Category Archives: Vegetarianism

The traditional glazed ham and prawns on ice will not make the plate for more than one in 10 Australians this Christmas.

New research by Finder found 12 per cent of Australians would serve up a meat-free menu on December 25.

Melbourne woman Kayla Mossuto and her husband Piers will joins millions of Australians who will be preparing meat-free dishes this Christmas, much to the their meat-eating families distaste.

Ms Mossuto switched to vegetarianism more than a decade ago, while her hubby who has Italian heritage and is from a family of meat eaters only adopted the trend during the last 12 months, mainly for sustainability reasons.

Weve been trying to improve our environmental impact, she said.

The sustainability factor has become more prominent and a contributing factor to maintaining that is a vegetarian diet.

The surge in Australians ditching meat continues, with 27 per cent of Australians reducing their meat intake over the last year.

In April, Roy Morgan found 2.5 million Australians were either vegetarian or had dramatically decreased their meat intake, many for environmental reasons.

Finders sustainability expert Ben King said going meat-free was not just good for the environment but peoples pockets too.

You dont have to cut meat from the menu altogether. Subbing out the glazed ham for a vegetarian alternative could save you upwards of $40 on your Christmas lunch, he said.

Making vegies the mainstay this Christmas is totally doable, and theres a misconception that it wont be as tasty.

As the nation grows more environmentally conscious, many Aussies are also considering adopting other measures to preserve the planet and reduce waste this Christmas.

More than half (51 per cent) said they wanted to make an environmentally conscious choice, with 24 per cent pledging to ditch disposable dinnerware, Finders researchers found.

The same percentage of people will swap old-school wrapping with recycled paper and 14 per cent will decorate using solar powered lights.

A staggering $400 million was forked out on unwanted gifts last Christmas, many of which ended up in landfill.

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More than one in 10 Australians will be having a meat-free Christmas - NEWS.com.au

From their kitchen table, to supermarket shelves via Dragons Den, the founders of vegan chocolate brand LoveRaw, Manav and Rimi Thapar, have set their sights on the established giants of the UK choc market.

Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned lacto-ovo vegetarian? Did they become extinct?

After years of slow but steady progress in establishing veggie brands like Linda McCartney, Quorn and RealEat in supermarkets, the cruelty-free food market has suddenly made a quantum leap towards full-on veganism by-passing most peoples usual first step in giving up meat, which is vegetarianism.

Research from Finder estimates that the number of vegans in the UK increased by a massive 419,000 (62 per cent) over the past 12 months. A not-insignificant 7.5 per cent of the UK now claim to be vegan in 2020, whereas 14 per cent claim to be vegetarian. Vegan food suits both of course. And then theres the flexitarians, that eat both vegan and meat. Go figure.

Clearly then Manav and Rimi Thapars LoveRaw business, with its brand of vegan chocolate, is riding a sizeable wave and, in fact, having started back in 2013 in their own kitchen, caught that wave early on.

Manav [Rimis husband] and I were your typical twenty something millennials, explains Rimi Thapar. We both worked independently of each other: I was working in Investment Banking and Manav in Textile Distribution. Both miles away from anything food or FMCG related and not particularly mindful about food. Our idea of healthy was calorie counting. At the time we were living in the south of Spain and started visiting farmers markets and really appreciating seasonal fresh produce, and our vegan journey started from there. Our brand and products have really evolved since then. Today we make indulgent vegan chocolate products.

Although not exactly a rags to riches story (both had well-paid jobs) it is a classic entrepreneurial, cottage industry tale of kitchen table to supermarket, started with no investment (and, it has be said no real level of expertise either) but a lot of determination and trial and error.

I wanted to start the business with minimal cost and risks, and the quickest route to market was making the products at home, explains Thapar. Also coupled with the fact that every contract manufacturer turned us away as we didn't meet their minimum quantity requirements. We got our big break when we launched with Wholefoods. Our first order was 5,000 units, which increased over a few months. We were making around 3,000 units a week in a tiny kitchen working 18 hours a day and even when I reached the minimum requirements of the factory, I worked from the kitchen until I reached full capacity.

Searching for an investment boost the pair even appeared on Dragons Den. Having received an offer from Deborah Meaden, however, they decided not to take the investment but did receive a PR and branding uplift from the experience.

