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I'm going Vegan

Vegan-drama

Yes, I'm going Vegan. Well, at least I'm going to strongly attempt it. As much as I have loved meat in the past, my stomach turns as I think of eating a Filet or some BBQ chicken. The taste in my mind is just a reminder of how I feel every time after I eat a piece of meat. Satisfied, yes, but really I feel more....slow, tired, and too full.

I've been reading articles, and watching a lot of videos online about the health benefits of going Vegetarian. I have a couple friends here that are Vegetarians, so I know it is possible to live ok in a meat-fast-food-filled world and be ok. Neither of them have talked me or strongly encouraged me into being a Vegetarian, it's just something my body has felt I'd be more capable of living a healthy life with.

I began to dig deeper into health and making sure I live a healthy lifestyle, which I've failed at doing a number of times. The occasional trip to Houston or California...probably the worst of it was when I was stuck in Philadelphia for over a month. It was very hard for me to get back on track if my trip was too long. The 4 days during the trip all of a sudden turned into 10 days because I just wasn't in the mood to watch what I ate or go workout.

Some may argue, that's self discipline that I should worry about, not so much the eating lifestyle (I don't do diets) that I've come to do. Let me engage further for you.

Metabolic Typing
I've never officially completed a Metabolic Typing Test, but from what I've read, based on my genealogy and how I feel, concludes that I feel much much better eating more Seafood, Vegetables, Fruits, and Grains. This was hard for me to cope with as I was not ready to drop beef and chicken. I attempted this late last year over a period of 3 months, and although I was getting closer and closer to the results I was looking for in the Appearance sense, I was beginning to feel weak and couldn't even perform fully during a workout: tiring out too soon during a cardio workout, not being able to increase my weights week by week because it seemed the weights were getting heavier (even though they were the same weight!). I began to understand that my body was now attacking my muscles and resorting to them for sustaining energy, rather than going for the fat in the love handles I had desperately been trying to get rid of.

By the end of this run, my girlfriend had moved to town, and she loves to cook. And her cooking is not just really good, but AWESOME....I've gone for 2nds and 3rds on several occasions. Not to mention the eating out, and the holidays coming up. There was a lot of meat around. My workout regimen stayed pretty much the same, but now there was meat in the mix, and I began to gain weight....but I was definitely feeling ALOT stronger.

But then I began to feel sluggish again, and my workouts soon became less and less frequent. My weight started to pack on and I was feeling like I was at square one again.

I started off again trying to go strictly Organic and Free Range. That didn't help because my craving for food was so great. So recently I went back to being a Pescatarian, but as I read more and more about the condition of fish, and how you don't know where you're really getting your fish from....especially at a restaurant, I began to reconsider eating seafood at all. I LOVE SUSHI, but I believe its possible to part from it....well, at least I hope so =)

Why Vegan then? Why not just Vegetarian?
Eggs are not my friend. I've never been able to feel comfortable after eating eggs. I've tried and tried, and every time it ends up with me having to go the restroom at least two or three times a day. I just don't think my body is capable of digesting eggs properly. So I don't think I'll miss eggs very much.

I have a low tolerance for dairy. Any milk you buy at the store gives my stomach a horrible turn (and I can remember this as far as when I was 8 years old), until I found organic milk. On two separate occasions though, I'd picked up my usual organic milk, and both times they came in very foul smelling, and the last time it felt like there were chunks floating at the top of the carton. That turned me away very quickly to the brand, and I wasn't confident in any other, so cow milk was out of the question. I'd considered goats milk, but that just seemed like a stretch for me. 

Ice cream's worse, I usually have to goto the restroom at some point afterwards, and it was never comfortable. Gelato's much much worse...after a few licks, I have to go immediately.

Cheese tastes awesome. I loved it on a hamburger (but that's gone now) and more so on a Pizza. I love, love, looove pizza! Pizza and sushi will be by far the two hardest things to let go for me. But then I think of all the times Pizza has given me stomach problems, or uncomfortableness afterwards. It's always good going in, but never very good going......well, you know where this ones going.

What else could I mention? Butter...fattening. Cream cheese...yuck. I've pretty much gotten to the point where if I don't eat an animal....why would I even want to eat anything that comes out of an animal? Yes, it tastes good...I can't argue with that, but I think I'm more now on a mission to give myself a healthier life, and eating meat, dairy or eggs in this day and age is detrimental to my health (I'm only speaking about myself, not anyone else).

What about protein? You can't live without meat!
The body is a very very smart thing. When the body lacks the protein it needs, it finds it wherever possible, that's why it attacked my muscles the last time. If you introduce a heaping amount of vegetables, beans, and the sort that has protein (maybe a decent amount, maybe a small amount), the body will hold on to the protein within those foods as long as it can. I was worried about this same case for the longest time, looking skinny maybe even sickly, but I've found several vegan athletes (car lewis became a vegan in his prime) and even trainers and body builders.

You're no longer a normal person. I don't think I can invite you out or eat with you because you're different now
Well, I hope that's not the case with any of my friends or family. All I can ask is that you help support me on my journey. I may fail, I may continue to live this way...who knows. It will be tough, so the support will definitely help. 

If you've known me long enough, you know that during the months of Ramadan when I couldn't eat during the day, you would find me hanging out with friends during lunch or even playing a game of basketball. Temptation is probably the least of my worries. I would still love to hang out during lunch or come to a gathering, even if I can't eat the food.

How can I keep up with your progress (or failure)?
I've set up a twitter account and a separate blog for my progression (hopefully not failure =P). I've thought about maybe making a Youtube channel, but I don't know if I'm comfortable in front of a camera. We'll see though.

