First Veggie Grocery. Fun Times Were Had.

I did my first veggie grocery today.

On my list were the following things:

• apples
• grapes
• kiwi
• radishes
• spinach
• onions
• broccoli
• celery
• cucumber
• zuchinni
• peppers
• cauliflower 
• potatoes
• mushrooms
• baby carrots
• garlic
• bananas
• sprouted grain bread
• bagels
• soy cream cheese
• tempeh bacon
• vegetarian lasagna
• margarine (there was none without palm oil, so for the time being, Earth Balance it is)
• flaxseed
• trail mix 
• chocolate chips
• olive oil
• soya sauce
• tomato sauce
• vegetable broth
• dried bean/lentil soup mix
• dark chocolate almond milk
• TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
• tofu
• ginger ale

I was able to get everything! And tonight, I had a lasagna! I'm so full right now, I could split my gut. No, I kid. But these days, I feel well fed, yet not heavy. I'm still glad I did this.

By the way, my Dad said I'd cave after 4 days. Hah...this is day 12, well actually, 13, cause it's after midnight, therefor it's Thursday.

Also, here was my desert tonight:
Dark Chocolate Almond Milk Oatmeal with Flaxseed and Banana:

Day 10

I lost 9 pounds. :D

Week One. In the bag.

One week in, I'm feeling great.

There's a certain momentum that start happening when you decide you don't want to eat meat for more than health reasons. I initially did this for my health. I wanted to avoid heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and worsening mental health issues. The evidence that a meat diet contributes to these ailments is established. There really isn't arguing it. In the US, health insurance is less expensive for vegetarians and vegans as the health benefits are abundant.

Then I started learning about hormones and anti-biotics being fed to the animals. This was still a health concern, but suddenly, I had concern for the lives of these animals. These animals that live solely to feed us. That isn't right. A chicken lives 18 months. If it's a broiler chicken (used for meat), it's plumped up so badly, it's legs often break from excessive growth. If it's a layer chicken (used for eggs), it's killed after it's first year of laying because it won't lay as many eggs as the first year. The industry has decided it's more cost efficient to kill an already existing chicken and replace it with a new chicken. Doesn't that strike you as off? As ridiculous? As inhumane?

Pork is another horrendous story after another. The first thing you need to know is that pigs are highly intelligent and social. Without a traditional farm structure where they can roll around in mud and play and socialize, pigs are stressed. In factory farming, at least 15% of pigs die simply from being born. They don't handle the hormones and medication. They get no exercise and the only socializing they do, is to tell each other from crates that they hurt and are miserable. So they just drop dead. And when a pig is stressed, it releases hormones that destroys the flesh. In these pigs, the reaction is so bad, the meat putrefies. It's what's used in dog and cat food as it's not fit for human consumption. So what about pigs that live through the factory farming process? Well, have you ever had plain ham? Ham that wasn't honey roasted, or smoked, or salted? Probably not. Why? Because no matter how hard we try, pigs know they are about to be slaughtered. They get stressed and release some of those hormones I mentioned. Not enough to destroy the meat, but bad enough to make it bitter. That's why ham is prepared as it is. Not for it to taste wonderful, but for it not to repel you.


And if you think family farming is any better, consider this. Pigs, cows, and chickens are now artificially inseminated. They are NOT genetically equal to the same animals 80-100 years ago. Unless you're buying 'Heritage' meats, you're still buying genetically altered animals that shouldn't be fit for human consumption, no matter how humanely they are treated and killed.

Just a little food for thought.

Tired, But Can't Sleep

I hate when I'm exhausted and can't fall asleep.

Although I've been sleeping better this week than I have in awhile, tonight, sleep eludes me. And I didn't take a nap today. I woke up at the same time as usual, noon, which is weird because I didn't get to sleep till at least 4 am. I know that sounds weird to most of you, but when you don't have a job and you're a part time student and on meds that usually make you sleep twelve hours a night and often two more during the day. So in all, I'm sleeping less, just not until later in the morning. If I sleep 8 hours tonight, I'll have slept less his week than in the last 3 years, at least. That's a huge improvement for me these days.