We needed the investment but intuitively it didn't feel right to give away so much of the business. A business which we had invested so much time, effort and emotion in. It was the right decision as we went on to raise much more money financially, and at a higher valuation.

Progress has been made since then, with the brand stocked in Holland & Barrett, Boots, Waitrose, Wholefoods, Ocado, Revital, As Nature Intended, The Vegan Kind, Selfridges, Various petrol station forecourts and independent retail stores. In the last 12 months the firm has experienced 114% YOY growth during Covid.

With a staff of around 13, the headcount has also tripled from two years ago.

This year we have mainly focused on sales and digital growth, growing our sales team from one to three people and taking on a digital marketer earlier in the year to support our growing direct to consumer sales since COVID 19.

Unless you believe that the rapid rise of vegan product at retail is a passing fad (and Thapar is somewhat unsurprisingly of the opinion that it is not) then there is still a lot of potential for growth as more and more people convert to plant-based foods.

Paradoxically, what gives this trend some stickability is the fact that it is not so much about the widespread adoption of a strict vegan lifestyle, but more about people adding vegan products onto their shopping list. Its those flexitarians. And that means it is much more likely to have permanence on supermarket shelves.

There are so many factors which have contributed towards the shift to vegan: health, environment, animal welfare, social media, comments Thapar. I think the food industry has been exposed a lot over the past few years and there is more transparency about the source of what we eat, especially the meat and dairy industry. Most consumers are not converting to full veganism however, more-so taking a flexitarian approach, where they have the choice to eat partially vegan and non-vegan, but still contributing towards their health and the environment. I don't think you can scroll through Instagram without seeing a user's vegan breakfast, lunch or healthy smoothie.

Now that the brand has emerged from the kitchen, sights are set high - on market leadership of the vegan chocolate market, no less and beyond- and having obtained fresh investment, the Thapars are already developing a range beyond its initial launch.

The brand and product offering has evolved since we launched in 2013 and we are confident in continuing to grow our range of indulgent vegan chocolate snacks. Not letting COVID get in the way of progressing, we are working on new products and extending ranges. I think now is even more of an important time to innovate and be dynamic to the current market conditions.

Thats where the fresh investment comes in.

We have invested in new hires, new product development, working capital, marketing and generally building the brand.

Ultimately, LoveRaw does not want to be just a vegan chocolate brand but wants to make an impact in the established dairy-based choc market too.

We want to be recognised as the leading vegan chocolate brand that disrupts the mainstream chocolate market, and we want to be accessible to all UK consumers. Most importantly we want to have a good time along the way and to make our journey memorable.

Lofty ambitions indeed. Looks like the Dragons missed a sweet deal on this one.

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The non-dairy queen taking on the choc giants - Elite Business Magazine

This month we offer a collection of Duke-authored books that explore historical and current aspects of faith, spirituality and religious culture in society.

These books along with manyothers are available atthe Duke University Libraries, the Gothic Bookshop or the Regulator Bookshop.

What It's About:Professor Marc Z. Brettler and co-author Amy-Jill Levine take readers on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Comparing various interpretations historical, literary, and theological - of each ancient text, Levine and Brettler offer deeper understandings of the original narratives and their many afterlives. They show how the text speaks to different generations under changed circumstances, and so illuminate the Bibles ongoing significance.

What It's About:How have millions of American Christians come to measure spiritual progress in terms of their financial status and physical well-being? How has the prosperity gospel movement come to dominate much of our contemporary religious landscape? Professor Kate Bowler's Blessed traces the roots of the prosperity gospel: from the touring mesmerists, metaphysical sages, Pentecostal healers, business oracles, and princely prophets of the early 20th century; through mid-century positive thinkers like Norman Vincent Peale and revivalists like Oral Roberts and Kenneth Hagin; to today's hugely successful prosperity preachers.

What It's About:In Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition, Professor Omid Safi translates more than 200 poems into contemporary English from the original Arabic and Persian. In this anthology of newly translated poetry, Safi focuses on love especially ishq/eshq, what he renders as radical love. The volume organizes translations of Quran and Hadith, Sufi mystics and poets into four thematic sections: God of Love, Path of Love, Lover & Beloved, and Beloved Community. Radical Love introduces readers to key ideas from Islamic mysticism that are rooted in firsthand knowledge of Arabic and Persian texts.

