Lettuce Head

About a week ago I did something that will both shock and disappoint my family... something so antithetical to our way of socializing that meals in my parents' house may never be the same.

Yes, it's true.

I became a vegetarian.

*insert ominous music here*

Actually, the jury is still out on whether I'll ultimately settle as a vegetarian or a pescetarian (without sushi in my life, I might cry), but the point is that I've stopped eating meat and when I tell my father I fully expect him to look at me as though I've grown eyes on stalks. Fortunately, my family has a well established record of being supportive; if they can survive my calling home at age 19 to say "I'm dropping out of the #2 engineering program in the country to get a theater degree!" they can survive this.

Still, it should make our annual meat-eating extravaganza Nutcracker Weekend interesting.

So why the change? There are three main reasons:

My physical health. I've been an enthusiastic eater of meat my entire life, but I'd started to notice over the last few months that I'd feel sluggish or ill after eating any quantity of meat (especially red meat or pork).  I'd go through phases where the texture of  meat in my mouth  felt... odd. During those phases, all I wanted to eat were vegetables.  In talking it over with my doctor, she said that my body's tastes and needs might just be changing and she encouraged me to follow its instincts as long as I was eating a healthful and well-rounded diet.

My spiritual health. I finally broke down and read Quantum Wellness (I usually try to avoid any type of wellnes fad) and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it; it is really much more level and well-researched than I would have imagined. One of the things Freston talks about is the energy that we ingest with our food and why it is therefore important to consider the supply chain of the things that we eat. A piece of chicken that comes from a farm where the animals are raised comfortably and slaughtered humanely would have a much different energy content than, say, a piece of chicken from an industrial farm where the animals are abused and slaughtered cruelly by people who are themselves mistreated. That idea is all a bit woo woo for most people, but it really hit me.

The environment. I've been striving to live a bit greener lately, replacing a light bulb with a compact flourescent here, carrying around re-useable grocery bags there, and this is just one more change that I personally can make to help improve the environment. You all have seen and heard the same statistics that I have so I won't beat you over the head with them, but the fact is that industrial farming is hugely detrimental to the planet. I choose not to support it any longer; I have always been a proponent of voting with my dollars.

In the end, I guess it really comes down to one reason: It feels like the right thing for me to do at this point in my life.

The timing just seemed right. Monday morning, my carpool buddy and I were talking about the fact that the end of June is a good opportunity to sit back and take stock of the year - to evaluate how the last six months have gone and make adjustments for the next six. He said that he and his wife often make small mid-year resolutions and I thought that was a great idea.

Thus, my mid-year resolution for 2008 is to switch to a vegetarian diet.

Pass the tofu, please.

Comments

[Kathleen]

I unceremoniously did this a few months ago myself. I still do dairy, eggs, and white fish (the only kind of seafood I like), but no red meat or pork and only once in a blue moon (when my body tells me I need it) chicken bought from a local farm where I know they've been treated humanely.

I dated a vegan for a year and a half with no yearn to change how I eat (luckily he wasn't one of those preachy vegan douches). This is the single solitary reason I have not "outed" myself to my family - they will think it is somehow related to him in some way even though that had absolutely nothing to do with it. One day I just made the decision.

I do feel better. One night while on a little vino, I caved and ate one bite of a beef rib a friend offered me and felt like crap for two days.

Because I still do fish, it has been very easy to "fly under the radar" in the circles within which I have chosen not to share this choice with.

Congrats to you!

[Tag]

Kudos to you! Ya know I totally support you!

I learned how to eat clean during my competition years when I had to keep my weight at a certain level and simultaneously keep strength and stamina. Not an easy feat as I learned. Thankfully, as time went on I had the privilege of being coached by some of the best in the business and learned intimately how to fuel ones body cleanly.

Its kind of like changing the oil in your car. 5W-30 makes your engine a lot happier than crude.

I have never been vegetarian for more than 8 months (1 competition cycle) but for well over a decade the only meat I ever ate was what I caught or hunted myself. Today, I have officially given up beef and pork. I'm hoping chicken isn't far behind simply because the more I read and see about these disgusting industrial farms the less I feel the desire. I applaud free range and try hard to stick with that type of chicken. Oh, and I'll probably always eat fish. :-)

[Karl]

Great meeting you tonight, Amanda. Get it? MEETing? You know? MEAT? Because, well, you're a vegetarian now. Or you might be that other one, the...um, pest control diet? Totally up to you, of course. That's a very personal decision not to eat meat. It seems almost like a *crazy* decision, though. I can't see ever giving up meat. Not completely. I eat a lot more chicken and turkey than anything. I'll have the occasional burger and even less occasional steak. But I don't do a ton of red meat. Still, giving it all up? Have you thought about how rejected the cows must feel by your slight?

[Chana]

WHOA! Somebody's playing with templates. How about a post to go with? (Remnant of MN-speak.)