Hello, imaginary blog readers. Today is the beginning of No Meat November. Last year at Utah State, I got bored and decided to challenge myself to not eat meat for 2 months. It was incredibly successful and I learned a lot about the way I eat. Consciously making the decision not to eat meat results in a lot more thought about what's in the food you're eating, how much of it you consume, and what the food is going to do for your body. Yes, the first couple of weeks I had a hard time finding other substantial source of protein and was tired A LOT of the time. Yes, it was hard at first to not replace the meat I had eliminated from my diet with tons of carbs and sugars. But yes, I eventually got the hang of it and ended up with a better balanced diet filled with more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products.
In 2000, Americans consumed 57 more pounds of meat per capita annually than in the 1950's according to usda.gov. Researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine calculated an increased mortality risk of 29 percent for those involved in their 9 various longitudinal studies that consumed the most red meat. Similar studies have shown the same link between red and processed meat and mortality, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
So, in attempt to rediscover a healthier me, for the month of November (and possibly longer), I will not be eating any meat. If any of the people I, for some reason, think are reading my blog would like to join me. I would love to hear from you about your experiences this month via Facebook, email, or the comments section of this blog.
