DIANA ORTIZ GOMEZ

First, I’d like to mention that I don’t like seafood at all, so these guidelines don’t apply to me. However, I have lots of friends and family who enjoy seafood and eat it frequently. Therefore, I decided to visit seafoodwatch.org to learn about sustainability practices and inform the people I know who eat seafood. I have no idea where the fish they buy comes from, but I know that they don’t check to see whether it’s sustainable or not. I think most of the time they are unaware of the importance of sustainable seafood. Therefore, I’d like to learn more about it so that I can be able to inform them thoroughly. I think a first step to making sure they are buying sustainable seafood is by simply asking the business and doing some research. 

I searched up advisories on eating fish and found a fact sheet that informs about the risks of eating fish and tips on how to prepare fish. A while ago, I went fishing with my friend and his family where we caught different types of fish. Even though I didn’t eat the fish, I was shocked to find out the risks and wonder if my friend and his family follow the guidelines already. My parents always told me to include fish in my diet because it has lots of health benefits, but I read about the harmful chemicals we could be taking in from the fish, such as mercury and PCBs. Especially because we are not very good at keeping our oceans clean, it is no wonder that the fish we eat can be contaminated with the chemicals we are putting out. The fact sheet also included tips when preparing the fish. The list includes eating different types of fish, eating smaller fish, avoiding eating fish that eat other fish, and eating only the skinless fillet of fish. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch also includes a guide that recommends the best seafood choices. This guide would be helpful to provide for my friends and family, but I know that it’ll take a while to adjust to these recommendations. Even though they might not go straight for the “best choices” list, making sure that they try to avoid what’s under the “avoid” list would be the first step. After reading these guidelines, I have lots of questions for my friends and family who enjoy seafood. 

Growing up, I remember the amount of plastic bags we would use for our grocery shopping trips. We would have a cabinet filled with them and use them to throw our garbage away. Ever since there was a bag fee at these stores, my mom would reuse the plastic bags we already had. She would carry about 3-6 plastic bags in her purse and reuse them multiple times. However, lately, we’ve decided to invest in a reusable bag that’s eco-friendly and pretty spacious. She would just carry one or two of these to the grocery store and they last much longer. 

My family has always practiced recycling and we continue this today, but I’ve been trying to reduce the number of plastic water bottles I see in our recycling bins. I bought a hydro flask a while ago and have been drinking water from it rather than from plastic water bottles. However, this has been difficult to transition to and is still a work in progress within my family because my parents continue purchasing water bottles. Especially because of the pandemic, I noticed that my family stocked up with these plastic water bottles. They are also the most convenient during family gatherings because we make sure to have drinks available. However, I always make sure to have my hydro flask available, and hopefully one day my family decides to switch things up too. I also keep a reusable Starbucks cup that I use for drinks other than water, including Starbucks, and I encouraged some of my family members to purchase a reusable cup for themselves as well. 

Another substitution is the use of metal straws rather than plastic ones. Although obtaining a metal straw isn’t hard to find, they are not very convenient when you’re purchasing a drink since these straws don’t fit in one’s purse or pocket. Therefore, we would use a plastic straw every once in a while when we’d go out to eat. Then, my brother came home one day with a portable metal straw and this put an end to our use of plastic straws. These were also easy to find and my mom carries some for the family just in case we decide to go out to eat.

These are some first steps towards replacing single-use items with more sustainable options, and I hope to make many more improvements in my practice. For example, I should start investing in using glass containers, glass jars, and silicone stasher bags to store food. There is a lot for me to learn, but I’m thankful that my parents have at least made small efforts in practicing environmentally-friendly habits from which my siblings and I have learned and can grow from. 

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve decided to join my parents on their daily morning walks at my neighborhood park and this reminded me how relaxing it is to go out and take some time for myself. Sometimes I would take my headphones and listen to music and other days I would take my dog with me. I prefer going in the morning before the sun hits hard and to motivate me to get out of bed. Going for these walks early in the morning felt productive and energizing because once I got home I was ready to start some work, do some more exercise, or make breakfast. Meanwhile, I used to wake up around 5 minutes before my early lectures would start and felt tired during class. Going for a morning walk felt refreshing and I noticed I was able to focus more in lectures rather than feeling sleepy. These daily walks were also enjoyable because I was able to appreciate nature. I would see the squirrels come out and run over to me thinking I have food. I don’t feed them but I have noticed that other people do. I would also see other people walking their dogs and my dog gets excited to greet them when they’re nearby. Overall, it’s simply just nice to get my mind off of things that are stressing me out, whether I’m watching the animals, listening to music, or walking under the trees. This reminded me of my daily walks at UCLA where I would walk to and from class. I had a lot of 8 am classes, and I never felt tired or sleepy during lectures because the walk to get there energized me and prepared me to focus. Even though I was surrounded by buildings, there were lots of trees and birds, so it felt nice to walk around there. 

There are many possible improvements that can make my walks more enjoyable. One thing is that there can be more trees. The park has many open fields that make it look dull. I understand these spaces are used for sports, but there is plenty of room for more trees. I’d also like to point out that this has been the park I’ve been going to for years and there were many instances where trees would be cut down, such as when they’ve grown too tall. Therefore, it is sad to realize that there are now fewer trees at the park because they are a big part of the wildlife that lives there and makes these walks enjoyable. Another thing is the water tank right next to the park. Although this water tank is necessary for my neighborhood, placing it right next to the park juxtaposes the area. The walking path includes a point where I’m walking right next to this tank and it is such a contrasting difference when I’m walking under the trees versus when I’m walking near a plain field with a giant container. 

Here's an image of my point of view when I go on my daily walks:

I have to admit that although this challenge seems so simple and straightforward, it was difficult to practice and very eye-opening. I would always watch Netflix when I eat because I feel that it’s the only time I can relax and enjoy a show. I’ve been watching Orange Is the New Black and it’s been a great show, so I couldn’t wait to sit down and continue watching it as I eat. Therefore, it has been a challenge for me to get out of this habit. 

Even when I’m not watching Netflix, my phone is always around and I’m tempted to scroll through TikTok or Instagram for entertainment. With all of these distractions around my eating space, practicing mindful eating gets complicated but it’s not impossible. One big change I noticed as I practiced mindful eating was how much faster I was able to finish my food when I’m eating alone. It would take me about 40 minutes to finish my food while watching Netflix and sometimes I would struggle to finish because I’m full. Additionally, sometimes my food gets cold and I lose my appetite. With mindful eating, it takes me about 15-20 minutes to finish a meal, and it would taste better since it's still warm. At first, I thought it was weird without my devices because I didn’t know where my mind could wander off to, but it didn’t take long to focus on my food and realize how much I enjoyed it. I’m also able to finish my portions and my food doesn’t get cold anymore. Overall, I can’t believe that there would be times where I would force myself to eat my food cold because I wanted to finish my meal. This experience has taught me how to enjoy my food and stay away from such distractions, which is something I need to get into the habit of in general.