From Veg Salad to Wedge Salad with Bacon and a Ribeye :-)

I drank the Kool-Aid....I did. I thought being a vegetarian/vegan for years would help me and help save the planet. I mean come on the research was there....wasn't it? But, it was on Dr. Oz and all over Facebook so it had to be factual...right? Oh I was so so wrong. What I leaned to realize was that just because it was on t.v., social media, and my mom (I love you dearly) said it was the right way to live doesn't necessarily mean it was, for me. What I did was drank the veggie juice, literally and figuratively speaking, and complied with this lifestyle for quite sometime. I will never know if it exacerbated my pre-existing health issues and caused more long term damage to my hormones, digestive health, metabolic function, mineral and vitamin levels, etc.

My decision to transition to a vegetarian/vegan happened after I returned from a trip to California probably about sixish years ago. Prior to this, I would have classified myself as a pescatarian. I ate way more fish that I did red meat, not because I didn't like a juicy cheeseburger, I mean who doesn't right, but it just wasn't socially encouraged. From about the 1970s until almost recently red meat has been demonized and we have been told, it will cause cancer, heart disease, increased cholesterol, weight gain, and you'll die...dramatic, but trying to make a point. So, what did we do? We increased our grain consumption, ate more chicken and lean meats, and decreased our fats. Problem solved right? No more health crisis and only a very small percentage of people are overweight or obese. Yeah....so actually it went the other direction. As meat and fat consumption went down, refined carbohydrates and diabesity (diabetes + obesity) went up. "With a decrease in meat consumption of about 33% there has been an increase in obesity by 15%." I would like to throw that theory and dietary philosophy out the window. Many are already doing so. That's where keto and low-carb communities are uniting and trying to fight this very serious issue. We can't point blame at the meat. It's really not it's fault we got fat and sick. We know it's the processed junk, the overconsumption of refined grains and sugars, the lack of movement, and increase amount of carbohydrates with a decrease in fats. Don't we? We know this right? I mean if Dr. Oz said it maybe we would start doing it. Well, unfortunately many allude to this, but we aren't jumping on this band wagon quite yet. People are still scared. They think fat and meat will make them fat. I am here to say it doesn't. How do I know? I tried it.

Like I was saying before for a long time I was a vegetarian/pescatarian. About six years ago I decided to go all in. Green juices, smoothies, more fruits and veggies, avocados and walnuts for breakfast. I mean I thought I would turn into a piece of broccoli I was eating so much of it. I was feeling good....in fact great....so that's it. Vegan is the way to live. Unfortunately no. I lived through what they call the "vegan honeymoon". You feel so good for awhile, until you don't. The logic or rationalization for this is that when you initially transition to a vegan or vegetarian diet, you are eliminating a lot of junk. Refined grains, white bread, cookies, candy, soda, burgers with the white bun, chicken nuggets, pastries, pizza, fast food, you get it. So naturally you feel great. You've switched from the Standard American Diet to a wholesome plant based diet. Winning! Not quite. I was for awhile. I got pregnant with my daughter and vowed to "be healthy" for her so I remained vegetarian-ish. I don't recall eating any meat with her and eggs made me want to barf, plus I couldn't eat fish because of the mercury content, so there I was 35 lbs. heavier and crazy high blood pressure that forced me into early induction. So how about that theory now? The junk creeped back in...but "I'm not eating meat! I'm healthy" Beyond burgers with gluten free buns are healthy right? Again, so much no. I would go back and slap that girl and say come on, Natalie, this is not the right way to eat for longevity and health. This will fast track you right into pre-diabetes, hormonal, and weight issues.

