I have been thinking a lot lately about what I am eating and what the food I eat is doing to my body.
In a previous post I talked about Paul McKenna’s weight loss system and how my weight has fluctuated over the years. (You can find out how it has been for me so far here.) But now I am thinking about more than just losing weight. I am looking for a way to increase my energy levels and reduce the fatigue and stodgy feelings I get inside my body, and although I don’t eat masses of meat, I am keen to see what difference this makes (if any) to how I feel. I will also monitor the effect it has on my Psoriatic Arthritis (if any). I also have some other some bad habits which I am going to work on too!
So for the next month I am going to eat vegetarian food only – all manner of vegetables, pulses, grains and fruit. As well as this I am going to try to:
- cut my intake of tea from 6 cups per day to 3 cups, plus herbal tea at night
- I am going to increase my intake of water gradually over the month from 0.5 litres to 2 litres
- I am going to attempt to avoid processed foods as much as possible
I will post as often as I can on my progress and upload photos of the new delights and recipes I discover!
To whet your appetite, here is an example of the lunch I ate on day 1 of the vegetarian experiment:
Avocado, tomato and pepper and chick pea and beetroot dips with pitta bread
Followed by mint tea!
I would love to hear from anyone who is trying a vegetarian experiment at the moment or has tried this before. Please share your experiences or comment below. If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to subscribe so you can keep up with my progress. Thanks!
Sounds fab and good luck, I keep thinking I should go veggie just to give my body a rest from processing meat and dairy. Though now I cook most things from scratch and I can tell you it really does make a difference cutting out processed foods. Look forward to reading you progress and the recipes you share.
Hi Natasha,
Yes this is something that I have been meaning to do for ages, but my trip to Brighton this weekend just made me want to do it now! I ordered a huge meat dish on Saturday night (it was lush) and although I thoroughly enjoyed it as the time, I woke up in the night with heartburn and was feeling really lethargic the next day. I have already started working on why I eat, when I eat and how much. Now it's time to think about the what!
Zeenat what a great idea to write a blog about your experiment, it will keep you focussed on your goal.
I have been veggie for 23 years now, Steve became vegetarian at the same time, and it was much easier to do it together. We had a few vegan friends at uni so they must have had a real influence on us, although Steve would argue and argue with them about it (he needed to due that being naturally sceptical; I am more of a natural believer in things) We have four children 11-16 and none of them have ever eaten meat or fish. They are really healthy, hardly ever ill, and are normal weight for their height. They are all horrified at the thought of eating meat and even though we have said they can try it when they are out with friends etc, none of them want to (phew!)
We all love food and mainly eat meals made from scratch (we both cook) but occasional pizzas and takeaways are eaten!
I have read that simply not eating meat means a 4lb weight loss on average, but you should experience an energy increase as well. Your body might crave meat, but there are plenty of substitutes if you miss the taste/texture.
If you need any advice I'd be happy to help! The UK Vegetarian Society website is full of tips and recipes.
Good Luck!
Lynne (Relax Kids, Brighton!)
Hi Lynne,
Thanks for the insights and tips. I will certainly have a look their recipes and will come back to you for inspiration when times get tough! Thank you for following! x