Finale or Continued?

Today makes the final day of my project.  I cannot believe it has ended so quickly!  I have jumped over several hurdles, and I have even fallen on my face a couple of times.  However, I have learned a myriad of information on vegetarianism and what it does to people.  First, I have learned that vegetarianism just doesn't affect you physically, but mentally and spiritually as well.  Second, I have learned that vegetarianism is clearly better than non-vegetarianism.  Finally, I have learned to become creative and open minded with food and people.

Yes, I stayed strong for my final day and kept my vegetarian diet.  Unfortunately, I never became a vegan, a dietary choice that I was wanting to make for a day.  However, being a vegan would of been too difficult because I love dairy way too much.  This is how I want to conclude my project by stating that you do not have to take drastic, radical choices to make a difference.  Ever decision is an influence, and any decision, no matter how small, that upholds humanity is a positive entity.

This project has taught me that being a vegetarian will not stop animal cruelty or global warming.  However, with smart choices, one can make a positive impact.  Therefore, I have decided that I will eat meat, but I will try to limit my intake of meat whenever I can.  Vegetarianism made me more conscience of what I was eating; however, I just love it way too much to give it up for the rest of my life.  Also, I did not realize how much meat is emphasized at social gatherings where it is impossible to go without eating.  Also, one should not be consumed with labels.  I was boxed into this vegetarian identity that I sometimes forgot who I was.  Make smart moves, know who you are, and if you crave meat, then eat it with thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I will try to make smart decisions for the holiday as well.  I want to consume meat as little as possible unless I absolutely crave or desire it.  It showed me that just because something is delicious or is filled with protein, does not mean you should consume it all the time in huge portions.  I'm honestly going to miss writing for this blog and telling everyone about it.  I am going to miss seeing those three or four views from creepy Russian guys that I have never met.  This blog meant so much to me, and I truly just want to say that I love every single reader/follower out there.  You guys are the best, and you guys are what kept me motivated.

Finally, after all this time without meat, where is it?  Meat is everywhere, everywhere except for my stomach (except for the times that I cheated).

Goals

For my final interview, I got to interview Jennifer Hicks, one of my friends from my elementary school.  Jennifer is a Seventh Day Adventist and a vegetarian.  I thought she would be the perfect example of the ups and downs of vegetarianism, and I was accurate in thinking so.

Q:  Define vegetarianism in your own words.
A:  A person that does not eat any sort of meat including chicken, fish, etc.  (Some people will ask me if I eat fish.  I respond with no because it is still fish.  You do know there is a vegan too, right?  There is a difference.

Q:  How long have you been a vegetarian?
A:  Ever since I was born.

Q:  Why did you become a vegetarian?
A:  It was my parent's decision.

Q:  What motivates you to stay a vegetarian?  Any temptations?
A:  My parents' rules, and yes, everything is a temptation.  It is hard lots of times.

Q:  Any struggles or defining moments of being a vegetarian?
A:  My parents' rules, and yes, peer pressure, the wanting to eat but not being able to, and just the curiosity of it because I have known of some vegetarians who have tried it and chose not to eat it anymore.

Q:  What characteristics of vegetarianism do you like?
A:  It is healthier, and you do not have to worry about hormones or anything.  Your immune system is more built up, and you can stay away from infections.  I know someone who hasn't been sick for over twenty years.

Q:  When will you stop being a vegetarian if you ever decide to?
A:  At the age of 18.

Q:  Any last words of advice you can give to a struggling vegetarian.
A:  Make sure you understand why you want to become a vegetarian and commit to it.

This interview reminded me of the article done on independent and dependent vegetarians.  I think that it is much more difficult for one to become a vegetarian in a family that is non-vegetarian.  Imagine if their were rules of vegetarianism placed on you by your family.  Being a vegetarian would be much easier yet more frustrating.  I could tell that she was sort of in an annoyed attitude towards the idea of it.  Also, I thought her last piece was awesome!  A plethora of people jump right into projects and do not even understand their purpose(s) of starting it.  If people do not understand their purpose(s), then there is no way people can truly commit to their goals.  Throughout this entire project, I have constantly been reminding me of why eat the way I do, and it has helped me.  Today, I went another day as a vegetarian, and I cannot believe there is only one day left of my experiment.  Will I continue my vegetarian journey?  You will find out tomorrow in my final blog post.

Content

Today, I went somewhere quite interesting.  My university loves it's alumni, and it produces a huge gathering for them.  This gathering consists of a gigantic festival filled with booths.  These booths consist of fraternities and sororities, games, and, of course, food and beverages.  However, there was only a booth for food, and yes, they were serving products with meat.  Did I fall for it?  Yes, I did.  All they offered were hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, and Little Debbie cakes.  As a poor college student, I had to eat this food.  My cafeteria was closed because of this event, so I had to eat a hamburger or skip lunch.  Because I was going to write a paper on my experiences and research shortly after the visit, there was no way that I was going to exist without lunch.

I think this experience is why it is so difficult for me to stay a vegetarian.  For some peculiar reason, cooking out is one of America's past times, and it is a fan favorite at social gatherings.  However, there are several vegetarian foods that one can cook outside that still fall under the vegetarian guidelines.  Why is corn on the cob, red peppers, and watermelon automatically cut out of our festivals?  I guess hamburgers and hot dogs are just one of America's way of life.

Also, I learned that even though I am in college, a plethora of food choices are still made for me.  I am broke; I have no income.  Because of this horrible fact, my options are limited.  Yes, I have more options being on my own, but these options consist of if I am going to eat on the right or left side of the dining hall.  People of all countries know that dining halls are extremely repetitive with food choices.

The vegetarian project has definitely taught me that just because I am living in college and on my own still does not mean that all of my dietary options are open.  In fact, most of my options, in all facets of my life, are usually chosen for me.  However, that is okay.  I live a good life.  

Eating Nemo.

Today, I stayed right on track with my vegetarian project, or at least I thought I did.  For breakfast, I ate nothing.  With such a busy schedule, I rarely have time for breakfast.  Since I did not eat breakfast, I had a gigantic lunch.  My lunch consisted of gravy and mashed potatoes, green beans, cheese pizza, and a chocolate chip cookie.  The food was extremely delicious because of a program that my university hosts.  This program gives juniors and seniors in high school and transfer students the opportunity to preview the campus in person, instead of just on the Internet.  Because the university wants more students, everything appears to improve on frontline, including the food.  There were so many delicious foods that it was very tempting not to eat any meat.  However, I stayed strong for lunch, but dinner is kind of a different story.

