Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Carnivore

My counselor calls most processed food paint. She tells her kids that too and now her kids are like "mommy, someone brought cake for a birthday party and there was paint on it!" It's funny, but really it's true. If yogurt is electric blue, then there's a problem! Like her, I'm the type of person who really spends a lot amount of time thinking about my diet. Not necessarily in a counting calorie type of way, but from a more holistic approach. I know, there's some serious irony going on when a fat girl, with a weight loss blog is talking about what we should and shouldn't be eating. I get it, it's not lost on me. Even though I have what some would call "a bit of a weight problem" I do try and eat healthy and I definitely think about what I'm eating, how it effects me and where it comes from.

I get my jollies from watching food documentaries and reading books about how the big bad evil corporations are making us fat. Just kidding about the evil corporations, I hate that "I have no control over my life" type of shit. And even though by in large I follow the "stay out of my business" type of mentality in regards to the government, I HATE how corn is so subsidised in this country. I think it largely contributes to the over processed stuff that we call "food." Seriously, corn, or corn syrup, or high fructose corn syrup is in EVERYTHING. Seriously, everything. And why wouldn't it be? Farmers are being paid to grow it and feed it to cows to make them fat. If it makes the cows fat then....? Stepping of my corn soap box and on to another.

At one point or another in my life, I've either been a vegetarian or a pescatarian (veg + fish) and I even had a very short lived (week) as a Vegan. By in large though, I've been a meat eating delicate little flower. I can't seem to make peace with any of these titles. It's hard to make peace with being a Vegan because I enjoy eating out and there are lots of things that have animal bi-products in them that you'd never even know. I have a hard time being a vegetarian because well, chicken fried chicken is just so fucking good! More than both of these things though, I have a hard time making peace with eating meat.

Right now in Denver there's this show with horses called Cavalia. As a general rule, if it involves ropes and animals, I want no part of it. Rodeos in particular, make me want to vomit. Scott said that he was amazed that I wasn't a vegetarian and now that I've let that marinate in my bones for a few weeks, I'm amazed that I'm not either. Which brings me to the point of this post...I'm thinking of going Vegan Lite. Lite, because I don't care if I eat honey and I don't feel like giving up my leather shoes and I'm not going to blast you with a PETA video if you want to serve me something with egg in the ingredient list. You may be asking...why not vegetarian Katy? To which I'd respond, well I can't eat dairy anyways because I'm lactose intolerant, and I really don't care THAT much for eggs.

I think that we've turned off that part of our brain that thinks about where our food comes from. I know I have. We forget that ground beef was once a cow standing knee deep in his own shit side by side with other cows in more shit until his he was kicked and prodded into the cow shoot to be hung up by it's legs to have his throat slit. Harsh? You should see the videos. These are not propaganda videos to get you to eat a plant based diet, this is the real deal. This IS what happens. It's simple supply and demand. America loves its beef and the faster and fatter you can grow them and kill them, the more money the company makes. The meat industry is doing well...and good for them. It's a business and business is good. That's not meant to be snide or anything, honestly. I just don't like that they're making money off the slaughter and torture of animals. If it literally hurts my heart to see someone riding a bull then why would I think it's ok to eat a burger? I mean, really! Think about that. It makes no sense. The only thing I can figure is that we just don't want to think about it. We pretend that our pretty packaged ground beef has always been pretty and packaged and pink. At least that's what I think when I'm making burgers. I totally lose the "this is a dead animal" connection.

So in light of all this, I think I'm going to maybe sorta give Veganism lite a shot. The hardest part I think will be the planning (and following through.) You've got to be prepared to cook at home a lotttttt, but really with the economy the way it is, we should be doing more of this anyways. I know there are many people who could care less about animal torture and while I think you're a soulless bastard (kidding) I get it. May people are of the mind that animals are here to eat. I get it. I'm not going to try this solely for the animal aspect, it's also very very VERY much for the health benefits. It's probably 50/50 actually.

Just think. In no time I'll be like the girl version of Moby! HA!


PS-Note to scott: That dead frozen cow carcass better be gone from the freezer by the time I get home...OR ELSE!

PSS- Scott had no idea that he's going to soon be a vegan.

PSSS- Who wants to meet me tomorrow for some ribs?

(image from planetpinkngreen)



PSSSS-Am I crazy?