Any tips or suggestions, please leave a comment, I'd greatly appreciate it =)

The Common Sense Guide to "Organic" and Other Food Labels - Labels - Lifehacker

via lifehacker.com

The Common Sense Guide to "Organic" and Other Food Labels

Everywhere you look, food is trying to impress you with how natural it is, but the message is vague and often misleading. What does "organic" actually mean? What separates "grass-fed" from "free range"? We're separating real, meaningful labels from eco-hype.

Photo by greenblog.

Even if you couldn't care less about the growing media presence and consumer curiosity around food sourcing and handling, it helps to know what you're getting when you're forced to pay more for certain goods.

If it was just one government agency that offered semi-descriptive labels, a la the USDA's meat grades, there wouldn't be much to talk about outside the shop talk of butchers. But meat and produce carry a lot of labels and statements these days, ranging from very official imprints to generic terms. Here's the Cliff's Notes version of what you should look for.

The Word "Organic"

This is the biggie among food labels, and one of the most controversial. It's a word that sounds black and white%u2014either it grew up naturally and was brought to you without chemicals, hormones, pesticides, or radiation, or it didn't, you'd think. But under federal law, any product with "organic" anywhere on its packaging or display materials must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients.

To qualify as organic, those ingredients can't contain, or be produced with, any of the following: chemical, additives, synthetics, pesticides, or genetically engineered substances. That's the stated law, but, as you might imagine, those criteria can be subject to interpretation, and the USDA's regulation of the "organic" label has come under questioning. Photo by Tim Psych.

That said, there are different grades of organic labeling in the U.S. Here's how the Washington Post breaks down the differences:

"100 Percent Organic" products must show an ingredient list, the name and address of the handler (bottler, distributor, importer, manufacturer, packer, processor) of the finished product, and the name and seal of the organic certifier. These products should contain no chemicals, additives, synthetics, pesticides or genetically engineered substances.

"USDA Organic" products must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. The five percent non-organic ingredients could include additives or synthetics if they are on an approved list. The label must contain a list that identifies the organic, as well as the non-organic, ingredients in the product, and the name of the organic certifier.

"Made With Organic" products must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The label must contain a list that identifies the organic, as well as the non-organic, ingredients in the product, along with the name of the organic certifier.

"Natural," "Grass-Fed," And Other Labels

When it comes to concerns and criteria that the USDA and other government or state bodies don't regulate, the path to knowledge gets a lot more twisty.

In my research, the most comprehensive resource I've found to determining what a label really means comes from Consumer Reports' Eco-Labels verifier, a search and index tool that covers a wide variety of labels. From generic labels applied in spirit to state-specific co-op certifications, there's a really good chance anything you're looking for is in there.

But most people don't want to head to the store, write down labels, research them at home, then head back out again with a verified shopping list. So, with Consumer Reports' permission, I've taken one of their food label report cards, and broken down the more widely seen labels into categories. You'll find far more label-specific footnotes, research, and explanations at their full chart, but these labels, as applied to meat and other foods, have been vetted by Consumer Reports' researchers and broken down by how meaningful, verifiable, and free of marketing double-speak they are.

Note: If these label ratings sound harsh, it's because they are. They're based on universal, verified labels, so use your good judgement when all else fails. If a trustworthy local rancher tells you his meat is free of antibiotics, hormones, and was raised naturally in humane conditions, he may be telling the truth, but not have federated labels to prove it. You should still buy that product. All the rest of this is related to larger-market labels you'll find in bigger stores.

Weak or vague labels:

  • Antibiotic free
  • Free range
  • Free roaming
  • Hormone free
  • Natural
  • No chemicals
If the food you purchase carries one of the labels above, keep in mind that most of them don't offer strong verification and sourcing chains, are used with inconsistent criteria, and don't make plain-English standards widely available. In most cases, they were also developed without public or industry input.

Better, but not conflict-free labels:

  • No antibiotics administered
  • No hormones administered
  • Raised without antibiotics
These labels are backed by organizations that have a consistent methodology and clear conditions for their labeling, and make their standards publicly available. In all cases, though, they weren't developed by groups outside the selling chain, and lack for public input and examination.

Consistent, if flawed, labels:

  • Grass fed (USDA)
  • Salmon Safe
In the "grass fed" case, it's held up by the USDA, but many have criticized the inconsistency of application, and the lack of outside review. Salmon Safe is mostly consistent and has set standards, but was similarly developed "in-house."

Certifications with clout:

  • Aurora Certified Organic
  • Certified Humane Raised and Handled
  • Certified Organic, Inc.
  • Demeter Certified Biodynamic
  • Food Alliance (FA)
  • Global Organic Alliance (GOA) - Certified Organic
  • Guaranteed Organic Certification Agency
  • Integrity Certified International
  • International Certification Services, Inc.
  • NMOCC - Certified Organic
  • OneCert
  • Quality Assurance International (QAI) - Certified Organic
  • Quality Certification Services (QCS)
  • USDA - Organic
Consumer Reports considers many of these food labels to lack for consistent meaning, but otherwise finds them certain, controlled, and developed by groups with both separation and public accountability. The USDA "Organic" certification is, as mentioned previously in this post, divided into sub-sets.

Other tools

We've previously mentioned the Beef Label Decoder as an interactive tool to help you figure out what the label on your USDA Organic beef label is trying to tell you. If you're interested in finding out more about your milk, Where Is My Milk From? can answer exactly that question, if you type in the stamped code off the top of your carton.

Not included above are many state-wide and regional certification labels, which are, as previously mentioned, covered more in-depth at Consumer Reports' big label chart and search tool.

That's our take on slightly simplified food labels. We're not farmers, ecologists, or food inspectors, but we gave it our best. If you've found another guide that's easy to grasp and full of helpful detail, do share the link in the comments.

Send an email to Kevin Purdy, the author of this post, at kevin@lifehacker.com.