It seems like the simplest concept; eat right, feel right. And yet, here I am today, feeling wrong, having eaten wrong.
About eight months ago, I began a pseudo-vegetarian diet-which means I still eat fish. There have been hiccups when I've buckled to the assertion that if the meat was already paid for, there was no difference in my eating it or not. Mostly though, I've stuck to it. And I've paid a price for my diet. It took a trip to the doctor's to make me realize just how much.
A vegetarian lifestyle is a stereotypically healthy one, because it's hard to be obese when you cut out consumption of pure animal fat. But as many would note, the loss of protein and iron can have an adverse effect on one's health that could outweigh the benefits of eating green.
I've lost weight, as a few of my friends have noted. A recent trip to the gym may have confirmed that it was muscle mass and not the beginnings of love handles that I lost. What worries me more than my appearance is that I may not be as physically capable as I once was of helping a friend move into a new apartment or those extenuating circumstances I want to be ready for, like saving a three litters of kittens from a burning warehouse. There have been times that I've questioned whether I should go back to beef and bulk back up.
But I keep coming back to same point. I didn't eat well when I was eating meat. I could eat anything, so I ate the first things available, which were usually the worst things. In making the transition to meatless products, I've applied a similar method to my diet. Hamburgers have been replaced by veggie burgers, which have less fat and cholesterol but are no more nutritious. Chicken nuggets I've exchanged for the soy imitations, and bean proteins engineered to take any given shape are just as questionable as meat processed into dinosaur shapes.
It didn't really hit me that I wasn't eating right until I had digestive problems that brought me to the UB Student Health Center. I realized how few fresh fruits and vegetables I was eating by trying to imitate the experience of an everyday trip to Burger King. Which of course is absurd and totally contrary to the vegetarian notion.
Lately, I've been trying to embrace fresh produce. I had always dodged salads because they didn't seem adequate as a meal. However, in comparison to a burger, a pile of greens topped with cheese, fruits and nuts-with some bread on the side-is a much more complete meal. And in comparison to a pack of Pop-Tarts or a bagel with cream cheese, an apple and a banana with some juice has been more effectively getting me out of the morning slump.
That's where shopping comes in. The grocery store should be frequented a little more than once every couple months. All that shopping sounds like pain, but I could go to Blockbuster three times in a week and not think twice about it. It's a twisted life we lead when entertainment precedes general health. I've found that the key to productive shopping is buying foods I want to eat. If I get some breads that make me want to make a sandwich - pumpernickel, rye, marble - then I find myself more likely to do so. It pays off when I get hungry, go to my fridge, and find an array of foods I'm interested in eating, rather than a shelf of condiments and beer.
Preparing food also shouldn't be regarded as a task to avoid. Most of my college career, I've would have sooner handled a leper than a chef's knife. Ready-made, pre-packaged foods have preservatives and normally very little of the nutrition your body is begging for when you're feeling lethargic. Not everything, I've found, has to look like a meal I've had before, like a plate of chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. A handful of almonds, some strawberries, raw broccoli, a bowl of cottage cheese and a bagel provides all the same nutrients and then some. And a couple piles of assorted fresh foods will always feel and taste better than a cup of Ramen noodles.
Of course this is all advice to which I've failed to adhere for more than a couple days at a stretch. But when I do, I feel better. If I can do it long enough, I might even find myself back in kitten-saving condition.
