Albert here. It's the eleventh day of our pescitarian diet experience. As you might already know, my primary source of food relies on a food plan. I did not mention however that this life source was that from Greek organizations. I say this in plural due to a job as a kitchen crew member at a sorority house. This mostly limited supply is in some ways good and in some ways bad, but there is a very distinct experience at each house.
Daily lunches at the the fraternity typically consists of some variety of meat (chicken or red meat more than fish) and a side such as fries. There is always a salad bar with an array of condiments. Shortly after beginning this diet I was continuously asked, "why all the salads?" After explaining my case, their reaction was slightly less than encouraging. I might be further continuing a stereotype by saying that most of the guys see a vegetarian diet as being "girly" and not even aware of it being from an environmental standpoint. Not a single brother in the fraternity is a vegetarian, probably the main reason every meal consists of meat.
Dinner at the sorority house is an entirely different story. Out of a hundred and sixty girls my guess is that about ten to fifteen live by a vegetarian diet. Being so, there is always the option of a vegetarian substitute to the main meal accommodating for the need. This unbalance in gender ratio some how didn't surprise me. Perhaps I facilitate the theory that women are typically seen as more close to a nature, or to having some link with the environment. Still, since beginning this experience I have become aware that this lifestyle is not very popular.
In turn, the lack of vegetarians in the world leads to a lack of eating locally grown food or even organically grown food for that matter. Over the weekend I saw an article in the newspaper discussing one groups contribution to the situation. A local plot of land purchased by a church has been converted into a working organic farm. The workers are homeless men and women who grow vegetables to feed over six hundred other malnourished homeless. Stories like this spark hope in me, for it is good to know others are concerned about becoming a well rounded and eco-conscious society. If more people will not be open-minded to a vegetarian lifestyle then institutions such as this are necessary.
http://jacksonville.com/new/metro/2010-04-02/story/trinity-rescue-mission-farm-supply-organic-produce-jacksonville
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Looking further into social stigmas
I mentioned in my last post that the diet was going great besides taking a little bit of grief from family and friends. I wanted to look deeper into the social aspect of being a pescatarian/vegetarian. While many vegetarians have given up meat due to some sort of food intolerance and problems with digestion, or for environmental reasons, I have chosen to try it as a personal challenge. Listed below are a few of the comments I have had regarding this decision. You may be having the same reactions as these so I figured I would post them.
Friend: I saw your facebook post about trying a pescatarian diet. What are you some tree-hugger now?
Friend 2: Since it's only a school project, you don't have to really follow it right? Who cares if you slip up a few times?
Friend 3: That diet is a bad idea Alberta, are you trying to lose weight? Vegetarians are overly environmentally conscious, it is so annoying.
These are just a few examples of comments I have heard regarding my decision to try being a pescatarian. Although a few people seemed all right with this choice, not once did I get a comment like "wow Alberta, what a great idea... I can't wait to see how it goes." Even my parents were skeptical about me trying it. They seemed supportive at first, but when the time came for dinner and meat was the choice they were frustrated having to accommodate me. Especially considering I am usually the one most excited about eating a steak dinner!
First off, I am sticking to this diet and not allowing any slip-ups. I am only doing this for a short period of time and I really want to give it my all. Secondly after seeing the reactions such as referring to me as a "tree-hugger" and being "annoying" it only frustrates me to the ignorance some people display. It really gave me a deeper appreciation of people that live this lifestyle. I hope that I never acted negatively towards someone because of the food they consume. It is amazing the stereotypes that come with a diet!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Review
As I embark into the second week of trying the pescitarian diet, I can't help but think back to how I got here. The first few days were a bit of a struggle in resisting meat when my meal plan constantly surrounded me with it. I slowly learned how to avoid the temptations by only eating at meal time instead of snacking throughout the day. Later in the week I had in a way surprised myself by being more at ease with the diet. After sharing with Alberta our Easter weekend stories, it seemed that we both had similar experiences.
Nothing much happened Saturday, as I stuck with cereal for breakfast and some leftover fish for lunch. For dinner my mom didn't feel like cooking so Pizza Hut was on the menu. While my dad and brother joked at my misfortune for not being able to eat meat they seemed to be rather fine with the idea. They ordered the supreme while my mom and I shared a Greek pizza. Sunday on the other hand posed a bit of a threat, but I'm glad to say crisis averted and no meat was consumed.
On Easter my cousins and grandparents always come over, each bringing a different plate of food to share. After church we sat down for a late brunch including ham, peas, green beans, twice backed potatoes, a salad, and bread rolls... the ham obviously being the main attraction. It was a cornucopia of smells and flavors that I fully engaged in, trying all of which minus the ham of course.