What It's About:Opening Israels Scriptures is a collection of 36 essays on the Hebrew Bible from Genesis to Chronicles which gives insight into the complexity of the Hebrew Scriptures as a theological resource. Based on more than two decades of lectures on Old Testament interpretation, Professor Ellen F. Davis offers a selective yet comprehensive guide to the core concepts, literary patterns, storylines, and theological perspectives that are central to Israel's Scriptures.

What It's About: In God? A Debate between a Christian and an Atheist, Professor Walter Sinnott-Armstrong and William Lane Craig bring to the printed page two debates they held before live audiences. Avoiding overly esoteric arguments, the two directly address issues such as religious experience, the Bible, evil, eternity, the origin of the universe, design, and the supposed connection between morality and the existence of God. The book is composed of six chapters that alternate between Craig and Sinnott-Armstrong, so that each separate point can be discussed as it arises.

What It's About:In these devotions for the season of Advent, the Rev. Dr. Luke Powery dean of the Duke University Chapel and associate professor at Duke Divinity School leads the reader through the spirituals as they confront the mystery of incarnation and redemption. In Rise Up, Shepherd! each devotion features the lyrics of the spiritual, a reflection on the spiritual's meaning, a Scripture verse, and a brief prayer.

What It's About:In Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating Professor Norman Wirzba demonstrates that eating is of profound economic, moral, and theological significance. Unlike books that focus on vegetarianism or food distribution as the key theological matters, this book broadens the scope to include discussions on the sacramental character of eating, eating's ecological and social contexts, the meaning of death and sacrifice as they relate to eating, the Eucharist as the place of inspiration and orientation, the importance of saying grace, and whether or not there will be eating in heaven.

What It's About: Though fascinated with the land of their traditions birth, virtually no Japanese Buddhists visited the Indian subcontinent before the 19th century. In the richly illustrated "Seeking kyamuni," Professor Richard M. Jaffe reveals the experiences of the first Japanese Buddhists who traveled to South Asia in search of Buddhist knowledge beginning in 1873. Analyzing the impact of these voyages on Japanese conceptions of Buddhism, he argues that South Asia developed into a pivotal nexus for the development of twentieth-century Japanese Buddhism.

Read more on the Duke Today Books Page

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Eight Duke Books on Religion and Spirituality - Duke Today

Mangaluru: On November 27, addressing the media, Karnataka animal husbandry minister Prabhu Chavan said, After the government came in, we had promised go mata is our mother, they should not be slaughtered. The Bill will 100% be introduced this coming session. He was announcing the decision taken in the cabinet meeting held in Bengaluru to introduce a Bill that aims to achieve the BJPs long-standing goal of a stringent anti-cow slaughter law in the state.

The Bill, if implemented, will impose a blanket ban on cow slaughter and the sale and consumption of beef in the state. Apart from the prohibition of cow slaughter, the Bill also bans the slaughter of the calf of a cow and bull, bullock, buffalo male or female and calf of a she-buffalo too.

The Bill revives the BJPs plan, first mulled in 2010, to ban the slaughter of cattle. In that year, the B.S. Yediyurappa government introduced the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2010. However, among staunch opposition, the BJP could not succeed in getting the law passed. And when the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government assumed power in 2013, the Bill was abandoned.

A decade later, the Yediyurappa government is once again attempting to pass the Bill, something the BJP had mentioned in their 2018 manifesto too.

Karnataka CM B.S. Yediyurappa. Credit: PTI

Karnataka is not the first state to plan a stringent anti-cow slaughter law. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Telangana already have such laws in place.

Cow slaughter is forbidden in most parts of the country. In Karnataka, the anti-cow slaughter law The Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 has been in force. Unlike the new proposed Bill, under the 1964 Act, permits the slaughter of bulls, bullocks and buffaloes if they are more than 12 years old or if they are unfit for breeding/do not give milk.

Also Read: Whatever the BJP May Say, the Cost of Protecting Cows Is High

Opposition from rights, farmers and other groups

The new proposed Bill is facing opposition from human rights groups, farmers associations and several butcher communities in the state. If passed, the cow protection Act will not just stop sales of the meat in the state and thereby directly impact the Qureshi butcher community but also hurt farmers and cattle herders deeply, farmers organisations feel.

