EMILY INIGUEZ

Distracted eating has been so common in our society today that up until this challenge, I was unaware of how much of a difference eating with social media made on the enjoyment I had for my meals. I think that I had never noticed how big of a problem my distracted eating was as I practically saw everyone else eat with the company of their smartphones, tablets, Netflix, and the countless other sources of distractions that we face today. The pace of our lives has gotten so fast that it seems indulgent to even take time out of your day to eat without the distractors. It seems like our culture praises an individual’s ability to multitask and it is considered virtuous to be ‘productive’ during our meals. I recently read a journal piece that listed 7 steps to reduce distracted eating where the smallest step was to “pick ONE meal or snack daily that you will commit to eating without TV, your phone, a book, or while driving.” This was a helpful tip for me as I was able to start small after being used to a lifestyle in which most of my meals were accompanied by an episode on Netflix. In fact, I noticed some substantial improvements in my overall meal experiences! I was able to taste more for one! Yeah, I know that sounds bizarre, but my salmon and quinoa meal pictured below was way more enjoyable. My senses seemed to be more alert and I was completely focused on the heat, aroma, and deliciousness of even my simplest meals. I noticed that I was able to taste more because all of my attention was completely directed at my food and eating experience whereas before, I would have to split my attention between work or shows with each of my meals while I ate as quickly as possible. Also, I was better able to learn what I liked and did not like. That must also sound very strange, but before, I thought that I absolutely disliked cilantro. I tried it when I was quite small, and recently, when I made some tacos that incorporated cilantro as a topping, I discovered that cilantro was not nearly as bad as I once thought it to be. My opinion on cilantro just changed because I paid more attention to the flavor profile that it added to my meal, and it turns out that I quite enjoy cilantro now! That being said, mindfully eating pointed my body toward balanced meals where I was not filling my brain with background noise. 

My why:

One of the most nostalgia-filled elements in my life has always been the sea. It may sound cliche that I associate the sea and the ocean as a capsule of beautiful memories, but the reality is that I experienced some of the most meaningful family moments by the sea. When I was younger, my mother and I would escape the heat every summer weekend with a quick trip to our local beach. I remember all the evenings when my mother and I would stand by the shore during sunset letting the ocean water kiss our toes. Standing tall, she would always quietly instruct me to close my eyes and let all of the tension or negativity around me swim far into the ocean (where I would never meet it again). I would then open my eyes and feel an immediate sense of serenity and harmony fill my young heart. My young soul believed that the ocean, and the memories that I had because of it, would never cease.

During my time at UCLA, my eyes finally opened to the reality of the matter concerning the actual limits that we, humans, were (and are) posing on the survival and longevity of the sea. After signing up and completing a course on marine biology here at UCLA, I became plagued with eco-anxiety concerning the amount of danger that our sea is in. I was always aware of the threats that plastic made on the survival of the organisms in the ocean, and did my part to mitigate the number of plastics I was using, however, after the course, I understood that the threat was much greater and more horrendous than what I previously understood. I began to delve further into research to understand what was going on and how climate change impacted our oceans' survival, but I found myself filled with more anxiety than before. In order to actively participate in a reduction of carbon and excess nutrient dump into the sea, I became a pescetarian, and I began to incorporate more vegan and sustainable products in my everyday routine. At the time, I was not aware that a platform such as  Drawdown Ecochallenge existed and I had even considered creating a community on social media where I could inform others on how to mitigate their negative impact on the climate crisis. To my surprise, this English course, which I had initially enrolled in as a means to fulfill a pre-health requirement, became my saving grace. Although we have only navigated through this course for almost a month, I feel that I have learned so much already, and have found a sense of community within the course and this eco-challenge platform. I truly believe that we have the power to save our planet, and of course, our oceans (which hold so much sentimental value to me, and are crucial to the survival of our species). That is WHY I am so passionate and sentimental about this project and will continue to be a user even after the course ends.

Below I have attached a picture of my youngest brother having the time of his life on the sand at one of my family's favorite beaches in Mexico (pre-COVID pandemic). I want to ensure that he can continue to enjoy the sand beneath his toes and the ocean water splashing at his face for years to come, but the only way I can do that is by making the necessary changes to help mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and spread as much awareness and information concerning the climate crisis to others.