In a way, I almost felt like a burden on my family in some cases. For instance when it comes to pizza, both of my parents generally go with the supreme. I can't recall many times when they ordered anything besides that. For those who live by a vegetarian diet, instances such as this must occur frequently.
On the drive home, while flipping through the radio, something on NPR grabbed my attention (shocking because I don't ever listen to that station). A man being interviewed was a vegetarian, and he was discussing his travels overseas and the difficulty of maintaining his diet while on his trip. On his expedition he encountered cultures that ate bugs and insects, amongst other crawling creatures they deemed "meat." Sharing meals with families, he came to the self understanding that it would be impolite to dispel the food and their sources of meat offered to him. His vegetarian ways, on a larger scale, did not mean he had to abstain from eating meat when he was a guest in someones home.
When accustomed to living away from home for a long time may sometimes make one feel like a guest in your own house, I in no way took this advice. Despite not being back all the time, college is not my true home, and I can still obey my dietary structure even back with my family. Traveling would be a different story, as for the man on the radio for example. His tale made me realize that it is not always what you eat that determines your eco-consciousness, but it is your attitude to the matter.
Nothing much happened Saturday, as I stuck with cereal for breakfast and some leftover fish for lunch. For dinner my mom didn't feel like cooking so Pizza Hut was on the menu. While my dad and brother joked at my misfortune for not being able to eat meat they seemed to be rather fine with the idea. They ordered the supreme while my mom and I shared a Greek pizza. Sunday on the other hand posed a bit of a threat, but I'm glad to say crisis averted and no meat was consumed.
On Easter my cousins and grandparents always come over, each bringing a different plate of food to share. After church we sat down for a late brunch including ham, peas, green beans, twice backed potatoes, a salad, and bread rolls... the ham obviously being the main attraction. It was a cornucopia of smells and flavors that I fully engaged in, trying all of which minus the ham of course.
In a way, I almost felt like a burden on my family in some cases. For instance when it comes to pizza, both of my parents generally go with the supreme. I can't recall many times when they ordered anything besides that. For those who live by a vegetarian diet, instances such as this must occur frequently.
On the drive home, while flipping through the radio, something on NPR grabbed my attention (shocking because I don't ever listen to that station). A man being interviewed was a vegetarian, and he was discussing his travels overseas and the difficulty of maintaining his diet while on his trip. On his expedition he encountered cultures that ate bugs and insects, amongst other crawling creatures they deemed "meat." Sharing meals with families, he came to the self understanding that it would be impolite to dispel the food and their sources of meat offered to him. His vegetarian ways, on a larger scale, did not mean he had to abstain from eating meat when he was a guest in someones home.
When accustomed to living away from home for a long time may sometimes make one feel like a guest in your own house, I in no way took this advice. Despite not being back all the time, college is not my true home, and I can still obey my dietary structure even back with my family. Traveling would be a different story, as for the man on the radio for example. His tale made me realize that it is not always what you eat that determines your eco-consciousness, but it is your attitude to the matter.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Week 1
Week one of the pescatarian diet has officially come to an end! I have really enjoyed being on this diet and I'm genuinely glad I am trying it out!
I really had no problem trying to figure out what to eat throughout the week until I got to the weekend. I went home last thursday night and that is when it started getting difficult sticking to the diet. First off, let me tell you, I didn't have any slip-ups eating meat. I had no problem staying away from it.
Friday night, in addition to my parents and brothers, my grandparents joined us for Easter weekend! We decided cooking was out of the question for dinner and went to Blue Highway for pizza. Now, when I typically go out for pizza I tend to reach for "the works" pizza with a bunch of veggies and also meats. It was no problem for me to find someone in our party to split a veggie pizza with. My Grandma and I enjoyed a veggie pizza with roasted eggplant. It was extremely tasty and I really enjoyed it!
Saturday my Grandpa really wanted to cook the family steaks. Instead of changing their plans entirely, I just bought a piece of salmon and ate that in place of the steak. No problem whatsoever! It wasn't until sunday that my family began getting annoyed with my new eating habits. The day started with my Grandpa making eggs in the morning. Halfway through he informed me that there was sausage in them and if I wanted to eat eggs that morning I would have to pick around them! After church it was time for our Easter brunch. Every year we eat ham on Easter. I instead, ate hard boiled eggs and was the center of jokes throughout the meal! I can deal with a little joking!
My mom told me after brunch that my diet was starting to be a bit of a pain and said she looks forward to my diet being over so that she doesn't have to cater to my eating habits. The last thing I wanted my family to worry about was fitting me into their meals. I didn't think it was a problem at all, but I guess I was mistaken. I can imagine if I decided to keep this diet for an extended period of time that I would run into many situations where I felt socially isolated because of how I ate. I think this is what would bother me the most. The last thing I want is to have people feel like they have to cater to how I eat. I think this is the biggest thing I have learned thus far in the diet. No matter what you say to people about being on a vegetarian diet, if they don't understand why you are doing it, or just plain don't agree with it, they very well may find you frustrating and bothersome at meal time. I don't know about you, but I don't like to be thought of like this!