For farmers, too, looking after an old, ailing cattle is not a viable option. In September, several farmers and anti-caste organisations had come together to oppose the states move.

J.M. Veerasangaiah, working president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, said at a press conference organised in Bengaluru at the time that Yediyurappa had failed to enact the law in 2010 because of opposition from the farming community. The farming community is suffering severe economic hardship in the state because of the pandemic. The sale of aged cows, bullocks and buffaloes allows a farmer to alleviate his dire situation slightly and this law will even prevent that. Somehow, the BJPs ideology wants us to feel that vegetarianism is supreme whereas non-vegetarianism is bad, but how will the poor, Dalits and religious minorities get nutritional food without beef? he asked.

R. Mohan Raj, the state convener of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, had called it an attack on an individuals choice of food. Food culture is unique and the constitution gives everyone the right to eat whatever they want. This anti-peoples Bill should not be tabled The BJP shows that they are targeting Muslims, but their real target is Dalits, Raj said.

On December 1, a Qureshi butchers association met the former chief minister and the current leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah, appealing him to oppose the Bill in the assembly. Siddaramaiah, a vocal opponent of the Bill right from the start, has been questioning the BJPs intent.

Qureshi butchers association meets Siddaramaiah. Photo: thecognate.com

Why is Cow slaughter not banned in Goa even though @BJP4Goa is in power? Why only in Karnataka? he asked in one of his messages on social media.

Regardless of the law, there has been a long history of violent vigilante campaign in Karnataka against the consumption of beef. As early as in March 2005, a father and son duo were paraded naked for hours and then violently attacked, allegedly by a mob that included members of the Hindu Yuva Sena, Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The victims, identified as Hajabba (60) and his son Hasanabba (25), suffered several internal injuries in the mob attack. The same year, another person, Azaruddin, was attacked while transporting a legitimately purchased cattle from Amasebail near Kundapur to Moodabidri in Dakshin Kannada in a tempo. Azaruddin was killed on the spot and one policeman who had intervened was also severely injured in the attack.

Shabeer Ahamed of the Karwan e Mohabbat, a peoples campaign for solidarity to survivors of hate crimes, says that with or without the Bill, the state has witnessed several violent attacks, many of which led to deaths. Several vendors and cattle transporters have been targeted across the state. These attacks were all in the public space, in full public view. But almost all have led to acquittals, Ahamed says.

Since 2005, at least nine persons have lost their lives and close to 200 other incidents of mob vigilantism against cow trade and slaughter have been reported across Karnataka. Most of them were cattle transporters who belong to lower socio-economic castes such as the Qureshis. The most recent incident was from 2018, when a suspected cattle trader Hussainabba was killed in Udipi district.

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Karnataka: BJP Revives Plan to Impose Blanket Ban on Cattle Slaughter - The Wire

When at Achija Youre Here, Youre Home stands justified as it has been a part of daily life for more than three decades to its clients and has held their utmost loyalty.

Achija is a chain of fast-food restaurants, established in the year 1987 in a Central Suburb of Mumbai by Lakhamshi Vershi Mange. Since their journey began, they have grown to eight successful restaurants spread across Mumbai & have also carved a strong foothold in the Indian fast-food segment, establishing themselves as solid partners for its management with renowned chains for 21 restaurants in Mumbai and Dubai & now are a legacy in itself.

Stepping into the hospitality industry in the year 2010 Tapan Mange (grandson of the founder), now a successful restaurateur & an entrepreneur started with Achijas first grandeur remote expansion. In the coming two years his execution and efforts gave a standardized business module to Achija, which for decades had practiced traditional business patterns. Mr. Mange then off his international exposure & experience in Dubai, created a vision to take the brand global.

Theres a great appreciation to the vegetarian franchises in an international market is a proven thing which now is even better known for good in today as the world is now preferring veganism or vegetarianism giving up or lowering on meat, which also aids in justifying your quality/flavour, to legitimize yourself & narrow down your competition as youre literally just competing off 100s being a vegetarian franchise than in 1000s like others then followed by a larger/loyal audience to be served. If youre passionate about serving the best and sustaining quality more than anything, your franchise would sure be gold & prime and would be admired anywhere in the world. Just be wise & loyal on your pick! is Tapan Manges mantra. With New York and Canada being the pick for Achija, he plans to take the legacy to the Big Apple, with a twist.

