Vegetarian Angst

You know that irritable feeling you get when you’re hungry?  Imagine having that feeling all the time.  Now, think about all the Vegetarians you know.  Do they seem to be apt to snap more so than the Carnivores you know?  Well, if you agree with what I am suggesting, I’m not surprised. 

When we obtain our protein from plant sources our blood sugar levels go up and down and up and down.  When we eat a balanced diet with animal protein in the form of flesh, our blood sugar levels stay level.  A drop in blood sugar makes anyone a bit cranky.  Biologically, our bodies are designed to do this.  It’s a built in mechanism left over from our hunter and gatherer days when we needed to get aggressive and go kill some animals to feed on.

I remember having to make myself be “nice” because I was so darn hungry, starving actually, that my body was flipping into that aggressive hunter mode because it wanted meat.  No matter how much I ate, the only things that ever truly satiated me were eggs or protein powder.  Now, I get a little cranky and realize I need to feed on meat.

So, eat meat and be happy!

Chicago Ribfest

I was planning on writing a review of all the ribs I sampled at the Chicago Ribfest.  However, the best ribs I had that day you couldn't buy.  After a few orders of ribs, my friend Sharon and I were feeling full and thought we would step aside and people watch.  We decided to do so as we were right next to a fairly long line alongside the Wright Bacon Smoker truck (it is huge).  Wright Bacon was giving out Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Wings.  So, obviously there was a line.  Sharon suggested we get in line.  I thought, why not? 

When we got to the Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Wings, I felt this need to tell the man serving them that I had been a vegetarian for 20 years and had been eating meat for 3 months.  Well, you would have thought he hit the jackpot!  I think he was more excited than I was.  He called over his colleague and had him take a photo of me eating their bacon.  Explaining my story they invited us back to their smoker truck for ribs at 6 O'clock.  Now, these ribs were to be their dinner.  They were not ribs for sale at the fest.  Of course I went back at 6 and honestly, they were the best ribs on the street!  THANK YOU WRIGHT BACON!

I don't know what it is but every now and then I have the urge to tell the person serving me meat my recovering vegetarian story.  I don't tell every person who has served me meat, just those that are doing so while the spirit moves me so to speak.  I have to say, nobody has let me down yet when I explain it.  In fact, they are very happy for me.  And let me tell you, after the wonderful bacon and later ribs, I was very happy that I had shared my story.

“I’ll Have The Sausage”

When I wrote about Vegetarians Raining Down On Me there was one person I left out, my brother.  He had been my fellow Vegetarian through all these years.  It was always great to have someone at holidays, family gatherings, and restaurants with me who also didn’t eat meat.  I had a partner in crime. 

When I started eating meat I was a bit nervous about telling him as I thought he would have a negative reaction.  Once a month my brother, Brian, his wife, Rachel, and I go out to dinner together.  On the way to our monthly outing, I told him that I had started eating meat.  To my surprise, he told me that he had starting wondering why he didn’t eat meat.  I was so relived.  Secretly, I hoped that I could bring him over to the dark side.  After experiencing all the positive changes, I wanted him to benefit as well. 

Two months later, we met for a drink after work.  I needed someone to talk to about a bad situation I was having with a friend.  I actually stuck up for myself and this caused a bit of a rift.  There is no scientific evidence for this but since eating meat I tend not to let people walk over me anymore.  I stand up for myself.  I like to link this to ‘taking the essence of the animal inside of you’.  Explaining this to Brian and discussing all the physical changes that have taken place, I asked him if he had read my blog.  He wasn’t even aware of it.  So, the very next day I forwarded the link to him.  He read it.  The day after he read it, we met for our monthly dinner.

While waiting for his wife, we talked about my blog and he mentioned that he thought he would start eating meat within the next year.  Understanding the process I went through to make the decision and then act on it, I didn’t push it.  Nor did I expect what happened next.  Rachel arrived and we placed our orders.  Brian ordered the mac-n-cheese chili special.  I looked at him and said “Brian, you better ask if there is meat in the chili”.   The waitress replied that it had turkey in it.  He opened up the menu and said “I’ll have the sausage”. 

I was thrilled!  Now, I had to work hard to contain my excitement.  A few days prior I had been thinking that if I could reach one vegetarian through this blog then writing it was worth it.  Also, I new this was his moment and I didn’t want to make it about me.  This was about him.  But, I have a sneaky suspicion that I was smiling all through dinner.  I did however; make a toast; to Brian coming over to the dark side.  After dinner when he went to the bathroom, his wife looked at me and said “I had no idea he was going to do that”.  I said “neither did I”.  I was so excited!  My partner in crime was back!

The following day he emailed me and said thanks for being there and told me he slept like he hasn’t in 15 years.  Since then, he has experienced some physical changes and told me he didn’t expect to see such results so instantly.  He had knee problems that are gone.  He has Roseca so bad that he takes medication for it.  He had a break out and it cleared up in a day.  His wife mentioned that he was quite after that first sausage.  My brother confirmed that he also experienced the calmness you feel after your body finally receives the protein it needs from meat.  After starving your body for so long, you feel so content after that first piece of carnage, calmness takes over.

Here is the bottom line; we are SUPPOSED to eat meat! 

“It’s like giving bacon to a starving vegetarian” – Stage Kiss

Saw a new play, Stage Kiss, at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.  I Had dinner beforehand with an old friend who had never seen me eat meat.  When we heard this line in the play “It’s like giving bacon to a starving vegetarian” we both started laughing.

