thing I ate from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep. So basically the only time I can eat meat in these 7 days is in my sleep. I’ll also reflect on things that will be relevant to this matter.

Here are a list of things I cannot eat:

Here are some examples of what I can eat: It seems really limited, but hopefully I manage through seven days. I am not starting before Thanksgiving, that is a lot to ask for.
 * __**DO NOT EAT:**__ || **__EXAMPLES:__** ||
 * **Cows** || Beef, Kalbi, Prime Rib, Tripe, Steak, and Red Meat. ||
 * **Chicken, Duck, & Turkey** || Chicken, Duck, Turkey Tail, Turkey, Bologna (any cold cuts), Hot Dogs, and Vienna Sausage ||
 * **Pork** || Kalua Pig, Spam, Pork, Pork Chop, Charsiu, Ribs, Adobo, Baboy and Kau yuk ||
 * **Seafood** || Crab, Fish, Calamari, Squid, Ika, Poke, Mahi Mahi, Shrimp, Lobster, Scallop, Opihi, Caviar, Tuna, Clams and Oysters. ||
 * __**DO EAT:**__ || __**EXAMPLES:**__ ||
 * **Anything Green** || Broccoli, Letucce, Green Onions, Cabbage, Spinach, Aspraragus, Brussel Sprouts, Artichokes, Cucumbers, Zukini, Tabungau, Green Beans, and Bok Choy. ||
 * **Vegetables** || Onions, Tomato, Eggplant, Pumpkin, Carrots, and Corn. ||
 * **Starches** || Potato, Rice, Noodles, Pasta, and Bread. ||
 * **Fruits** || Bananas, Mango, Lychee, Peaches, Apples, Grapes, Strawberries, Blueberris, Raspberries, Lemon, Lime, Guava, Papaya, and Kiwi. ||
 * **Dairy Products** || Milk, Eggs, Boca Burger, Cheese, Ice Cream, and Yogurt. ||

Here's somewhat of what the Journal will look like (NOT AN ACTUAL JOURNAL ENTRY). I'll also provide some images of the meals I eat during these 7 days:

= = <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Journal Entry: Day 1 <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Title: Temptations <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Date: November 23, 2008

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Breakfast: A bowl of Lucky Charms cereal. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Lunch: Caesar Salad <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Dinner: Ramen Noodles <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Snacks: Apple and String Cheese

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> I braced myself for the presence of seeing meat on the first day. Luckily, I watched a few PETA videos to help me view meat as a cruel act of killing. The meals were good. I can't believe people live like this, but they're truly my hero. There's six long days that lay ahead, I hope I survive.

<span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 90%;"> __Comments from Ms. Y:__ <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 90%;"> Courtney- I am completely blown away by you and your work here!!!!! I am so proud of your accomplishments so far! I think I want to showcase this to my entire Science Department. And then I wonder who else I can show it to! Your level of engagement in this project is surpassing expectations for sure. Your research is clearly presented and your learning is apparent. You also ask insightful and complex questions. Also it seems you have some strong tech skills which adds to the interest of your wiki. You also did an incredible job with your interview. Your questions were clear and it seems you learned a lot from Dr. Harris (good find-he seemed a good teacher! Did a parent go with you?). The one concern I have is with your Action Plan. I think going vegetarian for one week seems reasonable, especially given your increased knowledge (please make sure your parents are aware of this). However, when I see what you ate today, this has me concerned. For breakfast, it will be much healthier if you add fruits and maybe some yogurt. Lucky Charms is pretty much all sugar and this won't sustain you during the day, especially at school. It is one thing to give up meat, but make sure to get your nutrients (especially protein) in other forms. Also, same goes for dinner. Ramen is high in sodium and little in any other nutrition. Again, try to eat some vegetables and protein (maybe soybeans, tofu, black beans, eggs?). Let me know if you want to talk about this or brainstorm further...(good luck!)

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Journal Entry:** None - READ TITLE <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Title:** "Was suppose to be day one" <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Date:** December 17, 2008 - Written on: December 18th, 2008

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Breakfast:**2 over easy eggs and 2 slices of toast <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Lunch:** A veggie sandwich - Snack Bar <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Dinner:** A southwestern salad from McDonalds <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Snacks:** None

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Beverages:** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Lots of water <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> A cup of POG from the snack bar

