Friday, January 1, 2010

Day 1 of No Red Meat!

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2010! Wow, that just sounds so weird. Here's to forgetting it's 2010 and still writing '09 on everything! I do that for at least a couple of weeks. ;)

I told you I would post more on my decision to become a vegetarian. Well, in all actuality, I will most likely be a semi-vegetarian. Semi- meaning that I plan on continuing to eat fish (I can't imagine my life w/o sushi!). This all started when I read:



My boss recommended it to me...and now, the book is written by vegans who basically just describe all of the bad (awful!) things that we put into our bodies. It's written in a very fun/sarcastic kind of tone; it makes you laugh, but it was also hard to get through at times. When I got done, I was just like..."Wow, I need to make some changes!" Now, it's easier said than done, especially if you've been eating the same way for your entire life. Originally, after reading it, I switched my sugar/sweetener...you should read all of the horrible things about Splenda! So, that was Step 1. I stopped drinking soda for a couple of months (yes, I currently am back to drinking it at the moment). At the end of the book, the authors said that if the best you can do is start taking steps towards healthier eating habits, then that is great! It doesn't suggest that you should just wake up one day and vow never to eat meat and dairy products again. It's like setting yourself up for failure right away.

So, starting today, I am giving up red meat. No more hamburgers, no more steaks, etc. I honestly don't think this will be too hard. Chicken might be a bit more difficult...and this will be given up after January.

Now, you ask why am I doing this? Well, one reason is for health benefits. By not eating meat, I think it will force me to branch out to healthier substitutes. And after reading the chapter about slaughterhouses in the book, it is really hard to see a piece of meat and not think about the torture that animals go through. Granted, I know this is a bit hypocritical...I mean if I was all about 'no cruelty to animals' I would go vegan. And I agree, it's hard to say, I won't eat meat from a cow but I will still eat cheese and drink milk made from that same cow. However, I am starting out slow with this stuff. Who knows, maybe someday it will lead me to become vegan. Baby steps...I mean, a little effort goes a long way.

That's the plan for 2010...definitely eat healthier. I have already begun a new love for Trader Joe's!! Look at all of the yummy stuff I got there the other day:



Soy Vanilla Ice Cream (um, yeah...it's yummy)
Organic Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Margharita pizza (with fresh mozzarella and a package of basil for topping)
Clementines
Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Seeds (MMMmmmm)
Cranberry Apple Butter & Pumpkin Butter (to top on the Soy Ice Cream)
And, Swiss Beer Fondue (maybe not so healthy, but Cody and I love fondue)

In addition, I also got their Vegan frozen vegetable fried rice, frozen Orange Chicken, and Sweet Potato Frites! Overall, I would say it was a successful shopping trip.

Well, I hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing New Years Day!

What is everyone's New Year's Resolutions?

3 comments:

  1. Your goodies from Trader Joe's look YUMMY! Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Seeds? Sounds like a miracle to me.

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  2. Wow Pank, I really admire you. I def could not do that, which is the reason I've been avoiding that book. Is Cody cutting back as well? Good luck! I hope it goes well!!
    ~Katie

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  3. Sonya~you would love them...they are delicious! I'd send you some if I didn't think they'd melt in the mail ;)

    Katie~Thanks so much! The book is actually really good even if you just want to cut back on a few things. I mean, it really goes into detail about certain things that are good/bad for your body. Plus, it's a fast read. So, you should definitely read it even if you don't plan on becoming a vegetarian/vegan. Cody is planning on starting to eat a bit healthier, but I'm pretty sure he's not giving up meat.

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