Never eat meat again.

The Gradual Vegetarian

Mikecatadjuster,

Hats off to you for trying! I admire such open mindedness and honest effort towards positive change. It may be that a more gradual approach would work, should you have the desire to try again.

When I made the shift to vegetarian eating, I did it gradually. First I cut out red meat except once a week, and started adding bean and rice dishes to compensate. Then I cut out all red meat, and reduced fish and chicken quantities and frequencies. Meanwhile, I experimented with tofu, tempeh, wild experiments with grilling all sorts of stange things, and international cuisines that are largely vegetarian or easily made vegetarian (Indian, Italian, Asian, and eventually, back home to meatless Southern soul food!). Going vegetarian opened a vast new world of culinary adventure that I might not have explored otherwise. Eventually -- I'd say in a few months -- I was able to cut out meat altogether, and I didn't have any digestive problems at all. Now, I have digestive probelms if I eat to much animal food!

In the meantime, I have learned that many of us have poor digestion because of the effects of SAD (Standard American Diet), and many of us need to tonify and rebuild the health of our digestive system. Not something that happens overnight, and different approaches work for different folks.

For me, this is what seems to help: Generally, eating more raw foods (with enzymes still intact to help with digestion and absorption) -- or taking enzyme tablets (available at For the Health of It). Raw pineapple is delish and has very beneficial enzymes for digestion, as does raw green papaya, though that is hard to get hold of without driving to Ft. Walton to the Asian markets there. Small amounts of cultured dairy products are fine (kefir, active yogurt, cheese), but non-fermented dairy gives me fits. Too much refined grain is also a problem, but whole grains in moderation are okay; live sauerkraut provides tasty probiotics (I make my own) that help my digestion also.

I won't go into the whole deal about fiber, except to mention it ;-) And drinking lots of water makes anything better, for me I mean.

There was a cookbook I used when making the transition -- The Gradual Vegetarian was the name of it. I'm sure it's out of print and pretty dated by now, but there are probably half a dozen similar ones at every bookstore, now that eating less meat is more mainstream than when I went that route YEARS ago. FWIW, I do eat animal flesh now, but not much, and it's more as a matter of convenience when eating with/cooking for others than a matter of my own preference. I flat ran out of the energy it takes to be a strict vegetarian in a world of carnivores! It is VERY easy for me now to cook fantastic meals with no meat at all, or no dairy/grain, or with just a little bit of meat for seasoning. I think the whole adventure has made me a better cook and exposed me more broadly to foods than sticking to a meat centered diet ever would have....

But I am rambling. Bon appetit!

Susan, you always write so well. You said it perfectly.

See you soon!

Gidget

Thanks for taking time out, Susan. All well said. Honestly, I eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly on honey wheat bread. Why? Because of a cost analysis I did Plus, I like to eat it.

Food is actually a pretty big drain on ones budget. I also eat Ramen noodles. That's like 33 cents a meal. Well, hard to call it a meal, but...

I eat a decent amount of salad. The Publix ones are pretty good. Their spring mix is desirable as well as another I recently tried. But you make me wonder about your exploration into cooking up some creative gifts. I'd like to sample your offerings.

My normal food consumption is cereal, granola type bars, P&J sandwiches, Ramen noodles, salads, Hershey's Cream Pie, fruits, Greens drink, water (mostly easy stuff).

Translation: I need a good woman

Thanks for taking time out, Susan. All well said. Honestly, I eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly on honey wheat bread. Why? Because of a cost analysis I did Plus, I like to eat it.

Food is actually a pretty big drain on ones budget. I also eat Ramen noodles. That's like 33 cents a meal. Well, hard to call it a meal, but...

I eat a decent amount of salad. The Publix ones are pretty good. Their spring mix is desirable as well as another I recently tried. But you make me wonder about your exploration into cooking up some creative gifts. I'd like to sample your offerings.

My normal food consumption is cereal, granola type bars, P&J sandwiches, Ramen noodles, salads, Hershey's Cream Pie, fruits, Greens drink, water (mostly easy stuff).

