Going Veggie

Alright guys, so here it is: I'm going vegetarian (or possibly flexiterian).  There are a lot of reasons why and a lot of conversations and moments and thoughts that have influenced the decision, but there are essentially two main things going on.

First,I'm doing it for health reasons.  While I realize it's not unhealthy to eat meat (never mind what all the crazies say), I personally feel better when my diet consists of primarily plant-based food sources.  Additionally, I'm becoming more and more aware of the dangers of eating processed foods, primarily because of the added sugars that go into all kinds of foods (according to National Geographic's August 2013 issue, about 1.77 tsp of sugar per 3 tbsp of ketchup, for instance), and I'd like to cut as much of that as possible out of my diet.

Second, I'm doing it for sustainability reasons.  Meat-based diets require more land, water, and fossil fuel resources than lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets, and it's something that I find I can't do anymore.  I've been striving to be more "green" in my everyday life already (from turning off lights to putting a water bottle in the toilet tank to seeking out local sources for milk, eggs, and cheese), and cutting out meat consumption is just another logical step in that process.  It might be a small impact, but so are most of the things I've done.  Consider it a starfish thing.

So here's the deal, friends.  My goal is to be meatless by August 25 (the day before school starts) and, like any long-term friend, I feel like I need to make a few good memories with meat before we go our separate ways.  Which means, naturally, getting all my favorite meat-based meals one last time.  If you're interested, I'd love some company.  Just let me know which restaurant seems appealing (by blog comment, fb message, text, etc.) and we'll go!

• Red Lobster - because lobster, duh
• Texas Roadhouse - goodbye steak
• The Portneuf Brewery - Canadian Dreaming pizza, I will miss you
• Pizza Hut - one last Meat Lovers
• Goody's - Western pizza bombs, you will be missed
• 5 Guys - because burgers, duh
• Jimmy John's - the Italian Nightlife is where it's at
• Sumisu's or Blue Hashi - unagi, you have been good to me
• your place, if you have a grill - because I make better pork chops than a restaurant

I'll cross these off the list as people volunteer to by my dining companion or as I go by myself.  You don't have to eat what I'm having (obviously), and you don't have to agree with my choice, but I'd love the support!

New Year's Goal

So, it's the new year, and I guess I'm supposed to write a blog about the "New Year's Resolutions" that I've set for myself.  That's what all good bloggers do, right?  (Not that I'm a "good" blogger... I don't even know what that means...)

But to be honest, the whole notion of setting a bunch of personal goals just because I have to buy a new calendar has always seemed strange to me, not to mention non-productive.  My sister and I talked about it once, and both she and I prefer to set goals based around something more realistic, like new job, or new semester, or whatever.  Not to mention that the kinds of things people set their goals about (here's a list of the Top 10 Resolutions for reference) don't really apply to me.  I enjoy my life.  I don't smoke.  I'm never going to join a gym just because it's January and I certainly have a personal thing about dieting.

However, I do have a goal this year.  Not necessarily because it's a new year or even because of the new semester.  It's something that's been building for a while, and something that I feel pretty good about.

To be honest though, in some ways I feel like I'm going about it the wrong way.  Not my goal, but setting my goal.  I'm a big fan of setting "SMART goals" because I think they're a great thing: they're clear, they're organized, and they work.  (SMART goals are goals that are "set" within a framework: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Resource-using, Time-bound).  HOWEVER, this particular goal doesn't really fit into that framework, because it isn't specific or measurable or time-bound.  It just IS.

My goal is to take care of my body.  Of course, there are a few things that go into that, but because of the mindset behind what I'm doing none of them are specific or measurable.  I'm not looking to lose a certain amount of weight.  I don't have a specific fitness goal like running a mile under a certain amount of time.  I definitely don't have a goal about wearing a certain pants size.  I just want to feel like I'm taking care of my body.  Like I said, not exactly SMART Goal material.

While it might be difficult to set anything specific with this goal, there are a few components that I can put into list form:

• Regular medical check-ups (both illness- and wellness-based)
• Getting more movement into my day
• Listening to my body (instead of my taste buds) about what food my body is craving
• More fruits, veggies, and whole grains
• Avoiding processed foods
• Enough restful sleep
• Vitamins
• Regular skin maintenance (facials, pedicures, SPF, etc.; skin is the largest organ of the body)
• LOTS of water
• Attention to mental health, especially stress
• Cosmetic care (hair cut/color, make up, clothing, etc.)
• More exposure to natural sunlight

It's not a complete list, obviously, but it hits a bunch of key components.  I really am focusing on whole-body wellness (physical and mental), and I really do care about my body because of all the things it does for me and gives to me.  I'm grateful for my body, and it's time I started treating it like the beautiful thing it is.  So that's my goal for this year: take care of my body.  It's the only one I'm going to get.  And I'm falling in love with it one day, one green bean, one nap, one walk, one strawberry at a time.