To give a further glimpse of the brand, its potential/positioning & its expansion Mr. Mange planning is to pilot Achijas new version of QSRs & Cloud Kitchens. Giving a new face to the Indian fast-food, Batata Vadas to its mouth-watering Bhaji in pocket bread, grilled potatoes with Bhaji, Pav-Bhaji Pizzas to a fun-filled wide array of Sandwiches & Rolls. Standards & Packaging to its best, handy & convenient to be consumed anytime & anywhere Aiming to serve Achijas best on/off-premises, Mr. Tapan mange while focusing on New Jersey, New York City and Toronto to cover it all within the first 12 months of its pilot launched. Sure good news for Gujaratis based in America.

Achija stands for its scrumptious Pav-Bhaji & its Mumbai Fast-Food diners step in for authentic Indian fast food while enjoys a kinder fusion of Modern Indo-western cuisine, pleasing palates across all ages. Their promise to taste and health has stayed true from the time it was established 30 years ago in a small joint to the eight self-owned outlets today. This shows it has the best potential from all perspectives be it the quality of its food, the utmost loyal decades-old customer base, its hygiene practices, or its traditional hospitality! Being a QSR it always has proven to be most efficiently managed and consistently been outstanding with regards to its market position, quality, customer satisfaction/loyalty with the limited available resources.

Over the last 30 years, Achija has successfully always been into top favorites amongst in the related localities and its competitions and so has been efficacious throughout and created a high & ever-growing loyal customer base. Also, it is highly recommended amongst Gujaratis which holds a strong presence in America, hence Achija is already being welcomed in the USA and Canada & goodwill held by the brand itself pre promises exposure to a colossal and loyal customer base.

Motivated by the success and growing demand for vegetarianism, Mr. Mange and his team have envisioned and embarked to set up a vegetarian legacy in the global market. Achija has always held an ever-growing Brand Loyal Customers who are frequent and enthusiastic visitors in Mumbai and its recalling and recognition would provide a firm base to Achija to cultivate the Brand Loyalty in the United States & Canada again which is the ultimate reward for successful marketers since Achijas customers are far less likely to be enticed to switch to other brands compared to non-loyal customers, says Tapan Mange, Entrepreneur- Restaurateur, Achija.

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Taking 'Achija', the legacy of Indian fast-food to Toronto and New York - NewsPatrolling

The closest I came was in Hawaii, all the way back in February. I was eating out with a big group of people Id just met, at a sushi restaurant on Oahus North Shore, sunburnt, drunk on sake, trading jokes that are better left out of print. A couple courses in, the waiter brought out a bamboo board with a lava rock grill, a plate with cooking fat, and a tray of marbled Hokkaido Wagyu steak. I audibly cursed.

Last November, I quit meat. Like everyone else, I havent caught up with too many people this year. But when I do, and that fresh fact eventually comes to light, they generally reply: Really? Why?

Ive found its easier to offer up a single, digestible reason indigestion, heart health, rain forests than tell the truth, which is that it was a long, incremental, incredibly dull process. One night I had snap peas and carrots with noodles instead of steak. I felt great on my run the next morning. A month later I watched a documentary about athletes and plant-based protein. A couple weeks after that I didnt order bacon on my Sunday morning egg sandwich. During a trip to a science museum in San Francisco, I learned about the link between cheeseburgers and deforestation. In the concluding chapter of one of my favorite non-fiction books I read last year, the author explained why hed moved on from meat. I read his words three times.

Eventually, there was a day that I had my last piece of meat. Thats how I know its been a year. But there was nothing ceremonial about it at the time. It became the last meal after the fact, after I decided that Id seen enough, that I could live without it, because apparently Id been trending in that direction for a long time.

Wagyu beef skewers, like the ones I passed up in Hawaii

Stefan Cristian Cioata/Getty Images

And then came Hawaii, where the waiter showed me how to spread the lard around the lava to get it ready for the beef. No one on the trip knew about my fledgling dietary decision. Even if they had, no one would have judged me for partaking. Still my mouth watering, my spirit shaky I held off. Instead, somewhat comically, I cooked a steak for a friend who was too far down the table to reach the station.

