On Dogs, Psychology, & Dog Psychology: foodchain on the Radio!

Adelaide sits on the therapy couch, recalling the events of her puppyhood.
"And how does that make you feel, Adelaide?"
"Hungry."

What does love mean in canine?

Last Wednesday, I was the special guest on Tanya Yarbrough's radio show, That Dog Training Show.

Don't worry if you missed it live! It's archived, so it's available for download any time! 

If you'd like to listen to this 30 minute show in which I discuss with Tanya my experience with human psychology; my experience with being a human companion to a dog (i.e., a "dog owner"); and my discovery of the similarities and differences between human psychology and dog psychology, then you should definitely check it out. If that link doesn't work, then go to the list of episodes and clink on the link for "Episode 06: 03/12/2014."

I speak from my personal experience, as well as my experience as a clinical psychologist (that's not licensed yet, but that's besides the point). 

Tanya is a Los Angeles-based, "mixed methods" dog trainer who's not only very well-informed (she's got a background in animal science plus tons of experience) but also SUPER hilarious. I highly recommend you listen to some of her other episodes while you're at it! 

You can follow That Dog Training Show on Facebook, too. 

Need A New Blender, A Mattress, Or Maybe A Yoga Mat? Check Out This Giveaway!

One of my best fellow vegan friends, AJ, at queerveganrunner, is hosting a CNS Stores giveaway! Anyone can enter. Check out her post for the details regarding how to enter this contest. It's pretty simple, I promise, and you can get anything from kitchen ware to fitness gear. 

photo credit

If I win, I'm totally going to buy this Kundalini Yoga dvd. Gurmukh of Golden Bridge Yoga (located right here in my home of Los Angeles!) is featured in it. I've haven't (yet) been to a Kundalini class, but one day this summer, when I was "supposed" to be doing other work, I happened across this video she'd posted in which she addresses self trust. This was one of many videos she's posted, some of which feature more guided meditations, others of presentations she's given throughout the world.

Watching this was like peering into an entirely different world, and despite the unfamiliar chanting, Gurmukh's words really touched me.

"No, I haven't seen it yet, but I've already decided to love it." What an awesome concept.

Good luck if you enter the giveaway!

Interviews: Dana: How She Met Her Meat and Went Veg

CYoFC:  Describe your current diet/lifestyle (vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescetarian, freegan, flexitarian, omnivore with vegan tendencies...etc.).

Dana:  I currently follow a pescetarian diet, as I eat fish about once per week. My diet consists mostly of grains, fruits/vegetables, eggs, dairy, tempeh, seitan, and some meat substitues.

CYoFC:  For how long have you been a pescetarian?

Dana:  I stopped eating meat five years ago. I followed a vegan diet for the first six months and then a strict vegetarian diet for the next year. I then incorporated fish into my diet and have done so for the past 3.5 years.

CYoFC:  What prompted you, originally, to change your diet?

Dana:  I read an editorial in my university's newspaper about animal cruelty. The writer mentioned a video called "Meet Your Meat," which is produced by PETA. I ordered a free copy of the DVD; while it was incredibly painful and disturbing to watch, it solidified my decision to give up meat. I have always loved animals, and truthfully, never cared too much for meat, so the decision was a no-brainer at that point.

CYoFC:  It takes a lot of courage to watch something so painful, but you did it and it changed your whole outlook. Were there any challenges along the way to changing your diet? What about current challenges, or aspects about pescetarianism that you don't like?

Dana:  When I first started learning about the mistreatment of animals in the food industry, I was incredibly passionate about spreading the word. I believed that if people really knew what went on, they would not want to eat meat either. Unfortunately, this initially translated into a lot of frustration with friends and family members who did not feel so inclined to change their eating behavior. Over time, I learned to focus only on myself, and this has made it much easier to be around others that eat meat.

I am able to find something that accommodates my diet on nearly every menu, so I don't think it interferes with my lifestyle in any significant way. The biggest challenges, however, are the "hidden" animal products. For example, gelatin is in many yogurts, and chicken broth is frequently in restaurant foods such as Mexican rice or broccoli cheese soup.

The primary thing I don't like about my current diet and lifestyle choice is that it is difficult to decide where to draw the line. I don't eat cows, but I do wear leather... I won't eat chicken, but I will eat fish... And so on... This creates some moral conflict, but I have found it helpful to think of my dietary choices in the way environmentalists conceptualize a "carbon footprint," where every little bit helps.

CYoFC:  This moral conflict you raise is often used by opposers to argue against vegetarianism in any form. "Animals are killed, so are plants," etc., etc. But at the end of the day, an individual choice must be made, and people must choose what works for them, mentally and physically. Do you plan on remaining pescetarian? If so, what motivates you? If not, what motivates you to change?

