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New Year, New Food
Jan 6, 2013

New Year, New Food

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vegetablesI have said it before and I will say it again. Time Flies! Lily is already five months old and she is changing and doing new things every day. Every time I have to buy bigger sized clothes for her, it makes me a little sad.

So, I know I have written a lot about being healthy and changing my eating habits and what not. Now I feel like I’m actually doing it! I am exercising almost every day and I am eating a lot better.

I’m eating mostly plant-based foods these days. I am about ninety-five percent vegetarian, using mostly organic produce. I am eating very few processed foods and a lot less dairy. I would have never seen myself doing this a few  years ago. I would not have even seen myself doing this 6 months ago.

It has only been two weeks and I have only lost two pounds so far. The important part is the way I feel. I feel so much different already! I feel lighter, thinner and I have a lot more energy. I feel so much less sluggish and it is quite refreshing.

I have always loved animals and I have always felt like a hypocrite for eating meat since I know how the animals are treated. Since I have always been so picky, I did not think I could ever go vegetarian. Since I put on “my big girl panties” and started eating more vegetables, I think I can do this!

I know this is far away, but I was thinking about when the time comes for me to tell Lily where meat comes from. I am sure she will love animals like I do, and like most kids do. Then I imagined her asking me why we eat them. I could never try to justify eating meat to her with a clear conscious because I do not believe it is necessary.

I am not saying people should not eat meat. It’s just that I do not think I feel right about it.

I know most people say “but how will you get your protein?!”  There are plenty of other ways to get protein. I say I’m only ninety-five percent vegetarian because I am still trying it out and I have had a tiny bit here and there.

I figured I will try it and see how it goes. So far it has it has gone really well! I think I am going to stick with it and see what other health benefits come from it.

Are you, or have you ever been vegetarian? What are your thoughts on vegetarianism?

 

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  • Sherri

    I overheard a guy who worked in the ER discussing the damage over eating of animal products does to the body. Apparently he had the opportunity to dissect cadavers at some point and saw the effects of cholesterol lining blood vessels. Within months we were dating and I was reading everything I could get my hands on about vegetarianism. John Robbins, “Diet for a New America” kick started my path but Erik Markus’s “Vegan” gets the credit for my going vegan for a few years. Even met him and went to some animal rights meetings. After marriage I was active in the local vegetarian group and learned a lot including how to cook a little better since that has not been my interest. Five years later, with pregnancy, I suddenly started eating tuna fish which makes sense because it was an old staple and I had a hard time getting full even though my wonderful husband cooked lots of healthy meals. A baby is hard enough but having a vegan or even vegetarian child can be challenging, especially when I worried she wasn’t gaining enough weight. It has been somewhat easy to share with her along the way my views on animals. Think it started when she noticed a truck full of cattle looking cold and crowded while being transported and I explained what was happening without the gory details of the meat packing plants. She is nearly eight and asks lots of questions which I answer honestly. She is free to try meat products since my husband has reversed a bit and does occasionally eat meat even though I will not. This is a worthy topic and you may have inspired me to get out my piles of writing to take another look at a dream I had of publishing a book on why to become “mostly” vegetarian. Thank you!
    Sherri