temporary vegetary

Image from here.

I thought about going vegetarian for a week. Maybe two. Though I probably need to lose a few inches around me, my real reason has nothing to do with weight loss. I just think it's about time for a detoxification of sorts.

I realize that I've been eating mostly chicken and fish the past several months (it's my Dad's menu of choice for health reasons. And since we acquired a new helper to cook for us, I stopped bothering to prepare food for myself so I just eat what they prepare). I've been getting these bad rashes on my legs, and I remembered that I used to have these same allergic reactions to chicken and fish and eggs and seafood when I was younger. I thought that the allergies went away through the years, but apparently they just stayed away when I ate a more-or-less balanced diet. Now that I'm practically living in the poultry train, I'm getting chicken skin all over again.

But who wants to live with the itching and scratching and wheezing and sneezing, right? I decided to adjust my diet, at least for a while. Since we live with my Dad and he has pretty much outlawed beef and pork in this house, I thought it would be best to go vegetarian. I'm going to try to drag my Hubby and my Dad into this too, because I think it's a really good idea.

A local magazine featured vegetarianism a few Sundays back, so I went through that issue for some input. I was delighted to read people's testimonials and the health benefits they've been experiencing - increased energy, clearer skin, slowed aging. Just for those things, it might even be a good idea to go green forever ... but, naaah; I love bacon too much. :D

A vegetarian diet doesn't just mean steamed veggies and tofu. There are a lot of yummy, meatless dishes that are easy to prepare, so I'm not afraid that I'll be starving myself. I've already started to scribble possible dishes.

I could and should eat
(and force influence others at home to follow):

oatmeal
corn flakes
bread
pesto
veggie spaghetti
spinach / eggplant lasagna
bean soup
baked potato
baked tomato
waldorf salad
baked tofu
squash soup
onion soup
mushroom soup
tomato soup (i looooove tomato soup!)
banana sandwich
broccoli and cheese
apples and celery
carrot sticks
frozen yogurt
fresh or dried fruit

I'm quite excited about this temporary change. I need to plan menus carefully of course, to make sure I still get the right amount of protein and necessary nutrients. I don't want to end up being a vegetable myself.