Taking Care of You From the Inside Out

This week, Monica wrote about how to eat healthy. This is something I struggle with constantly, especially now that I'm back in school, working two jobs and trying to manage a marginal social life in between. I don't have time to cook. Also, I'm vegetarian, which means grabbing a quick bite on the go can be somewhat of a challenge at the fast food places.

I like junk food, and I am addicted to food. I know that sounds ridiculous, after all - how can I be addicted to something I need to live? Without going into the details, trust me - food can be an unhealthy addiction. Since becoming vegetarian, though, I've found it's almost impossible not to eat more healthy meals. I have to get my protein from somewhere, so I eat a lot of legumes - lentils, soy and other beans - and I also eat a lot of whole wheat pasta.

My usual dinner these days is to throw a big bowl of whole wheat penne into the pot with either some brussell sprouts, spinach or lima beans, drizzle it with olive oil and pepper and call it good. It's fast, it requires no thought whatsoever and it's good for me. Go figure!



It's so easy these days to be a food slacker - there are snacks and other crappy food everywhere. Hot dogs and burritos at the gas station, fast food sandwiches with two-thirds of our required caloric intake... it's a nutrition nightmare. Being vegetarian takes a lot of those options right off the menu immediately - there's the obvious stuff that contains actual, visible meat, and then there's the more insidious stuff. It's nearly impossible to get away from meat by-products in cheap food, whether it's chicken fat, chicken broth or even the innocent-sounding "natural flavors," those of us who choose not to eat meat have to be very selective.

Marshmallows and most yogurts are not vegetarian - they're made from gelatin, which is made from (among other things) hooves. Many cheeses are made with an enzyme culled from calves' stomachs. Even one of my favorite cereals, Frosted Mini Wheats, contains gelatin - meat is everywhere!

With Earth Day coming up tomorrow, we're all thinking about the environment, and giving up meat is a great way to help reduce to load on Mother Earth. The resources used to raise cows, and the waste they create, is a major contributing factor to global warming.

Turning into a veg-head doesn't mean nothing but tofu these days, either; there are some great meat alternatives, including seitan, Quorn, veggie burgers (Burger King even offers one on their menu,) even (seriously delicious) vegetarian corn dogs, and many more options - even stuff you can just nuke in the microwave. Your local farmer's market is overflowing with fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables that are full of possibilities.

Whether you're interested in becoming more healthy, helping the environment, working to end animal suffering or just love animals too much, becoming vegetarian has some substantial benefits to offer.

Contemplating becoming vegetarian! YAY! Here are some links to give you some good information:

The Meatrix - in a "The Matrix" spin-off, The Meatrix exposes some of where our meat comes from.
GoVeg
101 Cookbooks - Vegetarian recipe journal that is overflowing with amazing recipes
Going Vegetarian Information Sheet
What does a vegetarian label mean?
Order your free vegetarian starter kit!