Flexitarian

I learned a new word: flexitarian.  I like it.  For those who don't know what it is, dictionary.com defines it as

            a person who eats a predominantly vegetarian diet, but who eats meat or fish occasionally

I have always said I could be a vegetarian if it wasn't for the fact that I occasionally crave meat.  Generally I'm repulsed by meat!  In my mind I pretend it grows pre-packaged on a tree - it doesn't work. 

Of course, plant-based foods are a necessity to being a vegetarian and I have not always been good about eating veggies.  I also am not so great with alternative protein sources!  Other than baked and refried beans and hummus, I had no idea how to make beans (FYI I hate tofu).  My "flexitarian" diet has consisted of boxed mac & cheese, grilled cheese, tomato soup, more boxed mac & cheese, just cheese, cheese and crackers, chips.....so I don't think that's really what flexitarian means.  So I have been a woman on a mission the last year or so figuring out how to incorporate more veggies into my diet (which I did) and how to cook those mysterious beans (which I also did)!  For the last 3 weeks I have accomplished that which I set out to do:  I have my meat down to around 1-2 meals per week (of course with Christmas and leftovers, meat made it's way back into my diet way more this past weekend), I am eating a lot more veggies, I have cut way back on the junk and have my calories down to a reasonable level.  I'm proud of myself.

Cutting out junk food has been the hardest part: it is my downfall.  The lyme spirochetes feed on sugar, so the less sugar I eat, the better off I will be!  Although sugary treats aren't necessarily that difficult for me to eliminate; it's carbs!!!  I love salty, crunchy snacks.  However, I have been under my recommended carbs and sugar intake about 70% of the days so far which is a big plus. 

I have been making these changes slowly over time.  I think that is the best way to get habits to stick.  Otherwise if you are making too many changes you end up getting frustrated and give up.  These changes I have been working on for about a year.  It has been trial and error: I have done things that absolutely didn't work: the Atkins diet.  This has worked for me in the past but with all my meds my digestive tract is so messed up it was not able to handle the large amount of protein.  What has worked was adding more veggies.  This was step one.  I started adding a larger quantity and more variety.  The second step was to attempt to curb junk food.  This step was the longest and hardest and I wasn't able to be successful until I started step 3 which was adding more protein sources.  Finally I have reduced my caloric intake to something reasonable that I won't starve sticking to!  Whenever I have failed at a "diet" it's because I've been hungry and feel deprived that I can't have those indulgences that I want.  I am telling you now that this is not a diet, it is a lifestyle change.  I let myself splurge on occasion.  This weekend it was Christmas and next weekend New Years': Last weekend was tough (although overall I didn't do awful) and I know this upcoming weekend will also be tough.  It doesn't mean I will give up, it means the next day is a new day and therefore a new start.  As long as it doesn't turn into a daily event, eating those favorite foods won't kill me!!  So even if that scale doesn't budge (which it hasn't so far) I will not get discouraged, because in the long run I will be much better for it.  Although, I am hoping overall this will help me get my weight under control with the huge weight gain that occurred when I got sick, but more so I am hoping this will help with my health in general.  I am Type 2 diabetic and severe heart disease runs on both sides of my family so I need to do anything I can do to help myself!

Aside from the health benefits of changing my eating habits, there is also a lot of environmental impact.  Four pounds of grain yields one pound of meat!  Obviously, we are better just to eat that grain and cut out the "middle man".  Animals poop and that gets into our water supplies and pollutes them, along with methane that can pollute our air, livestock takes up a lot of room and can decimate certain ecosystems, etc.  I am not saying everyone should eat this way, but if every American could eliminate meat from 1 meal per week, imagine the good it could do! :-)  These are just a few small benefits to the environment. 

Here are 2 of my favorite recipes so far:
Breakfast burritos: heat a tortilla, spread with a little guacamole.  Saute onions, peppers until lightly browned and a handful of fresh spinach and continue cooking until nearly wilted, add some whisked eggs or egg beaters and make into a veggie scrambled egg mixture.  Place onto tortilla and add a pinch of shredded cheese if desired.

Tex-Mex Vegetarian Chili: Heat 2 TBLS olive oil over medium heat in stock pot.  Add 1 peeled and chopped red onion, half seeded and diced red, yellow and green peppers each, 4 cloves of peeled and minced garlic, salt and pepper, 2 TBLS chili powder, 1 TBLS cumin, 1 TBLS paprika and cook about 10 mins until veggies are soft.  Add 6 oz canned, rinsed and drained of each black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans (and we added chickpeas too for good measure), 14 oz tomato sauce, 14 oz stewed tomatoes and 1 sachet of cinnamon stick and 4 bay leaves.  Simmer uncovered 30 mins.  Add 1/2 diced zucchini, 1/2 diced yellow squash, and the kernels of 1 ear of corn and simmer 5 more mins.  Finish with 2 TBLS minced fresh cilantro and 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream.  YUMMY!!