For dinner, I ate a peanut butter sandwich; however, it wasn't very fulfilling.  There was not any other appetizing meals either; therefore, I ate a fish sandwich.  That is right.  I ate fish.  However, I figured today would be another experimental day because there are only a couple more days left until this project is over.  The fish sandwich was not very fresh and somewhat stale, yet it was still average on the scale of tastiness.

Pescetarianism can fall under vegetarianism.  Fish have diminutive life spans, and they are bound to be eaten by some animal.  Also, there are a plethora of fish and not enough coral reefs which can hurt the environment.  Eating fish might be considered eating meat, but today, I followed through.

We Do Without.

I read an excellent article about the moral reason of why someone should become a vegetarian.  The article titled, "Moral Vegetarianism from a Very Broad Basis", written by David DeGrazia, a philosophy professor at George Washington University, arose an excellent point.  Because animals have at least some moral value, they deserve not be tortured by factory farms.  Even if you are not a total animals' rights supporter, one should still have no consideration towards vegetarianism or animals because it is inexcusable to be anything else.

I, honestly, am not a gigantic animal lover.  Growing up, I always played with action figures, not a pet. In fact, the only animals I was allowed to have were a couple of goldfish and a gecko; both species died rather quickly and provided very little, positive, and emotional support.  I also was attacked by a dog when I was around the age of eight.  These experiences displayed to me that I really did not like to be around animals at all.

However, even though I still do not like to be around animals, it still does not give me the right to torture animals.  I am not saying that eating meat is like swinging a hatchet at a goat, but what I am saying is that maybe humans should investigate the foods that they are eating.  Did the meat come from a farm that does not torture animals?  Were the animal environments sterile?  How do they kill the animals?  These are questions that all people should be asking, regardless of what dietary classification one belongs to.  An omnivore must investigate the farm while the vegetarian must investigate the plate. Yes, if the entire world became vegetarian, then animal cruelty would decrease.  However, action can still be taken with the cooperation of our omnivore brothers.  For now, though, we do without.

Back to the Fold

I did it.  I broke the habit of eating meat, and I am back on the vegetarian track.  Usually, it would of been just another vegetarian day; however, lately, I have been struggling.  However, I read through an article that gave me one more reason to be a vegetarian.

The article, "Children Who Choose Not to Eat Meat:  A Study of Early Moral Decision-making", written by Karen M. Hussar and Paul L. Harris, researchers at Harvard University, came to interesting conclusions.  They found that committed vegetarians from the ages of 6-10 condemn committed vegetarians but they do not pass judgment against uncommitted vegetarians when they eat meat.  I should probably be upset, but I am actually quite pleased.  It shows that vegetarian children truly do care about commitments and uphold them with great sincerity.  The research shows that these children do not judge people outside of the vegetarian circle for eating meat, but they do judge those who are in it.  I think this relates exactly with adults and the church, not to run off on a tangent.

The vegetarians I have come across are very open minded towards non-vegetarians.  However, when two vegetarians meet, situations can become heated.  Do you consume milk?  Do you eat fish?  How long have you been a vegetarian?  These questions almost show a sort of competitive nature.

However, I think that this competitive nature is an awesome characteristic about vegetarianism.  We, vegetarians, are always growing, shaping, climbing, and falling because we want to be the best vegetarians that we can be so we can uphold our personal and spiritual commitments.

What good competition is there among omnivores?   Who can eat the most hamburgers in a minute?  However, here I am counter arguing my entire point on judgment, so this post will end now.

Forgiveness

Not only have I eaten meat twice, but I have now eaten meat for a third time!  Please, let me explain my failures.

The first day that I ate meat was Sunday.  For my gateway class, a freshmen introductory course that teaches the elements of college life, my peers and I are required to complete service projects.  For one of our service projects we helped with the production and closing of a fall festival at a medium-sized church.  We were required to do little work, and we were going to be provided with free food.  Excellent!  What I did not think about was the type of food we would be eating.  I was starving, and I knew that there would be a plethora of food provided. Thus, I ate a very small lunch.  That was a mistake because the festival provided barbecue sandwiches, potato chips, and oatmeal pies.  I hate potato chips, and oatmeal pies are not fulfilling.  I knew my only chance of not starving would be to eat meat.  I was extremely tired, and we were working in very cold weather.  The only way I could obtain energy would be to consume meat.  Hence, the delicious sandwiches lead me down a vicious cycle.  

I ate meat the next day.  This time I was working on my homework with some friends when I missed the closing time for the cafeteria.  This would result in me walking to the Subway.  When I arrived at the Subway, I ate my sandwich with meat because the vegetarian sandwiches are not that appetizing.    I felt horrible.  I thought this was going to just be a one day time.

Today, I followed my vegetarian diet all the way through until dinner time.  The barbecue chicken looked amazing, and the vegetarian foods were prepared with little effort.  However, the chicken was not cooked properly, and I only ate a small portion of it.  I could not believe that I failed three days in a row.

I know what they say.  Three strikes and you're out.  However, I want to apologize to all of my followers; I have tried with all of my digestive might.  Here I am proclaiming why someone should be a vegetarian, and I am out in the world eating meat like a T-Rex.  When I ate meat, it felt like I was committing a sin; it felt so wonderful, but I knew it was wrong.  I ask that my readers please forgive me as I try to finish my course strong.  

A Library.

Before I post my links, I have a confession to make.  Not only have I broken my vegetarian diet once, but I have broken it again today.  I honestly feel like the biggest hypocrite right now, and I ask that my followers forgive me.  I will go into more detail about this tomorrow because I want this post to be about the awesome links of vegetarianism, not my failures.

The first link is a recipe.  You can find the specifics for the recipe here.  This recipe is a dish called Japanese curry with edamame.  It is a thick dish filled with a plethora of vegetables.  This dish will cause any backsliding vegetarian to get back on the right track.

The second link is a blog.  This blog is written by a chef who is eventually offered a show on the Food Network.  I like this blog because I think it defies the stereotype that all vegetarians are health nuts.  I'm  not saying that we should consume unhealthy food just for the sake of breaking a stigma; however, I am stating that it is essential to be realistic in such a tempting western culture.