Dana:  I plan to maintain a pescetarian diet indefinitely.

CYoFC:  Why should others go vegetarian or pescetarian?

Dana:  I think this is a very personal decision, and I have moved away from trying to persuade others to give up meat. However, I think EVERYONE should make an effort to avoid meat that comes from factory farms. Small, organic farms (which don't use growth hormones) tend to raise animals in pastures and sometimes use more "humane" methods of killing the animal.

CYoFC:  Do you have any tips or advice for people who want to do this?

Dana:  Experiment with lots of new foods. Make a big effort to get protein. Soy-based products are great, but beware that some are high in fat. The best options are typically seitan or wheat-gluten based substitues, which are high in protein and have no more than 2-3 grams of fat per serving.

CYoFC:  What are your favorite foods?

Dana:  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a new brand of meat-substitute foods by Gardein. The pulled pork and beef burgandy are especiallly good and simple to prepare. It is sold at Whole Foods and stores that have a health/organic section. I also like Tofurkey deli-slices. Quinoa is one of my favorite, high-protein grains.

CYoFC:  Are you getting enough protein?

Dana:  This is something I struggle with, which is why I added fish into my diet and have begun to make more of an effort to consume eggs and fake-meat products. I also try to eat a lot of nuts and protein bars (I added protein shakes while training for a marathon).

Want to go vegan but worried about protein? Finding enough protein is completely possible with a vegan diet. A great example of a high-protein source is kamut noodles, or any kamut product. Kamut is a type of grain originating from ancient Egypt. One serving of a popular brand of Kamut spiral pasta noodles has about 10g of protein and only 1.5g of fat (0g saturated). I like these, myself. 

Dana mentioned that she watched the documentary, Meet Your Meat before becoming meat-free herself. For those interested, you can watch it by clicking here. If you are just beginning to learn about the meat and dairy industries, I highly suggest you watch it. I warn you, though, this video is shocking and disturbing.

Dana, 29, is a clinical psychologist in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In addition to vegetarianism, her interests include running, golf, sporting events, reading, relaxing, and shopping.

Interviews: Mama-to-be: Meat Miminalism During Pregnancy

CYoFC:  Describe your current diet/lifestyle (vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescetarian, freegan, flexitarian, omnivore with vegan tendencies...etc.).

MTB:  My current diet would best be described as pescetarian with chicken tendencies (but I don’t eat shellfish due to Jewish tendencies).

CYoFC:  For how long have you been eating this way?

MTB:  Over the past ten or so years, I have vacillated between a standard lacto-ovo vegetarian diet and a pescetarian diet.  Within the past couple of months I have reintroduced chicken into my diet.  This has correlated with my pregnancy (I am 5 ½ months).  Not only did I choose to eat chicken for an easy source of protein, but also because I began to feel very limited by the many pregnancy-related diet restrictions (e.g. no tuna, feta cheese, sushi).   

CYoFC:  What prompted you to first become vegetarian?

MTB:  My vegetarianism initially began at about the age of 10 when I first was introduced to the inner workings of the meat industry through my social studies class (one of the few units that actually grabbed my attention).  My fourth grade mind was disgusted by the idea that so many animals were bred just to be slaughtered and I very quickly lost my appetite for meat.  After about a year, I gave in to pressure from my parents who convinced me that my growth would be stunted (how lame)!  Then about 8 or so years later I was suddenly staring at a chicken sandwich, unable to eat it.  I reconnected with my earlier disgust with the meat industry and also my growing awareness of how it was impacting the environment.  In addition, I was no longer convinced that the only way to maintain a healthy diet was by including meat in my diet.   

CYoFC:  Were there any challenges to becoming vegetarian? What about challenges of your current vegetarian-esque diet?

MTB:  Initially, there was a learning curve, i.e. I would mistakenly order (and sometimes begin eating) a meal that included meat before remembering my new commitment to being a vegetarian.  Eating meat was such a long-standing behavior that it just took some time for the change to become second nature.  The only real challenge that I’ve encountered since then is getting the third degree from well-meaning (okay, maybe not all have been well meaning, but more judgmental) friends, family, and relatives.  Although, this has gotten easier over the years, which I think is partly due to the fact that it has become more of a social norm. 

CYoFC:  Do you plan on maintaining vegetarian leanings in your diet? If so, what motivates you? If not, why not?

MTB:  I would like to remain a meat minimalist for the time being.  My plan is to return to a pescetarian diet, likely after my little one has arrived.  I try to do what I can in leaving as little a footprint as possible (through diet, recycling, public transportation, etc.), short of it becoming a rigid, compulsive part of my lifestyle, i.e. I try to find a reasonable balance between doing my part to lesson my impact on the planet and being able to relax and enjoy the time that I have in this life!   

