Vegan for Lent

Since late 2007, I have consumed absolutely no mammal. No beef, pork, venison, etc. Actually, from about October of that year until June or July of 2008, I had absolutely NO meat...and yes, chicken, fish, and eggs are meat (who the hell decided they weren't, anyway?). Why did I start eating chicken and fish again after abstaining for eight or nine months? Well, it was mostly about variety and laziness. Since I was newly married and working full-time, I had grown soft on my once-staunch convictions and lusted for convenience. Yes, I understand that an animal is an animal, be it repile, mammal, insect, bird, arachnid, etc, but my mind could somehow justify eating a non-mammal while being thoroughly repulsed by such monstrosities as Wendy's "Baconator" (aka my nightmares personified).

Now, before anyone gets uncomfortable, this is not a shaming post. I'm not going to advocate any type of diet to anyone else, because 1) I don't give a damn what other people eat, and 2) I'd be a hypocrite to say anyone else's diet isn't healthy. My diet is absolutely HORRENDOUS. And that's actually what this post is about.

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent in several Christian denominations. Being raised in a Methodist household, I've given up a vice (or tried to start a healthy habit) every year. Yes, the tradition is to honor Jesus (his resistance to temptations) and the goal is to strenghthen your spirtuality, but I believe this is an incredibly beneficial idea regardless of faith (or lack thereof).

Every religion that practices Lent has different ideas on the way it should be carried out. Three semi-universal practices recommended during Lent include more prayer (for God; could be meditation for health of the mind/ spiritual side), sacrifice (giving up smoking, fasting, etc. for health of the body), and charity (monetary donations or any other charitable efforts that could help others). During the middle ages, most followers gave up all animal products, which is what I plan to do this year.

Do I plan to stay vegan after Easter? I don't know. I'm doing this to not only strengthen my spiritual side and ease my conscience, but also as an experiment. I've wanted to try to cut out dairy anyway, and this is the perfect time. My reasons for cutting out dairy are mostly health-related: I'm pretty lactose-intolerant but also a lazy ass, so I get sick but still eat junk. Enough of that crap. Since I wanted to experiment with no dairy, and didn't eat beef or pork anyway, I thought it wouldn't hurt just to rip the bandaid and not eat any animal products.

Will it be hard? Fuck yes! Mainly giving up dairy: butter, ice cream, CHEESE...holy shit. The meat will be a breeze, but the damn cheeeeeeeeese. Sorry, that rhymed...but not sorry enough to change it. Surprisingly enough, I actually have incredible willpower when I am extremely restrictive. Yes, I may eventually give up, but it'd probably be more out of boredom than actual cravings (or, at least, that's how it's been before).

Eating plant-based foods will force me to eat better in general. I will be much more mindful of everything I put in my mouth, and not just reach for whatever junk crap we have in the cabinets. Going out to eat will all but stop, since it's hard to find anything in central AR without butter or cheese slathered onto it. That's alright, Jason and I eat out way too much anyway.

I've been looking up tons of recipes, personal anecdotes, and nutritional plans in order to prepare. Planning is essential to do this safely and healthfully (and anyone that wants to bark about this being unhealthy, read some studies that aren't paid for by the beef and dairy industries). I've also tried to enjoy a lot of my favorite foods before they're banned. Fat Tuesday should be fun...no big plans on that yet. But Wednesday is the big day, and I'm kind of excited for this new experience. Who knows? Maybe I'll feel incredible and decide to stick to it after Lent is done. At most, I hope to become much more accountable with my health in general.