The third link is a video which can be seen above.  The video was produced by PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, for the purpose of promoting vegetarianism.  This video touched on a myriad of the issues that I have touched on in the past, such as animal cruelty and the environment.  However, there was something new in this.  I did not know that poop was in packed chicken containers.  I found this to be revolting, and I think the packing industry needs to do something about this.

The fourth link is a fact sheet on vegetarianism.  These facts can be found here.  I found the first fact very interesting; it stated that over 70 percent of vegetarians are from India.  This goes back to the fact that spirituality plays a key role in several vegetarians.  In India's case, they are a country known for Hinduism, a religion that loves vegetarianism.

The final link is from an academic article titled "The Chicken and the Bath Water: Exploring a Basic Limit to the Vegetarian Ideal".  This blog, written by Stephen H. Webb, counter argues the belief that if the world was entirely vegetarian, then the number of farm animals would decrease because they would not be as useful.  This article gave me excellent information on a subject that I have thought about.  Although it is academic, it is still a must read.

These are my five links.  I am so glad I decided to try this project because there is so much information on vegetarianism.

Although I failed by eating meat, just like Batman, I will rise.

Diversity

As I converse with my friends and family about my vegetarian project, there seems to be confusion on what a vegetarian actually is.  There are four types of vegetarians, and I want to show you a video of expert dietitian, Christine E. Marquette, defining and explaining the types.

1. Lacto-ovo vegetarian:  A person who does not consume any meat or seafood, but he or she will still consume dairy products and eggs.

2. Lacto-vegetarian:  A person who will use dairy products, but he or she will not consume eggs or any other meat product.

3. Ovo-vegetarian:  A person who can consume eggs, but will not consume any other animal products.

4. Vegan:  Someone who does not consume any animals products or by-products.

I have talked to a couple of people who believe that I am not a vegetarian because I consume dairy or eggs, so I usually have to explain to them the types of vegetarians.  Also, I have heard the phrase flexible vegetarian.  This is someone who will eat meat on occasion.  However, this is not a form of vegetarianism.  Another controversial type is pescetarianism.  This is someone who can consume seafood.  One of my friends is a pescetarian; however, he started as a vegetarian.  I think that happens with some vegetarians.  They will begin as vegetarians and change into another form such as vegan.

I consume no meat or seafood, but I still consume dairy and eggs.  Therefore, I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian.

People ask me all the time if I am vegan or vegetarian.  However, what I have learned is that vegans are vegetarians.  I think there is a plethora of confusion circulating on what vegetarianism is, what vegetarians represent, and the diversity of vegetarianism, and hopefully this blog will shed some light and information on vegetarians.  Not only am I an activist and ethnically Jewish male, but I am also an educator who teaches society about the entire scope of vegetarianism.  I want this blog to serve as a hammer that smashes the confusion of vegetarianism away and drives the nail of vegetarian education into the world.

Obese Marijuana

When I first started my vegetarian project, I had defined reasons for starting it.  One of those reasons was to become a healthier person.  One of the purposes was not to lose weight like so many others who begin their vegetarian lifestyles although I definitely have lost a couple even though I could lose a few more.  However, I did not realize that being overweight was correlated with bad health.  Being overweight or obese can lead to coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers.  In "Vegetarian Diets and Weight Status", Dr. Susan E. Berkow states in the Nutrition Reviews that vegetarians tend to have a lower body weight than non-vegetarians. Vegetarians are 3% to 20% less heavier than their non-vegetarian counterparts.  This information makes complete sense.  The more one cares about what he or she consumes, then he or she will care about his or her health.  You are what you eat, and I eat plant-based products.  I am "vegolving".

The information on weight can be attributed to another fact from her article.  Vegetarians are less likely to become smokers than non-vegetarians.  This is an excellent reason why vegetarians are healthier than omnivores.  Smoking is well-known to be unhealthy.  Also, this is just one more statistic that disproves the stereotypes of vegetarians, and in this case, it disproves that we are all hippies.  However, hippies, in my experience, seem to be pretty cool and chill, but that's for another post in the unforeseeable future.

I have never smoked before in my life.  Growing up around a mother who constantly smoked displayed to me the reality of the dangers of smoking physically, emotionally, and financially.  At an early age,  I told myself that I would never smoke, and I have kept that promise to this day.  Just like the smoking promise, I hopefully will keep the promise of the vegetarian project.

Eat Me.

Today, I failed at being a vegan.  As soon as I walked into my university's cafeteria, my eyes and my stomach went straight for the cheese pizza.  However,  I still have not eaten any meat.

Speaking of meat, I had the pleasant opportunity to survey 20 people on some questions pertaining to my vegetarian project.  Seventeen of the people were males, and there were three females who participated in the survey.  I asked the following five questions.

Q1:  On average, how many servings of meat do you eat in a usual day?

The average of the responses was 2.625 servings.  When I asked this question, I was honestly wondering if the people I surveyed were telling me the truth.  Not on their personalities, it was just the fact that they ate so much less than what I used to eat.  I could easily eat five servings in a day, almost double the average.

Q2:  How many servings of meat do you think is healthy for one day?

The average of the responses was 2.55.  Unfortunately, there were no responses of zeros.  Everyone agreed that having some servings of meat is still healthy.

Q3:  Have you ever tried to become a vegetarian?

Six people replied that they have tried being a vegetarian, and fourteen people have replied that they have not tried being a vegetarian.  Out of the six who have tried, none of them are still vegetarians today.  Once again, I found this to be disappointing.  I could not figure out why they stopped.  Is meat really that tempting?  Are we living in a society where taste buds trump everything else?

Q4:  Do you think the vegetarian's diet is better than the omnivore's diet?

Six people replied that the vegetarian's diet was better than the omnivore's diet, and fourteen said that they did not believe that the vegetarian's diet was better than the omnivore's diet.  The majority would say something like people need protein.  Right, because the only source of protein comes from meat, it does not exist any other meats.  I was so frustrated at the responses I was obtaining.  When I asked people these questions, it was almost like this self-defense mechanism went off.  It was like they internally knew it was wrong, but they were defending their lifestyles in the best way they could.

Q5:  If you became/were still a vegetarian what food group would you consume from the most?