Other changes I noticed this week:

• My skin is much less oily than previously. I had really oily skin throughout puberty. Then around 20, it turned into combination skin and the oil was heavy around the nose and forehead. The first morning I woke up, I was less oily. And by days 3 and 4, I was able to wipe my face down with water and a facecloth. And no breakouts so far. 
• My body odor has improved. I never smelled much until 23 when I started taking the full doses of my meds. It was weird. And it was an inconvenience. I've been self conscious about eventual job interviews and going back to school with this problem. It was getting expensive. Specialty antiperspirants are not cheap. Well, this week was like freedom. I was able to clean myself, and STAY clean. I didn't feel dirty. 
• My nails are growing faster. I had about two weeks worth of growth in one week. And they're strong too. This is saying alot since I bite my nails. I used to bite ALL THE TIME. Then this summer, I stopped making it as much of a habit. Now I pick at them but tend to bite rarely. I'm glad this is happening. 
• My digestion is more efficient. Evacuation is easier and cleansing. I feel light when digesting, not heavy and bloated. 
• I've lost some water weight. Not much yet, but some. 
• My cravings for food are diminishing. My will power *seems* to be feeding off itself. 
• I'm eating less, more often. Instead of 2-3 a day like before, I'm not eating 3-5 smaller meals throughout the day. 
• My nausea is somewhat less. Which means I smoked less weed this week. This has saved my pocketbook as well as my lungs. Also, when I smoke, I get munchies less. Awesome. 

I think I might stick with this. Yes, this could be the change that triggers it all.
*Fingers crossed*

Day 6

My appetite is satiated. I'm eating normal amounts of food at relatively normal times. I haven't gotten a hunger pang in days., I'm more energetic and more pleasant. My digestion is really reacting positively. My waste, and I know, no one wants to talk about this but it's important, is efficient and lower in methane. (Floating = Methane, Sinking = efficient and low Methane). I'm going on average once more a day, and a little less every time. There's also a cleansing happening. So far, so good.

I also don't feel deprived of anything. I'm eating well and I'm eating as much as I need to, not more, which is a big change for me.

I'm also experiencing a 'spiritual' pleasantness with this decision. That's also a little weird for me because I'm an atheist. And let's be clear, this isn't a God-influenced feeling, but I do feel connected with my environment in a way I didn't before. I feel like I have a responsibility. It feels good. 

Tips for Acclimating Your Tastebuds to a Meat Free Life

1. Don't eat substitutes assuming they will taste EXACTLY like meat. Many are great and quite close. And some, like TVP when used in chili can fool meat eaters into eating veggie. But many, especially fresh tofu, no matter how prepared, will taste the same as the cheeseburger you're trying to replace. The texture is quite different. Eat it sparingly until your tastebuds begin to recognize the flavours you cook it with.

2. It usually takes 15-20 tries of something before your brain registers it not only likes it, but wants it. Yes, refined sugars and trans fats make things taste great right away, but that's a trick. Don't fall for it. Most fruits, vegetables, and nuts take time to create craving receptors.

3. Once you've gotten used to certain foods, your body will tell you when you need them. Keep your favorites handy so you can indulge your craving. Vegetarianism is about abundance.

4. Try many different meat substitutes over time. There's TVP (textured vegetable protein), tofu, seitan, tempeh, Quorn and eggplant.  All these (except eggplant) are high in protein, low in fat and calories, and appropriate for a low-carb diet. Preparation methods are abundant. (As I've yet to make or try any yet, I'll have to get back to you about my findings)

5. Remind yourself what you are eating. Chickens, for example, are genetically bastardized. Their genetics for breeding required them to grow rapidly (add hormone laced feed to that) and often their frames fail them. Millions die every year just from being born genetically deformed. They're drugged with antibiotics, which affects the way humans response to these drugs as well. They frequently experience stress fractures during transportation. They are bled out, plucked and dumped into a vat of water infested with feces, blood, left over feathers, salmonella and e.Coli. In fact, according to Johnathan Saffron Foer, author of 'Eating Animals', chickens are sold with either or both diseases 97% of the time. They are then dismembered and plumped with broths and waters to make the chicken taste, well, like chicken. Since genetic engineering has messed these birds up so badly, they don't taste anything like what chickens did 50-80 years ago. When you eat chicken, you are not really eating chicken. You're really eating diseases and hormones. This image is what turned me off that chicken supper last Friday night.

