I’ve always had a tumultuous relationship with food. As explained during the last blog I probably have a food related eating problem. I use the word problem to avoid the use of disorder
Disorder would suggest my problem is unmanaged or out of control. Whilst not perfect I don’t consider it out of control in fact it is the level of control that people would view as strange but it works for me and I am healthy. A lot more healthy than I used to be so where’s the problem?
I’m being slightly glib but honestly I have never felt as healthy as I do now. Not right now as I still have a tinge of the hangover from the weekend, but in general, as a 39 year old man. I am healthier and fitter than I have ever been and one of the reasons. If not the key reason, is my decision to become vegetarian
Now the aim of this blog isn’t to convince everyone that they should be vegetarian. It’s a personal choice and I wouldn’t ever enforce my own views and opinions on others. This is merely me explaining my reasoning for going veggie and the benefits I have experienced. If it was to make someone think they might try it then great, if it makes someone fancy a bacon sandwich then that’s their choice
Over the last ten years at least, I haven’t been a huge meat eater but that was purely for the purpose of calorie control; or more specifically I could eat more if I wasn’t wasting so many calories on meat. Before then I didn’t have any restrictions over what went in my mouth. I was never a big fan of a steak but everything else, well the easiest way to describe it is everything else was too excess
Most recently I increased my visits to the gym and for the first time in my life decided to start using weights as something more than to keep the doors open. As a result of my minimal research I decided that chicken and weights went together like milk and cookies so every meal possible had chicken added to the recipe or sometimes I replaced all the ingredients with a whole chicken. I went full caveman sometimes and did away with plates and cutlery and ripped at a barbecued carcass with my bare hands – Obviously I didn’t catch the chicken myself unless strolling down aisle 6 in Asda with a trolley counts as modern day hunting?
Anyway essentially morning, noon and night I was eating chicken, for the gainz obviously…
I probably underestimated the impact this would have on me. Physically my body rebelled quite violently against the constant stream of meat products hurled at it. And when I say rebelled I mean it expelled it back out as quickly, regularly and at times violently as possible
At first I thought, it’s ok. Your body needs time to get used to any new routine. It’ll sort itself out
After a couple of months the problem hadn’t subsided so I decided to do more in-depth research( a 5 minute google) and was alarmed to see it was normal. That it would be something I would just have to get used to without change rather than my body making subtle changes to manage my dietary devolution
And then once the internet black hole has been opened I decided to dive a little deeper
Effects eating meat has on your body?
Can your stomach digest meat?
What does supermarket meat have in it?
Mass production of meat
Supermarket farming methods
Then onto YouTube for a bit
Supermarket meat
Mass production of meat
Cowspiracy
Carnage
Impact the meat industry is having on the environment
Back to google
Best diet for a healthy life style
Vegetarian diet options
And like that, in the space of 2 hours I’d had one of those life changing experiences. It was honestly like one of those life bulb moments. A realisation that I had spent so many years enabling something so horrific simply through my own selfishness.
I obviously knew where meat came from. I’m not that naive or stupid to not get that bit but I didn’t have any idea of the scale involved, the levels of cruelty and the catastrophic effect on our environment that went with it and all to satisfy our own greed
I promised this wouldn’t become preachy but even if you think you know what happens just look a bit harder, watch carnage or conspiracy. Take an hour to think about it
If after that you are ok to carry on eating meat then ok, how about at the least reduce the amount you eat each week – What’s the worst that could happen?
For me the impact was instantaneous. The feeling of making a difference, however small has improved my wellbeing. Not that I was aware in the past that my wellbeing was significantly diminished by my carnivorous nature but now through making a change I can notice the difference
It’s almost a visible lift in my stature. I walk taller, a bounce in my step..
And my health has improved or at least the things that I appropriate as signs of good health – I sleep better, I have more energy, my general mood is better, my toilet habits are less apocalyptic
And I enjoy food more. I appreciate flavours. I explore new foods.
I’m not saying I am perfect – I would love to have the self control to be vegan, dietary at least
All of my reading makes me realise that the practices of the majority of the dairy industry are even more abhorrent than in the meat business and everything tells me that I should give up milk and cheese etc and I wish I had an excuse that stood up to questioning but the truth is I’m being lazy – I try to make vegan choices where possible but when it’s not possible or should I say when the alternative is for example a black coffee then I show no will power whatsoever and crumble to their offer of normal milk.
I’m a terrible human being and I know that vegans across the globe will be shaking their heads with disgust but I have started the journey. I have made a change for the better, for me and for the animal world
If it is down to a mid life crisis then at least I’m channelling the crisis for good rather than the ridiculous things other nearly 40 year olds have splurged the cash on over the years
You can keep your supercars or speedboats –
I choose broccoli rice and beetroot burgers
Fit for 40 