Throughout the next few days that line from the play stuck with me.  Every vegetarian is starving in a sense.  Robb Wolf writes that when having a vegetarian diet you can survive but you can’t strive.  When you are not fulfilling your dietary needs part of you is starving.  I look back now and wonder, in my vegetarian days would I have eaten bacon if I was starving?  If you would have asked me that question three months ago I probably naively would have said no.  Now, give me bacon (the thick meaty kind) when I am starving or full and yes I’ll eat it!  And, I’ll love it!   And, I’ll know it is the protein and type of fat my body strives on.

This next statement may not sit well with many but I have come to looking at vegetarianism as an eating disorder.  Vegetarians, myself previously included in this group, like to delude themselves with the idea that it is a healthy lifestyle.  They even use environmental reasons to justify that ‘lifestyle’.  You can eat locally.  You don’t have to use harming the environment to ultimately harm yourself.  I've never had a traditional eating disorder but isn't starving your body basically that?  My understand of eating disorders is that they stem from some psychological base.  For me, vegetarianism definately stemed from some sort of self imposed atonement.  I am sure I will have more to say on this later but right now I am still working through it all.  Until then, I'll keep recovering!

Vegetarians Raining Down on Me :)

Recently, I moved to a different department at work.  I really like my new position and with it came a move to a different desk to be with the rest of the team.  Low and behold I am seated next to a Vegetarian.  Now, I have known her and she knew I started eating meat.  She doesn't say much about it and neither do I.  However, she started working out with a personal trainer.  Watching her try to find protein sources reminds me of my struggle trying to do the same.  Protein powder, almond butter, dairy, etc. while they may have protein it's not necessarily complete protein.  Your body does not process protein from grains and other alternative sources the same.  I know what a struggle it is and I just want to say "eat a steak"!  But, we all know there is nothing worse than a reformed whore.

It reminds me of how many changes I have experienced.  As I told you earlier, I sleep through the night now.  In addition, I use to have digestive issues.  Those are gone and so is the depression that manifested after I stopped eating meat.  I have more energy and feel more content.  One thing I recently noticed sounds strange but honestly, I smell better.  In my vegetarian days I hated how I smelt.  I smelt like dead leaves, like autumn.  Now, I'm not sure how to describe how I smell (probably just like other carnivores) but it's not like dead leaves.

Made my weekly run to Whole Foods today and wanted to pick up some more of that lemon rosemary turkey breast slices.  They were out so I inquired about the maple honey turkey breast.  The woman assisting me commented that it sells well but she doesn't eat meat so would I like to taste a sample.  Of course I said yes.  I had to tell her that I had eaten meatless for 20 years and just started eating meat.  The woman standing to the right of me chimed in that she had been a vegetarian for 12 years and began explaining the differences in taste and texture of all the different turkey options.  My God, when I was a vegetarian I was surrounded by meat eaters.  Now, they are all over the place!  Vegetarians are raining down on me.  Am I supposed to be the teacher?  Is the student ready? (reference the Buddhist saying I started this blog by quoting)

Watching Top Chef Masters on Bravo there is this vegetarian chef.  He just went on and on about how meat is bad for you and he works with nutritionists so you should eat a vegi burger instead of a meat burger.  I want to scream at him.  He has no clue!  This is a cooking contest for the Biggest Loser contestants.  They are working out all day.  They need animal protein.  He is in the bottom three.  Justice is being served.  He got on his soap box talking about obesity.  One of the judges responded that you can't link obesity in this country to eating meat.  Exactly!  It's linked to corn, wheat, and grains if you really want to face the truth.  Well, looks like he has to pack his knife's.  He's the biggest loser today.

One more thing off topic, today I weighed myself at the gym and have lost 2 more pounds.  YEAH!

Shrimp Salad

Today I made up this simple salad and loved how light and refreshing it was.  I was also quite happy that I came up with the recipe all by myself.

4 oz salad shrimp
1/2 avocado
1/2 tomato
1/2 lemon

chop up the avocado and tomato, add the shrimp.  Stir it up then squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon.  Stir again and eat!  This is enough for one serving so obviously if you want to make it for more people multiple the ingredients accordingly.

I sliced the other half of the avocado and wrapped them in some turkey slices I bought yesterday.  Turned into a great snack.

Steak Junkie

Well I haven't been posting much lately so I will try to write more often.  It's week six and not much has changed.  I had another biosig yesterday and lost two pounds.  Zach thinks it was fluid.  He explained that when I started eating meat my body most likely retained more fluid due to sodium.  Now, my body is leveling out so to speak. 

Friday night I met a friend out for dinner at Wildfire.  While I had been there multiple times in my meatless days, this was the first time as a carnivore.  YUM.  OMG, this is what I remember steak tasting like.  I had the three medallion filet mignon, one crusted with mushroom, another parmesan, and the third with a peppercorn sauce.  Of course we had salad and a side of steamed brocolli too.  But the steak was definately the main event.  Must also give a call out to the flourless chocolate cake for dessert, delicious!  I could definately become a steak junkie.

Picked up my weekly chicken breasts from Whole Foods.  They had a new turkey breast loaf thing that they cut slices for you from.  I don't know what you call it but you get the idea.  Lemon rosemary turkey breast slices, I can't stop eating them.  In fact, I just had some for breakfast along with a hard boiled egg and pear slices.

I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge that every now and then I still get a little weirded out about the fact that I am eating something that use to walk around.  I just remember 'you have to take the essence of the animal inside of you' and I get over it.