My Journey into Vegetarianism

Many of you have asked about my journey into vegetarianism and how I did it. Before the 2017 new year, I had made a resolution to go vegan by the end of 2017. So when the new year rolled around and MP told me we would no longer eating meat, it wasn’t an impossible thing for me. I had already structured my mind to think in more healthy ways. I had already started eating a high alkaline diet and knew that my body was starting to no longer crave meat because it wasn’t supposed to be in my system to begin with. The first 2 weeks were the hardest for me since I told my mind that I would no longer eat meat, my mind became obsessed with it. However, I knew that in order to succeed in anything you set out to achieve, one must first get the mind to have control over the body.

MIND OVER MATTER.

In those first weeks, I cleared out my cabinets of all things detrimental to me and to my body. This meant getting rid of artificial sugars, genetically engineered food (check your labels and look for “this product was partially genetically engineered” and wording along those lines), anything with ingredients that I could not pronounce and any seasonings that had high content of salt and chemical ingredients. Furthermore, I switched to Himalayan Pink Salt because of its high nutritional and mineral content. I stopped drinking any form of tap water, even if it is filtered, because of the high levels of hormones and pharmaceuticals that are in NYC water.

Going vegan or vegetarian is a lifestyle change. This means that your journey and how you accomplish it begins with you in your mind. I find that I have been successful in my own journey because I eased myself into vegetarianism. Although my new year’s goal was to be vegan by the end of 2017, I have found that taking baby steps and eliminating certain foods from my diet slowly has helped me be more successful in the long run. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. If I, however, would have plunged MP and I into an extreme vegan diet from the very beginning, we would have been discouraged and probably would still be eating meat today.

What you all must remember is that you have to find what works best for you. For some, mind over matter is an integral part of their life and those who have strength in this aspect will find that they will have a less arduous journey. However, most of us have difficulty getting our mind to have dominion over the body and for this reason we find that these people are more prone to fall into pleasures of the flesh (i.e. eating meat, giving up on workouts etc.) Before any of you begin your vegan/vegetarian journey, I highly recommend meditation. You should envision your new healthy self, tap into how you feel as that new healthy you and see how much more stronger and clearheaded you have become.

y journey has not been easy and, even now, I know I still have more room for growth and improvement. However, I’m mindful of my body and move on to the next step only when my mind has been strengthened. My success at vegetarianism has been so because I have taken baby steps in changing my eating habits. Extremism will always, more thank likely, end up in failure. Ease into vegetarianism/veganism by first eliminating meat on the weekends and see how you feel on Monday. However, when you decide to take the plunge I recommend a 2- week cleanse. Look for foods that detox and foods high in alkaline (mushrooms, spinach, watermelon etc.) DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. After the first two weeks, your food palate will have changed and you’ll begin to crave all the healthy veggies, fruits and foods. After the 2 week cleanse phase, you will find that your olfactory senses will be repulsed by the smell of meat and your stomach will no longer have an appetite for it. Do not be discouraged if you veer off your path every so often just remember to always get back on track.