Plant-based Lifestyle
On Monday March 20, 2023, after a year of being plant-based, I decided that for the simplicity of meal preparation in my house that I'd start eating meat again.
On Monday, March 28, 2022, I decided to experiment with Vegetarianism. Unlike a fully vegan lifestyle, I still eat some animal based products: primarily eggs (when they're an ingredient in bread) and cheese once or twice a week.
Why
There were three factors that led me to a plant-based diet:
- Health. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and want to feel more fit.
- Stewardship. I learned that animals bred for human consumption were a leading cause in negative environmental change. As someone who wants to be a good steward of the earth, I decided this was a way I could help reduce my environmental impact.
- Consciousness & Violence. I believe animals have consciousness and recently started thinking about violence, what in my life is violent and what violence I can cut out of my life (Is violence an essential attribute of existence?). Eating animal product and byproduct was an easy way for me to change my relationship with consciousness in a positive way.
What Led Me Here?
I initially became curious when I heard about Rich Roll, an ultra-endurance athlete who was also vegan.
My whole life I'd been told you need meat protein to live and things like soy are bad for you.
Recently I stumbled over 📚 The Proof Is In The Plants and decided to give it a listen. Simon Hill broke down the science and cut through all of the confusion created by animal based-product industries.
Recipes
To Try
Learnings
- it's incredibly hard to go plant-predominant (vegetarian or vegan) if you have a family and anyone isn't also bought in
- The amount of calorie needs necessary on an athletic diet is hard to meet if your eating whole, unprocessed veggies