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Messages - Sitting Coyote

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176
For what it's worth, I think it's more important to avoid hormone- and antibiotic-laden meat than to avoid grain-fed.  So I'd advocate for trying the grain-fed, or grain-finished, before giving up.  While many people here staunchly advocate for grass-fed, I've never seen any convincing evidence that favored grass-fed meat over grain-fed for human consumption.  Grass-fed is certainly better for the cow, though.

Eating grain-fed will help to keep costs down.  Another cost-cutting option is to buy organs rather than meat.  They're more nutrient dense anyway, and often cost much less.  I hunt so don't buy any meat, but when I see beef liver or heart for $0.99 (US) per pound, it's hard to pass up such a nutrient dense food at such a low cost.  And it breaks up the monotony of eating deer, day after day...  I don't intentionally favor grass-fed when I buy organs, but the suppliers of hormone- and antibiotic-free meat at my local market are all grass-fed so it ends up that the organs I buy are grass fed. 

Another option you may have is get most of your animal protein and fat from hormone- and antibiotic-free, free range eggs.  All of the nutrients required to build a baby chicken are stored in that egg, so it's very nutrient dense.  I've heard people say that fertile eggs are better than infertile.  I buy fertile free-range eggs because they're cheaper here in Vermont, but I can't say I've noticed any difference nor have I ever seen any convincing evidence that one is better than the other.

Hope this helps.

177
Welcoming Committee / Re: Hello from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!
« on: February 20, 2010, 10:19:19 am »
Welcome to the forum.  I also hunt deer and also eat it raw.  Did you save the fat from your deer?  If so, you can eat that raw and you won't have to worry about how lean the muscle meat is.  I've found that deer fat is quite mild in flavor, although admittedly a little stronger than cow fat.  

When I first started eating deer raw, I found drizzling a little balsamic vinaigrette dressing made it more palatable.  Now I just chop it in bite sized chunks and can eat it without any adulteration at all.

I hope you stick with the raw diet.  I've enjoyed a lot of benefits from it, not the least of which is much reduced meal prep time, which creates time for other things like learning to make bows and arrows, and brain tan deer, moose and elk hides.

178
Hot Topics / Re: Tapeworms.
« on: February 12, 2010, 09:55:32 am »
I don't know what it was... But in the lamb I was eating yesterday(raw) there were large cysts in the muscle and the fat(one in each). Within the suety muscle fat, there was a sack of soft whitish/light greyish mush; had some more solid things in amongst it... There was something similar in the muscle tissue as well, jelly-like mush, don't remember what colour.

How large are you talking?  Sounds like some sort of sarcosyst, a protozoan parasite that turns into a 1/2 inch or so cyst, usually in muscle tissue.  Check out this link (page down a bit) and let us know if this fits the bill:  http://instruction.cvhs.okstate.edu/kocan/vpar5333/deerpar.htm

You can do a Google search and see if there are species specific to domestic sheep, and see if you can find pictures.

179
Off Topic / Re: Modern spear hunting!
« on: February 12, 2010, 12:07:30 am »
I hope he eats those animals.

I doubt it.  Between his apparent attitude in the photographs, his portrayal of his skills and kills and his museum I suspect his primary intention in hunting is to overcome some deep-seated feeling of ineptness or insecurity.  But that's my guess.

One thing I've learned from hunting is that there's no relationship between the tools hunters use and the intention we carry with us.  You can hunt "Paleo", with a wooden, sinew-backed self bow and wood, stone-tipped arrows and still be driven by bloodlust or to overcome your personal feelings of insecurity by "defeating" an unarmed animal.  Or you can carry a high-powered rifle and a lot of humility, and exercise the utmost restraint in the types of shots you're willing to take and the number of animals you kill.

180
Off Topic / Modern spear hunting!
« on: February 11, 2010, 10:49:49 am »
Found this while doing a web search for companies that make spears.

http://www.huntingwithspears.com/Home/tabid/1400/Default.aspx

Haven't bought any of his books or DVDs, but I suspect I will.  Spear hunting is illegal here in Vermont, but it's not illegal in all states and countries, so I might practice up for a few years and make some travel arrangements...

181
Hot Topics / Re: Canadian Pemmican
« on: February 10, 2010, 08:24:34 am »
What is the comparative percentage of meat vs. fat in pemmican?

