Becoming Pescetarian..

Eight weeks ago I took the decision to cut out meat from my diet. It's something I'd been thinking about for a long time, and an incident at Nando's finally made my mind up for me. Chris had taken me out for lunch to Nando's, and I didn't really fancy chicken (I know I know, but Chris wanted chicken!) so decided to opt for the Prego Steak Roll. Now, I should note that no where in the menu does it state that the 'steak' roll is in fact processed or reformed. Half way through my 'steak' I came across this particularly tough mouthful, and after trying to chew my way through it for a couple of minutes I decided there was no way this was getting any smaller and I had to spit it out. FYI I do not normally go around restaurants spitting my food out. On closer inspection the mouthful of 'steak' was actually a large marbel sized ball of arteries. I was immediately put off my food to say the least.  The manager on duty was actually really lovely, offered to replace my meal and refunded our entire order. She also presented us with a voucher for a free meal for two which was really appreciated. But unfortunately the damage was done. This may sound dramatic to some of you, but after seeing what was in my 'steak' all I could think about was the animal that it had come from. How something had been slaughtered so that it could be on my plate. I have always had these thoughts, but have managed to squash them down and not think about meat as a living being, and that is not to say I haven't enjoyed meat in the past.  I was quite genuinely upset for a few days, and wasn't able to get these horrible thoughts out of my head. It also made me think that in some foreign countries they eat dog, but not cows. In principle how would I feel if someone was to cook and eat my own dog, Todd? Awful.  Two days later, having abstained from meat I decided that I would be giving it up for good. I took some time to research vegetarianism online, and after reading all the different types of being one, I decided that pescetarianism was the one for me.  To be a pescetarian is to abstain from meat, but eat seafood instead of avoiding meat altogether. You may say "If you don't like the thought of eating meat, why do you not mind eating fish", and there are some reasons why. I only eat fish or seafood that has been caught sustainably. I also did a lot of research into how fish is caught, and there are many rules and regulations regarding how they are caught, or many can be caught and the nets that can be used. Of course, there are cons to eating fish too, and I know that hundreds of dolphins are caught each year by accident and unfortunately die. Since cutting out meat from my diet, I have gone on to lose a stone in weight, which is astounding to me and just goes to show how much saturated fat is hidden away in meat. I have also been able to broaden my horizons when it comes to cooking, having to make a filling meal from mainly just vegetables can be a bit of a challenge, but it is an enjoyable challenge and I am enjoying cooking.  I have tried Quorn substitute chicken and mince, and also Linda Mccartney substitute sausages, but not only did I not really enjoy them I am also of the mind set that if you're giving up meat, why would you want to eat pretend meat? It doesn't make sense to me.  There are of course plenty of cons that come with going meat free. I have become very tired and lethargic, which my doctor told me would be because of the drop in Iron in my blood. However, this is easily treated with iron supplements and other foods high in iron. It can also make meal times challenging, although Chris has been very accommodating and has been more than willing to try my pescetarian recipes. Going out for a meal can be a little difficult too, but for now that's not something that is causing a big issue.  I can't rule out eating meat for the rest of my life, but for now I'm quite enjoying it. Its also a wonderful feeling to have a clear conscious at meal times. Never again will I go past a field full of lambs in the spring and feel guilty.

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