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Reflection:** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> The previous night(Dec. 16) I was thinking about this action plan. Then yesterday I woke up and literally said, "I'm going to go vegetarian today." It wasn't so bad with the breakfast I ate. Around 1:30 yesterday I was hungry again. I went to the snack bar and was going to eat a salad. They ran out by the time I got there. I was a little aggravated at that. So I decided to order a veggie sandwich. I swear the tomato was suppose to be a substitute for meat. It was right smack dab in the middle. I didn't care anymore. So I just ate it. Dinner finally came. I wanted a salad so bad. I asked my father to get me a salad from McDonalds. It was the worst thing ever. Never order a Southwestern Salad from there. The dressing was spicy and horrible. All was well when I wiped it off of the lettuce and added a dressing that my mom had. I broke down. I didn't fully eat my salad. Instead, I ate MEAT! I was angry but it tasted to good. I can think of meat as a food but as an animal. Hopefully I learn from today. Also, since I woke up and said "I'm gonna be a vegetarian today." there were no healthy foods to eat around the hosue. My dad went to the store and got me some fruits and other healthy foods last night. So I'm all stocked up and ready for winter. I didn't want to count today as day one because I wanted to test it out. Today (Dec. 18th) I am officially starting.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Journal Entry:__** Day One <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Title:__** "Not So Bad..." <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Date:__** December 18th, 2008

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Breakfast:**__ - <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Lunch:__** Potato w/ Sour Cream and Cheese <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Dinner:__** 3 slices of toast and 2 eggs <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Snacks:**__ Tigers Milk Bar <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Banana

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Beverages:**__ Water

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Reflection:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Today wasn’t so bad. I didn’t have time to eat breakfast this morning due to my 7:30 class of being P.E. So I didn’t really consume anything in the morning. I did have time for lunch though. I bought a potato with everything without the bacon bits. Sorry about dinner. I kind of ate a breakfast meal for dinner. I kind of cheated with protein and ate a Tiger’s Milk Bar to ensure that I had protein in my system. I ate a banana for a snack. All I drank today was water. It wasn’t really a challenge for me today because I knew what I could eat.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Journal Entry:__** Day Two <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Title:__** "RDA Approved, but still cheated" <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Date:**__ December 19th, 2008

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Breakfast:**__ 2 Egg sandwiches <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Lunch:__** Salad <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Dinner:__** Spinach and Mozzarella Cheese Ravioli <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Snacks:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Apple <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Banana <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> 2 Slices of Oranges <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> 3 bite size cornflake cookies

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Beverages:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Hot Cocoa <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Lots of Water <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Vitamin Water

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Reflection:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> I have good news and bad news. I ate a lot of fruits today! Also according to the RDA, I need at least 8-10% of my total calories to be protein. On the VSH slideshow Dr. Harris provided it shows that potatoes 11%, wheat 15%, tomatoes 20%, beans 20-35%, broccoli 45%, and spinach 49% exceed the limit. So today, I think I had enough from dinner. I noticed another thing that I keep doing. That is using eggs as a meat substitute. I think one or two a day is good but I think I need to pull away from that. My dad reminded me that eating too much eggs can cause my cholesterol to go up. Thus, I need to watch how much eggs I consume. Hopefully over the next 5 days I can pull away from eating eggs. Also, my dad made me home lunch to ensure that I had something to eat today.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Journal Entry:__** Day Three <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Title:__** "A Different Diet" <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Date:__** December 20th, 2008

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Breakfast:**__ Spinach and Mozzarella Cheese Ravioli <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Lunch:**__ Chow Fun and 2Eggs <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Dinner:__** A small Cesar Salad and Eggplant Sorrentino <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Snacks:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Kiwi <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Tigers Milk bar

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Beverages:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Water

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Reflection:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Today I begin to notice how eating raw foods doesn’t fill me. Then I began to wonder how I could solve this problem. I mean it filled me up for a moment but a few hours later I would have to eat a snack. Although I resorted to a healthy snack I figured maybe I could eat smaller proportions of food instead of a regular diet where you eat 3 regular meals that last you throughout the day. Smaller increments of food would mean that I would eat 5 times a day but proportion as snack wise. My dad told me that he has a friend at work who eats like this. He told me that Uncle Loy eats half of a sandwich and when he gets hungry again he’ll eat the other half. My dad told me that it may help out. I thought about it and was willing to try. Hopefully, I can test it out on the rest of the remaining days.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Journal Entry:__** Day Four <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Title:__** "Just A Dream" <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Date:**__ December 21st, 2008

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Breakfast:**__ Mushroom and Cheese Omelette with home fried potatoes and ketchup <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Lunch:**__ Caesar Salad <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Dinner:**__ California Pizza Kitchen Spinach, Mushroom, and Cheese <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Snacks:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Apple <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Potato Chips

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Beverages:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Water

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **Reflection:** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> My conscience was getting the best of me. Today or last night I had a dream that I ate meat. My dad is the cook in the house so he told me to try something. It was like a tanish/yellowish color on the outside. I took a bite to find out that I was eating fish. I was so mad. I couldn’t believe that I ate meat or an animal in other words. This means I have to start all over again. I only had 3 more days left and I just had to eat meat. I woke up today extra cautious to watch what I intake. I didn’t eat any weird foods that would make me question. I guess it was just a reminder not to give in to meat and all it’s glory. I think I'm holding up pretty well on avoiding meat.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Journal Entry:__** Day Five <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Title:**__ "Forbidden" <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Date:**__ December 22nd, 2008

