Well, okay then

There's a shift happening within me that is very new and very big. Quite unexpected as well. You see, it seems as though I've suddenly veered off my current path and now find myself on another path, which is mostly uncharted territory:

I think I'm a vegetarian.

Maybe it's not such a crazy new path. My eating habits have certainly changed a fair amount in the past five years or so. I haven't had soda of any sort in a couple of years - not that it was ever a huge part of my diet, but I did drink it occasionally. Fast food isn't really on the menu for me, other than a soup or sandwich from Tim's or a slice of pizza now and then. The husband and I had burgers from DQ a year and a half ago, in a moment of road trip desperation, and we were both SO sick that the very thought of going back makes me feel ill.

(Obviously I'm talking savoury food here. I have definitely eaten more than my fair share of fast food baked goods from Starbucks and Tim's, not to mention ice cream from DQ.)

I've been thinking of myself as a flexitarian for a while now, since reading In Defense of Food. I can easily go a few days without eating meat. But then, about a week or so ago, I read an article that led me to this book.



Okay, don't laugh! I know it's written by Cher from Clueless, but it's very well-written and informative. Alicia Silverstone has been full-on vegan for some time now and the book is well-footnoted, citing various studies and the like.

But I'm not here to defend it. I'm here to tell you that it got to me. That her descriptions about how animals are treated made me cringe and feel rather sick to my stomach. It's not that it all came as a huge surprise. I wasn't walking around thinking that all of the cows I have eaten had long, happy, peaceful lives in big grassy fields and then, when they were done enjoying the sunshine, they fell over dead naturally and then became my hamburgers. To be honest, I didn't really think about their lives. And when I did come across happy-looking cows in a field, I didn't think of hamburgers.

I buried my head in the sand a bit. Not all the way, but it was definitely lodged securely.

Now that I've read this book, I can't seem to put my head back in the sand. So I haven't touched meat in about a week and a half. And I'm cutting back on dairy, too. And I can't say for sure if this is going to stick, but it seems like it might.

Don't worry though! I have every intention of reading more books and thoroughly learning about this new lifestyle choice. If you have any hints or suggestions - send them my way!