Wednesday, March 31, 2010

My Motivations

Before I continue with this blog, I should probably clarify my motivations a little bit.

For the past few months, I’ve been experimenting with eating less animal products and more plants. Right now about 5 out of 6 of my meals are completely plant-based. I still have pizza sometimes, occasionally ice cream or other desserts made with eggs and butter, and I eat whatever my mom makes when I visit my family. I’ve stopped eating meat at home and I’ve switched to homemade almond milk instead of moo juice.

Why?

1. I feel better. My skin and hair are softer and my body feels lighter, even though I haven’t lost any weight. If I overeat plant-based food, I’ll be full but I won’t feel as blobby.

2. It’s fun. I love to cook and eat, and I see this as a fun challenge. I love learning about different ways to use food (I had no idea nuts were so versatile) and discovering new foods I love (hello oatmeal concoctions and fudge babies!). Vegan cooking skips all the parts of cooking I don’t like, like cutting and cooking meat. Never liked it, never good at it.

3. The ethical issue. I know this is a touchy subject, so here’s my take on it: I believe that God creating everything on Earth for the use of man. My religion teaches that God gave man dominion over the earth, but also the responsibility to take care of it. This includes animals. They’re here for our companionship, use in working, and yes, for our food. I don’t think eating animals is inherently wrong, but there’s a right and wrong way to go about it. I have a problem with packing thousands of animals into factory farms so people can eat way more meat than is healthy. The abuse these animals abuse is terrible, and in a society where we have an abundance of plant food to keep us healthy, I don’t think we need many animal products at all.

Truly pasture-raised meats are fine with me, but I can’t afford that stuff, so it’s way easier for me to just cut back. But I believe that animals foods, produced responsibly and in moderation, have a place in a healthy diet.

However, I’m not planning on taking the plunge and going 100% vegan. Why?

I’ve struggled with food and body issues all my life and I’ve been learning (Sloooowly learning) to eat intuitively, and at this point in the game, I feel that labeling or setting any hard rules, for whatever reason, will only complicate things and I’ll be right back in the old diet/stuff myself cycle. I’m learning to eat moderately and to take care of my body. If my body wants eggs from my Dad’s chickens, I’ll eat it. I’ll still eat my cccs until I can find a vegan version that’s just as good or better. I won’t completely cut anything from my diet forever until I’m ready, and right now, I’m not. I’m focusing more on adding right now; more veggies, more fruits, and more plant food. The subtracting thing is taking care of itself.

So even though I’ll be playing with lots of vegan recipes, this isn’t necessarily a vegan blog. I may post non-vegan recipes from time to time, but mostly this blog is about me learning, being healthy, and having fun. If I find myself ready to take the next step, I will. I’m just not in a place I can healthfully do that right now.

Happy Hump Day!

Kella

5 comments:

  1. Great post! Great reasons! Stick to it! I have slowly started eating less and less meat because of reason 1. I AM trying to lose weight, and I notice if I eat less animal products (including most dairy products) I feel better and lighter and have more energy. My family is going to buy chickens and raise our own eggs and chickens, so we don't have to support those from the store. And we can't afford free range chicken eggs, etc. Anyway, I enjoy reading your blog. I am going to send you my favorite vegetarian pasta recipe for you to try out! Okay?

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  2. Yes! I love pasta. Thanks so much for commenting, and good luck with your own goals!

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  3. Hey, so this link has the recipe for the pasta I was telling about.
    http://deliciouspossibilities.blogspot.com/2009/09/summer-garden-spaghetti-pasta-of.html

    Also, to the recipe, I've started adding a jar of pickled artichoke hearts and removed the eggplant, because I didn't like the texture, and I LOVE the taste of the artichoke hearts.

    And my favorite pasta to eat with it is Spaghetti Rigati, which is made by Barilla. you can get it at Wal-Mart.
    ENJOY! Write a blog about when you make it. I want to know what you think!

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  4. Mmmm, thanks! Artichokes rule. And I had fun looking around your blog!

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  5. Your philosophy IS very much like mine! Kudos to you; keep it up, and don't let anyone or anything but your own body and brain tell you what you should eat. I wish more people could think that way, because more people might then be open to vegetarianism or veganism. It doesn't have to be black-or-white, it doesn't have to be followed to the letter. Occasional indulgence is, I think, necessary to being at peace with one's diet and eating habits.

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