Translation: I need a good woman

In the interim (until you find Mrs. Right), perhaps a personal chef service would help, or some exciting new cookbooks, or a cooking class? Sounds like quick, cheap and easy is the sort of cooking you're into? (BTW< Americans spend less on food as a percentage of income than just about any other nation on the planet, I believe -- our food is super cheap, relatively, only because of the stupid Farm Bill and the way it subsidizes overproduction of commodity crops like corn. Very involved, too complex for me to try and explain; Netflix has a movie called King of Corn that spells it out entertainingly if you're interested).

Okay, quick cheap and easy. I have recently renewed my commitment to healthier eating (having allowed life's stresses and schedule to knock me off that path lately), and am having healthy fun in the kitchen again. Will try to remember to post recipes that might fit your requirements, even though I don't ever cook from recipes.

This week's newest experiments are with flax crackers (high in fiber, healthy omega-3 fats, etc.) and they are super easy. Even my very carnivorous men (Hub and sons, just to be clear about why I have plural men, LOL) have expressed delight upon tasting these babies!

So basically you get a big jar and top, and soak a cup or two of flax seeds in an equal amount of water and seasonings overnight -- at room temp, not fridge).

Seasonings: any combination of soy sauce, tamari or Bragg's liquid aminos; lemon/lime juice and/or grated rind; garlic, ginger, cayenne, dill, cilantro, cumin, whatever you like; apple cider vinegar or ume vinegar; sky's the limit)

Next day, stir up the gooey thick resulting glop, and spread it on oiled (I used olive oil) cookie sheets about 1/8" - 1/4" thick. If you have silicon baking hseets to line the metal pans, all the better. If you have a dehydrator with nonstick sheets, that would be the best (mine is on order).

If you don't have a dehydrator, put the cookie sheets in the oven on the lowest setting possible, like 150 F or lower. Check often and when they have dried out enough, turn them over (ideally flip a whole sheet like a pancake, though if they stick it could take some scraping and fiddling). This will reveal the still-gooey moist bottom which needs to be on top a while to dry out. Put the flipped giant cracker sheets back in the low oven and check often, taking them out when they have reched a consistency you like. I like crunchy, some folks prefer the moister chewy stage.

I can't wait to try this in my dehydrator, since the crackers will be raw (anything that hasn't been processed at more than 110 degrees F) and thus all the enzymes and other goodness of the ingredients will remain at their peak of nutritiousness.

So all that may sound complex, but really it is SUPER easy. BTW, if you oven won't go any lower than say 300, then just get it up to heat then turn it off and crack the oven door to allow steam out. Keep doing that till the crackers are ready.

Next time, easy tasty blender drinks. Remind me if I forget!

In the interim (until you find Mrs. Right), perhaps a personal chef service would help, or some exciting new cookbooks, or a cooking class? Sounds like quick, cheap and easy is the sort of cooking you're into? (BTW< Americans spend less on food as a percentage of income than just about any other nation on the planet, I believe -- our food is super cheap, relatively, only because of the stupid Farm Bill and the way it subsidizes overproduction of commodity crops like corn. Very involved, too complex for me to try and explain; Netflix has a movie called King of Corn that spells it out entertainingly if you're interested).

Okay, quick cheap and easy. I have recently renewed my commitment to healthier eating (having allowed life's stresses and schedule to knock me off that path lately), and am having healthy fun in the kitchen again. Will try to remember to post recipes that might fit your requirements, even though I don't ever cook from recipes.

This week's newest experiments are with flax crackers (high in fiber, healthy omega-3 fats, etc.) and they are super easy. Even my very carnivorous men (Hub and sons, just to be clear about why I have plural men, LOL) have expressed delight upon tasting these babies!

So basically you get a big jar and top, and soak a cup or two of flax seeds in an equal amount of water and seasonings overnight -- at room temp, not fridge).

Seasonings: any combination of soy sauce, tamari or Bragg's liquid aminos; lemon/lime juice and/or grated rind; garlic, ginger, cayenne, dill, cilantro, cumin, whatever you like; apple cider vinegar or ume vinegar; sky's the limit)

Next day, stir up the gooey thick resulting glop, and spread it on oiled (I used olive oil) cookie sheets about 1/8" - 1/4" thick. If you have silicon baking hseets to line the metal pans, all the better. If you have a dehydrator with nonstick sheets, that would be the best (mine is on order).