6. Get a full array of colourful foods. Reds, blues, yellows, greens, dark greens, whites, oranges...eat them all. Your body wants and needs them. Frequently, when the body doesn't get what it needs, it craves what it remembers providing it with those nutrients. If you cover the full spectrum of nutrition, you're less likely to crave your old meat/dairy/egg standards. Be especially aware of deficiencies in iron, iodine, omegas 3 and 6, any and all amino acids, protein and B vitamins. These are most commonly missing from vegetarian lifestyles.

7. Don't call your new-found vegetarianism a diet. It isn't. Yes, there are health benefits, and I'm starting to feel them now. But in truth, it is a lifestyle change. A diet implies that once you're reached a certain weight or goal, you may eat the foods you cut out in moderation. Quitting meat is not temporary. It's supposed to be for life. Celebrate your milestones instead. One week, make a special meal. One month, go out with friends and try a new recipe on the menu of a favorite restaurant (always call ahead and confirm there are options for you on the menu, be specific about what you don't eat.). One year, and I intend to bake myself a cake. Like a birthday.

8. You can start slow too. Go meat-free on one day every week. Do that for a month. Then move to two days a week. Do that for a month. You can also cut out certain meats gradually. Say you want t stop eating red meat, do that for a month. Then cut out pork for a month. Eventually you'll get to chickens, fish and maybe dairy and eggs. Find your speed and go for it. And if you do fail, relax. You're human. Try again. Persistence helps.

Day Four into Five

Well, things are happening.

Yesterday, I didn't need a nap (for the first time in years).

Today, my energy was abundant to say the least. Even my chiropractor noticed. He said I had a brightness about me. My best friend said it was like I had my spark back. That spark that until now, I thought indicated I was symptomatic again...going manic. Turns out, I was being poisoned.

I think I've lost weight too...my pants were quite looser on me than last week. It's quite wondrous.

Tonight, I'm smiling. 

Support and Genocide. Really?!

In my last entry, I made a statement that I thought nothing of. Until, that is, a friend who read it pointed out  their thoughts. I will include the email here.

"I read through the blog today.  I'm interested in the progress you're making.  Persistence will be the single most beneficial thing you can have with this kind of pursuit.  After a while you'll be in a positive feedback loop and want to do more.

Although, I think trying to draw moral equivalency between factory farms and the Holocaust is fucked up."

 

Now, I'm really quite easygoing. And to be honest, not easily offended. I laughed. I was glad that there was support there. Persistence is quite important. I intend to be persistent.

Then the last comment struck me :"Although, I think trying to draw moral equivalency between factory farms and the Holocaust is fucked up." 

For a second, I thought, wait, maybe he thinks I'm turning into a typical left-wing PETA nut with dreads who equates animals to people and therefore believes that that BILLIONS of slaughtered animals in North America surpasses or is equal to the millions of Jews/Gypsys/Gays/Dissenters who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis. 

I mean in sheer numbers, factory farming is a holocaust in it's own right. But that's not where I'm going with this. And animals, are indeed animals and at times are needed for food. I may have become a vegetarian, but I'm not going to make that decision for someone else. It's up to you to decide if meat is right or not. If you live in Nunavut, you likely eat seal. Vegetation is next to non-existent and, let's face it, you need fat to keep you warm on long dark days. Whatever.(I don't mess with people who live off the land and often off the grid.) 

But if you want to equate human life to human life, factory farming contributes to a genocide still. Period. In order to feed HUNDREDS of BILLIONS in livestock every year, fresh water and 'feed' (which is perfectly fine food until it's drugged up) could feed everyone on the planet. And feed them well! Healthy grains, firm veggies, succulent fruits, hearty soy and versatile corns and potatoes. Nuts. I mean...yum!

Instead: 

3 BILLION people struggle to live on the equivalent of $2 U.S. 

Officially 852 Million are 'starving'.

And no one has to. 

In feed alone, we could all live prosperously in the nourishment department.  

We could also use land to used to house animals to grown and cultivate more food.

Instead, estimates range from 6 Million to 35 Million people die every year of starvation. 

I think that qualifies as a genocide. 

Millions more die of lack of fresh water....which we use in MASSIVE amounts to feed factory farming.

AND factory farming is polluting more water every year than the EXXON Valdez oil spill. More genocide. 

And it's not over. Add to that the the 1.5 Billion people over 20 who are obese or morbidly obese. They will live a life of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, and depression. They will also run a higher risk of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and degenerative diseases like MS and Alzheimer's.More genocide. And this genocide appears to be white washed in flashy fast food commercials and highly addictive corn syrup. 

