LIVE TO TELL - GOING VEGGIE
4:07 PM Posted by MS.NOVA
*a few of you have asked about my veggie experience. here it is!*
When I was younger, I tried being a vegetarian. My menu was booooring, I felt dizzy and sprouts were not making it! I counteracted by taking the Seagull approach - eating any and everything at whatever time, not questioning how it was made or where it came from.
A knee injury a few years back, gave me a reality check about the importance of my body. "Don't know what you've got till it's gone" right? After a long recovery, I ran a half marathon last year, and that feeling of appreciation for my body was amplified. A loooong time coming! Let me be clear, I am NOT a small woman. 5'9, big boneded and I have answered to the name "Thicky Ricardo". A pear shape? More like an eggplant. *sigh*
If this was going to be a lifestyle change, then changing gradually would last longer then an overnight attempt. First, I made an effort to phase out white food- white bread, eggs, sugar, rice, and cows milk. Switching to natural alternatives like wild rice, raw cane sugar or agave sweetener, almond/soy milk and whole grain bread added MUCH more flavor and I felt better. I took time to read labels and ingredients. A concept I'd never thought of! If I can't pronounce the first 10 ingredients in my food then it stays on the shelf (where it's likely lived for 2 years.)
Next elimination challenge: Meat. First pork (though I LOVE extra crispy bacon!), then I cut out red meat and just this past January chicken and turkey! I slowly began to try veggie alternative meals and it wasn't that hard. Living in the hippie trippy state of California, consumers are fairly educated about organic living and there are TONS of tasty meat free options at every grocery store. I found the textures with some products a little different, but it was compensated with fllllllaaavor!
The biggest concern was my husband. He's Jamaican and if the law would allow it, he would use oxtail and curry goat as currency. One night I made burrittos with Soy Chorizo and veggie "ground beef". He didn't even notice! yay!! I knew that if I could still make good, flavorful meals, he would adapt to this change.
"The direction of the arrow (man) is determined by the strength of the bow (woman)"
Health benefits for both of us were a flatter tummy (thanks to a lighter digestive process) and with tasty, beans and grains in my diet, the "junk" was being flushed out right away! My skin started to react to the exodus of toxins and for a few weeks I had breakouts. Battling that with tons of water, I'm happy to report my skin is looooking good! Flatter tummy and better skin. Nice! Annnd my grocery bill went down by about $40 because I was no longer buying expensive meat! (we do still eat fish though.)
But when we watched Food Inc (Oscar nominated this year: Best Documentary) I was SO happy with my choice. I had NO CLUE that the meat industry plays the biggest role - like 60%- in the pollution of our planet. It's so insane. Cut down trees and endanger animals for land to raise animals that we are going to kill. What? Then the processing of that food, transporting, packaging, the chemicals used to grow it bigger and faster, forget how poorly the people who work in these places are treated, all for something thats really not all that great for you. EYE OPENER.
"People who will spend 20 extra cents on a gallon of premium gasoline
because they realize their car performs better on it
will drive straight into McDonalds for a Big Mac."
Loving yourself more includes taking care of your health. Without that, what's left? If you're thinking about going veggie you can totally do it. Remember the Jamacian guy? He did.
Start making some lifestyle changes, get informed (The Kind Diet is great), and honestly watch Food INC.
July 10, 2010 at 9:28 PM
Hi Nova! It was so nice meeting you tonight. I'm so excited to read all of your posts. you are such an inspiration for women everywhere. Thank you.
Linda from Long Beach