Six people said grains while two people said fats, oils, and sweets.  Four people said vegetables, and eight people responded with fruits.  I asked this question because I have found that my diet consists of a plethora of dairy products.  However, nobody said anything about dairy products.  Over 50% of people said fruits and vegetables, and I think that leads back to question three.  People have this stereotypical image of what vegetarians are which is why I think so many people leave.  Vegetarians are horrible advertisers.  When is the last time you saw an advertisement on the television or newspaper campaigning for vegetarianism?  I have learned that vegetarians must stick up for themselves because their is a world of defensive omnivores ready to consume us.

Vegan?

As a vegetarian, I have noticed a characteristic about my diet that is very interesting.  Most of my meals are usually based around some sort of dairy or egg product.  For instance, most of my meals consist of cheese pizza, cheese and rice tacos, salads filled with eggs and cheddar cheese, vegetarian wraps and burritos, pasta, and cookies.  Dairy and egg products can play a positive or negative role for one's health, and these dairy products sometimes lead to several questions.  Do you consume cheese, eggs, or milk?  Are you fully committed to animal rights considering that you consume dairy?

There is a huge debate going on between vegetarians and vegans.  Vegans do not consume any animal products or by-products such as eggs or milk while vegetarians can consume by-products.  Because animal cruelty can happen from the production of eggs or milk, some vegans might propose that their diets are superior to vegetarian diets.  I have even heard a vegan say that vegetarians are uncommitted and lazy to their dietary ideas.  However, I have to disagree.  Vegetarianism does allow for more options, but we still have our restrictions, and we can be fully committed to our personal and spiritual goals and obligations if we just follow through.  

I want to know what it feels like to be a vegan.  I want to understand the vegan's side of the argument, and I believe the only way I can fully do that is by being a vegan.  I started to choose veganism for my project, but I love food products such as cereal, ice cream, and macaroni and cheese to such an extent that being a vegan for 28 days would be too difficult.  However, I am willing to give those precious food items away, and I can still be a vegan while being a vegetarian thus I will become a vegan for one day.  My followers might think I am crazy for tackling on more than what I have to do, but the idea of understanding veganism instead of attacking it excites me.  Vegetarianism is a beautiful tree with many branches, and tomorrow, I am reaching out to vegans.      

Christian and Vegetarian?

As a Christian and a vegetarian, I obtain strange glares.  Why are you a vegetarian?  God created animals for one purpose, to eat.  Is that not what we are constantly being told?  I have found that nothing could be farther from the truth.  Although the Bible does not state anywhere that being or not being a vegetarian is a sin, it does not mean that humans still have the spiritual right to treat animals terribly.  Note, I am not saying that non-vegetarians are animal abusers.

Michael Morris, a zoologist and professor at the University of Canterbury, is an evangelical and a vegetarian.  He writes on why Christians should be for the rights of animals and debunks the typical excuses of the omnivores of the church.  You can read the full article here.  Morris has done an excellent job of explaining that even though animals do not have souls, they are still created in the image of God.  Morris expounds on the ways that animals are being tortured and killed, and he connects how their deaths are leading to global warming.  However, he concludes by stating that animals are homo sapiens and deserve to be treated as such.

In my last interview, I learned that vegetarianism can be rooted in spirituality.  However, when I started this project, it was, unfortunately, not led by a voice from God or a Bible verse, but just internal desire.  I have learned, however, that the information that I have learned from the past two days has given me this spiritual awakening.  I have became aware that this project is glorifying God.  My misery has become my ministry.

Vegetarianism Intertwined With Spirituality?

I have finally interviewed my resident assistant, and he has chosen to remain anonymous.  Here it is.

Q:  What is vegetarianism?

A:  It is a lifestyle associated with eating foods that are not made from animals.  It is also associated with hippies

Q:  Are you a vegetarian?

A:  Yes, I am.

Q:  How long have you been a vegetarian?

A:  Almost ten months.

Q: Why did you become a vegetarian?

A:  I became a vegetarian to become closer to God.

Q:  What motivates you to stay a vegetarian.

A:  I am obeying God by finishing the course.

Q:  What are some struggles you have had?

A:  Great question!  I was living overseas in a culture where being a vegetarian is not culturally accepted.  The other reason is that often the public is not vegetarian friendly.  I have had strange looks from people.  You are a red blooded male, not a hippie or weird animal activist.

Q:  What characteristics of vegetarianism do you like?

A:  I like that it is healthy.  I have only been sick once in 10 months.  I have to also be creative with my food choices, and it has expanded my realm of food possibilities.

Q:  What characteristics do you dislike?

A:  I dislike that its difficult to eat in certain places, and it is associated with other lifestyles that I haven't chosen.  

Q:  Can you be more specific with the spiritual realm?

A:  The Biblical model for being a vegetarian is that you can be a vegetarian and a Christian, but you can still have them not related.  I am fasting from certain foods.  For me, I was having dialogue with the Lord, and I had an agreement where I would do anything for the Lord.  I heard the Lord tell me to give up sweets and meats.  

Q:  Is there any advice you could give me for pushing forward as a vegetarian?

A:  It is good to have a goal.  You have to have purpose with whatever you are doing.  Make sure you are revisiting why you are doing what you are doing?  Find good foods, recipes, and hummus!  

Companionship

The interview shall be conducted tomorrow because I have this awesome article that I want to share with my audience.  The article is titled, "Why Friends Shouldn't Let Friends Be Eaten: An Argument for Vegetarianism".  This article explains that because farm animals can become friends with every human being, then people should not kill animals.  The full article can be read here.  I found the entire argument interesting because animals, of all kinds play such important roles in so many households.  Cats and dogs are sometimes not even referred to as friends, but they are even referred to as family.  I can remember my psychology professor from summer honors, an excellent two week program that gives its students six credit hours, telling us about the more someone come in contact with someone else, the closer and intimate that relationship becomes.

This theory makes me think about farmers.  Farmers are constantly interacting with their animals and becoming close to them every single day.  Because of these companionships, it probably makes farmers feel horrible about killing their best friends.  The livestock do provide the farmers with capital; however, the farmers earn that capital with sorrows and blood.  If everyone was vegetarian, the farmers could just produce agriculture and use the animals for other purposes such as transportation or recreation.

The entire conversation of companionship and farming makes me think of my friends.  My friends are constantly feeling empathy for me and my vegetarian project.  They are constantly telling me how badly my life must be while on this project, and how they just love eating meat.  However, I am the one feeling empathy for them.  They are constantly consuming this meat that is usually not healthy, cheap, or efficient.  However, the one belief that we all have in common is that we would never kill each other for meat instead of vegetables.  Well, I would hope not.