When I think of those numbers, I get a little upset. upset that for so long, I lived without knowing about this world. And it's an issue I can actually do something about.

Ladies and gentlemen, please know, the Holocaust was a big deal. And my ethical comparison was not meant to offend. Merely to allay into other matters that I intended to tackle in the upcoming blogs. The email just presented me with an opportunity to explain why I feel the way I do now about vegetarianism. It's not JUST a health thing for me anymore. I could go on about other ethical issues regarding eating meat, namely how much suffering do you allow yourself to accept in order to eat a Whopper, or bacon and eggs, or even have milk in your cereal.

But alas, that is for another day. I'm not feeling quite that radical yet. But the night's still young. Bras beware!

Facts About Eating Meat

The following are facts that I stole from various pages on the web. These sites, while independent, match the research I've made on my own. These facts add up. Find them for yourself if you don't believe me. Also, do not trust information distributed by the government and the meat industry. You need to look hard because many corporations set up a research facility and call it something unrelated to the corporation in order to pass it off as independent research. Most of these sources are unwilling to discuss their findings:

• The risk of contracting breast cancer is 3.8 times greater for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week; 2.8 times greater for women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week; and 3.25 greater for women who eat butter and cheese 2 to 4 times a week as compared to once a week.

• The risk of fatal ovarian cancer is three times greater for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week as compared with less than once a week.

• The risk of fatal prostate cancer is 3.6 times greater for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily as compared with sparingly or not at all. 

• Heart attack is the most common cause of death in the U.S., killing one person every 45 seconds. The male meat-eater's risk of death from heart attack is 50%. The risk to men who eats no meat is 15%. Reducing one's consumption of meat, dairy and eggs by 10% reduces the risk of heart attack by 10%. Completely eliminating these products from one's diet reduces the risk of heart attack by 90%. 

• Ninety-nine percent of U.S. mother's milk contains significant levels of DDT. In stark contrast, only 8% of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT. This shows that the primary source of DDT is the meat ingested by the mothers.

• Contamination of breast milk due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in animal products found in meat-eating mothers versus nonmeat-eating mothers is 35 times higher. 

• There are numerous claims today about saturated fat. Some claim that we do not need any saturated fat to survive, or that all saturated fat is bad, while others tell us to eat freely and that this substance is essential for our health.While not all saturated fat is bad, saturated fat from animal products like meat appears to directly affect the function of our cardiovascular system in many negative ways. Not only is it linked to putting a strain on one’s heart through possible fat deposits in the arteries, increasing one’s blood pressure and causing artery damage, but it is the major fat responsible for dangerous weight gain. Today’s meat is even higher than ever in fat because of how the animals are raised, with no exercise or natural grazing capabilities. Hence they sit in a cage and are over fed, which leads to higher than normal unhealthy fat deposits.

• Besides the increased chances of colon cancer, meat can cause a lot of digestive disturbances for the very same reasons. Meat takes a long time to pass through the intestines, where during this time it putrefies. Putrefaction produces toxins and amines that accumulate in the liver, kidneys and large intestines, destroys bacterial cultures and causes degeneration of the lining of the small intestine. Over a few years of a regular meat diet, putrefied meat is going to adhere to the lining of your intestines, where it often causes various digestive problems such as IBS, stomach cramps, prolapsed colons, haemorrhoids, constipation and many other problems that are not even directly linked to the intestines.

• Due to the fact that some animal proteins are very closely related to ours, the body responds to a lot of these as foreign particles and tries to destroy them. (Not very different from how some organ transplants get rejected.) When the body does this on a regular basis, after some time it begins to turn on itself due to some auto-immune processes that end up resulting in things like arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and others.

• Imagine how much water is wasted each year to grow the food to feed these animals and how much water is wasted to keep them hydrated while they are growing. In order for land to be made suitable for animal production, land must be properly cleared and this usually involves the chopping and clearing of many trees. Livestock production accounts for 30% of the entire land surface of the planet. Just think of how many people can be fed in the world and have clean drinking water, if it wasn’t all going to the billions of animals.

• Animals produce natural gas, mainly methane. Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas, in that it traps heat even more readily and abundantly than carbon dioxide. In fact animal production is responsible for about 18% of the world’s climate change and to put that in perspective that is even more than all of the world’s transportation.

