This week marks my first month as a vegetarian and I thought I'd celebrate the occasion by chatting about it with you guys... Don't worry, as ever, I am not here to tell anybody what to do; that's just not my thang. I know however that meat-free and vegan lifestyles seem to be on the increase, and as there are a few of you who are as interested in this subject as I am, I thought it was only fair to give you an update.
It seems wise to tell you a little as to why I've turned veggie... For me, it was more about lessening my impact on the environment than anything else. Prior to 2016 I loved cooking and eating meat dishes and felt totally comfortable with my decision, and it was only when I heard how much of an effect the meat industry had on the planet that I began questioning my lifestyle. I also considered going zero-waste, but as that seemed pretty much impossible to achieve where I live I decided being a vegetarian was the best option I had.
The first thing I've noticed is that I am so glad to have taken my time over this decision. The last month or so of 2015 saw me gradually taking meat out my diet, starting with red meat and then working forwards until eventually I had adapted to going fully vegetarian. Going cold turkey* really didn't work for me on previous attempts; I was unprepared and on one occasion ended up feeling pretty unwell as I wasn't giving myself a healthy diet. This time around it felt astonishingly easy and I think it is a sign that I've been eating right that I haven't had cravings or even missed meat at all.
I can confidently say that I do feel a little better; whether it's a placebo effect or I'm just more conscious of eating well remains to be seen, but I have a bit more energy and seem to be sleeping well too. However, I most certainly am not losing weight and the differences are subtle; I am not bouncing around with energy and dropping dress sizes by the day, as some have said of going veggie.
One thing I do need to sort out is finding more quick, tasty recipes. I've eaten mostly pasta, soup and risotto this month and I am beyond fed up of all three, so any recommendations from you guys would be a total godsend. I have also found that in my hometown, vegetarian options are very variable; curries are the only eat-out meals that haven't left me a little disappointed/hungry.
All in all, I've found it has been a relatively simple switch for me; that said, I'm already conscious that switching to a vegan diet (which I won't be able to commit to until after my summer working at a girls' camp in the US) is going to be a far more challenging option for my current lifestyle... So again, if you are a vegan or vegetarian I would love to hear from you!
Would you guys ever consider going veggie, if you aren't already? Whatever side of the fence you are on, I would love to hear your thoughts!
*using this pun while talking about vegetarianism is the best part of this lifestyle, trust me
No comments:
Post a Comment