Times are changing in the Olives household, indeed. I dunno what’s gotten into me, but the life I’m living today looks very different than any life I’ve ever lived before. Over the last few months, I’ve completely overhauled my diet by vastly increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables I eat and significantly decreasing the amount of meat I eat. I’m also running 3+ times a week, and will be running my first 5K on the 4th of July. I’ve never had healthier lifestyle habits, and I’ve never had better reasons to stick to them.
To be frank, I don’t want to die young if I can control that at all. The medical and emotional expense of remaining overweight and sedentary and consuming vast quantities of barely edible food just isn’t worth it. You can get away with abusing yourself when you’re young, but I’m 25 and the older I get, the more I’m going to feel it when I mistreat myself.
As my husband and I have planned these drastic long-term lifestyle changes, I’ve come to realize where the consumption of meat fits into our relationship with the environment and my community. Don’t misunderstand me – I’m passionate about beef, I think eating a cow or pig is the most natural thing on the planet, which is evident if you observe, um, nature. I’m not starting this thread to moralize, and I promise never to be one of those self-righteous VeggieNazis. Let’s just say a compelling combination of concern for my own health, worker’s rights, the environment, animal cruelty and my own development as a spiritual being have led me to the decision to attempt, once again, a lifestyle of vegetarianism.
(Caveat: I will NEVER be a vegan. Cheese is a precious gift to my life that I will never squander, though I agree to eat it in moderation.)
I have tried to become a vegetarian 3 times before, for not-very-well-thought-out reasons, and I have tried to go cold turkey, and after the first month or so I gave up every time. This is because I love meat, and also because I didn’t even know how to cook for myself much less prepare a healthy meal, so my ability to create a balanced diet was restricted by my own confusion and ignorance about nutrition.
All of that has changed–I can cook and eat healthy now, and I probably eat 40% of the amount of meat I used to. Furthermore, I am spiritually motivated to do this. As a Buddhist the one moral guideline I like to adhere to is not to harm other sentient beings. ‘‘Someone else is killing the cow FOR me’’ is becoming less and less a viable excuse, especially because it is blatantly obvious that I don’t need meat to survive. I think this could be an excellent opportunity to work with my attachments. I see a possibility for spiritual growth.
Anyways, one thing I know for certain is I cannot do this cold turkey. And also, I hate soy. Does anyone have any resources that focus on reducing the amount of meat consumed and gradually focusing on eliminating it all together? Should I start with eliminating one meat, and working my way from there? Should I eat meat only when it’s offered by a host? And what meat should I eliminate? The meat that is the worst for you (beef) is what I love the most, and therefore will be the hardest to go.
Jeez, I’m just at a loss. I’ve never really attempted to do this responsible or gradually before, and I just want to succeed this time. It seems like a daunting endeavor because it feels like a significant sacrifice. It’s one I’m willing to make but I am just looking for some guidance on how to get started and stick to it.
Thanks,
Christy