Becoming a Reducetarian

Most people who know myself and Liam will be aware that we took on a 30 day vegan challenge back in July.  The 30 days have long passed and our diet is still mostly plant based.

When we told people we were doing this challenge we were met with shocked expressions and the majority of people had the same thought...  POOR LIAM!!  She must have forced him into it, give the man a burger for crying out loud!!

Believe it or not it was quite the opposite.

I came home from work one Sunday to find the Irish Independent spread across the table. 

“I’m thinking of becoming a REDUCETARIAN”. 

“Oh really, what’s that?”

“It’s a diet where you consciously try to cut down on the amount of animal products you eat”.

… meat consumption … carbon footprint...  water ... recycling … population explosion ...  were some of the words I heard.  

I have to be completely honest and tell you I only half listened because I seriously felt he was a little crazy and that this was going to be a short lived fad.  I couldn’t understand why he would deprive himself like that.   He had a healthy diet so why not allow himself to have some meat if he wanted it?  While I was supportive (I think) I didn’t really understand and ashamedly found it a little silly.

He started off by only having meat in his Mam’s house on Wednesday nights when all the family meet up and on one other day at the weekend.  Liam is a real foodie so I was seriously impressed at how easily he stuck to it even in the face of serious temptation.   

My relationship with meat was never great ever since I was a child.  I would stand outside the butchers when my Mam went in to get the meat.  I hated the look and even the smell of the butchers.  I was very picky about the meat I’d eat.  I would freak out if I found a bone or a piece of fat or grizzle and one of my worst childhood memories is of the family tucking into a big plate of chucks (the cows spinal column) for dinner. 

My sister Maria was vegetarian for years but although I wasn’t a real carnivore it wasn’t something I ever considered myself.  The word vegan never really came up until Liam’s niece Niamh became a vegan over a year ago.  It was clear to see that it was suiting her really well.  She looked fantastic.  Her skin was clearer and she even seemed to be in good form all the time.

We were scrolling through Netflix one night around the time of Liam’s “reducetarianism” when we came across a movie called Okja.  When I read the description I kind of knew it was going to be upsetting but we went ahead and watched it anyway.  It was a movie about a Korean girl and her relationship with her mutant pet pig.  It had some very disturbing scenes of animal cruelty and it was very thought provoking to say the least.  We went on to watch a couple of documentaries and it was like something just clicked inside me.

  

I felt and still feel a little sick in my stomach when I think about it.  I could see animals going to be slaughtered suffering from anxiety, fear, and pain. It was like they knew what was happening, they could sense it.  I felt upset with myself because I'd been totally unaware of what was going on within the biggest food companies. That the big name brands are powerful and corrupt but are such experts at marketing their products that they have us all fooled. That there’s no such thing as a” laughing cow” and that free-range chickens are a myth unless you have chickens in your back garden. That the animals we eat are being pumped with hormones and antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick and to make them grow bigger faster. That the food we eat has become so processed, artificial and nutrient deficient that it's making us sick.  That eating animals and animal products is causing disease and that a simple switch to a plant based diet can resolve many diseases.

It became clear all of a sudden that Liam wasn’t going through a phase after all and that this was going to be a major life change for us both.

We decided to give a plant based diet a go.  I have to admit I was very nervous about it.  This was going to take a lot of planning and preparation.  What were we going to eat?!?!

It turns out that it wasn’t so difficult after all and already I can see a massive difference.  One of the biggest benefits for me is that my skin is clearer.  I have a brighter complexion than I’ve ever had.  Increased energy levels has been another major benefit.  Because I’m only eating fresh food my body is functioning better than ever.  My digestive system is like a well-oiled machine but I won’t get into too much detail about that... Apart from the physical difference I also feel that my hormones are much more balanced (ask Liam).  Having done a little research on this I think it could possibly be down to the fact that I’m not eating foods that are full of anxiety, fear and pain.

I totally understand that not everyone is going to be interested in cutting animal products out of their diet completely.  I also know that lots of you won’t want to picture how your food gets to your plate.  You just want to enjoy your boiled eggs, your steak and your full Irish breakfast and that’s ok, I was that soldier too.  

You don’t need to jump head first into a plant based diet like we did.  You can start off slowly and take it one step at a time.  Start by adding more fruit and veg to your diet.  Look at swapping your regular milk for non-dairy milks like hazelnut or almond milk.  Introduce meat free days into the family’s weekly meal plan.  You just have to find what works for you and your family.

Small changes like this can make a big difference to your health and to your families health too.  There are so many things in life that we can’t control but what we put into our bodies is one thing we have complete control over.   

I'd love your feedback...  What changes have you made to your diet and what benefits have you felt as a result?  Leave me a comment, or send an email to bammurph@eircom.net.

Have a great week :)