If you don't have a dehydrator, put the cookie sheets in the oven on the lowest setting possible, like 150 F or lower. Check often and when they have dried out enough, turn them over (ideally flip a whole sheet like a pancake, though if they stick it could take some scraping and fiddling). This will reveal the still-gooey moist bottom which needs to be on top a while to dry out. Put the flipped giant cracker sheets back in the low oven and check often, taking them out when they have reched a consistency you like. I like crunchy, some folks prefer the moister chewy stage.

I can't wait to try this in my dehydrator, since the crackers will be raw (anything that hasn't been processed at more than 110 degrees F) and thus all the enzymes and other goodness of the ingredients will remain at their peak of nutritiousness.

So all that may sound complex, but really it is SUPER easy. BTW, if you oven won't go any lower than say 300, then just get it up to heat then turn it off and crack the oven door to allow steam out. Keep doing that till the crackers are ready.

Next time, easy tasty blender drinks. Remind me if I forget!

SUSAN! I want to come break "cracker" with you sometime!!

Speaking of your raw crackers, I am on my 4th summer all raw day today! Cantaloupe, figs, tomatoes, asian pears, smoothies, salads, peaches, and a few raw walnuts! Feeling super dee dooper!

Here's some pics of some of my raw "cooking" lol!








and last but not least, the pure simple joy of a bowl of ripe figs (my FAVORITE FOOD ON EARTH!) Now THAT is living!


ENJOY the fruits of the Earth!

Gidget

IMO there are a lot of vegetables and vegetarian foods that are really good - it's the attempts to make fake "meat" that are just NASTY and keep many people from becoming fully vegetarian.

true! also, it takes some real commitment and study to become vegetarian so you can develop a healthy diet (fake meat is so unnecessary). some of my vegetarian friends are the most unhealthy because their diets are just "no meat", but filled with every other thing on the planet, including tons of bread, pasta, and other carbs.

true! also, it takes some real commitment and study to become vegetarian so you can develop a healthy diet (fake meat is so unnecessary). some of my vegetarian friends are the most unhealthy because their diets are just "no meat", but filled with every other thing on the planet, including tons of bread, pasta, and other carbs.

This is SO totally true. As is relying way to much on dairy. Also, one can get such an array of "vegetarian" junk food out there. Yes, it is better for the animals, but when Nature provides such a variety of plant foods, it is crazy no to take advantage of the simplest of harvests.

Good observation Tootsie!

G

Gidget,

LOVE your raw food pics. Beautiful! I can tell you're way more experienced at this than I am, and will sit at your feet and learn once you're here and settled, if you will allow me to! I'll bring some flaxers.

We have a small fig tree and I ate a ripe one yesterday. So fine. We coppiced our big fig tree this year b/c it had gotten too leggy, so it's not bearing this year ;-( But Renee may bring some to Seaside Market when hers come in (Twin Oak Farms).

I am on my 5th almost all raw day, and feeling better already. Energy and digestion MUCH improved from leaving out cooked and junque.

Gidget,

LOVE your raw food pics. Beautiful! I can tell you're way more experienced at this than I am, and will sit at your feet and learn once you're here and settled, if you will allow me to! I'll bring some flaxers.

We have a small fig tree and I ate a ripe one yesterday. So fine. We coppiced our big fig tree this year b/c it had gotten too leggy, so it's not bearing this year ;-( But Renee may bring some to Seaside Market when hers come in (Twin Oak Farms).

I am on my 5th almost all raw day, and feeling better already. Energy and digestion MUCH improved from leaving out cooked and junque.

GOOD for you! I know you feel ENERGIZED! I have so much energy it is unstoppable which I will need because THE MOVE IS THIS WEEKEND!

If you can turn me on to a source of figs then I will be eternally grateful! Not sure we will have the space for a fig tree unless dwarf - but that might just work. Still, it will be years before it really produces for us.

