Ninie Ahmad: Off her yoga mat.

Her daily AFFIRMATIONS of staying optimistic especially when she's (upside) down.

I am healthy, compassionate and prosperous as I only allow clean, cruelty-free and organic food to build every fibre in my being.

with 12 comments

Since I shared my interview with Natural Health mag, I have been showered with these questions:

  • What’s wrong with eating meat?
  • What is organic diet?
  • I also want to not fall sick in years! How do I start?

This entry is strictly for those who asked..

And those who wish to initiate change in your body, our community and this country.

What’s wrong with eating meat?

Before you start with me on ‘eating meat is not a sin / haram in Islam’, let me just stop you there. In the Islam I know and believe in, NOT eating meat is also NOT a sin in Islam if you avoid eating them to live longer.

Forget about (if you have the heart to :P ) animal suffering and that worldwide livestock farming generates 18% of planet’s carbon footprint (by comparison - ALL the world’s cars + trains + plaves and boats account to a combined of 13% of gas emissions),

..meat is simply:

(summarized from What’s Wrong With Eating Meat book)

1. Full of chemicals
Animals that you eat, eat at fields that are treated with poisonous chemical (pestisides and fertilisers). When you eat meat, you consume higher concentration of chemicals that accumulated during the animal’s lifetime.
2. Full of diseases
To produce meat at highest profit, animals are force-fed, injected with hormones to stimulate growth, given stimulants, antibiotics and sedatives that cause cancer. Animals with undetected tumours and cancers will pass them to their meat-eaters. That simple.
3. Full of decay
Meat passes very slowly in human digestive system, it takes at least 5 days to pass out of human body as opposed to vegetarian food which only takes 24 to 36 hours maximum. During this time, decaying meat are in constant contact with the digestive organs and the habit of eating animal flesh in its state of decomposition creates a poisonous state in the colon and wears out human’s sensitive intestinal tract prematurely.
4. Full of bacteria
Beef, poultry, lamb and pork, even when untainted with disease, contain massive amounts of saturated fats and cholestrol that fasten clogging of arteries, hospitals and cemetaries worldwide. That is why all studies proved that meat-eaters live shorter lives.
5. Main cause of cancer, heart disease, hypertension, obesity, gallstones, kidney disease, gout, arthritis, constipation, diabetes, ulcers..
I could go on if you want.

What are ‘bad’ foods?

Bad foods are chemical-laden food with additives and preservatives (MSG, colourings, bulking agents, hormones, etc) to mimic natural flavours, to colour food to make them look more ‘natural’ or ‘fresh’ and to preserve foods for longer shelf life.

Why manufacturers make ‘bad’ food anyway?

(summarized from Avoid Chemical In Your Food book)

1. Profit
Manufactured ingredients are cheaper that natural ones so synthetic foods generate more profits from natural foods. Fruit flavourings are cheaper than real fruits, most artificial sweeteners are cheaper than real sugar.
2. Product life
Preservatives and antioxidants are used to prevent product decaying in the natural way (this is important to retailers and possibly consumers who may expect the products to last an unrealistic length of time).
3. Physical stability
- Emulsifiers are used to stop ingredients from clumping
- Anti-caking agents ensure lump-free powders
- Bulking-agents add to product weight without increasing nutritional value
4. Appearance
Products may be dyed, coloured or glazed to fulfill visual demands and expectations of certain consumers.
5. Flavours
Flavourings are used to provide a taste corresponding to product’s description when food ingredients cannot provide it sufficiently.
6. Convenience factors
Certain so called ‘convenience foods’ require additives to allow for their method of preparation (includes products to which hot water is added to serve and products that are to be heated in microwave ovens).

All the books I referred to above are available at Justlife (my favourite local organic, vegan / vegetarian and fair-trade shop) nationwide

What are organic foods?

(From Wikipedia)
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.

Organic VS ‘Natural’

(From Nature’s Path)
While both ‘natural’ & ‘organic’ mean no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, only certified organic foods guarantee no fertilizers, toxic pesticides, irradiation, GMOs and hormones were used.

What’s in my kitchen / fridge?

What I ban in my kitchen / fridge

1. Any products with MSG (‘perencah nasi goreng’, Ajinomoto and the likes)
2. Any form of poultry, meat and shellfish
3. Instant food (instant noodle, instant porridge, instant pizza)
4. Carbonated drinks
5. Usage of microwave
6. Usage of Teflon / non-stick pans
7. Plastic containers / water bottles especially to store leftover food (generic / brand name: Tupperware. Now you know why I just don’t get advertorials anymore)
8. ‘Vegetable’ cooking oil

Hey, you asked!