Vegetarianism has given me this invisible bridge that connects me with animals.  Vegetarianism has made feel like I am a companion of animals, and I am constantly supporting their rights with the choices that I make every day.  I am a friend of God. . . and animals.

Forever

The fall break is over, and I start classes tomorrow.  Being a vegetarian all weekend with my family has been easier than what I thought it would be.  My family has done an excellent job these four days of choosing restaurants and meals that can cater to my vegetarian interests.  

Some of the meals I have eaten while living with my family back at home are toasted strawberry strudels for breakfast, Frito salad for a snack, cheese and rice burritos for lunch, a plate of country vegetables for supper, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream for desert.  Although these vegetarian items are delicious, being a vegetarian is still very difficult to accomplish because we live in a country that is constantly surrounded by meat.  When I went out to eat with my family after church, there was only one vegetarian item listed on the menu.  When I watch my favorite television shows, the advertisements are constantly filled with juicy, succulent hamburgers and crispy fried chicken.  When my friends order a pizza, I have to beg to order it with pineapples and cheese only.  America has entire holidays and months for consuming certain meats such as Thanksgiving, International Bacon Day, or National Chicken Month.  

Although meat can be tempting, there are just a plethora of reasons within me that makes me want to keep pushing forward:  the environment, animal cruelty, promises, health, and this blog.  This blog   keeps me on the right track because I know that if I fail, then I will have to confess about it on this blog.  Some people have even told me to eat meat and act like it never happened; however, I don't think I could do that.  I love all of my readers to not tell them the full truth, and not telling the truth is the same sin as telling a lie thus I will write even if I accidentally or purposely fail.  In all honesty, even though this project is difficult, I enjoy it way too much to not let it be real.  Who knows?  I might keep this project going for life.  

Mental and Physical Vegolution.

Excellent news!  According to an article in the Nutrition Journal, "Vegetarian diets are associated with healthy mood states: a cross-sectional study in Seventh Day Adventist adults", vegetarians have less negative emotions than omnivores.  This article is filled with excellent research which proves that despite having a lack of EPA and DHA intakes, vegetarians are mentally healthier because they usually have higher intakes of total polyunsaturated fats and negligible arachidonic acids.

This article reminded me of when I first started this project.  I was in a horrible mood, and I was trying to fight the cold turkey.  However, now I feel excellent.  I have not been in a depressed mood since that day.  I have been feeling excellent. 

One of the reasons for my emotional happiness is probably attributed to the fact that I have been losing weight.  When I started college, I weighed around 215 pounds.  I went to the family physician a couple of days ago and had to step on the scale.  The scale read 178 pounds!  I can not remember the last time I weighed that much.  Being on a college campus forces me to excercise.  Some days, I end up walking miles going from class to class.  Top this with a healthy diet, and someone is bound to lose weight.  I've always heard that freshmen gain weight, but I am finding the exact opposite.  What is amazing about my vegetarian project is that I started it not to lose weight but to live a healthier lifestyle.  Vegetarianism will positively change people:  mentally and physicially.

Interesting.

I have found five very interesting links on my topic, vegetarianism.

The first link has to do with animal cruelty. I want to warn my viewers that this video is very graphic! Children should not be allowed to watch this video. Viewer discretion is advised. You can watch the video here. If this video does not at least encourage one to become a vegetarian, than I don't know what will. There were several times in this video that I literally had to turn my head away. However, I disagree with the milk and eggs show casings. The calves could of been used to produce more milk, and the male chicks could of been used to produce more chickens and eggs. However, the video did an excellent job of what happens daily in animal farms.

The second link has to do with a poll that calculated how many youth are vegetarians. You can check out this article by the Vegetarian Resource Group here. I honestly found it surprising how many youth are vegetarians. I also found it interesting that between the ages of 8 and 18, more males follow the vegetarian lifestyle than females. The reason why is because eating items such as bacon, hamburgers, ribs, and steak all seem to be masculine foods. When guys watch a football game, they are bound to eat chicken wings. When men go to the bar, they are bound to eat hamburgers. When I think of women gathering together, I see them eating cookies and scones. As a man and a vegetarian, I find it awesome that pre-teen and teen boys are going beyond the dietary stereotypes and becoming vegetarians.

The third link is a blog. This blog is called is called Pure Vegetarian, and it is filled with stunning photographs of vegetarian foods. Don't leave my blog, but this one is just awesome! You can check it out here, but come back quickly!

The fourth link I found comes from the Mayo Clinic. It talks about the healthy vegetarian lifestyle and what a vegetarian can do to remain healthy. It recommends following the vegetarian food pyramid, consuming nutrients such as calcium and iron, and substituting meaty meals that you love with vegetarian substitutes. The vegetarian food pyramid is shown below.

What surprised me about the food pyramid was the five servings of legumes, nuts, and other protein-rich foods. I am definitely not obtaining fiver servings. This is definitely an area that needs a plethora of work. However, with everything else, I should be right on track. You can check out the article here.

 

The final link is an awesome recipe for Spaghetti and No-Meat Balls on the Food Network.  I have been craving spaghetti and meatballs, so I am going to try to cook this for a meal.  This dish is extremely healthy, easy, and, of course, vegetarian.  There are a myriad of vegetarian dishes on the Internet to diversify the food selections for vegetarians.  With all these recipes on the Internet, becoming a vegetarian has never been easier.

 

 

 

Old and New Experiences

My university has canceled classes for Thursday and Friday for fall break, so I went home on Wednesday afternoon.  Once again, eating around your parents' interests is challenging, but it can be done.  The pictures below are some of the items that I have eaten while I have been on fall break.
 

On Wednesday night, before church, my father, my mother, and I ate at a small restaurant.  This restaurant specializes in southern, country cooking.  Most dishes usually come with a type of meat and two side dishes.  However, as a vegetarian, I could not order the usual dish, so I had to order three side dishes:  macaroni and cheese, corn, and mashed potatoes.  Also, the meal came with a delicious roll.  The mashed potatoes were rich and thick; the corn and macaroni and cheese were creamy and nice.  This comforting meal made me nostalgic for the rural life even though my dream is to move to a bigger city.  All in all, it was a great time to reconnect with my parents in a way that, once again, brought me back to cultural roots.