CYoFC:  "Meat minimalist" - I like that. Why should other people go vegetarian, or at least become meat minimalists?

MTB:  If more people ate less meat, it would (in theory) reduce the tremendous impact that the meat industry has on the environment. 

CYoFC:  Do you have any tips or advice for new vegetarians?

MTB: Have something short and sweet prepared to say when people ask you why you are vegetarian to a) shut them up and maybe educate them a little, and b) so you can get to your meal more quickly!

CYoFC:  Right on. Favorite foods?

MTB:  Dessert, all kinds of fruit, and Morningstar sausage patties.


Thanks, MTB!

At 25 weeks!

MTB, 27, lives in Manhattan with her husband, 30. They moved to NYC about 9 months ago after he finished his doctorate in math and got a job there.  MTB is pursuing a doctorate in clinical-developmental psychology, and is currently completing a practicum where she works as a school psychologist conducting psychoeducational evaluations, therapy, and remediation with children K-12 in the Bronx. MTB and her husband are expecting their first child in July. 

Interviews: Ellen: 20 Years of Vegetarianism...and Going Strong!

CYoFC:  Describe your current diet/lifestyle (vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescetarian, freegan, flexitarian, omnivore with vegan tendencies...etc.).

Ellen:  Lacto-ovo vegetarian

CYoFC:  For how long have you been a lacto-ovo vegetarian?

Ellen:  20 years

CYoFC: What prompted you to become vegetarian?

Ellen:  An animal rights speaker at my high school and one of those nasty documentaries that shows how Mr. Happy Cow becomes dinner.

CYoFC:  Were there any challenges to becoming vegetarian? What about current challenges of being vegetarian, or aspects about lacto-ovo vegetariansism that you don't like?

Ellen:   Initially, I craved tuna hoagies (subs) and steak sandwiches (grew up in Philly). Those cravings went away after a year or so although I sometimes still crave something with a meaty texture—certain types of mushrooms and meat substitutes usually satisfy me. My parents also thought I would perish without meat, but now they’re vegetarians too!

CYoFC:  Do you plan on remaining lacto-ovo vegetarian? If so, what motivates you? If not, what motivates you to change?

Ellen:  Yes, animal rights and environmental costs of meat eating keep me motivated.

CYoFC:  Do you have any tips or advice for new vegetarians?

Ellen:  Learn to cook and invite me over for dinner.

CYoFC:  Good advice. :) Favorite foods?

Ellen:  Avocado, mushrooms, leafy greens, hard boiled eggs, chocolate, ice cream (sorry vegans).

CYoFC:  Are you getting enough protein?

Ellen:  I think so.


Thanks, Ellen.


Ellen, 36, currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. She's a social worker who enjoys hiking, reading, and sarcasm.

Interviews: Muckford: "I Never Changed My Mind, I Just Stopped Thinking About It"

CYoFC:  For how long have you been vegan?

Muckford:  Roughly ten years, but not uninterrupted. I backslid into vegetarianism for a little while, as I tried to make the adjustment to dating/living with an omnivore... then I met another vegan, which helped motivate me to get back on track again. Like anything else, it's easier to keep up with it when you've got a support system. (I was spoiled early on by a wonderful husband who'd been vegan for many years, and was able to accomplish all kinds of delicious culinary feats.)

CYoFC:  What prompted you to become vegan?

Muckford:  Well, I guess there was both a gradual process, and a more immediate catalyst.

From the time I was an infant, I loved animals of all kinds. At age 4, when I first learned that hamburgers were made from cows, I remember bursting into tears and refusing to eat them. My mother told me that while in her house, I'd eat whatever she fed me -- but when I turned 18, I could eat whatever I wanted!

Throughout most of the rest of my childhood, I somehow got gradually desensitized again. Eating meat was just something that everybody did, as a part of "normal" everyday living. That made it easy for the moral objections I had as even a youngster to slip into the back of my unconscious. I never really /changed my mind/... I just stopped thinking about it.

As a teenager, I began to think a little more. Philosophically, I agreed with the idea that other animals have as much right to be here as we do, and that we should avoid causing them pain. Inexplicably, however, my abstract philosophical leanings didn't actually translate into a concrete lifestyle change until I met my husband (now ex).

Prior to meeting him, I don't think I'd ever /heard/ the word vegan before. He explained what it meant, and his reasons for choosing the vegan lifestyle. Once I was enlightened as to the horrible way that factory farms operate, and the cruel and unnatural conditions the animals are often kept in (cages so crowded they can't move, deprivation of fresh air and natural sunlight, debeakings, etc), I felt I couldn't in good conscience do /nothing./

CYoCF:  Were there any challenges to becoming vegan? What about current challenges?

