This year, I decided to give up meat and sweets for Lent. I used to tease that I basically gave up everything that rhymes with 'eat.' I also started to exercise again (30 minutes of walking a day) which I let go after I sprained my ankle last year. I noticed something within 2 weeks after starting this diet - I started to feel more energetic. I couldn't believe how long I could keep working at a task. Before I started it, it took a lot to keep me on track and I wanted to sleep half my mornings away. Now, I'm up by 8 (okay, it does take about 20 minutes to actually leave the bed) and I'm ready to take on my day.
Once I went on this diet, I felt my desire for meat actually fade. I no longer craved McDonald's or Sheetz. Now, I find myself hating the smell of meat rather than wanting to eat it. When I first started, I decided that if my son was going to take this ride with me I was going to have to swap out the meat for meat-substitutes (Boca, Morningstar Farms, etc.). We both found that the mock chicken was disgusting but we both liked the meat crumbles as they can be used just like ground beef. I started making tacos, adding it to lasagna, using chicken nuggets (not as disgusting) to make Asian stir fry, etc. We both fell in love with the taste. I had found a way to incorporate a vegetarian lifestyle into our house that my son could tolerate as well.
Just before Easter, as my Lenten fast was ending, my son asked if I was going to remain a vegetarian. I said yes, but if he wished, I would make meat for him to eat. He said no as the vegetarian diet was making him feel more alive and focused. He liked the foods and would remain on it with me.
To date, we have learned how to incorporate a plant-based diet into our meals. I love using frozen vegetables as well as fresh. We go to the local farmer's markets and buy fresh greens and other vegetables. We use almond milk rather than regular milk and we are learning how to cook fantastic dishes using vegetables, pasta, and rice. I have even made a vegetarian meatloaf that tastes better than the reg. meatloaf. We are trying new vegetables each week and my son actually craves them as well. His exact words to some of my dishes are 'Mom, this looks divine.' We have not yet given up all dairy although we do severely limit its use in our house. Mostly, eggs are used to bake with and cheese is used sparingly. I just picked up nutritional yeast but do not seem to find the cheese taste they say is there. Will keep trying....
I now walk 7 miles a day and am getting ready to start running again. I am no longer fatigued and have more energy than I know what to use it on. I rarely have headaches or any other illness and feel an overall sense of happiness. I am hoping to continue this journey and invite you to join me on it.
It is a known fact that a meat-based western diet is a path that leads to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. By changing your diet you can regain the energy you've lost, hopefully lose some weight if that is what your goal is, and reverse the damage that has been done. It sounds difficult but it really isn't. The best part about this diet is the plethora of tastes you can now enjoy. If you like this post, please follow me on my journey. In future posts, I will start posting some of our favorite recipes starting with transition recipes that taste better than the ones you eat with meat.
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