Today, I wanted to eat a snack.  In my dorm room, my wardrobe rarely has snacks, so having an entire kitchen to myself was a very nice yet tempting experience.  When I opened the freezer, there were a myriad of unhealthy and non-vegetarian items such as a can of chili that was filled with over 700 calories.  However, I found a "healthy" ice cream sandwich that was only around 150 calories.  The sandwich was half-frozen, so I placed it on a plate and placed the country inspired plate in the microwave.  I shut the microwave door and let the sandwich cook for 15 seconds.  It melted, but it made the sandwich so much better than before it was microwaved. 

For supper, today, I ate a vegetarian plate at Castillio's, located in my hometown, with some friends and family.  The vegetarian plate consisted of rice, a cheese enchilada, and a bean burrito covered in spinach and cheese.  I have eaten at this restaurant a plethora of times, but I have never ordered this to eat.  I would of probably never ordered this if I was not a vegetarian, and, thanks to vegetarianism, I have found my favorite dish at the restaurant. 

People should try foods that are completely out of their cultural and dietary comfort zones because they will never know when they will find the meals that culturally exemplify and complete them.  People should try certain foods that they think they might not like because it could change their life for the better, and they might enjoy foods more than the ones they enjoyed before.  Who knows?  It might make them a vegetarian. 

Vegetarianism: The Indicator of Orthorexia Nervosa?

Although the article, Vegetarian Students in Their First Year of College: Are They At Risk For Restrictive or Disordered Eating Behaviors?", was a tool to prove why vegetarianism in first year college students could lead to eating disorders or already experiencing eating disorders, I found two excellent paragraphs that gives a plethora of positive information on vegetarianism.  

"Vegetarianism is a broad term that can encompass a number of food avoidance and selection patterns, but is generally regarded as a healthy diet, high in nutritional value (Beardsworth and Keil, 1993). The increasing prevalence of vegetarianism among college students (especially among young women) may be linked to the transition into college: Experimentation with an unconventional lifestyle is common among young adults, and vegetarianism may be one way they can express themselves as individuals (NeumarkSztainer et al., 1997) and establish their independence (Santos & Booth, 1996).

According to Beardsworth and Keil (1993), an individual may decide to become a vegetarian for moral, spiritual, ecological, economical, health, and/or nutritional reasons. Gilbody et al. (1999) found that 67% of college students chose health as their reason for being vegetarian, while 25% chose weight control. In fact, several studies have suggested that dietary restraint and weight control are key reasons college students choose to eliminate items such as meat and other animal products from their diet (Gilbody et al., 1999; Janelle & Barr, 1995; Klopp, Heiss, & Smith, 2003; Perry, McGuire, NeumarkSztainer, & Story, 2001).Some researchers have concluded that vegetarianism can provide students with a socially acceptable means to avoid certain foods in order to control weight (Kadambari, Cowers, & Crisp, 1986; Klopp et al., 2003)."

The article can be read fully here.

However, I disagree with this article's thesis.  The samples that the article used were extremely small, and linking vegetarianism with eating disorders just pushes the envelope too far.  Just because the sample of vegetarians scored around 10% higher on the chances of anorexia, it still does not mean that vegetarianism is some sort of gateway drug to eating disorders.  Vegetarianism is a healthy alternative, not a futuristic, deadly catalyst.

Sodexo: The Transit of the Vegetarian Universe.

This post is dedicated to the Deacon Jones Dining Hall or, as some students would say, Sodexo.  There are some people who love the dining hall, but I would argue that the majority of the students on campus despise the dining hall.  Freshmen college students, including me, usually eat most of their meals in the dining hall because a meal plan is required for them.  This causes students to eat similar meals everyday; this repetition results in a dietary burnout that usually disperses college students to cheap, unhealthy, and "fast-food" venues.  However, from a vegetarian perspective, I see things differently.  Although the pizza segment, the hamburger section, and the salad bar offer the same items, the vegetarian section of the cafeteria offers a different item every day.  The selections below are the plethora of options that I had over the past couple of visits to destination Sodexo.

Selection 1) This dish consisted of sticky rice, mushrooms, tofu, and a biscuit. The biscuit was cold and stale. However, the rest of the food, especially the tofu, was delicious. Tofu is defined, according to www.Dictionary.com, as a soft, bland, white cheese like food, high in protein content, made from curdled soybean milk: used originally in Oriental cookery but now in a wide variety of soups and other dishes.  However, I believe that it is not bland at all!  Tofu is rich and delicious, and yes, it does taste like chicken.

Selection 2) This plate was packed with macaroni and cheese, baked beans, cheese pizza, and a potato cake.  This meal was filled with comfort foods.  Everyone has at least one grandparent who can cook soul food, food cooked with love.  This dish reminded me of how my grandmother would cook beans for everyone except for me because I did not like beans at the time, so she would cook me divine macaroni and cheese.  Although Sodexo will never be able to cook like my grandmother, I am thankful that they provided me with a delicious, comforting vegetarian experience.  

Selection 3) This dish was a pasta dish.  The noodles were penne noodles covered in a tomato sauce that was also mixed with cheese and red peppers.  This was my favorite dish at the dining hall.  It was just one of those plates that must be experienced. 

Selection 4)  This dish was similar to the first one except for the sauce and the type of cheese.  This dish had Alfredo sauce and was covered in a single piece of cheddar cheese.  It was, once again, a successful dish.  

Overall, the Deacon Jones Dining Hall taught me a valuable lesson.  Not only is their diversity among dietary types such as vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore, but there are a plethora of diverse dishes within vegetarianism as well.  Vegetarianism is more than just a salad.  It is a myriad of interesting choices that can span across cultures, countries, and civilizations.    

You Never Know.

This post is dedicated to Mike, the excellent server at Olive Garden.  From the last post, I briefly mentioned that I had a discussion with Mike, but I was saving it for today's post because I had an excellent article that I had to share, so this is the story of what happened.

My family, excluding my father who played paint ball instead of eating out, went to the Olive Garden.  We were seated very rapidly and in a lovely booth.  (Please note, this is not a sappy review of Olive Garden; it is the story behind meeting Mike.  If you want to read a post by an elderly woman who loves the "authentic" experiences of Olive Garden, click here).  The environment was calm and boring until Mike arrives and shines on our entire experience.  Mike was a very sociable, middle-aged man.  He was very enthusiastic in his work.  He eagerly gives recommendations, refills, and stories.  He was originally from New York City until he moved to Los Angeles, California, to skateboard with the professionals such as Tony Hawk.  However, he unfortunately injures himself, moves back to New York City, and becomes a bartender.  He visits his mother occasionally who resides in Cleveland, Tennessee, and eventually meets his future wife there as well, and he happily lives ever after at the Olive Garden.  When I ordered my meal, I asked him if the meal came with any meat.  He responded with a no, and I knew, in the way he responded, that he knew that I was a vegetarian.

