My sister became a vegetarian when she was a teenager, it probably didn’t help that I would describe in detail any biology class whenever we got to dissect something, I knew it would get a reaction from her, it was fun, for me anyway, sorry Sis.
Down the road, her daughter became a Vegan, Won’t even consume vegetable oil? Overboard I think, judgemental of others, like a religion, really? Oh well, each to their own. My Daughter-in-law became a Vegetarian as well, and she’s a dietician. On goes the learning, for me. I look for recipes so I can offer Vegetarian options when I am hosting a Vegetarian. I listen and read up on going towards a plant-based diet.
Another friend of mine ended up in the hospital due to her intestine erupting, not enough fiber in her diet. To recover she had to eat a no fiber diet until it healed and chew 30 times a mouthful, that’s a lot of chewing. I tried to be supportive of her when she got out and chew each mouthful 30 times as well. OMG, you can’t even have a conversation when you are chewing that much.
Then she had to go on a high fiber diet. I tell my Daughter-in-law my friend was supposed to eat 35gms of fiber a day! She, replied, “Everyone, should be eating that much fiber a day.” Hmmm, I better be more conscious of how much fiber I am eating. To eat that much fibre I deduced you needed to be a vegetarian. Okay, I will try and eat more pulses, lentils, beans, nuts, quinoa, vegetables. I can do this, I’ll be a vegetarian at home, and when I go out to eat I’ll have whatever I want.
Seemed to work, of course then I was away for a month, that whole vegetarian thing went down the toilet. Then, all of a sudden I find myself in a wheelchair, man that really put a crimp in my style, so much for the independence that I pride myself in. Thank goodness for all my wonderful friends though. Getting better every day.
I watched a show on Netflix, “Game Changers”, not the first movie I’ve watched that slants toward plant-based eating, and I’ve read books the “The China Study”, still I like meat, and cheese. That movie was very convincing, and it offered hope that eating a plant-based diet opened arteries, helped against inflammation, and meant quicker recovery time from injuries, check, check and check. Probably just needed to be told over, and over, and over again. I wake up the next morning, research how to make Vegan cheese, I can’t live without cheese. Go to the store and get the ingredients.
On the way home I stop at a friend’s house, “Would you like some cheese and crackers?” “No, thanks” I reply, I have resolve, I am proud of myself. Ten minutes later, I have a piece of cheese, then she offers me a piece of cheesecake, I can not turn it down, can not. It tastes so good, lol.
Lentil stew waiting for me at home. I’m trying.
YVETTE CUTHBERT, Artist 