Love and long life to all beings everywhere.

12 Responses to 'I am healthy, compassionate and prosperous as I only allow clean, cruelty-free and organic food to build every fibre in my being.'

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  1. Hi ninie, interesting article.

    I use a slow cooker/crockpot to make vegetarian meals at home. uses less energy and help environment.
    give it a try ok.

    cindy

    18 Oct 11 at 10:58 AM

  2. Hi Ninie :)

    Awesome entry! Thank you for sharing your kitchen and healthy lifestyle with your readers-totally inspiring!

    Would you mind sharing some of your organic recipes? Especially those with malay influence,if any.I found the one thing that I struggled with going raw a few years ago was how I missed nasi lemak,tom yam soup etc.

    Thanks and keep inspiring!

    Aliaa

    18 Oct 11 at 12:32 PM

  3. Salam Kak Ninie,

    This is a great tip! I’ve always wanted to go vegetarian but I don’t know how to start seriously! This is great. Thank you thank you thank you for always being an inspiration to me. :)

    Rashidah Narudin

    18 Oct 11 at 1:11 PM

  4. Grapeseed oil ftw!

    BTW Teflon/non-stick is fine unless you overheat it and the compound breaks down (which is pretty hard to do) - scientifically speaking anyway.

    ShaolinTiger

    18 Oct 11 at 2:22 PM

  5. I think the idea is great, most people do want to live healthy, but organic and natural food are expensive. Most people are not financially capable to start being vegetarian.

    So, in your opinion, do you think organic and natural food will go cheaper?

    :)

    sarah

    18 Oct 11 at 3:08 PM

  6. Hi ninie, inspiring entry. I always pass justlife when I was at the Gardens but I never went in….your entry just made me want to go there and check them out (especially the Hazelnut chocolate milk).

    Can you share your salad recipes? I love eating salad but I don’t really know how to prepare a good one at home.

    Thanks for sharing!

    zuraida

    18 Oct 11 at 10:54 PM

  7. Cindy:
    Thanks for the suggestion, I don’t have slow cooker yet but I have steam oven. It makes steaming my vegetables a lot easier :)

    Any recipes to share? If they work for me, I’d be happy to share them here!

    Aliaa:
    My pleasure! I shared an organic nasi lemak recipe http://ninieahmad.com/2011/05/27/healthy-recipe-organic-nasi-lemak/ some time ago, will definitely find time to share more OK? Thanks for your time reading and leaving sweet comment :) .

    Spread the green words around with a smile!

    Rashidah Narudin:
    Hi there! Little I know or try to inspire, just sharing what works and feels right for me :)

    How to start? Maybe choose a day every week where you eat only vegetarian food and one day a month where you eat only vegetarian AND organic. Trust me (try it!), you will only feel better that one day and it will motivate to go on more days living clean and cruelty-free!

    I thank you for your time and beautiful energy reading and commenting!

    Shaolin Tiger:
    Hello Batmobile partner! I actually have been trying some of Kim’s recipes (being creative replacing her pork and chicken with mushroom) and most of them work and so delish!

    I notice you guys use the same Zwiling pots (I thought you also konon-konon avoiding Teflon now), they are cool but get stained everytime and a b*tch to clean, no?

    Sarah:
    Hi Sarah, yes most organic food are expensive as they are imported from countries that have bigger organic movement. I just feel that if more Malaysians go organic (you’d be surprised, green vegetables that are locally grown are really not expensive!), more local companies will invest in producing and making more organic products here. Demand = supple, right?

    It is more affordable in North America (New York and Canada) as more people are health-conscious but I’d like to have optimism in Malaysia. I am all for better changes in our country but I need friends to support me to create bigger and faster impact. Are you with me? ;)

    Zuraida:
    Hi Zue! Don’t kill me ;) but the Hazelnut chocolate milk is not selling at Justlife though, LOL! Good news is, you can find it in ANY Cold Storage / Village Grocer / Jaya Grocer’s organic section (RM18.90 for 1L). You can even buy them in half a dozen of smaller packets, if I’m not mistaken - 6 (200ml) for RM26.90. Perfect for breakfast on the go!

    Keep checking on me here for my favourite salad recipes OK? Take care for now!