TTY Soon
G

Gidget,

Best wishes for a move that is as easy as can be! I'll e-mail Renee to see if she's bringing figs any time soon. And when you have the time, you might want to check out her website:

www.twinoaksfarm.net

Very cute pictures of the baby ducks and some interesting articles, including one about eggs and one about the organic food business.

This is SO totally true. As is relying way to much on dairy. Also, one can get such an array of "vegetarian" junk food out there. Yes, it is better for the animals, but when Nature provides such a variety of plant foods, it is crazy no to take advantage of the simplest of harvests.

Good observation Tootsie!

G

we're all learning, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, to reduce/eliminate processed foods. that alone will help improve our diets. but cereal is processed, right? I love my cereal!!!

Tootsie,

There's cereal, and then there's cereal! If it's in a box and you pour it dry into a bowl and pour milk on it, chances are it's processed (granola being the least processed of that type). Less processed are cereals that you cook, like oatmeal (can also be done up raw quite deliciously), cream of wheat, etc., and grains usually done in more savory dishes like grits/polenta, bulgur (tabouli), rice, etc. Pasta is one my favorites and I prefer the white kind, but that is very processed!

What kind of cereal do you love best? La Loba's maple nut granola tops my list ;-)

attention all fig lovers:

I checked with Renee Savary of Twin Oaks Farms, and she expects to have figs at the Saturday market in Seaside in about 3 weeks. If you can't make it to buy some of her fresh local figs, rest assured, her fig preserves are great and you can order those from her website (maybe also from Local Harvest) when they're ready.

There may be other local ources for buying figs. Mrs. White in Pt. W. used to let her grandchildren pic the figs, and you could buy them by the gallon bag. Not sure if she's still offering that service....the Whites used to sell yard eggs, fresh crabs, shrimp, you name it.

I am posting this info under this thread because Jane Velez Mitchell is a huge animal rights advocate. She and I go way back to when we were suite mates at Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico. She was a junk food vegetarian then and as she states in this video promo for her book, quite a drinker. Now, she hosts Issues on CNN and has really gotten her life together.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36ZCs1LzZWM"]YouTube - iWant by Jane Velez-Mitchell[/ame]

Another of her videos on animal rights and swine flu

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmyhItVZCYA"]YouTube - Jane Velez-Mitchell on Swine Flu[/ame]

I have her book on order - can't wait.

G

I'm a raw organic vegan in-training (6 months and counting). Although I love animals, my journey did not start out for animal rights reasons.

I started down this path for health reasons. Its been said before, but I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Headaches almost every day, unable to sleep through the night, frequent heartburn, general fatigue, caught every cold and flu that went around, and general aches and pains that my 46 year old body shouldn't have. Then I had a real health scare, that I am now absolutely convinced was a response to the way I was eating. I don't want to take medications for the rest of my life, so I embarked on learning everything I could about holistic ways to address my issues.

I started out following Dr. Robert Young's 'The ph Miracle'. It's all about eating only foods that help to make your body more alkaline and less acidic. ph miracle followers believe that disease can only take hold in a body that is acidic. Alkaline foods are basically vegetables (raw or lightly cooked), beans, and goat cheese products. No fruit because of the sugar. And regular cleanse detox's are also required. Alcohol, coffee, wheat products ... all strickly forbidden.

Then I began understanding all the benefits of eating Raw, so for about a month I only ate things that fit into both RAW and Alkaline eating plans. Basically, raw vegetables. Talk about restictive ...

I've finally settled into an eating plan that I think I can live with. I eat 100% Organic/Raw/Vegan/Alcohol Free Monday thru lunch on Friday. I also try to do a one day juice cleanse each week. Then Friday dinner and over the weekend I cheat. So far cheating has only meant that I eat some cooked vegan, maybe have a morning coffee, and enough organic wine to make up for my abstenance during the week ;-) (oh, and there was that no-holds-barred lobster binge I went on in Martha's Vineyard over the summer ... ). I haven't felt the need for a burger yet, but if I do I'll wait and have one on the weekend (I couldn't quite get my head around the idea of never having a burger again in my life).

