Several years ago when I was attempting the vegetarian lifestyle. Through the few years I formed the Blog many more changes in diets have come across my TV, smart phone, email, Facebook, and twitter. First it was Vegan, still friendly towards animals, more so, in that you don't eat ANYTHING that comes from or is made from animals, or wear fur/leather made from animals. Sounds good, not too hard (since I have leather taste on a pleather budget), and definitely pulls on my heart strings when it comes to the humane treatment of our furry friends, even the ones that most choose to eat as meat. I mean, I watched several documentaries that showed animals being treated so badly and horribly, making me feel guilty and shed so many tears for all the years I did consume charred animal flesh even as a, well behaved eat what momma cooks because she is not a diner cook, kid. I still feel there is still no excuse for the ill-treatment of animals, be it the ones who are our pets or the ones raised and consumed for food, which in some cases, sadly are pets. Sad, sad, sad, and a lifestyle I thought seriously about pursuing especially since I had eaten a vegan donut or two (and cinnamon rolls) from a coffee house that sells a local vegan bakery co-op's creations in Austin. I was like WOW, this tastes...good and is so moist and chewy, and hmmmm no eggs or milk?...WOW, YUM YUM YUM! Never mind the sugar rush I was getting along with the caffeine rush from the cold brew iced coffee...another entry all together!
Another diet fad that has hit the market is gluten free. I actually always thought that gluten was what forms when we mix flour with water and a myriad of other ingredients to get the baked goods many of us enjoy on a regular basis. I mean, I bake bread, cake, cookies, pie, and love pasta....and to find out that many folks these days have an allergy or inflammation to something that naturally occurs when mixing two seemingly benign ingredients kind of confused me. I have eaten bread for years; the number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is endless, as well as the cupcakes, brownies and Italian pasta dishes that have passed these lips, that is until recently. I began noticing that if I over do it on the carbohydrate filled treats, especially pre-made, processed ones, I get an unfriendly rumbly in my tumbly and it gives me gas like you wouldn't believe! So...I was thinking about what to do. I mean, I could go back to being vegetarian...after all I have discovered the simplicity in eggs again, and they are sooooo good, and cheese, well...for those of you who love it and gave it up for a better style of living know you miss it, as it was the most common thing besides ice cream that all my vegan/vegetarian friends say they craved the most after a few months, and many still do after YEARS of living vegan. Admittedly, I felt better knowing I was eating more fruits and veggies and I did lose some weight. But like most who are vegetarians who are obese, they hit a wall, a plateau to the weight loss, and many find themselves on that plateau for years, even with moderate exercise. I know of a coworker right now who just got over her no weight loss hump, but is slowly getting to another slump in the slim down. Another friend I know, has been vegan for 5 years after 10 of being vegetarian and though he looks great, his health is worse than that of my diabetic husband who is OLDER. And this guy exercises, and takes his multivitamins and...and...and...but I have always noticed he has a poochy belly, a pocket of what I thought was fat that he just couldn't shed. Well, I found out recently it is more than likely inflammation from wheat and corn.
Now, I know some of you reading this right now are saying, "I have no health problems and I feel great! and YES, Jenn, animal cruelty, even in food animals, is WRONG, and don't you want to join us and help the environment? because not eating meat helps with that...less pollution, less global warming...etc" and guys believe me, I am a firm believer in taking care of this Earth while we are here on it living. I do NOT think that treating dairy cows like never ending milk pumps is right, and yes, when I saw the videos on the pigs being rolled in a skinning machine, or the chicken that hemorrhaged when laying an egg, I cried, boo hooed and sniffled into Eric's manly shoulder, but the thing is...the thing that gets me, after rolling it all over in my mind, is that all of the shows that I watched and I watched all kinds; for OR against vegetarian/Vegan living and, well, though they were passionate films, subjective and persuasive (they persuaded me to think differently) simply due to their sensationalism, no research, no science, just their shocking imagery. I don't even recall half of what their "experts" said because of those images that were shown to shock me into submission. I mean, one documentary about chemicals and our planet prompted me to make my own laundry soap and household cleaners, let alone wash my hair with baking soda, which I still plan on doing, possibly for the rest of my life, simply because it is CHEAPER than buying the already made stuff at the store. Plus, regarding the non-shampoo, I realized that my body has a job to do, and I, along with every other American has been duped into fighting what our bodies do naturally, by over cleansing and thus developing a cycle of continuous buying of those personal products as our bodies try to naturally recover from us stripping it of ALL bacteria, and oil (again another entry all together). The point is, If it helps our planet, then GREAT, what a bonus!
Again, don't get me wrong, I even think that gluten free has a point. Wheat and products made from it have caused us to become "allergic" to it, and therefore we have to adjust what we eat, or modify our favorite recipes so that our guts are not on fire or cramping balls of pain after dinner.If something that we have been eating for 100 years, is causing us this much pain...well, common sense tells me STOP IT! I mean, it's kind of like putting your hand on a hot cast iron skillet without an oven mitt...hurts like hell, but you WON'T stand there holding it, letting the pain get worse...you will drop that skillet and treat your hand.
Now here is the point of this rant guys...I am actually going back to being a full time meat eater. In fact I am going to work the Paleo lifestyle into it and see what happens. After reading, researching, and seeing the results in person of friends and relatives who have done this very thing, I am convinced that this is what is right for me and my family. Many of you know I am not one to follow the conventional necessarily, and this lifestyle is one of the most unconventional ones of our time, despite it being based on HARD, Scientific, objective evidence that the lifestyle of our ancestors (yes, even biblical ones for those of you who believe, as I do, in Father God), is what is needed for us as occupiers of this world, this life, to be successful. I looked up all sorts of things on this paleo style of eating, and watched a few documentaries on it, and did not run across one fly by the seat of one's pants opinion, or sensational image...only scientific findings, and images to give relation to the numbers they were talking about.
Anywho, I know many of my vegetarian friends and relatives are going to FREAK OUT! I know though that ALL of you being the mature, smart and wonderful people you are, you won't resent me or make me feel bad about this. heck, none of you would be my friends if you made me feel bad about my feelings! So...please, do your research...I know I do, and still am, even through this process. And as far as the animals...I had a wise preacher tell me once, back in my Cameron, Texas days, when I was crying to him about the almost extinct Bengal tiger, "Until someone shows what value they have alive, no one is going to stop hunting them, or destroying our planet." I think the same thing can be said for our food animals...until someone can show that these creatures are worth more than being treated inhumanely just to feed us, they will always be treated badly. As for me and my house, I thank GOD for creating the animals we eat and making them so they willingly give up their lives to feed me and my loved ones.
So finally, in closing, I know of two things that this new lifestyle will do for both my family and the world. It will make us thinner and healthier and since we won't be eating grains, it will cut down on the GMO's we will consume, seeing as most of those are grains become cereal and breads...whatever you guys are doing...good luck and be blessed no matter what! I love Ya'll!
No comments:
Post a Comment