Mike asked me if I was a vegetarian.  I nodded, and then he asks me how long I had been a vegetarian. I then tell him that I had been a vegetarian for five days.  He then tells me that he was a vegetarian!  I finally found someone who was also a vegetarian that I did not originally know.  Remember, I came from a small, conservative city.  Vegetarianism is rarer than Paula Dean cooking good food.  I proceed to ask him how long he was a vegetarian.  He tells me that he was a vegetarian for five years and a vegan for two years!  If anyone is an expert on vegetarianism, it is my waiter at the Olive Garden.  He then proceeds to tell me on how the Bible is pro-vegetarian due to the first couple of chapters in Genesis.  He then tells me the story of how he ate a turkey sub after being a vegan for two years.  The story ends with the turkey going down and then "gobbling" its way back up.  Our waiter did an excellent job, and we payed him accordingly.  I'm still in shock that my interview for my project came from an Olive Garden waiter, but that is why people must network.  People never know who they are going to meet.

Dietary Prophecy

This day was excellent.  I had an awesome interview with a vegetarian waiter who answered several of my questions that I had about vegetarianism.  However,  I will talk about this interesting story tomorrow because I want to share an awesome article.  I read an article titled "Long-Term Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet".  The article, written by Dr. Erik J. Lindbloom, can be read here.  

The article displayed a statistic that was produced by The Oxford Vegetarian Study that shows that the mortality rate for ishemic heart disease for vegetarians is lower than non-vegetarians.  Other diet trials for the favor of vegetarianism have included nephrolithiasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and dysmenorrhea.  The fact that vegetarianism can prolong your life is an excellent reason why people become vegetarians.  Mentally healthy people usually want to live longer lives.  Whether people are seven or seventy years old, it is never too late to live a healthier, longer life.  

For lunch, my mother, my sister, and I ate at the Olive Garden.  All of us ate the same appetizers:  bread sticks and salads.  However, for the main dishes, we all ordered something different.  My sister ordered stuffed chicken Marsala, and mother obtained lasagna; these two dishes were probably my favorites.  However, I had to stay strong, so I ordered the five cheese ziti al forno.  It was delicious, and it was filled with cheese and tomatoes!  I consumed it so quickly that I almost forgot to take a picture.

Today, I pondered why more people do not become vegetarians, nor at least, think about becoming one in the future.  I think it has to do with the negative connotations that are attached to vegetarianism:  hippies, health nuts, horrible food, and too difficult of an option.  However, nothing could be farther from the truth, and hopefully more people will become vegetarians in the future.

Aware.

It's day two of living back at home with my parents, and I am already starting to miss my university.  Don't get me wrong, I love my parents.  However, I really like the environment of the university as well.  The learning, the friendships, and the food are just all so wonderful!  Speaking of food, I have successfully went another day as a vegetarian.  For breakfast, I consumed a bowl of cereal.  This cereal was a combination of Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch; it was delicious.  For lunch, my mother cooked my family pizza rolls.  At first, all we had were pepperoni pizza rolls, so my father drove to the grocery store and bought me the kind with cheese only.  If that isn't love, then what is?  My mother placed the cheese pizza rolls to the left and the pepperoni pizza rolls to the right, so I would not accidentally eat the pepperoni rolls.  I am really thankful at how helpful my parents have been this weekend with my vegetarian project.  They are and have always been excellent parents.  I consider myself so blessed to have them in my life.   

For dinner, I devoured a peanut butter and banana sandwich dashed with cinnamon sugar.  It was extremely thick, and I really needed a glass of milk to go with it.  Beggars can't be choosers though, so I consumed my dinner with a bottle of water.  Overall, this has been a very relaxing yet productive weekend.  I went to the hair salon and had my hair cut very short, and I did some homework.  Most of the time was spent catching up on my recorded television shows.

The shows that I watched today were the Dr. Phil episodes.  There was this one woman who had an eating disorder.  She was anorexic and weighed 80 pounds at one point.  A person's eating habits can easily reflect the person.  You may not be what you eat, but your personality can resemble it.  Vegetarianism paints a personality of awareness.  It shows that the vegetarian understands the body, community, and the world.

 

Family and Unity.

I decided that I would go home this weekend.  For someone who lives only thirty five minutes away, I rarely go home.  In fact, this is my second time home since I started college.  Coming home has reminded me of how my diet constantly revolves around what my family desires.  Not that my input does not matter, it is just the fact that everyone in my family loves meat.  Growing up in a conservative, southern baptist, and bourgeois household, I was constantly taught that eating meat was a gift from God and being a vegetarian was a satanic tool used by Jillian Michaels.  Why would you want to be a vegetarian in the south?  We are the staple of barbecue sandwiches and fried chicken livers.  Telling my parents that I was a vegetarian was difficult.  At first, their responses were not positive.  However, after a couple of minutes of thought, they were accepting of it.  I even believe that my mother is proud of me for doing this.

Today, I ate all of my meals with my parents.  For lunch, my mother, father, and I ate at Fazoli's.  I consumed a plate of fettuccine Alfredo, a salad drenched in balsamic vinaigrette dressing, two bread sticks, and two glasses of lemonade.  At lunch, I had the opportunity to tell my parents of some of the amazing experiences I had been having at college.  These experiences were intermingled with laughter, warm smiles, and love.  I think that food is an excellent social connector; it is a universal medium that develops relationships and social constructs.  Friends, families, and hopeless romantics can share their lives over helpings of food.

For dinner, I ate a grilled cheese and a bowl of spaghettiO's.  This meal brought back nostalgic memories of the simple times in my life.  The moments where my greatest concerns were what cartoons I was going to watch or what hobbies I would partake in.  I think that my vegetarianism sailed me upstream; it brought me back to my familial roots.

Vegetarianism taught me an invaluable lesson.  It exemplified that despite all of the diverse diets and social constructs, we are still a globally, interconnected species.

It Matters.