Its hard. Actually very hard. And I absolutely wouldn't be doing it if I didn't see the health benefits. I made a list of 14 health complaints back when I first started on the ph miracle, and they are all GONE (except one or two, which are greatly improved). People are commenting that my skin glows. Its been months since I've felt the need to take an asprin for anything. I'm pleased to say that today I take no percription drugs. And I have a mental and physical clarity and stamina now that I'm not sure I can even explain (after my first 7 day cleanse I actually felt a constant vibration under my skin all over my body -- like I was "buzzing").

Anyway, that's my story (thanks to Gidget for pointing me in the direction of this thread - its been very inspiring for me). I'm hoping RAW catches on in a big way ... it would be nice to have a wider selection of restuarants to visit!

I don't doubt that you feel much better (as I totally think most of our health issues are due to poor nutrition, hydration, lack of exercise, and stress), but the raw diet is just too extreme and limiting for me.

There are a lot of foods that I love (and that are good for me in moderation) that don't fit into the Raw diet, but the real biggie for me (aside from my love of bacon, beef, and fresh fruit) is that many of the raw foods I have tried are rather yucky.

As it gains in popularity, hopefully I will find some yummy raw items to add to my diet (Jen has raw ice cream that I want to try), but that is the biggest issue for many IMO.

Great thread. Its all about diet it seems. I started keeping a journal and amazed at how I now notice what sets me off. Salt= headache. Raw is way too extreme for me but if I was down and out sick would probably attempt it over many other medications prescribed today.
I know people that would rather die then make the dietary changes it would take to make them better. Really sad. It reminds me of this song...
If you knew for a fact your diet was your problem would you make the change? Hmmmmm. Tough question to honestly ask yourself.

YouTube - Tracy Chapman - Change

Salt= headache.

Have you tried Celtic Sea Salt yet? Its raw, organic, unprocessed, tastes great and is actually good for you.

Mortons is heated, processed, bleached and laced with additives -- it should be sold with a skull and cross bones on it.

Have you tried Celtic Sea Salt yet? Its raw, organic, unprocessed, tastes great and is actually good for you.

Mortons is heated, processed, bleached and laced with additives -- it should be sold with a skull and cross bones on it.

Yeah. I am good with sea salt. Its all the other places they sneak that stuff in. Popcorn at a movie theater will almost kill me. I read one time you would be better off eating 4 big macs then a small bag of popcorn at the theater! Crazy. Fried food is another one that kills me. I get dehydrated and a horrible Headache. I use to think all these things were just life and I was getting older. The more I have tuned my diet the more I have learned that whole feeling bad thing has more to do with my diet then aging or life. The cleaner I eat the younger I get. I guess when you are younger your filter just works better.

There are a lot of foods that I love (and that are good for me in moderation) that don't fit into the Raw diet, but the real biggie for me (aside from my love of bacon, beef, and fresh fruit) is that many of the raw foods I have tried are rather yucky.

Limiting and extreme ... yes.

Time consuming ... very.

But "yucky"? ... no way! Big salads full of veges-fruit-nuts with homemade dressings, fresh fruit (it was on the alkalizing ph diet that I couldn't eat fruit; vegans eat tons of fruit), gazpacho and other cold fresh soups, salsa, guacamole, tapenades, homemade muesli and granola, yummy "mylks" made from nuts and dates, vege wraps, slaws, smoothies/juices, organic wines and sake, and all kinds of desserts including raw ice creams, sorbets, cobblers, cookie bars, and tarts ... And raw foods retain their flavors (and nutrients) in a way that cooked foods just don't; that's why cooked foods need so much salt/spices and added fat -- to make them appetizing.

I use to think all these things were just life and I was getting older. The more I have tuned my diet the more I have learned that whole feeling bad thing has more to do with my diet then aging or life. The cleaner I eat the younger I get. I guess when you are younger your filter just works better.

Very well said.

