Back in October, Allison wrote about the threat the meat industry poses to the environment. I decided to challenge myself, so on January 3rd, 2019, I started eating pescetarian. This means the only meat I would consume would be seafood. I know the large-scale fishing industry isn’t doing the planet any favors, either, but you’ve gotta start somewhere, and I love shrimp too much to give it up cold turkey. (Pun intended.)
Another motivation behind this change in diet was my desire to eat more plants. I found that when I was hungry, I tended to eat meat or junk-food. My theory was that if I cut out the meat, not only would I be helping the environment, I would hopefully be forcing myself to pick up the slack and eat something green for once. And luckily, that’s exactly what happened.
I’m gonna get real with y’all. I used to poop maybe three times a week if I was lucky. That first week of changing my diet and eating all that fiber made my intestines jumpier than a virgin at a prison rodeo. It was almost to the point where I thought I had a problem. But it was good for me! For me, there’s a family history of gut problems (including colon cancer) so I’m happy with anything that aids my intestine health.
Fast food is a lot harder to gorge on. When I do break, it’s usually because I’m out with my friends and we’re stopping by a McDonald’s. That’s happened about 15 times. But only eating meat 15 times since January is a pretty good record so far, I think. Certainly, it’s one I can forgive myself for.
But like I said, sometimes I break. A roast beef sandwich sounds just too good, and my temptations get the better of me. But when you’re making a big change to your diet, especially for ethical reasons, it’s best to be courteous to yourself. It’s not easy cutting out meat, which I and many others have had our whole lives and suddenly appears in every dish set before us once we decide we don’t want it anymore.
But I have felt healthier. Weight and health are not one and the same, but I have lost about ten pounds, and as I said before, my gut operates with a lot more regularity. I feel better not eating foods that are as processed as before. Sure, I’ll probably eat turkey around the holidays, but, you know, baby steps.
I can’t promise I’m going vegan anytime soon, but I do know I’m taking a step in the right direction.