My amazing farmer Tom and his family raised my bird from the moment she was a chick until she was mature. When “the moment” had arrived, he invited us for a “special day”. We could, if we wanted, and offered us the opportunity to slaughter our own bird… I took this rare opportunity to face my fear and especially face the fact that I eat animals almost everyday …
OUR ANCESTORS
Our ancestors had so much respect for all living creatures, if you talked with a first nation they will tell you all about the amazing rituals associated with hunting
- First they are always grateful and so respecful for the land, for our very generous mother earth
- Second they will be grateful for all creatures living on this earth by signing songs and prayers
When is the last time you have been grateful for your meal?
“SPECIAL DAY”
Tom invited many friends and family members to participate in any ways they wanted during this “special day” I took the opportunity to face myself as a meat eater..
FROM THE MOMENT YOU MAKE A CHOICE
We choose our bird, wrapped it up in a bag so she could not get hurt or move and we attached her feet head down (at this moment the bird is becoming unconscious (too much blood is getting to her tiny brain)
Before I “did it” we set an intention of gratefulness for the life of the bird and said a small prayer..
I cut toward her artery and slowly her life left her body. We took care of her body, from the feather to the organs (I will use everything, from the head to the feet)
Being there and present in every step was a really powerful experience for me, it opened my heart and my mind to another lever of consciousness…
THE AFTER..
When I got back home, I put my precious bird in the fridge (it needs to stay in the fridge for about 48 hours before putting it in the freezer (that step will give us a tender meat when we will be ready to cook it).
Something changed inside of me today, I will never see a “piece of meat” the same way and I am so grateful to Tom and his family for this “special day”!
Knowing where your food comes from is one of the most powerful ways of eating! I am not telling you to go and slaughter your own animal but here’s a few tips…
- Pay a visit to your farmers market (http://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets)
- Order a basket from a local farmer (http://www.localharvest.org)
- Buy local and read the label carefully
- Buy seasonal produce (http://www.sustainabletable.org/seasonalfoodguide/)
- 100% grass fed, pastured or organic is always a good idea
- Fair trade, to secure a better deal for farmers and workers (http://www.fairtrade.net)
- RainForest Alliance; The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and improve livelihoods by promoting and evaluating the implementation of the most globally respected sustainability standards in a variety of fields. (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org)
THANK YOU 🙂
VALERIE
One good change at a time!
#eatlocal #paleo #nutritionist #begrateful #animal
Essential Living Matters 