Get yourself Vegucated, then decide.
I was prompted to write a few lines after reading a recently Medium promoted article by Stephen Gray on becoming vegetarian where he explains why he became vegetarian.
Over the last 2 years, I have been gradually becoming a vegetarian. My colleagues think I’m stupid because I say I’m mainly vegetarian. They say that you either are, or, are not.
Not true.
I didn’t just decide on an impulse to cut out meat. In fact it was not even in my mind to do so. At the beginning of 2014 and without warning I lost an organ. My gall bladder had doubled in size, was infected, turned black and disintegrated. I had no outward signs there was anything wrong, until the night pain descended on me. The next day my gall bladder was gone. Thank goodness for the NHS. I’ll miss out the rest of my hospital stay.
I was told by the consultant at the hospital that I should cut down or out on gluten in my diet as this is a major factor to gall stones and they can recur but now they will block a tiny tube between my liver and stomach rather than relaxing in a gall bladder.
I researched online articles on gluten. I read various opinions and had a gut feeling on what I thought was sensible for me. I cut down my consumption of bread. I cut out processed foods. this made it difficult for me to eat anything. I didn’t eat vegetables other than potatoes and the odd carrot. But at least I still had meat and cola.
But my delve into looking at gluten had lead me to look further into what I was consuming. And was I in for a shock.
I took to Netflix and watched some documentary films and got myself well and truly VEGUCATED.
I will not preach or even dissect what I watched but ask that you take a look at a host of food documentaries available via Netflix. Here’s a list of what I watched:
Vegucated; Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead; Food Matters; Hungry for Change; GMO OMG; Cowspiracy; Food Inc.
Obviously the availability of these documentaries will differ from region to region and time to time, but check out what you can.
Then I listened to a set of lectures on Audible from The Great Courses series by Dr. Mimi Guarneri — The Science of Natural Healing. This reinforced my new instincts.
I recently subscribed to The Ultimate Health Podcast with Dr Jesse Chappus and Marni Wasserman. Which in my opinion is the only podcast you must listen to. The great thing about this podcast is that they give you great interviews and loads of advice on the subject matter, but they clearly advise you take it one step at a time and go with what suits you. For example, start by adding more veg into your diet if you wish and gradually take out what’s not right. Very sensible.
I understand more than anyone that people will only make a change of any sort when it affects them personally. I work as a carer looking after elderly people with various forms of dementia. From my research and viewing, I believe our diet can be a significant attribute towards our future mental health. I really want to reduce the chance of having any form of dementia and personally feel that a vegetarian diet, and for me, organic vegetables either grown in my garden or bought from a reputable supplier is paramount. For me, here in the UK, I get a veg box delivered every 2 weeks from Riverford Organic Farms. Just do a search for what’s available in your area.
Whatever your reason. Whether you become a veg eater or not. You owe it to yourself to get Vegucated.