182
Hot Topics / Re: Canadian Pemmican
« on: February 10, 2010, 03:31:55 am »
How is $20 for 12 ounces a reasonable price?  That's over $26 per pound. 

183
General Discussion / Re: Is it okay to eat re frozen meat
« on: February 03, 2010, 06:57:20 am »
I've eaten meat raw that was twice frozen too.  Its texture is a little different, but it tasted fine and I didn't have any problems.

184
Off Topic / Re: AVATAR
« on: January 20, 2010, 01:31:21 am »
For what it's worth, having studied primitive skills and the Native American ethics for years I found Avatar pathetic and even a little offensive.  A movie in theaters I found far more inspiring was Book of Eli, which blew me away.  Of course, Avatar will make far more money than Book of Eli thanks to its FX wizardy and cheesy Native American caricature, but par for the course, I guess...

185
General Discussion / Re: Water
« on: January 19, 2010, 01:35:25 am »
How can you tell if you have "perfect" digestion, and what do "perfect" stools look like?

Regarding water, I buy reverse osmosis water as that's the lowest chlorine and fluorine water I have access to.  I store it in glass jugs.  I rarely drink just water, but often make a room-temperature tea with it before drinking by adding some sea salt, raw honey and things like hibiscus, dandelion root, rose hips, rose petals, or other things.

186
Exercise / Bodybuilding / Re: Ultimate Martial Arts
« on: January 18, 2010, 01:33:54 am »
If they cared enough to prove it, they might.  But if they didn't feel like they had something to prove, or their priorities regarding family, work, etc. were such that being recognized as the world's greatest martial artist was low on the list, they probably wouldn't bother.

187
General Discussion / Re: I simply dont understand salmonella and e coli
« on: January 18, 2010, 12:42:43 am »
Yes, genuinely pasture raised.  I've visited the farm and have seen the chickens out to pasture, they're not even allowed to share pasture with other animals (the farm also raises a few pigs and some cows).  The farmer doesn't buy any grains at all as feed.

188
Exercise / Bodybuilding / Re: Ultimate Martial Arts
« on: January 18, 2010, 12:31:27 am »
...if someone has a different way of testing things that they think would be better, then by all means demonstrate it.

Best way I've found is sparring.  My training partner/teacher and I spar almost every training session, and we often treat sparring as a way to experiment with different things.  We've sparred in his home dojo, in fields with tall grass, in forests, on narrow bridges over streams, in crowded alleys with garbage all over, etc.  Sparring is a very effective way to weed out bad combative techniques, you just need to be willing to sweat, bleed and nurture a few bruises.

189
General Discussion / Re: I simply dont understand salmonella and e coli
« on: January 18, 2010, 12:24:02 am »
There are many varieties of both salmonella and e coli, and only a few become pathogenic.  I happen to have caught one of the pathogenic varieties of salmonella from eating raw chicken (pasture raised, no crowding, cleanly butchered) last weekend, and it's miserable.  It's slowly starting to get better, though.

I have far above average health generally and am in excellent physical condition, so the fact that I've gotten salmonella isn't because I'm old, weak or my immune system is dysfunctional.  I can't agree with William's statement that "the germ theory of disease is dead".  It's sure alive in me right now.  I've long eaten >50% raw foods and have been 100% raw, including raw meats, for the last three weeks. 

There are certain types of bacteria that are simply more potent than others, and if you get them inside you, well, you'll suffer to get them out.


190
Exercise / Bodybuilding / Re: Ultimate Martial Arts
« on: January 17, 2010, 10:16:09 pm »
Being able to hold its own in MMA makes a martial art interesting, but I don't think I'd use that as a single criterion to judge a system's worthiness.  The weakness of MMA is its rules and the surroundings in which it is generally done.  One person fights one other person in an open area clear of debris, with rules set up to protect both fighters against groin shots, shots to the back of the head, throat shots, eye gouging, fish hooking, and probably various other things.  Also, both combatants can fight knowing that neither is carrying a concealed weapon and may, at any moment, use it, and both can fight knowing that they aren't going to suddenly be attacked by three more people.