• Think about yourself and what happens to you in times of stress. The number one thing that happens to all animals under stress is an elevation of stress hormones, which initialize a whole slew of other biochemical reactions that lead away from an animal’s healthy balanced state. This of course leads to various diseases. When we consume this meat, whether you embrace the Eastern views of karma, energy changes and thus disruptions or not, eating meat from stressed animals has been shown to be linked to various negative mental and emotional states of being in us as well.

• Homocysteine is an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. The only source of homocysteine for use in our bodies is that which the liver forms after the ingestion of another amino acid, methionine. Methionine is found in protein foods. Animal protein contains two to three times the amount of methionine as does plant protein. Homocysteine levels can be lowered very effectively by avoiding meat and dairy consumption. In fact, a recent study performed at Harvard Medical School showed that subjects who adopted a vegan diet had their homocysteine levels drop between 13% and 20% in just one week.

• Depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia can be connected to meat consumption. The amount of tryptophan (An amino acid necessary for normal growth in infants and for nitrogen balance in adults.) in the foods that are eaten has only a small influence upon the amount of tryptophan that enters the brain. The most important factor determining the total amount of tryptophan that does enter the brain is the concentration of other large-molecule amino acids concurrently present in the blood. Large-molecule amino acids, among them tryptophan, compete with each other to enter "gates" between the circulating blood stream and the relatively confined brain fluids. A high-protein meal (full of meats, dairy foods, and eggs) provides many other amino acids that compete with tryptophan for entry into the brain; the end result is less tryptophan passing into the brain and a decrease in the synthesis of serotonin (a phenolic amine neurotransmitter that is a powerful vasoconstrictor and is found especially in the brain, blood serum, and gastric mucosa of mammals). Conversely, a low-protein, carbohydrate-rich diet (full of starches, vegetables, and fruits) results in the highest levels of serotonin in the brain, because fewer large-molecule amino acids are competing with tryptophan to enter the brain. For most this means less hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, and insomnia-provided they eat a vegetarian diet.

'Eating Animals' and How Meat Hurt Me

For anyone looking to change their eating habits, regardless of whether you want to eat meat or not, should read Jonathan Saffran Foer's 'Eating Animals'.

I grew up with a father who owned a Dairy Queen/Brazier fast food restaurant. I ate meat everyday, probably three times a day. And when I wasn't in the process of eating meat, I was thinking about the next meat meal I would eat that day. I was also pudgy, depressed, moody, and undergoing a barrage of tests for digestive issues eventually resulting a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I was also dealing with anxiety and agitation.

Fast forward to age 20. I became manic on top of being depressed. I lived like this, cycling in and out of both behaviours for two and a half years, getting worst with every cycle. Finally, I got some help. I was diagnosed both Bipolar and as having Borderline Personality Disorder meaning that to figure out what I did have, I was signed up for intensive therapy and prescribed my first 'cocktail' of meds. Lithium would be my downfall.

I got worst before I got better. I also gained a shitload of weight. But it became clear within a year that at least 50% of my symptoms had disappeared before I got to therapy with just the meds. Another 25% of them disappeared once I was off lithium and onto a safer drug for me. Therapy merely aided me with dealing with day to relationships that I had recently damaged quite badly. It was clear after 3 or so years that I was indeed Bipolar and would likely be medicated for the long haul to be productive in life.

At this point, I decided that I would work as hard as my little body could handle to do what I could to have a fruitful life. Not an extravagant one, but one where I would be provided for.

But I couldn't get 'healthy'. I tried to work out, but lacked motivation in a way that I've never understood. Every night I would beat myself up for failing. My self image was that of a disgusting pig that increased in size so drastically and quickly that I must be defective in some way.

I started taking vitamins. Vowed to quit smoking, which seems inextricably linked to my self hatred, and drink more water. I started seeing a chiropractor (which, to his credit, fixed some very major issues concerning my health) and vowed that I will start walking/working out/dancing around the house for an hour in an effort to get off my lazy ass and move. I only succeeded in giving up and going for a smoke to drown my sorrows.

I know. I'm not off to a good start.

I've long loved many vegetarians and vegans in their respective professions. Paul and Linda McCartney were two such people. Ellen DeGeneres is another. k-Os is a vegetarian. Apparently so is Jim Carrey. Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi were. The list is long...check Wikipedia's List of Vegetarians or List of Vegans and see for yourself.