Shortly after I gave birth I was still gaining weight, contrary to pretty good workouts and a "healthy plant based diet". Something was still off though. I wasn't feeling right. Fast forward to a year later and things just went even more downhill. I tried to convince myself that this was the way and I had to give it more time. About sixth months later, January 2020, I stumbled across a podcast by Dr. Paul Saladino. He was talking about a strictly carnivore way of eating. I thought this guy was on drugs and would have gone to Vegas to bet that he would croak from a heart attack within a year. But then I dug deeper. I researched and listened to some more amazing podcasts from some other pretty influential people in the field. I decided you know what, I think the universe is trying to tell me something. I think it's time for meat! Let's give it a shot!

So, I listened and I caved. It was time to give my body what it really needed. Bio-available protein and amino acid profiles. I love you plants, but you can't nor will you ever be able to give the human race what it needs. Not like animal protein can. I learned that. Kinda the hard way too. So from January until now, I've been eating predominately animal foods, with some plants and low sugar fruits. The occasional low-carb-keto treat gets thrown in there too :-) Not the end of the world.

It was hard at first. I feel like when I did go strict vegetarian my initial reason for doing so was ethical. I would look at my dog and see other animals' faces. I had to really come to terms with my heath and my well being was more important. Yes, I do feel for the animals, and factory farming is disgusting. My family is much more conscientious now about where we get our meat from now. It was a tough decision, but I know it in my bones it was the right one. The proof? Me. My energy levels are restored, my hair is thicker, my skin is clearer, my digestion is wayyyyyyy better, the whites in my eyes are whiter, my blood sugar is consistently where it needs to be, my workouts are better, my mood is more stable, my husband might disagree hahaha, and I lost some weight to boot. I feel like I'm a better human. I don't have those annoying "hangry" moments. You know what I'm talking about....like so hungry you'll literally eat anything. That can't be normal.

Is this the answer? Maybe. It is for me. I never thought it would be. It just goes to show you that just because you hear something doesn't mean it's the answer. Just because Nancy on Facebook said it's how she got thin, doesn't mean it's a sustainable and practical way of living. Just because it worked in the past, doesn't mean it's going to work again in the future. I've made peace with the fact that I am eating animals again. I am grateful for them. I'm grateful because it gave me my health back...again. Did I have to completely give up meat to get here? Probably. It helped me detox and get to this place. It helped me prioritize whole and real foods and eliminate junk. I wouldn't have done it for so long, but I'm glad I did experiment with it. I don't think there is a one size fits all approach, but I do know from personal experience and observational data, that you CAN'T KEEP DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. If it's NOT WORKING, then it's NOT WORKING. That just means experiment with something else. Take note on how you're feeling and be honest when reflecting on your health. Look at yourself in the mirror and say, is this all I can do? Is this the answer? Is this how I'm meant to live? Do I want to? And if there's a little voice in your head saying, "No" then trust that. Drastic changes require drastic changes. I swore off meat. I blogged and preached and posted saying "Vegan is the Way." I guess the joke was on me. It caused me to have some pretty bad problems. Not right away, but over time. I had to be really honest with myself, not critical, but real. We always say that to one another, but aren't with ourselves. I looked at pictures and said out loud, okay I am vegetarian, but I'm fat. I'm tired, I can't get through my workouts anymore, what's wrong? So, I went back to the drawing board and it led me here. And that's what we have to do. We have to constantly learn and evolve and try. The best success stories come from that. Those who try, fail, and then try again.

I will be eternally grateful for what I learned.

Present day, I am loving this meat train. I broke a fast recently with a wedge salad and a ribeye. I can't even tell you how appreciative my body was. I slept like a baby, had a great poop, sorry tmi, and had energy to chase a toddler and crush a workout. This is where I'm at. Fit, healthy, and happy while eating meat.

To my vegan/vegetarian audience. I applaud you. I think it's a wonderful thing that you are doing. I respect it because I've been there. I just remember not feeling my best consistently and that's no way to live. We should feel well everyday. An old fitness instructor I had used to say, "Life is not a dress rehearsal. You get one shot, so make it count." Sounds more like an Eminem song actually....lol.

I hope all of you are well, rested, and getting the right nutrients to fuel your mind, body, and soul.

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