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Breakfast:**__ Buttermilk Pancakes w/ syrup <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Lunch:**__ Cheese pizza <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Dinner:__** Chow fun <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Snacks:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Banana <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Orange

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Beverages:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Water

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> **__Reflection:__** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> I begin to notice how I just ignore meats now. It was as if meat is forbidden, like how it was kapu or forbidden for Hawaiian women to eat pork. I couldn’t eat meat so I would just ignore it as a food source and on the menu. Overall, it was getting easier. My family eats meat around me and I do ask for a bite but they tell me no because it is for my own good. The thought of starting all over is not something to look forward to. It’s not that hard to avoid meat. All you need to do is just buy the right foods and you’re all set.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Journal Entry:**__ Day Six <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Title:**__ "Not Even A Small Bit" <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Date:**__ December 23rd, 2008

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Breakfast:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Lunch:**__ Cherrios with Strawberry fruit w/ milk <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Dinner:**__ Bim Kook Sou <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Snacks:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Kiwi <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Potato Chips

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Beverages:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Water

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Reflection:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> There’s not really much to say except that meat still doesn’t cross my mind when I’m eating a healthy and nutritious meal. I’m not really having a problem with it except the first couple days. In fact in my dinner, which is a Korean meal, it came with meat. I picked out even the tiny bits and gave it to my mom. I don’t want to break the entire action plan by eating a small tiny bit of meat.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">__**Journal Entry:**__ Day Seven <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Title:**__ "Never Knew That It Was That Good" <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Date:**__ December 24th, 2008

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Breakfast:**__ 2 Hash browns and Eggs <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Lunch:**__ - <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Dinner:**__ Mashed potatoes w/ gravy and a Tofu Lasagna/Quiche <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Snacks:**__ M&M Cookie Sandwich

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Beverages:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Vitamin Water <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> Water

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> __**Reflection:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> I woke up 6 a.m. this morning. It was an awakening that I did not want to see. My mother was in full-blown pain. I woke up my brother because we had to admit her into the emergency room. Anyway, 9a.m. came around and my brother and I agreed that we were hungry. I didn’t expect hospital food to be that good, I was surprised and my brother was looking forward to lunch. We stayed there the whole day even until dinnertime. I ate this Tofu thing. The lady told us that there was not meat but eggs held it up together. It was like a quiche/lasagna kind of thing. I forgot the name of it. But it was really delicious.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;"> __**Action Plan Reflection:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;"> Going into my action plan I thought that I would have a serious problem with not eating meat. Have you ever heard of Boca Burgers? They’re just like meat except it’s all tofu. Personally, I don’t think this is a good way of going vegetarian. If Boca Burgers are so identical to meat, wouldn’t you want the real thing? I’m kind of glad I stayed away from that because if not I would have probably had a relapse. Fruits and Vegetables are key into this diet. They are the main sources of necessary vitamins and minerals that are healthy. I noticed that I ate the same thing for like three days. The goal was just to cut out meat from my diet completely. On my fifth day, I began to notice that meat was no longer an option. When I ate out, I would just ignore all the meals except for salads and meals that had the title “vegetarian” on them. What I really got out of it though was that anyone is capable of doing this. Setting realistic goals can help you achieve them. By just saying, “I am going to be a vegetarian.” is not very achievable at first. An inspiration that can help keep you going is how you’re slowly contributing to a greener environment and how healthy foods provide the right cholesterol and protein. As I look back on my action plan I wanted to change some of my meals into new meals that are vegetarian approved. Overall, if you just eat vegetarian for one day, you slowly contribute into helping the environment and your health. This also means you don’t really have to take away meat completely out of your diet. Eating less meat can still help.

<span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 80%;"> __Final Comments:__ <span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 80%;"> Courtney- You have done such an amazing job with your project! I have shown it to several colleagues already and will continue to do so. Every step of the way it is clear that you were engaged and up for the challenge. But what is so impressive is that the motivation seemed to come all from you. Your research is thorough, your interview personal and educational, and your Action Plan was a success. It is clear that you were being reflective throughout your week of action. I'm glad that you had your family's support; that is important when trying to make a change in one's behavior. I also learned a lot from reading your Journal Entries and I like how you also went back to see your progress and comment on how you might make changes and adjustments. You also explained your topic and action plan clearly to the class (however it was ironic that when you paused on the picture of the hamburger in class, the class started drooling and wanting a hamburger! This seemed opposite of what you were encouraging. Oh well.). I'm curious to see if you might continue this or if you'll try it again in the future. Even if not fully vegetarian, is there anything that will stick (like eating more fruit or trying veggie options once in a while?). Anyway, I am very proud of you and your work and hope you are too. (also, I hope that your mother is well now).