About five weeks ago, I was working through some homework. I'm taking a World Religions credit to get my high school diploma (yet another reason to feel shitty about myself!). I was into a lesson on Hinduism that would last two more lessons then lead into Buddhism. Suddenly, I was reading about vegetarians centuries ago. Before supplements. Before multi-vitamins and modern medicine. I was hooked. I started looking into the health of eating meat. It didn't bode well for meat.

From there, I got interested in the practice of factory farming and additives given to meat and poultry to make them more profitable. It turned out that made the food additionally bad for us.

I decided to go vegetarian and continue my research. But I had to get through this month's groceries, which included already dead and paid for meat. Friday night, I was served chicken. I couldn't eat it. I felt the fork pierce the flesh and I thought of all the bad I was about to put into my body. I fed it to the dogs (which now I regret and will never do again!). Friday night, I wrote my declaration on FB and asked for support. For the most part I got it. Saturday was my first meat free day.

That night, I put aside the book I was reading, 'Siddhartha' by Herman Hesse, and loaded 'Eating Animals' by Saffran Foer. It's stunning in it's research and I hope some of you pick it up. It chronicles his life as a father and wanting to know what he was feeding his infant son, to his interviews with farmers, factory and not, and the conditions which these practices occur. It has opened my eyes even further.

I now have a new understanding of suffering. The Holocaust wasn't okay. Why is factory farming acceptable?

Day two and I feel like I have a new lease on life. My body is responding. My mind is evolving. I don't hate myself today.

Vegan Brownie in a Mug

Serves 1
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons Flour
4 Tablespoons Sugar (or stevia)
2 Tablespoons Cocoa powder
2 Tablepsoons Vegetable Oil (Don't use one with a strong flavor, eg olive, sesame, etc)
2 Tablespoons Water
Dash of salt
Mug
Microwave 1-3 mins.

This is delicious and has so much potential. Add berries for a sweeter taste. Add walnuts or almonds for a little texture. Serve with vegan ice cream for a cool treat.

Midnight Temptation

I was hungry.
I went into my Dad's fridge and there, in my face, was delicious crispy bacon.
For a split second I was tempted. But only out of habit.
As soon as my brain registered what it was, I was fine.
Instead, I ate roasted potatoes.
They were delicious.

Day 1

You're not going to believe this, but I'm full.

I ate veggies and oats and banana. But not only am I full, but I feel light. And I'm not light.

Supper was vegetarian chili...really hearty too! I filled it with green beans, spinach, broccoli, beans, corn, mushrooms, and onions. I made it 3/4 of the way through, I was full.  Really full. But not heavy. Within the hour, I felt light on my feet. My digestion seemed pleased as well. Lots of healthy processes are occurring.

Some side effects of this transition that are well documented, are the processes of detoxing that occurs after you purge meat from your diet. My supplement came with much information warning that in the first month, you can experience stomach upset, diarrhea, headaches, mild depression, possible agitation, and some sluggish days. This is not only normal, but a healthy response to eliminating flesh from your diet. The process is even more intense when you go vegan. Hence why I chose to do this one step at a time.

As for cravings, well, to get my fix of sweets, I just made oatmeal with unsweetened chocolate almond milk sweetened with stevia with crushed banana for additional sweetness and texture. Today was easy. But the first day always is.

My Decision to go Vegetarian.

Hey Folks.
I made a pretty important decision recently and that was to become a vegetarian.
Many factors led to this decision. I did not come to it lightly.
First, I began to learn about factory farming. It's not pretty. Meat today is not what meat 2-3 generations ago was both ethically and in health.
Second, I've heard about the effects of animal diets on mental health, cardiovascular health, the vital functions of other internal organs and the digestive difficulties associated with processing animal proteins.
Third, with all that good stuff happening to my body, I hope to lose weight, lower the intake of my bipolar medication and regain the energy I've lost over time to begin exercising and walking regularly.
Last, I've been a huge Paul McCartney fan since I was 4. That's 23 years. I've watched him age as a vegetarian and marvel at his youth onstage even as a 69 year old man. More so, advocates of vegetarian/vegan diets such as Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DiRossi, Natalie Portman, Emily Deschanel, Sarah Silverman, and many others are showing how stunning and healthy the lifestyle can be. Another great example is Buddhists, who traditionally are vegetarians. Last, I love Lisa Simpson, And she's a vegetarian. I found out in the episode with Paul McCartney.
I hope to update this page a few times a week and document my progress. Please tune in.