Go Vegan Or Go...Pescatarian? Maybe?

So, I've been flirting with veganism lately as some of you know. It's getting pretty tough to deny how well my body reacts to it - especially when I re-introduce meat or dairy into the mix and my skin, tummy and mind all go kerfluffy. I've been doing a lot of reading up on the whole agri-economy in our country too...from reading In Defense of Food to watching Food Inc. (I started watching it again today after a few months and had to stop - it just makes me so, soooo angry). Knowing about all of the antibiotics, hormones, pesticides and other chemicals that go into making EVERYTHING makes me sick - literally and figuratively.

And, last night, I watched this low-budg propaganda piece, er, documentary on Netflix about Veganism. This is a snippet:

Is it just me, or does all of this make a lot of sense?

Are we poisoning ourselves by going against our constitutions and inhaling animal byproducts? And dude, is this whole animal protein thing a total scam? What the fuuuuu?

I don't know up from down after reading and watching all of this...but I am seriously considering leaving beef and pork and poultry and cheese and dairy and ... ugh, fish? Can I leave fish behind?

It's funny - I've also been reading up on pescatarianism. Boy, do the veggies get bent out of shape over that! I guess to be classified as a true veg, you have to get into this for the 'right reasons' - the 'humane reasons'...you know, because you're pissed that Bessy the Cow has to stand in her own feces for every minute of her life up until the last merciful moment when her head gets lopped off. I mean, sure, that really sucks...and the way we treat most of the animals we eat is downright sociopathic...but am I less of a vegetarian because I'm getting into this to preserve my own life and health?

Apparently, so.

And, since I'm admitting to being incredibly selfish and uncaring about any other living creature on the food chain besides myself, I'm also going to admit that I really - and I mean REALLY - don't want to give up on fish. Sushi, to be more specific.  I mean, if I cut down on the hormones, mercury, milk that's completely indigestible and other cholesterol-laden shit - what harm is it really going to be to my overall health if I indulge in sushi from time to time? Is it a gateway drug to burgers and steak? They tried to tell me that about weed back in the 90s and I never graduated to heroin or cocaine.

So, I'm thinking 90% vegan and 10% pescatarian. It's my body and it's my choice, damn it. PETA can suck it and so can Alicia Silverstone.

Btw, if you're interested in learning more about this admittedly goofy woman named Jill Ovnick and her approach to vegan living, check out vegan-gal.com. It's a low rent site, but it's got a lot of high quality info.

Not Trying To Jinx Myself Here But...

Second workout this week! Not much of an accomplishment, really...but I find that writing it down and plastering it on the web really lifts my spirits. God, I am such a narcissist!

I've also managed to keep this Vegan thing going. I'm not even finding it that difficult. I have noticed some wacky mood swings lately though. It's not PMS, since the timing isn't right. Nothing else has changed in my life or my habits really. The only thing I can figure out is that I'm detoxing like a mo-fo.

Anyone else ever experience this after going veggie?

Stay tuned.

Farewell, Moo Cow F*ck Milk and Hello, Soy Juice!

Never in a million years did I ever envision myself wearing this label!

But, here it is: after years of hearing from friends, the media and yes, even Oprah, that Veganism might be worth pursuing (at least as a means of cleansing/recalibrating my system) -  I've fast gone from curious skeptic to full-blown believer. W-O-W!

First, there are the vanity aspects. Just 5 days in and my skin looks ridiculous. It's the dead of winter and I'm glowing and barely need any moisturizer at all! On top of that, I've already lost 2 pounds. My digestion has regulated and, not to be gross, I'm pooping like clock-work up to 3x a day. (Of course, I'm also tooting like never before - but Bean-o helps to take care of that problem.)

As for the food, fortunately, I'm a veggie lover. I also really love fruit. Soy, if seasoned correctly, also works well with my body/tastebuds and satisfies the craving for protein. A lot of the foods I already eat regularly are vegan or easy to make vegan. Homemade granola + vanilla soy milk for breakfast = heaven. I heart veggie burgers with a little yellow mustard. Carrots and homemade hummus are snack crack to me. I love veggie soups. Oh, and I discovered veg-based Wacky Mac this weekend and it's pretty damn delish. I'm even actually looking forward to testing some new recipes. The only thing I'm a little wary of are the pretend meat products. Soy chicken cutlets aren't made of chicken - wtf? I don't know if I need to seek out pretend meat in order to feel truly satisfied. Still, I'm willing to try all of it. Besides, I'm already drinking "soy juice" masking itself as soy milk. Gotta love this Lewis Black bit from which the title of this post was born: 

In terms of the ethics, I come from a family with dairy farming past and, in one case, present. I have no illusions about my place on the food chain and that some animals are put on this earth to quite literally sustain the lives of other animals. I also have no ethical qualms about humanely slaughtering animals for such puposes (ie: Temple Grandin style slaughterhouses are fine with me). I also  have no intention of shunning meat or dairy from my life completely.  I will not give up fish or sushi. I can't imagine my life without my dad's Oyster Stew come Christmas Eve. 

Still, just a few days without what in retrospect was at least 3-5 servings of meat/cheese on average (milk at breakfast, yogurt at lunch, grated cheese on pasta/lean meats at dinner, butter on bread or eggs in baked goods) - I am really intrigued by how great I feel and am interested to see where this leads. 

I'll keep y'all posted. Let me know if you have had experience with vegan/vegetarianism yourself - or if you think this is just another primrose path to wellness ;-)