Growing up, we ate almost everything. I've tried many different foods in my life, and didn't mind being a little adventurous. I took the Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods) idea "if it looks good, eat it."
Sometimes that worked out, and sometimes not. But I enjoyed the thrill of being a little exotic.
Flash forward to maybe 10 years ago. A couple of not-so-great experiences, and I am eating less of the interesting things I tried before. Maybe it was me getting older, I don't know.
Then, about 5 years ago, I was at a family July 4th gathering and ate a lot of beef. It was really good and I ate way too much....and I got some illness and wound up hurling for a couple of days - and all I could taste was beef.
After that, I didn't want beef anymore. I missed the mouth feel of a hamburger. There's something about a grilled burger that always appealed to me, and I missed that .I found a couple of substitutes for burgers, and was happy with them. In particular, Beyond Meat makes an awesome burger that has an appealing mouth feel.
In the last year or so, I discovered that I didn't like chicken as much either. When its a fresh piece that's done nicely, then okay. But in general, I could take it or leave it.
Anyway, in March, like many people around the world, we quarantined, and ate what we had on hand, or could get in a weekly trip to the store. In our house, my wife is mostly vegetarian but will eat fish (pescatarian is the right word I think), one son is totally vegetarian, one son will eat some chicken and some fish but otherwise doesn't eat meat, and our daughter will eat anything, but is happy to be pescatarian most of the time.
It was easier to just make a switch and be mostly vegetarian, with some fish mixed in. Suits pretty much everyone, and was efficient as meat supplies were in short supply for a while.
With my house the way it was, we were mostly cooking that way anyway. I would eat some pork, turkey, or lamb when I was out, but at home I stuck to these things.
There are some terrific and amazing vegetarian dishes. Its all about textures and spices. You can do a lot, so I don't miss meat at all. And now its been almost 14 weeks. I can honestly say that I am not sure what I'm going to do when I do head back out and have an opportunity to eat other things. Would I want an Italian sub? Do I want smoked pork butt? How about lamb shwarma? I can't answer those questions yet...
As for how the vegetarian diet is treating me, there was an article that suggested these 7 points as part of vegetarian diets - lets see how I'm doing.
1. You'll feel happier.
This one is hard to judge with all that's happening in the world. But Ican say that my mood is generally better, and I'm less prone to staying upset/annoyed. The meditation/relaxation techniques surely help here too.
2. You'll have more energy.
In general, I see this. But given that we're mostly couped up and the world is on fire, its still easy to feel down and just run down and tired. But when I do get up and do things, I don't tire as quickly.
3. You'll protect your ticker.
I was generally particular about what I ate anyway, but I see that this is likely true because of the kinds of fats and nutrient intake.
4. Your digestion will improve
This is true. I am feeling better about my "regularity" and almost never experience any issues that I sometimes had while eating meats
5. You'll feel fuller longer.
I don't feel hungry between meals, which is interesting. Not to say I couldn't eat, I just don't generally feel hungry.
6. Inflammation in your body will decrease.
I find that I don't have some of the aches and pains that I had before. Once in a while I had a back spasm, now they come and are gone quickly. When it comes to exercise, if I have some issue (like a sore muscle), that's gone quickly.
7. Your mood and mental cognition may be enhanced.
This one doesn't seem to be the case. I could imagine it *could be* true, but with the world in this state, I feel sort of "deflated" and not engaged. Its a malaise that I can't seem to get past for now.
Read More: 7 Ways You'll Feel Better After Going Plant-Based | https://thebeet.com/7-ways-youll-feel-better-after-going-plant-based-from-energy-to-mood/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
