Vegan not Vegan

I heard this podcast with Alicia Silverstone, the actress from that movie I never finished. I was driving along just looking for entertainment, and I was curious about what her message was, but it became obvious pretty immediately that she was not my type. No surprise.

But I kept listening, because, inertia. And, well, she started shifting my thinking about FOOD of all things. Her point behind the podcast was supposed to be about self acceptance, but her pathway to self acceptance, self worth, was through food and how it made her body feel and how the food industry affects the health of the planet.  It was eye opening. I won't go into gory details (there are many if you start researching...) but now I'm very carefully considering a pretty dramatic shift in my eating habits, and the food that I bring home and prepare for my family.  Like, vegan dramatic.

Okay, so yes, I'm at least 75% Dutch, and cheese is pretty much the foundation of my food pyramid. This is not a small change. And eggs are favorites. Butter, yes, a religion. This is a crazy idea. Vegan. I've done knocked my head on a Silverstone block.

What got me wasn't just the cruelty stuff, which I had conveniently tucked out of my mind. But the effects of these livestock industries on the land and water that we're already struggling to manage on this planet. And end of all ends, these foods aren't even good for us! They have proven negative effects on our bodies. I could relate to the symptoms she was describing. I feel pretty crappy (no pun intended) after downing a cheeseburger. And not just for an hour afterward. For like 2 days afterward. I have joint issues that I'm wondering might resolve if I could get rid of dairy. My pimply skin. Pimples at 45 years old. So not fun. And she talks about being clear headed -- man I miss that. I feel like a total fog head. My friend Ellen shared her fog head story about dairy - and even mood swings! Because the stuff we shove into our bodies every single day has an affect (!) on how we feel, think and look.  Duh!  I know this. But I didn't think about the vegan angle. And it's unfortunately making a ton of sense to me.

I'm planning to make January my vegan month. Go a whole month and see if I can feel or see a difference in my body.  I thought I had my daughter on board with me, but she tried rice milk and soy milk and is now trying to back out.  Tag is the real hurdle. I am married to the Ultimate Carnivore. I even bought him a book for Father's Day called "Meathead." He's definitely not on board. But with his health (and medication) issues, I totally think it's important to at least try. Just try and see.

So I'm testing recipes and trying new ingredients, and I'm gonna throw another vegan potluck party to get some more good ideas from folks... I think I can pull off Vegan Month the first of the year...