B-12...Bingo!

No, this post is not about Bingo. There is another blog I am certain I will have to write at some point in my life called Gambler's Anonomyous, in which I will detail my torrid love affair with betting anything on everything. So far, I still have my jewelry, dogs, and a roof over my head, so we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

What this post is about, however, is B-12, the vitamin. Since going veggie, I have been having a lot of issues, emotionally. At first, I couldn't nail it down to going veggie, because I also went off birth control after being on it for 15 years. I also am getting older. I wasn't sure which one was the cause of my suddenly worrisome feelings, anxiety, and behaviors.

I have always struggled with moderate ups and downs, some mild depression and anxiety, but in the past 2 months, it has become increasingly worse, to the point of panic attacks and feelings of ambivalence about everything. I have always enjoyed a good cocktail, and sometimes I get the shame-over (a hangover of shame), but never to the extent that I am now. I can have one drink, and feel like the world is falling down on me. Other symptoms include, being tired a lot and having a weird tingling feeling in my hands (which I thought maybe the onset of too much angry birding and typing) like they are falling asleep all the time, and general depression.

I was trying to do some research online, because to me, it seems rather fishy that this would all of a sudden start up around the same time as these other changes. I don't like to self-diagnose, and will probably end up visiting the good old doctor, regardless, but I did find out that B-12 deficiency causes all of these symptoms. I also found out that people with thyroid issues (like I have had in the past), vegetarians (especially vegans), and drinkers all sometimes face low B-12. B-12 is found in meat and dairy products, so clearly this did not suprise me.

I've started taking a multi-vitamin, and I am hoping this will help me get back on track, but who knows. I'll let you know if I notice a difference. I hope I do though, because I am seriously not enjoying feeling this way. You are supposed to feel better when you're eating better!

*Oh, and as an aside, take a vitamin on a full belly, people. I felt like I wanted to throw up for 30 minutes after taking one on an empty one. I know, I know. Lesson learned.

Quorn Chickenless, Soyless Chikn Nuggets - (V)

Holy shit. That's all I can say. That's how comparable these are to terrible for you, but magically delicious, real ones. Don't believe me? 1) I haven't written in weeks because I have been very busy, and I have other blog posts in the works. This took immediate precedent. 2) I am convinced I could pass these off to Jeff as real meat - but was so excited, I texted him immediately. 3) I have had, at this point, roughly 400 different kinds of fake meat (okay, probably closer to 20 realistically). All of them, even the beloved soy chorizo, do not hold a candle to the glorious-ness of quorn nuggets. Part texture, part taste, these are believable. Like most chicken nuggets, they were even better with a dipping sauce. I had (sorry trader joes) some tj nuggets that were pretty awful a few weeks ago. I'm so happy I'm looking at the vegetarian glass as half full again...I need a good pick me up.

I can't do much more to sing the praises of quorn. I have heard mixed reviews of their other products, but guess what...I'm tryin' em. T

Turtle Racing

My friends were headed out for a birthday, and I'm never one to back away from a celebration. Birthday celebrations have come a long way from a simple house party, and this was no exception.

I was told this party would be held at a bar that offered "turtle racing." I had never heard of this before, but basically my friends told me that turtles are placed on a table, and that the turtle that reached the outside of table first is declared the winner. The bar draws names out of a hat to determine who is assigned what turtle.

My first instinct on this was concern for the turtles. Being surrounded by a boatload of drunk, yelling people isn't fun for me sometimes, and I didn't see how it would be any different for a poor, helpless little turtle. I was very concerned about their well-being.

I did some googling and found that PETA had worked to stop turtle racing at bars in other states, but it didn't seem to me that there was concrete evidence that it was extremely harmful for the turtles, other than the fact that having turtles as pets took them out of their natural environment and could spread salmonella. I still felt bad, I don't like knowing that we utilize animals to provide us enjoyment for food, and this just seemed frivolous.

However, Jeff really wanted to go, and he made two valid points. 1) He assured me they were treated very well and 2) He told me I am a hypocrite since I enjoy gambling on horse racing. Clearly he won this battle.

An aside here, I am not sure why the turtle racing bothered me more than the horse racing. Maybe its because I have only viewed a horse as a domesticated animal, a working animal. I'm not sure racing is against its nature. Maybe this does make me a hypocrite, but I'm just exploring my thought process. Something about the turtle racing just made me feel sad.

I went to the event, and for the first few rounds, I watched the races on the closed circuit TV they had at the bar, and didn't stand and watch from the sidelines. It wasn't so bad on the TV. The host was nice. He told us that he cares for the turtles as his personal pets. The only do the races one night a week, and the other nights the turtles get to spend their lives out of the spotlight. It was sponsored by Budweiser.

I finally got up to the sidelines, and it made me feel sad. The turtles were just scrambling, and I don't think they were being treated poorly, but there was something about using these living things as a way to entertain ourselves that was eye-opening. I didn't like it. I don't know how this will impact my love of horse-racing, but I just know this was not my jam. Being a human is really tricky stuff.