    Ninie

    18 Oct 11 at 11:23 PM

  8. Ninie,

    Thats so inspired video I watched..
    BTW, how lahhh…being malay..so many food around/serve when we go friends/relatives/family house..we are famous in hospitality, and kalau orang datang kalau boleh semua depa nak hidang9esp jawa clan..I am jawa anyway)..how to say NO?or politely not to take their food or…hmmm..u nowwww?..so that sedara tak teringgung ke,apa ker..u know lah the drift riteeeee..kindly share your experience…thank u !

    Reiko

    22 Oct 11 at 9:33 PM

  9. Humans ate meat since before we became human millions of years ago.

    Ed

    3 Nov 11 at 1:41 PM

  10. Dear Ninie, i have been thinking for a while on whether or not i shd say something but i really feel that for a Muslim, it is quite inappropriate for you to keep announcing your thoughts abt how cruel it is to eat meat. Do reflect back and see how indirectly that thoughts can contradict to Muslim beliefs. Hari raya qurban, mass slaughtering mean we’re actually celebrating cruelty? Allah creates Earth, He knows better on how the ecosystem works.

    It’s not my intention to hurt your feelings in any way but please take a minute and think it through. By all means, do stay vegetarian if u now feel healthier but please dont make such statements anymore ok?

    I just feel oblige to remind you and because i know you have a choice not to publish my comment, i have decided to write you.

    Suriani

    5 Nov 11 at 9:50 PM

  11. Ed:
    But it is also the cavemen http://www.dshack.net/2010/05/but-cavemen-only-lived-to-30-didnt-they.html that had the shortest lifespan (average age of 30..) and the unwisest of all human evolution, no? ;)

    And this is just of oldest living Malaysian http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2011%2F9%2F20%2Fnation%2F9533903&sec=nation, wanna guess her secret?

    Eating meat doesn’t make us more of a human being but choosing not to eat animals that don’t eat meat, makes us more humane :)

    Suriani:
    Hi Sue! First and foremost, I thank you for not writing anonymously :)

    I keep reading this post over and over again - I did not speak about ‘animal cruelty’ myself (PETA can be tasteless in their ads sometimes). The ‘cruelty-free’ mentioned in the title is from; I prepare most of my own food (on weekdays, my husband cooks breakfast and I prepare lunch and dinner), so I get the guarantee that nobody (restaurant/ factory worker) is forced / unhappy / unpaid during the process of making the food that is going to nourish me.

    I might not be the right person to quote any Islamic scholar or rephrase any hadith but I am very sure, back when I sat for Islamic Studies in school and uni, I remember something across the line of
    1. ‘It is OK if not, encouraged to not eat what you know is dangerous for your health’ (I also don’t take white sugar and carbonated drinks)
    AND
    2. ‘You cannot eat the animals if you feel bad (I prefer usage of kesian) for them’. In most cases, for lack of better examples, some people can’t bring themselves to eating rabbit meat because they are so cute.

    I think ALL animals are cute (especially chicks and yes, rabbits!) and beyond kawaii factor, I just don’t have the errrr, gut (how apt!) to eat meat anymore SIMPLY for health reasons knowing and having researched that meat in this day and age are fed and grown with chemically (pesticides, hormones, herbicides) loaded grass.

    I did not stop at meat, I also buy only organic vegetables and fruits plus cooking at home everyday as much as I can now to ensure the food that goes in me and be part of me - are organic, clean and most importantly, safe to eat, LOL.

    I avoid everything I can afford to avoid - to not get cancer, to look better, to live longer.

    Simply that :)

    And I felt compelled to share and God willing, keep sharing my recipe to living healthier as since I stopped consuming meat almost five years ago- I just hardly fall sick anymore. No fever, no flu, no headache, no food poisoning for the past two three years (I used to think it’s yoga all the way ;) but I still see meat-eating yoga teachers around me falling sick occasionally). All I did different was just giving up what I know I need not eat anymore.

    Just that.

    I am not a writer, with my limited vocabulary and poor mastery of the English language - my choice of words come out sounding harsh if not shallow most of the time. My utmost apology if you (like many others..) are offended.

    My gratitude again for your time writing and for composing your comment in the most polite way possible :) (God knows the contents anonymous comments I get here). Selamat hari raya Aidiladha!

    Ninie

    6 Nov 11 at 12:20 AM

  12. Stumbled onto your website today and saw this vid. Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your kitchen, a great eye opener indeed! I’m a fan of justlife too and since my office is just on top of Gardens, I have to exercise some discipline NOT to go into that shop every single day :) Happy to see that the organic movement is slowly gaining momentum in KL, it’s people like you that help get the word out so well done! Now let’s start a raw/semi-raw movement too if possible? ;)

    Nabilla

    19 Dec 11 at 10:11 PM

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