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"Vegetarian" can mean lots of different things

And I haven't decided what it means to me yet.

I blame my mother for this. She was always fascinated with the healthy properties of various foodstuffs, and telling us how we should be eating. It was perhaps her successful venture with fasting which led me where I am now.

I began to study up on fasting about 7 months ago. You can't study about fasting without getting a heap of nutritional advice, basic lessons on body chemistry, and results of nutritional studies. I've read about this stuff for years, and I consistently find much-touted advice to go vegetarian for health (because animal products break down our bodies, are correlated to many of our diseases, and interfere with the body's natural ability to heal itself in most cases). Cancer patients who adopt a vegetarian diet often go into remission. People with tumors might avoid surgery and simply heal themselves through diet changes. The list goes on.

In all this time, I've never found any scientific rebuttals to this advice. No one seems to be able to come in, scientifically, from the "meat" side and disprove the claims.

Thus it is that, over time, I've let the evidence pile up without doing anything about it. I think I'm ready for a change now. The only problem is, what, exactly, will be the nature of my change?

I don't think I'm interested in going absolute vegan. I'm not in this for any political statement, and I really can't be bothered to read the fine print of every package to make sure NO traces of animal products were used in its manufacture. I'm not sure I want to permanently give up eggs and dairy, either. (This is less health motivated than it is simply selfish: I love eggs and dairy.)

So...many vegetarians reject all meat but eat fish. I may go that route. I guess I need to do a bit of research to see what fish contribute to the diet that's difficult to get elsewhere before I decide for certain.

My plan at the moment is to consume the animal products I have now, but simply not replace them. It seems like a smooth, fairly painless transition to me. Meanwhile, I'm experimenting with veggie stuff.

I cooked an amazing pot of beans today. I'll share the recipe:

Take 1 lb pinto beans, soak overnight, and rinse. Place into crock pot and cover with about three inches of water. Chop up one half of a slightly dried onion you'd forgotten in the crisper. Drop in a couple of heaping tablespoons of minced garlic (it's hard to overdo garlic in some dishes; this is one of them). Pour in a 22oz can of crushed tomatoes and a 6 or 8 oz can of tomato paste (for a good tomato base). Add about a tsp of salt, a couple of tablespoons (I do the estimate in my palm thing like Grandmother taught me to cook, so I can't say for sure) of chili powder. Add about a teaspoon each of mustard powder, cumin, and...red pepper flakes to taste. Cook it an hour or two at 350 in the crock pot, then drop it to about 200 and go get a massage.

Pick up two green bell peppers while you're out. Bring them back, chop them in fairly large pieces (bite-sized) and drop into the bubbling pot of yumminess. Stir and serve.

It's amazing, y'all. Try it. ;)

d

This entry was posted by diana and filed under work.

12 comments

Comment from: Aunt Bann [Visitor]
Aunt Bann

Diana, I had to giggle to myself when I got to the “slightly dried onion” part. Sometimes I have the same thing, but not normally. If I put part of an onion in the fridge, it usually stays there long enough to have to go into the garbage!

Your dish sounds good! I know your mom often cooked that way, so I’d guess that you inherited that talent from her.

Love you, and am glad you posted again! I check every few days, and had about decided you were too busy.

12/20/08 @ 18:41
Comment from: [Member]

Sorry for the neglect, Aunt B’Ann. I haven’t been busy lately, actually, but when I’m not busy, I often have nothing to write about. Feels like it, anyway. I’ve been cleaning house, reading books, and absolutely wasting time playing senseless games on Facebook. It’s been so nice to just goof off with no object other than, well…wasting time for the sake of wasting time. So relaxing. :)

Love you!

d

12/21/08 @ 11:18
Comment from: Hinermad [Visitor]
Hinermad

Diana,

Your bean recipe sounds very much like the chicken chili I’ve been experimenting with, except I omit the beans (my son doesn’t care for them) and add cubed chicken. I haven’t poisoned either of us yet, so I must be doing okay with it.

Dave

12/21/08 @ 18:19
Comment from: [Member]

Mmmmmm. Chicken.

Quit that. ;)

d

12/24/08 @ 11:17
Comment from: Hinermad [Visitor]
Hinermad

Diana,

I think I’ve found your weakness.

“Hey, little girl. Would you like to go for a ride in my car? I have bacon!” (Grin)

Dave

12/26/08 @ 17:54
Comment from: Peachy [Visitor]
Peachy

I have a vague recollection that there are some important nutrients–outside of protein–that come from eating meat which are difficult to get on a veggie diet. Make sure you check your homework in that area before you commit.

12/30/08 @ 07:00
Comment from: Mary [Visitor]
Mary

If you have not yet read “In Defense of Food,” I would recommend it. I don’t recall much mention of the advantages/disadvantages to our health of eating meat, but it has some interesting commentary on the ethics of vegetarianism. If you still want to be a meat-eater after reading it, you will probably want to raise your own meat (and vegetables as well for that matter). Daddy has the copy I loaned him, if you want to borrow it. http://pdblack.twistedpair.net/rsc/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

01/02/09 @ 13:46
Comment from: [Member]

Hi again, Peachy. :D

The vitamins we need to supplement are B-12, iodine, Omega-3 fatty acids, and pantothenic acid. I take daily supplements which cover these needs (and I add glucosamine chondroitin).

Protein is actually very easy to get plenty of on a veggie diet, and the protein from meat is not as good for us. So I read, anyway.

Hi, Mary. :)

I’ve read a bit here and there about the ethics of vegetarianism. They seem well-intentioned and reasonable, but I don’t kid myself that my personal withdrawal from eating chicken, beef or pork will make those animals’ lives any better. (There’s also the environmental concern, I know.) I’m just in it for the health. :)

d

01/03/09 @ 11:56
Comment from: LG [Visitor]
LG

Hi,

I gather this means bear is off the diet, even free range ones?

Lorraine

01/03/09 @ 13:41
Comment from: [Member]

Woo! I hope so. :)

How would you prepare bear, anyway? Other than over a fire like a caveman, I mean? Maybe a fatty flank roasted gently with a dusting of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme–served on a bed of rice with a side of asparagus….

d

01/04/09 @ 11:42
Comment from: Hinermad [Visitor]
Hinermad

Diana,

Looks like bear is prepared just like any other large game:

http://www.bowhunts.com/recipe_bear.html

If you want, I’ll ask my relatives if they have any roadkill bear recipes.

Dave

01/04/09 @ 19:38
Comment from: Lorraine [Visitor]
Lorraine

The only time I’ve had it, the bear was marinated a long time in wine and spices then cooked sauerbrauten style. It was still pretty gamey. Now that I know what parasites these things can carry, I’m glad that it was very thoroughly cooked. Parasites, the gift that keeps on giving.

I look forward to your ‘09 blog.

Lorraine

01/05/09 @ 02:35


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