Muckford:  There were some foods I really missed at first -- cheese and crackers used to be one of my all-time favorite snacks. But a short moment of gratification isn't worth supporting a corrupt industry and causing innocent creatures to suffer. I do my best to remind myself of that fact. Other people probably would have thought I was a somewhat unlikely candidate for vegetarianism, as I've never been a particular fan of vegetables. And it's true that at first, I was kind of a junk-food vegan. I subsisted largely off of peanut butter sandwiches, pasta with marinara sauce, and vegan doughnuts... but over time, I gradually exposed myself to new foods and tastes, and discovered some absolutely /marvelous/ additions to my dietary repertoire.. including hummus (which I may never have tried if not for my veganity!) and cous-cous (mmmm, give me some of that five-spice moroccan cous-cous salad...). In time, I even began incorporating more vegetables (spinach is great if you saute it with vegan margarine and garlic... kale is great steamed, as a leafy bed for some "shells and chreese", a Nature's End mac'n'cheese substitute).

But probably the biggest challenge to becoming vegan, and maintaining the lifestyle, are social pressures... a lack of understanding from friends and family about what veganism is, why it's important to me. Friends sometimes feel inconvenienced by having to choose restaurants that serve veggie dishes, or feel awkward or embarrassed as I rattle off a list of questions concerning ingredients to the waiter. Then there are the occasions like office birthday parties... when well-intentioned folks have purchased or prepared a cake for me, and I can't eat it. Those can be a very delicate situation to navigate. Each person handles it in his or her own way. I think the key to remember is that it's most awkward at FIRST -- if you inform the people you meet about your veganism, and explain to them what it means, they won't be taken by surprise, and thus won't be as likely to be irked or offended. Some friends have actually really enjoyed taking up the challenge of making vegan dishes and desserts for me. Others, I simply reassure that they don't have to worry about me when hosting parties at their house and such -- as I'll bring some dishes of my own, or will "bring my own baggie." It's perfectly possible to handle the socially awkward moments, especially with experience, but I do still think it's probably the most difficult thing about maintaining a vegan lifestyle. You may also face strong criticism from some, especially at first. Often, those we are closest to (who liked us perfectly fine the way we were BEFORE) resent even the smallest sign of change. My mother called me a "fanatic" when first she heard about my veganism. Nevertheless, she gradually adjusted to the idea, and nowadays there's always a tub of hummus and a carton of soymilk waiting for me in the fridge when I drop by to visit!

CYoFC:  Why should other people go vegan?

Muckford:  Well, in addition to the animal welfare-related ethical concerns, there are environmental reasons... and health ones. High cholesterol runs in my family, and has been a problem for me (along with my weight) since I was a child. A combination of vegan diet and regular exercise brought my blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides in line for the first time in my life. From studies I've read, a vegan diet seems to reduce the rates of all of the most common causes of death in wealthy nations: obesity, heart disease, come cancers. I think it closely approximates a Mediterranean diet, which is touted by many health professionals as a model diet to follow in terms of its health benefits.

CYoCF:  Do you have any tips or advice for new vegans?

Muckford:  Take it one day at a time, and don't get upset with yourself if you make the occasional slip-up or mistake. There are lots of foods and other products with hidden animal ingredients. You just do the best you can and learn as you go. There are many great vegan resources on the web, and you can always try seeking out some local vegan groups on meetup.com or a similar social networking site.

CYoCF:  One last question.  Are you getting enough protein?

Muckford:  Some days I get more than the recommended daily value, and some days less. I sometimes track what I eat on livestrong.com, and that helps to give me an idea of how I'm doing. "Smart dogs" (the tofu version of hot dogs!) and veggieburgers are a good way of giving myself a mega-boost in a day when I'm falling short, and I loooove Bolthouse Vanilla Chai Protein Shakes! I haven't had any problems.... but I do take a vegan multi-vitamin to be on the safe side (I had problems with anemia even in my pre-vegan days, so I try to be particularly careful to get enough iron). When you buy vitamins, don't forget to check if they have fish-derived or gelatin ingredients. (I've accidentally bought brands that do on several occasions.)

CYoFC:  Sounds like you know how to get your protein just fine. You might also like to try incorporating more beans into your daily diet - any kind will do: lima, pinto, garbanzo, white, black, black-eyed peas, navy...


Thanks, Muckford!


Muckford is currently completing a psychology internship in the NYC area, and, thus far, has specialized in working with adults with chronic severe mental illnesses and the homeless population. He also enjoys hiking, reading fantasy and sci-fi books, and other "ultra-geeky" pursuits (such as playing Atari-2600, and joining the occasional Dungeons & Dragons game).