I think the idea of MMA is useful, though.  Any good combative system teaches bodily alignment, striking, grappling, using space and surrounding obstacles, weapons of various types, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, and bodily conditioning.  Until perhaps 1980 or 1985, ninjutsu, now represented by the Bujinkan organization, did all of these, although not anymore.  Some martial arts schools excel in some of these areas, for instance judo and kyudo are wonderful teachers of alignment, and judo and BJJ good styles to train in for anaerobic fitness. 

I think it's worthwhile to try out a lot of systems.  Any one system has lots of holes, and as you try out others you can fill them, one at a time.

191
General Discussion / Re: Hunting
« on: January 17, 2010, 05:05:04 am »
One great evolutionary advantage to the traditional way of hunting and respecting animals is that it encourages tribes to only kill the minimum number of animals they need to survive and thrive. This probably became an important adaptation after Homo erectus and other proto-humans likely exterminated many of the megafauna and the megafauna started becoming relatively scarce (though no-where near as scarce as today--which is why we should be even more respectful and careful today, rather than less so).

Thanks for offering this PaleoPhil.  This is exactly what I was getting at with my earlier comment.  Not in the mood to write a long post now though, as I'm recuperating from my first attempt at eating raw chicken (salmonella). Figured the bird would be fine, pasture raised on herbs and bugs, no crowding, butchered on-site by the farmer and not in an industrial slaughterhouse.  I must say a bout with salmonella raises a lot of questions in me regarding this raw omnivory thing, not sure anymore if I'm game to stick with it.

192
General Discussion / Re: Raw Chicken
« on: January 13, 2010, 02:53:10 am »
I ate a small pastured, locally raised chicken this past weekend.  Dark meat tasted great, but white meat was very bland tasting.  I ate it all, though.  Liver had a surprisingly sweet taste.

193
Off Topic / Re: The Evil of Supermarkets
« on: January 12, 2010, 09:50:17 pm »
Some people are turning to raw dairy here in Vermont, and there have been laws passed that allow small farms to sell it from their farm, although it is not legal to sell raw dairy in stores.  But the market is small, and being a primarily rural state dairies specializing in raw struggle to find enough buyers to make it worth their while.  And for whatever it's worth, I've tried both raw milk and raw yogurt and I can't tell the difference between the taste or texture relative to pasturized organic milk or yogurt.  Saying as much is sacrilegious among those who like raw dairy, but I see no sense bowing to that pressure.  I'm mildly lactose intolerant anyway, and I don't think Homo sapiens was designed to consume dairy beyond the age of 3-4, and certainly not dairy derived from other animals...

And regarding maple syrup, yes prices have gone sky high but costs have gone sky higher.  It takes a lot of heat to turn maple sap (or birch sap, or hickory sap, there are many hardwood trees that yield sap you can boil down into syrup) into syrup.  Here in Vermont cordwood prices have doubled in the last few years, fuel oil prices have doubled, natural gas prices are high.  I'm consistently amazed that maple sugar operations stay in business, even with the higher prices.  A friend of mine set about making a few gallons for himself last March, and when it was all said and done he only got 3/4 of a gallon, used half his year's supply of firewood and made one hell of a mess.

And the end product is obviously not raw so not on my menu.  I've thought about trying to concentrate some down by dehydrating it in large, flat, shallow pans, but so far that's just an idea and hasn't been attempted.  Even if successful, what would I end up with?  A concentrated form of sugar, basically.  It will have some nutritional value, but it's primarily sugar.  I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I'm not sure what I'd do with it all, and I can't imagine it would be a profitable thing to sell.

194
Personals / Re: Ohioan here.
« on: January 11, 2010, 11:19:53 pm »
I grew up in Indiana, for whatever that's worth.  If I'm ever traveling through the midwest I'd be happy to meet up.

195
Exercise / Bodybuilding / Re: Toshitsugi Takamatsu, the last ninja...
« on: January 11, 2010, 11:18:33 pm »
Very interesting that you mention a skin disease doctor who treats his patients with sashami.  I've been raw only since winter solstice 2009, and by far the biggest change has been in my skin.  I used to suffer very dry skin all winter long, and winter is loooong here in Vermont.  Now it is bitterly cold and the dead of winter, but after just a few weeks of eating raw deer and chicken my skin is as soft and moist as it usually gets in summer, if not even softer and moister.  I was thinking about this last night as I laid down to bed, that I could rub my fingers together and it felt as if there was a slight lubricant there, although my skin didn't feel greasy. 

