Hi, I’m an Ovo Vegetarian
Filed Under (Mundane, Recovery) by Amy on 11-21-2007
Last week, I made the decision to take dairy out of my diet. It was an unexpected thing - I never would have thought that I’d take even more out of my food plan considering I already don’t eat sugar, flour, wheat, caffeine, cheese, cherries, grapes, gum, and I’m sure a few other things I’m forgetting at the moment. My Greek yogurts were something I looked forward to with much delight every night. I loved getting a dollop of skim foam in my Americanos at Starbucks. I drank a full 8 oz. of 2% milk every morning with breakfast. Things between dairy and me seemed to be going just fine.
But then I started coming across random articles that spoke about the benefits of a dairy-free existence. At first I paid little attention, I felt secure in my dietary habits and I wasn’t looking for a change of any sort. The articles, though, they kept appearing. I finally decided to take heed and I read one. Then another. And another… which led me to hours of searching to find out all I could about the awful side effects of dairy and what I could expect if I stopped consuming it. Visions of increased energy, no PMS, the departure of adult acne, regular (& neat) bowel movements, and losing those last 10 pounds began to dance across my mind. After some time I decided I had nothing to lose by trying the Go Dairy Free 10-Day Challenge, and so I embarked on the latest journey of my ever-evolving food plan.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve spent my spare time researching. Once I was open to the idea of no more dairy, my brain became insatiable - I had to learn all I could. What I discovered led to my destination for today: I could no longer eat animal products without feeling squeamish about the things I was putting into my body. I’ve been saying for years that I eat for nourishment only, and now I’ve got too much knowledge to eat the things I held dear for so long without feeling like a complete hypocrite.
What started out as hapless blog surfing has somehow turned into a complete lifestyle change. Funny how that works. And now I’ve got a brand new label: Ovo Vegetarian, which means I will eat eggs (for the moment!) but no meat or dairy products.
Although I took dairy out over a week ago, I’m pretty sure there was butter in the meals I had in restaurants on Saturday. I also had meat (tilapia and chicken) and I was feeling the effects of not having a clean meal all day. I’ve been a vegetarian for 3 days now and my stomach is starting to rebel a bit. I think I’m officially in the detox stage. Hopefully since my diet was so clean prior to this change, I won’t suffer too many ill effects before I start reaping some of the rewards. I’ve already noticed an increased amount of energy in the form of not needing as much sleep each night. You can be assured I’ll keep you updated on my progress as I embark on this new adventure in my quest for better health.
And no, I won’t be having Tofurky on Thursday! Gross.
enlighten me, why do you not need as much sleep at night?
what do you replace the vitamins and nutrients you’re missing in the foods you’ve eliminated with?
The nutrients in things like nuts, seeds vegetables, and soy are sufficient to sustain the human body. Here’s a good article about the top 5 concerns when moving to a non-dairy diet: http://urlbrief.com/43eb15
Isn’t it amazing what the universe makes us aware of when we need the information?
I’m curious - why do you avoid cherries and grapes?
Kim, I am constantly being amazed. CONSTANTLY. And I’m also always being shown that I know only about 1/100th of what I think I know.
Good question, Laura. I took them out when I went on Kay Sheppard’s food plan because she said they are too high in sugar. I have considered adding them back in, but for right now, I’ll just stick to what I’m doing. We’ll see what the future brings!
I’m so sorry for you. Meat brings me such joy and I’m sad you’re missing that joy that I experience each time that I eat some delicious ribs or a nice roast or…wait. Sorry for the sidebar.
That’s cool if that’s the decision you’ve made and I’m glad you like it. I just would never want to do it myself.
I soooooo KWYM about having “too much knowledge” to do the opposite of what you know. I have said that SO often, especially as it relates to my food choices, but also in other areas. I feel it’s basically blasphemy to go against what you “know” since I subscribe to the theory that if “you know better, you do better”. What good is the knowledge if you don’t utilize it?
I am hoping this new decision creates a satisfying life change for you!
I have been thinking about this ever since I read it last week. How does your family deal with your food choices? Do they do the same? Or do you prepare meals separate for them? What about extended family? How have they reacted to your decisions? I admire your decisions and the ability to speak knowledgeably about them.
I’m considering going Local after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Lots to think about when it comes to putting food into our bodies.
Fascinating. We eat quite a lot of cheese (my husband likes them European and stinky), so getting away from dairy would be a bing change. But I can see the day coming. But not before my husband gets used to the fact that I don’t cook meat any more. One change at a time.
Cheers!
No dairy is the way to go! I am so glad I made this change in my own diet about 6 months ago because it has really helped my digestion. Plus, like you, I’ve done tons of reading about it and between growth hormones, antibiotics, and actually thinking about drinking another species mother’s milk…I think I’m off for life. I recommend The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics for further reading. And my blog! http://doesabodygood.blogspot.com/search/label/dairy