Wondering if any others here are finding themselves eating meat any less than before, or about the same as always? I wouldn’t categorize myself as vegetarian but I have noticed in the last several months that my appetite for meat of any kind has dropped pretty dramatically. My wife and I eat a mostly plant-based diet—lots of fruit and veggies, salads, brown rice, etc. I don’t have any moral or political stance against meat, but I feel a lot better and more energetic without it. I took one of my boys to Whataburger last week (his favorite) and I enjoyed the bacon burger, but felt really sluggish afterwards.
I guess today is the wrong day to answer as I am getting ribs shortly but yes, I am eating less. I am cooking Indian food a lot more and it's mostly vegetarian. Eating Quinoa or brown rice and love the taste of both. I don't even know why I am eating less, I just am.
l00p, my daughter is vegetarian and she recently introduced us to quinoa, we have some in the fridge now. It’s terrific. I think we get more sensitive to what our bodies really need, which is actually very little. We run better on plant fuel.
Over the last few years, I have found myself eating less red meat and more poultry and seafood. I also try to have at least one or two meat free days a week, mostly early in the week. Just kind of trended that direction with no real intention of doing so. Company I started working for at the first of the year stocks the kitchens with fresh fruit and oatmeal, and that has actually been a huge help in avoiding bad daytime snacking.
We are eating less meat than before, but it was precipitated by a nasty medical shock when Mrs. Sangre was diagnosed with breast cancer and the only lifestyle risks that the oncologist identified were consuming more meat and wine than doctors recommend. So yes, we reevaluated our diet and meat has been reduced in favor of fish, and when we do have beef we are careful to eat smaller portions as well. And I have discovered Quinoa too. That stuff rocks.
Sangre, that is scary. I hope the Mrs is doing well. We recently watched the documentary Forks Over Knives (IMDB, film site) and the medical science seems to be pretty well-established that cutting out animal products and processed foods can not only help us avoid many diseases, but even reverse the effects in some cases. I don't know if I will ever go full-vegetarian, but I wouldn’t be surprised if my tastes just naturally evolve in that direction.
A friend of mine from India is teaching me how to cook in that style of cuisine. He is vegetarian. Every dish we are making kicks *** and has so many ways to vary them it's ridiculous. I love lentils and cooking with the pressure cooker more is really paying off. Beans are fresh and fast, same with lentils and other things. It's easy to cut back on meat when the alternatives are really flavorful, tasty and packed with protein so you are not hungry an hour later. I do love the taste of meat and don't know if I could ever be vegetarian (for sure not a vegan, nu-uh, no way in hell) but I really do envision a continued cut back. I am looking forward to more fish. A way that I keep my meat consumption in check is beginning to eat only free range natural beef. It's more costly but I'll be damned if it does not taste better. I can afford it but given its higher price tag I get smaller portions and make it go longer. (that's what she said)
Dio, Thanks for that. Yes, her prognosis is very good, but we're currently dealing with the harsher side (chemo) of getting her into remission. It's unpleasant, but it sure has caused us to reevaluate a lot of things. I'm with you in that I can't see myself ever going full vegetarian (I've seen too many vegetarians who look, well, sickly, to buy into that notion) but a wholesale change in the balance of meat to grain to veggie sure has been pleasant. Add to that my 100% elimination of soft drinks about a year and a half past and there has been quite a noticeable difference in how I feel. I hope to keep the trend heading this direction. Now I just need to drop 20 stubborn pounds...
Dion, I really hope your wife can beat this thing out! Also, what do you drink instead of sodas? I gave them up about a year ago as a way to encourage my dad to get off of them. Thankfully, he did. Even though he would drink Coke Zero, I almost feel like him drinking those were worse for him than drinking regular Coke. The sweetener isn't natural, and I think it's hard for your body to process.
l00p likes spinach mambas! Sorry l00p I have not communicated with you. I have been very sick all year. Looking forward to the season!
I also like Mamba Meatballs!!! And holy balls, pulque, that sucks. Here is to you being in better health and spirits, compadre.
Just saw Beyond Meat this morning. There’s a writeup at Slate.com about it. Apparently it’s not widely available yet. Story on NPR from May.
Dionysus- is this in response to the cleanse that you did earlier in the year (or last year)? I have found that i feel much better if I limit my meat consumption to one meal a day (or none) and 5 ounces or less. Have you read the book the China study? has both proponents and detractors, I am just curious whether you have read it. Oh, and for me the above food has too many ingrediants.
envgeo, I have not read the China Study, but earlier in this thread I referred to the film Forks Over Knives and they talk about it in the film. T. Colin Campbell is featured prominently in the film and he was one of the principals in the China Study. In cultures where the diet is mostly plant-based you see much lower incidence of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The “western diet” is making people fat, tired and sick. In many cases, simple behavior changes eliminate these problems. This is great news and I hope more people are being educated about it. No, this is not directly related to last year’s fasting/cleanse, except maybe peripherally as I am just interested in maintaining health and learning more about these things. I do know that I feel better and have more energy since reducing meat and dairy products.
I thought a little meat-based poetry might be appropriate for this thread. Roses are red Bacon is too Poems are hard Bacon