I followed an Alkalizing diet for awhile, and what they believe about disease and aging has really stuck with me. Basically what I remember from it is that every organ in your body has an optimal ph level that it should be at for perfect health. But the blood has a level that it must be at, or you die. So, if you eat the typical American acidic (actually, VERY acidic) diet, then your blood has to "steal" akalinity from other organs to maintain its required level, and ends up "dumping" the extra acidity into the organs it has stolen from. Over time the acidity build up in these other organs leads to all the illness and disease that is so prevalent in American society. They even believe that if you can get your body into the correct ph zone, that it becomes impossible to catch a cold or the flu.

They don't quite promise a fountain of youth, but if they are right and you could live the last 20 years of your life without making one or two trips a week to the doctor and taking handfulls of percription drugs every morning (like my in-laws currently do), then it becomes darn compelling.

Yeah. I am good with sea salt. Its all the other places they sneak that stuff in. Popcorn at a movie theater will almost kill me. I read one time you would be better off eating 4 big macs then a small bag of popcorn at the theater! Crazy. Fried food is another one that kills me. I get dehydrated and a horrible Headache. I use to think all these things were just life and I was getting older. The more I have tuned my diet the more I have learned that whole feeling bad thing has more to do with my diet then aging or life. The cleaner I eat the younger I get. I guess when you are younger your filter just works better.

This is a great thread. Bobby J, it is amazing how we can go through years of our life and not associate a consequence with an action. I feel so dumb when I finally do and think of all the wasted time. But the thing is, I know right now there are probably hundreds of little things like that I don't fully recognize.

I sometimes suffer from restless legs syndrome. It has been so bad that once I put myself to sleep while shaking my legs as rapidly as I could. If I wouldn't shake them, I would have gone crazy.

I kept a journal and found that salt consumption was the main factor for me. It's funny, I told my brother I didn't think I ate too much salt and he said, "Mike, you keep a salt shaker next to your chair." And he was right. I salted everything way too much.

Today, I am fasting. It is 4:30 and I'm still going. I want to go for a one day fast but wonder if I'll be able to get to sleep tonight. Then I'll go from there and maybe extend it slightly. I've read that the first day toxins are removed from your muscles and only after that does it begin working on your fat reserves.

I'm not doing this for weight reasons. I am already stone cold hot But seriously, I did it recently and it is as if you get these insights. And it makes me realize that I eat out of habit and compulsion and often as a comforting thing. And it makes me think about what I am putting into my body.

I have a headache right now. I find it helps for me to be out of the house and busy. Earlier while hiking I came out along 30A and low and behold if I didn't think about going to Flip Flops for a burger before I caught myself.

Then I re-entered the woonds and saw a deer. Now that would be some lean eating. Oh, and I always hear about the health benefits of eating raw FRUITS and vegetables. That alkaline/acid thing sounds interesting. Apparently the results are favorable for you bdc63. Congratulations on that and salutes to you for your dedication. Sometimes we need to be against a wall to force a change. Maybe I can learn something from you. Thanks!

Wow Mike! My sister has that same restless leg thing. She loves salt. Did cutting back help?

Also, check your caffeine intake.

Good luck! So happy people are associating ailments and disease with what goes in the body. I know I would suffer greatly if it weren't for awareness. Doesn't mean you can never have x, y or z - but what you do on a regular basis and when you eat with a conscience you just feel better. Our bodies are remarkable and when we abuse them, they let us know.

Try my favorite fall salad: (organic ingredients when possible)

Bowl of mixed spring mix salad greens, purple grapes, crisp apples with peel left on, raw walnuts, celery. Juice of one 1/2 orange and cut up the flesh of the other half of the orange. Use the juice as the dressing. Enjoy! This is a raw version of Waldorf Salad without the mayo. VERY clean tasting and oh so great this time of year what with apples and citrus coming in. The natural sodium in the celery is great for those who are active and need sodium but don't want to use the shaker.

G

Wow Mike! My sister has that same restless leg thing. She loves salt. Did cutting back help?

Yes, salt cutback helped. When I go back to Louisiana during crawfish season I swallow some salty crawdads but it has the affect on me. Before I found out some factors influencing the RLS I used Iron tablets to help which did offer relief.

But yes, have your sister google salt and RLS. I think I remember looking at it after and it was a theme.