But regarding Takamatsu, being loosely affiliated with the Bujinkan (I am no longer a card-carrying member and have burned all of my rank, but still look to a a few members for inspiration) I have read at least one version of the story about how Takamatsu fled into the forest and healed himself.  The version I read was in the book Essence of Ninjutsu, I believe.  Since reading the book about ten years ago I have been told that Hatsumi fabricated most of the stories in it, or at the very least they are so embellished that they should be treated as fabrications.  I am also told, though, and from a source that I trust, that Takamatsu did indeed eat all of his meat and most of his vegetables raw.  What percentage raw foods made up of his diet and what types of meat he regularly ate I do not know.

196
Off Topic / Re: The Evil of Supermarkets
« on: January 11, 2010, 10:43:53 am »
I'd like to think that they will, but most likely after a farmer closes up their dairy or farm, they sell the land to a developer who then turns it into a subdivision with McMansion-style houses.  Here in Vermont the housing market is strong despite troubles nationally.  A house that might sell for $100,000 in Illinois or $75,000 in Michigan would sell for $200,000-300,000 here in Vermont.  People want to live here.  I don't blame them. 

In order for an old farm to be allowed to go "back to nature", it would almost have to be bought by a land conservancy or a particularly altruistic private landowner who doesn't mind paying outrageously high property taxes without getting an income from the land.  There are people like this here, but not as many as I would like...

197
General Discussion / Re: Hunting
« on: January 11, 2010, 10:34:46 am »
...and I happen to enjoy killing it as well. Sometimes it may suffer a hard death sometimes not. I just don't care.

When people say things like this it scares the crap out of me.  Not sure what else to say...

198
Off Topic / Re: The Evil of Supermarkets
« on: January 11, 2010, 04:30:12 am »
You could find nearly identical articles on farming and food self-sufficiency here in the US, if you had a mind to.  I live in Vermont, a dairy state.  Times are tough.  Milk prices are low, oil and feed prices are high, and farmers are folding left and right, dairy, grain and otherwise.  I'm happy to see the grain and dairy farms go as there are better things to do with land than raise milk and grain on it, but it is nonetheless sad to see people who invested their heart and soul trying to make a living in a particular way finally forced to throw in the towel.

Not sure if you can really blame this on supermarkets.  At least in the US the reason commodity prices are low is because we have excess supply.  This is particularly true for dairy.  If prices are too low, you need to get rid of the less efficient producers.  Unfortunately more efficient producers are often industrial producers, and I have a wealth of ethical objections to the industrial "production" of animals and animal products.  And besides that, my stupid government would rather institute some scandalous price support scheme to keep inefficient producers in business for another year rather than let them fold. 

I'd rather see the farms allowed to start turning back to forest, and allow hunters to use the land come fall.  But that's my bias... 

199
Exercise / Bodybuilding / Toshitsugi Takamatsu, the last ninja...
« on: January 11, 2010, 12:06:01 am »
I've been reminiscing over my years training in ninjutsu recently, and recalled a book I'd read years ago that the previous grandmaster, Toshitsugu Takamatsu, abhorred the cooking of meat.  He was Japanese so I assume he ate fish, but perhaps her ate other meats as well.  Anyone have more biographical information on him who can tell more about his diet?

200
In principle I agree with the idea that Homo sapiens evolved via the process of natural selection over millions of years, although I'm not so sure paleontologists, archeologists and anthropologists have as good a handle on the details as they claim.  I also believe that human evolution was not necessarily always occurred slowly and at a near-static rate.  I suspect that throughout the expanse of time that led to modern man there were periods where changes in our environment forced us, biologically and behaviorally, to change much faster than at other times.  Punctuated near-equilibrium, in other words.

And as a trained scientist (I do research in energetics, specifically in the areas of fossil fuel depletion, renewable fuels and building and transportation energy sectors) I am saddened by how hard it is for many scientists to admit that we don't really no much about the history--Big History--of our species.  Because of the paucity of the fossil record and the very limited amount of information we can reliably get from fossils there will always be important questions we can never hope to answer.  I'm in favor of saying "I don't know" far more often...



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