Ok, let's be real. I tried to be a vegetarian in college cause all the cool, hippie kids were doing it. I managed to rid my diet of all meat except chicken. Then pregnancy came along and I read somewhere that red meat assisted with brain development in the fetus and broke my sabbatical. There is not much doubt that wherever I read that was sponsored by the beef industry.
Now, years later, it's time to try veggie again. Not really for any PETA loving reason but more for a fat reason. I grew up down South where the nation's largest and most diabetic people live. There are also astronomical rates of heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer. Since all of those run in the family, it was time for a change.
The first thing was research. My buddy Liz had me watch "Forks over Knives" -- a documentary about the benefits of plant-based eating. Medical doctors who grew up on dairy farms build an incredible database of facts showing plant-based diets can actually reverse all those diseases and take folks off their overpriced medication. Good nudge there. Although my sister's response was that while the information was compelling, she would wait until she got sick before she switched up her diet. Oh well, this is also the same girl that one year went on the lemonade diet and the next read a book that told her to fill up on McDonald's to get her chemical levels even.
So anyway, Hubs and I took two weeks to eat veggie. No meat, no seafood, no dairy. The hardest part for me was the cheese and eggs.
Then we decided that cold turkey really wasn't our thing and we could eat some fish. And we needed to do more research. Enter "Food, Inc."
Now, I've seen farms. Big farms. Slaughter farms. It's all rather disgusting and degrading but growing up down South, it's normal. We eat meat and folks, it really doesn't come from cellophane-packaged boxes in the meat section of the grocery. But the info in this film gave us another nudge. It's amazing the little power we actually have over our own food.
But now Hubs and I own a juicer (which I love because it has only four parts to clean) and a Vitamix Blender (an incredibly expensive indulgence but totally worth it), and eat more fruits and veggies than ever. The smoothies are so yummy and so filling that I'm not nearly as up and down on my blood sugar and don't feel bloated after I eat.
It's amazing too the amount of energy I have. Used to I was always complaining of being tired. Now I'm up all day running around with no need for a nap.
Guess all the cool, hippie kids were right. Now I just need to learn to play that guitar that's been sitting in the corner with the dream catcher and the burks for the past ten years and I'm all set!
Now, years later, it's time to try veggie again. Not really for any PETA loving reason but more for a fat reason. I grew up down South where the nation's largest and most diabetic people live. There are also astronomical rates of heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer. Since all of those run in the family, it was time for a change.
The first thing was research. My buddy Liz had me watch "Forks over Knives" -- a documentary about the benefits of plant-based eating. Medical doctors who grew up on dairy farms build an incredible database of facts showing plant-based diets can actually reverse all those diseases and take folks off their overpriced medication. Good nudge there. Although my sister's response was that while the information was compelling, she would wait until she got sick before she switched up her diet. Oh well, this is also the same girl that one year went on the lemonade diet and the next read a book that told her to fill up on McDonald's to get her chemical levels even.
So anyway, Hubs and I took two weeks to eat veggie. No meat, no seafood, no dairy. The hardest part for me was the cheese and eggs.
Then we decided that cold turkey really wasn't our thing and we could eat some fish. And we needed to do more research. Enter "Food, Inc."
Now, I've seen farms. Big farms. Slaughter farms. It's all rather disgusting and degrading but growing up down South, it's normal. We eat meat and folks, it really doesn't come from cellophane-packaged boxes in the meat section of the grocery. But the info in this film gave us another nudge. It's amazing the little power we actually have over our own food.
But now Hubs and I own a juicer (which I love because it has only four parts to clean) and a Vitamix Blender (an incredibly expensive indulgence but totally worth it), and eat more fruits and veggies than ever. The smoothies are so yummy and so filling that I'm not nearly as up and down on my blood sugar and don't feel bloated after I eat.
It's amazing too the amount of energy I have. Used to I was always complaining of being tired. Now I'm up all day running around with no need for a nap.
Guess all the cool, hippie kids were right. Now I just need to learn to play that guitar that's been sitting in the corner with the dream catcher and the burks for the past ten years and I'm all set!
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