This next week I really want to challenge myself to go outside of my comfort zone. I have eaten fish almost every day this past week and although that is a staple in my diet, I want to try to vary what I eat these next two weeks as much as I can. It is funny because I figured I would be craving chicken and steak right now, and I'm not one bit. I am enjoying this fast from meat. Please feel free to give your input and I'd love to try any vegetarian recipes you may have!!! Until next post!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
HOPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!
It has been an extremely busy weekend! I am not going to really post anything today but I wanted to share a SUPER cool website with you. I was looking for vegetarian recipes this weekend and stumbled upon this and spent quite a bit of time here! Check it out.... Long post to come tomorrow describing my weekend and a few interesting things I found out about myself and how this diet can effect those around you!!!!
Again Happy Easter!!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Seafood Delight
What a long day it was. Due to an important test I had early in the morning, I was awake at 6:30 a.m. And of course it would not be wise to study on an empty stomach so I decided to make breakfast. I made a scrambled egg and cheese sandwich on a poppy seed bagel because it was an easy meal on the go. These types of breakfast sandwiches have become a real staple in my diet now, more so than ever before. When I dug a little deeper I found that eggs were more beneficial than I had first thought. For instance, eggs are one of a few foods containing natural vitamin D. It is also a great source of choline, an important chemical nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Health advantages aside, I just knew it was going to a long day on campus, and I needed something to hold me over...which it did quite well. Between the hours of noon and 1:00 p.m. my level of energy was declining rapidly so I raced back to my fraternity house for a quick shower and had enough time to scarf down some french fries. I figured it was probably a good thing to get a little starch and salt in my stomach, which my belly agreed with too.
I drove home to Orange Park for Easter weekend and had dinner with my family. They, being aware of my pescitarian diet, decided we eat seafood. It was actually the first time this week that I had had seafood. For dinner I had broiled shrimp with grits and green beans. I also had a few samples of fried pickles, and anyone from the South knows one can fry just about anything. I can honestly say that the urge to eat red meat or chicken has drastically diminished. Although our discussion at dinner lead us to a few questions. What all does one considered available in a pescatarian diet? Is it just fish or anything in the water? If it tastes like chicken, such as gator tail or frog legs, does that mean it doesn't count? Maybe someone can help me better understand. But until our next time, chew it over.
I drove home to Orange Park for Easter weekend and had dinner with my family. They, being aware of my pescitarian diet, decided we eat seafood. It was actually the first time this week that I had had seafood. For dinner I had broiled shrimp with grits and green beans. I also had a few samples of fried pickles, and anyone from the South knows one can fry just about anything. I can honestly say that the urge to eat red meat or chicken has drastically diminished. Although our discussion at dinner lead us to a few questions. What all does one considered available in a pescatarian diet? Is it just fish or anything in the water? If it tastes like chicken, such as gator tail or frog legs, does that mean it doesn't count? Maybe someone can help me better understand. But until our next time, chew it over.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
boca burger
After eating for two days in my "pescatarian comfort zone" so to speak, I decided to step out of the box and try the Boca Burger. I got the spicy three bean kind and let me tell you... DELICIOUS!!!! haha I was pleasantly surprised to be honest! I had it for lunch on bread and it was definitely a satisfying lunch. Boca burgers do contain GMO soybeans and I was disappointed in that but considering over 95% of all soybeans are GMO in the US I wasn't surprised.
Okay, so while I was at Publix shopping for my boca burgers this afternoon, the nice little sample lady spotted me down and offered me her samples. I looked at the sign that said "Shrimp pasta" and was happy that it fit into my diet and told her I'd love to try it. When I got the small plate of the pasta and inspected it, right smack dab between the shrimp and the noodles was a piece of bacon. I was so sad, my stomach was grumbling because I was hungry and I knew that I couldn't try the pasta. I didn't even want to pick around it because I felt like that was cheating. I told the lady I didn't realize it had bacon in it and politely tried to give it back to her but she was not so nice anymore. She was disgusted in me for taking the sample and then having to throw it away. It made me feel uncomfortable and really made me think about how vegetarians deal with these sorts of situations every day. I guess I need to be more aware of this.
Other than my Publix trip my day consisted of a early morning workout and then I played in a tennis lesson this afternoon. I had oatmeal for breakfast, the boca burger for lunch and have not eaten dinner yet. I am home for the Easter holiday and I think I will make my family talapia!
So far so good on the diet. here is a link about products that are GMO free and that have GMO. http://www.organicconsumers.org/Corp/mergers.cfm
Here is another link that describes what exactly GMO means!
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