Throughout the first two days of my vegetarian project, I pondered if what I was doing, by not eating meat, was actually making a positive contribution to this world.  As an aspiring activist, I am always trying to make this world a better place, and if I am not achieving something for the greater good, then I can become quite apathetic.  However, when I read the article, "Making Choices:  Ethics and Vegetarianism", by Juliana Devries, the negative doubts fixating in my mind were obliterated.  Devries expounds on the positive influences that vegetarianism possesses:  animal cruelty and the environment (39-40).  (Breakfast:  blueberry muffin and cinnamon roll from Jazzman's Cafe.)

First, she makes an argument that vegetarianism counters animal cruelty.  She gives a fantastic example displaying how cows are constantly fed food that is indigestible and that eventually damages their lives, and they are forced to live in improper shelters.  She then gives an excellent statistic on the amount and types of animals are forced to undergo this process (39).  It makes me feel excellent that I am not a contributor of this torture!  (Lunch:  peanut butter sandwich with potato cakes and a brownie.)

At the same time, vegetarianism positively affects the environment.  Devries reports that 18% of greenhouse gases are contributed to livestock which is more than cars, trains, and boats combined (40). That is an outstanding statistic that must not be ignored.  I cannot eliminate global warming by being a vegetarian, but at least I can say that I tried to slow climate change one meal at a time.  (Cheese pizza, salad, and a vegetarian, spinach wrap)

An Unstable Metamorphosis

This was a rough, melancholy day.  I successfully went another day without meat; however, something within me just did not feel right, mentally and socially.  For personal reasons and your sanity, I don't want to render all of my private, personal problems.  I just experienced all of these internal and external negative emotions, and I didn't have the time or the appropriate place to expel them. My neighbor told me that it was biologically normal to feel this way after making drastic changes in one's diet, and now, I believe that statement.  When people change their diets, they are not just changing physically but mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.  I honestly didn't realize that this project would alter me so rapidly and dramatically.  However, I do believe my psychological and social struggles will eventually pass once I kill that delicious, cold turkey. PETA, do forgive me.

On the bright side, I didn't consume any meat with ease.  I started off my dining itinerary with green beans and sweet potato fries from the infamous Sodexo Dining Hall.  The green beans were pleasant bringing me memories of the ones I would string and boil with my godmother when I was a child.  The sweet potato fries were delicious as well.  That sugary, crunchy sensation is a deadly combo which will make you beg for more.  

A couple of hours later, I was extremely tired, so I decided to try a large iced coffee with mocha flavoring.  The name obviously explains the taste; the taste was rich, refined, complex, and defined.  Who would of thought such an exquisite drink would come from the Dunkin' Donuts?

For dinner, I decided to grab some food from Lee University's Subway.  For ten seconds, I pondered all of the options; then, I realized that I was a vegetarian.  However, Subway has this awesome five dollar foot long for vegetarians.  I ordered mine with Italian herbs and cheese bread, cucumbers,  tomatoes, black olives, pepper jack cheese, spinach, and sweet onion sauce.  It was the perfect combination of sweetness and spiciness.  

The napkins from Subway also struck my attention.  The information made me feel excellent about myself.  Seeing the grams of fat in a hamburger from Burger King absolutely startled me considering that I get that burger doubled. 

Today was an emotional roller coaster.  I was negatively influenced, but then I realized that everything pertaining to my vegetarian project was having a positive effect on the world.  Vegetarianism pushed me down and then brought me back up.  I became tapped into the fraternity of vegetarianism.  

We've Only Just Begun

Where's the meat?  I love meat; I could eat it anywhere:  on a plate, on a bun, or on the floor.  However, for 28 days, I will not be consuming any meat:  chicken, beef, fish, shrimp, pork, and anything else that can breed.  However, I will not be a vegan.  I will be able to eat food that comes from animals like eggs or milk.
Why am I abstaining from meat?  There are a few main reasons.  The first reason dates back a couple of years ago when one of my friends in high school, Alex Donegan, was a vegetarian. I grew up in a rural small town filled with narrow-minded people.  The high school we went to was extremely close-minded, and he was constantly mocked by some of the faculty and students for being a vegetarian.  I always felt bad for him, so I told him that I would become a vegetarian as well.  However, the longest I could make it was a week, and then I stopped because I could not always decide what food to consume because every good child always eats what his or her mother or father cooks.  However, I am in college, and I am now making more decisions on my own, including dietary choices.  Now that I have the freedom to make my own decisions, I want to remake that commitment.  I want to be a vegetarian for at least a month to own up to the promise I made.  I want to practically display to Alex that vegetarianism is an excellent entity not just for outsiders, but for everyone, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or nationality.  I also want to use this experience to prove that I can do something positive no matter the difficulties it might bring.
My second reason for becoming a vegetarian is that it will hopefully make me a healthier person.  There are a plethora of health issues in my family:  diabetes, heart problems, and cancer.  By cutting out the meat of my diet, I will hopefully become a healthier person.  However, that does not mean that my goal is necessarily to lose weight although I could definitely lose a couple of pounds.
My final reason for becoming a vegetarian is an emotional one.  Sometimes, when I bite into a hamburger, I think about the cow that had to die for me, and I then I ponder about how many animals have wept just to be inside of my stomach.  The torture that animals have to go through is quite treacherous, and I don't want to be a reason for their torture.
Today was the official first day of my project.  I did not have enough time for breakfast because of my class schedule and convocation, so I skipped breakfast and would wait until lunch.  When I entered Lee University's cafeteria, I was worried because I was extremely hungry and felt like I might possibly fall for a fulfilling hamburger.  However, as I walked along, I noticed the vegetarian section had something that I really enjoyed, eggplant Parmesan. I ate my fried eggplant with a salad filled with cilantro, lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes.  However, I was still hungry, so I then made myself a peanut butter sandwich because I knew that it had a myriad of protein.  Finally, I rewarded myself with a brownie topped with vanilla ice cream bathed in chocolate syrup.  Maybe being a vegetarian isn't going to be so difficult after all.

For supper, I ate a peeled orange, a toasted, wheat wrap filled with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and honey mustard, a piece of pizza, ice cream, nacho chips, and a grilled cheese.  Although I successfully completed my first day as a vegetarian, I started to realize something very critical to my project.  A vegetarian does not always equal a healthy vegetarian.  Vegetarianism can become very unhealthy, and I have to be somewhat more careful of what I eat.  However, I can conclude that this day was an excellent start to a thrilling project.  Where's the meat?  It is nowhere to be found.