Play with your Food!

It has been almost two months since I made the choice to "play with my food". I have decided that I rather enjoy this title for the experimental journey I am taking with what I eat. I was not fond of the labels that were being bestowed on me or my very personal journey, "vegan" or "vegetarian", and I was definitely not willing to take on the heaviness that now comes along with the word "diet". I did not feel as though my choices fit in with those specific titles. None of that sounds appetizing and it was too much weight on my stomach.

I have always had a lot of questions about what I was eating, but was never truly satisfied by the information I was receiving from wellness, medical, and even food sources. I even took a class in undergrad about nutrition. I couldn't find what I was looking for there. I became even more concerned with what I was eating when I started to experience intestinal/digestive issues. Sometimes I would get such bad pains in my abdomen in the evening that I was immobile. Not a good feeling for someone who is extremely active. Doctors who I visited did not have much information to offer me. I had tried adjusting my diet (selection of foods), but nothing seemed to stick or have lasting effects.

Then I watched a documentary on Netflix (I am aware of how cliche this sounds in our modern world) and my eyes were opened to a perspective I had not taken before. Food Choices guided me to see that there is more going on in the food industry, food sciences, and the food I am eating than I ever imagined. The documentary focuses on our food choices and their relations to declining health of people and our planet. It did what I expect any good piece of art to do, got me thinking.

In my processing and reflecting I realized the only thing that I had never changed about my food choices was meat. I always chose to eat meat. I believed that I enjoyed it's flavor (I would come to find that it was the flavor of sauces and topping I really enjoyed). I was never big on steak, but I did eat quite a bit of chicken, pork, and beef. Burgers and tacos are two of my favorite meals. I started to reminisce about times when I faced digestive issues with this meat perspective. Each instance I recalled had the same constant, I had eaten meat more than once in the past 24 hours. What if my body is no longer successful at digesting and processing meat, or whatever is being put into the meat? What if I am making myself sick with the food choices I make? Questions began to flow in and so did the fear, having a family history of cologne and digestive issues. I connected this theory to Food Choices and countless scholarly references. All helped me prepare myself for this food journey. How could I find out what was really going on? I realized that there was a way to find out, eat less-no animal based products and EAT MORE PLANTS!

Thus far in my journey I have eaten and cooked plants I never thought I would. I have discovered new ways to make some of my favorite recipes without any animal-based products and used plants in creative ways to make new recipes. I have found a way to bring fun into this way of eating. The only bummer is that the food industry doesn't agree with my food choices. All major restaurants that I have been to in the last two months have the same two major ingredients, meat and cheese. It is amazing how much this experience has opened my eyes to seeing that there are animal-based products in SO much of the foods we eat and so much of those foods are processed with scary chemicals. Although eating out isn't always pleasant, I am persistent. It is exciting to see menus with vegan and vegetarian options, and to eat at places that welcome special orders and adjustments. I am hopeful that veggies will become more main-stream for the food industry as food trends develop. I hope more people will choose their health and well-being. It doesn't have to mean that you stop eating things you enjoy, but there is always more room for plants.

I am so happy to say I have not had a single issue with digestion since I started focusing on plants as my food source. Maybe one day I will slowly invite some more animal-products into my diet to see if I can find the true trigger to my issues after everything has been cleansed, but i have found great options to take place of some of those products and may never go back. Why go back when my health and wellness is on the path that I am walking down?

So, I will now go on to tell others that I am "playing with my food". This may stir up some confusion, but I am hoping that it will open their minds with curiosity and not shape their minds into a box that I will not fit into. This title also invites a playful tone to this journey. This is rather important to me, and my sanity. The idea of "dieting" is way too serious to be placed on top of food. FOOD IS FUN! Anyone who knows me is aware of how important food is to my life. I practically plan my days and trips around what I will eat. I love to eat new things. I desire food that is full of passion and flavor, which is how I desire my life to be. I see food as an art form, a culinary expression. I want to have positive/uplifting experiences when I eat that are similar to how I feel in play. I will continue on this journey because it is fun, it is creative, it is tasty, and I can be happy and healthy.

I am always looking for plant-based recipes I can try at home and restaurant meals I can try when I am out. Please send any information and knowledge you may have my way and I'll gladly return the love <3. I would also be happy to chat about the beautiful/wondrous topic of food with all who are interested. Feel free to email me!