Thursday Tidbits

Posted on March 1, 2018 under Thursday Tidbits with 4 comments

Gluten free tofu… my fav

A few days ago, I was in the produce section at Sobey’s , when I bumped into the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. I couldn’t resist the temptation to ask him one of the great existential questions of our time; “Aristotle.  Is it possible to be vegan and happy at the same time?” His writings cover many subjects including logic. He was deep in thought as he shuffled past the Brussel sprout display. For the first time in ancient or modern history, Aristotle was stumped.

Strange conversations occur at funeral receptions, especially when they are extensions of a discussion that had their genesis in the cathedral, moments after the funeral of an old friend. I was exiting Tigh Dhe earlier in the week when I bumped into my dentist. I had been battling a toothache for several days.

Not surprisingly, we both showed up at the funeral reception. He was joined by his wife and the three of us had a wide ranging discussion about food and pain. I felt a bit sheepish discussing a toothache while nibbling on a small plate of sweets. To add to my shame, I discovered that I had, unknowingly, removed the sweets from the table assigned for the family of the deceased who had yet to arrive. I looked around the room for telltale security cameras but even worse, my act of larceny was captured by many people at my table.

Well one thing led to another and we ended up comparing notes on diets including the Mediterranean, the diabetic diet, vegetarian and vegan. There are theories that suggest a vegan diet can alleviate arthritis pain.

My most recent MRI provided me with some illumination about my chronic pain. “There is moderate degenerative disc disease at the levels of C3-C7 with moderate- sized paracentral and foraminal disc protrusions at the levels of C3-C5 causing predominantly moderate neuorforaminal stenosis.” Loosely translated, I have a pain in the neck.

When I got home, I decided to poke around the internet to see what people are saying about diet and arthritis. I was particularly interested in what the Arthritis Foundation had to say on the subject. Study results are inconclusive. Apparently, vegans don’t consume any animal products at all including meats, eggs and dairy. But… and here’s the kicker, you can eat all the tofu that you want. What a relief!

On a subsequent visit to Sobey’s, I bumped into Ari again. (We’re now on a first name basis.) I asked him for his thoughts on tofu.  For a man who commented extensively on physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, psychology, linguistics, politics and government, I thought that the merits of tofu would be a piece of cake. But even one of the brightest minds to have ever lived could not fathom why anyone would willingly and knowingly consume tofu on a regular basis.

I decided that I needed some empirical evidence so I consulted with one of my daughters who was vegan years ago. She told me that it’s not easy being vegan. (Cue Kermit the Frog: It’s Not Easy Being Green) It requires a fair bit of work and planning. She said that it is particularly tricky in social situations where food is being served. I asked about tofu and she assured me that with proper preparation and seasoning, tofu can be quite satisfying. I noticed that she had her head down while uttering this truism, all the while consuming my lovingly prepared sweet and sour meatballs.

I figured that I had done enough meaningful research to have one more go at Aristotle. “So, Mr.A (a tip of the hat to Mr.T at the Olympics), is it possible to be vegan and happy at the same time?”  He was deep in thought as he sifted through a bin of alfalfa sprouts.

“Yes, it is possible but not until this summer when marijuana is legalized.”

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