68th Lesson
A healthy diet? Omnivore or herbivore? It all depends upon your viewpoint, but it is a lot easier today to modify your diet.
I was raised the traditional way. Meat, fish and veg, along with all the trimmings and the usual desserts. There was nothing unusual about my diet at this time. But I got older, my view of the world
was changing, and I felt it was worth trying something different. the first step I took was to become Pescatarian (as before, but without the meat). This is possibly the most effective diet I had taken
up when it came to losing weight.
In later years, and into my 30s, I tried a Vegetarian diet (an end to eating any and all seafood). However, this obviously meant further limitations on what I could eat. But I managed even allowing for
the restrictions which were somewhat challenging. Slowly but surely though, the natural progression was towards a Vegan diet. So out went everything except the vegetables. This regime actually put a strain
on my body and I could not cope for very long. Eventually, I had to abandon this practice.
Now I am very much back to 'square one' and eat an omnivorous diet (back to meat, seafood, fruit and veg). I'm not really happy with this way of life, though I do seek out Vegan alternatives when they are
acceptable. Let's face it though, unless you are more carnivorous than omnivorous, meat and seafood proteins can make up only the smaller proportion of what you actually eat.
Now we are in the 21st Century, becoming Vegan is a lot easier. There are so many alternatives to (in general) meat that it is not too difficult to make the transition. That has been the big issue in the
past when finding meat alternatives was virtually impossible. But now various companies are being very creative with meat alternatives.
I'm not in the UK at this point in time, but when i was I discovered a Vegan sausage that was very similar to the traditional British 'banger'. They made really good hot dogs (with fried onions and American
style mustard), and were also perfectly good in meals such as sausage and mash (with onion gravy, of course!).
Sadly, the ones I purchased regularly were, for some strange reason, discontinued. Maybe it was because there was now so much competition that they just got squeezed out of the market. In a way, this could
be interpreted as a good sign as it possibly means that their competitors brands are just as good, if not even better.
Of course, if you wish to move away from an omiverous diet, it does not have to be with one big leap. Introduce more Vegan (or Vegetarian) meals into your diet. Slowly, but surely, you may come to the
conclusion that you do not need to eat meat and fish. But if you cannot fully transition, introduce more Vegan or Vegetarian foods into your diet as you may just feel better for it.
Whatever you decide, there has never been a better time to experiment. My only word of caution if keep a good level of protein in your diet as this is what makes your body feel more satisfied. Keep a
good balance of vitamin-rich foods in your diet as well, though where they may be deficient, you can always take supplements (organically obtained, if possible). So, go on, give it a try. Nobody is going
to condemn you if you cannot adapt. It's your body, and it's your choice what you put into it. But try to understand it's needs, and not always it's selfish demands.