There are days that I miss it. I think about it a bit more around holidays, when its sizzling on the grill, or sitting there in the middle of the table, just the same as it always has. I ooh and aah with my roommate when we watch Parts Unknown, and Bourdain is in Uruguay or Oman and someone hands him a dripping, glistening piece of meat on a stick or over a bed of rice. (Ill ask myself, as if checking some sort of mental manual, whether it would be disrespectful to turn down a local delicacy if I were in the same situation.)

And I wonder, too, where Id be without the pandemic, which saved me a summer of having to smell hot dogs at Yankee Stadium. I like to sit in the left field bleachers, Section 237, where a couple dozen men start chanting CHI-CKEN BU-CKET! over and over again in the fifth inning. They proudly pick up their hollow tubs which not long before before housed 10 chicken tenders and a pound of fries then present them to a raucous crowd.

Its a testament to the growing diversity of plant-based personalities these days, I suppose, that I can write nostalgically about carnivorous days. Im not here to levy guilt, or link out to photos of animals kept in desolate conditions. I dont want to tell Americans to eat less meat. In fact, I dont need to. Recent surveys suggest that an overwhelming majority (90%) of Americans are eager to eat more fruits and vegetables, while a sizable figure (over 50%) are open to subbing out red meat for plant-based alternatives.

There are positives to this lifestyle choice enough that I have no plans to abandon it here at the start of year two but there are pitfalls, too, which I wish Id known more about before I started. However you come to your decision to divorce meat, either from months of diligent reading or after one bad bout with a burrito, you should know what to expect from the world youre entering into. So here are my takeaways from 12 months without beef, pork, poultry or fowl (I identified as a pescatarian, so I was still eating some seafood).

Maeda Rei/EyeEm

Giving up meat 30 years ago wasnt a bad idea. But it was bad timing. If your goal was to eat fewer animals, there were plenty of plants to choose from, but that was pretty much it. For years, our concept of diet was somewhat binary, hingeing on omnivores versus vegetarians, and a lack of creativity or optionality reflected this status quo. Thanks to the last half-decades revolution in plant-based products, though propelled by imitation meat giants based in Silicon Valley or the tech hubs of Europe going meatless doesnt have to mean only eating food grown in the ground or on trees. It also includes food grown in labs.

By 2027, the global plant-based food market will be worth $72.4 billion. Brands like Beyond Burger and Impossible Foods, which pioneered soy protein simulation meat, are now easily recognized and increasingly popular at grocery stores and fast-food joints across the country and world. A year ago, Id never had a plant-based burger in my life. This summer, I wrote an entire guide to grilling them. In fairness, not every vegetarian is interested in this new wave. But I certainly am: for me, the definitive arrival of alternative meats has lowered the intimidation barrier to a life without meat. Its eased the blow of removing all those familiar, beloved tastes from my life, as in their stead Ive come to truly enjoy and even crave certain plant-based foods.

An additional note on timing: the best is probably yet to come. In Tel Aviv, a company called SuperMeat recently became the worlds first to serve so-called cultured meat to a commercial public. They make a chicken sandwich sourcing the powers of cellular agriculture, harvesting meat without harming any animals. Its possible that 10 years from now we could all be accustomed to eating such cultured meat, which begs an interesting question. If you quit meat in 2020, why are you doing so? Would the promise of cruelty-free meat bring you back in 2030? Upon some internal reflection, I was interested to learn my answer is yes. That indicates to me that the treatment of animals and the preservation of the planet have become my biggest reasons for doing this.

Ive lost almost 20 pounds since I quit meat. Thats not necessarily weight I was trying to lose, but Ive also taken up long-distance running again, a sport which favors a lighter frame, so I dont mind. The running has definitely contributed to the weight loss. And yet its all interconnected, considering Ive run faster times (Im convinced of this) because I quit meat. The fitness aspect was a huge initial draw for me to a plant-based diet, and I can say, quite roundly, it has delivered. I was familiar with research at the outset. In theory, switching to a plant-based diet can trim your waistline, boost athletic performance, sharpen your day-to-day focus, increase your libido and improve your sleep. Those who eat a lot of red meat are at an increased risk of death from heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Vegetarians, by contrast, take in less calories and less fat.

I talked to one vegetarian at the start of this, who told me the most common question he gets is Where do you get your protein? Americans, especially American men, are extremely anxious about this concept, as if guzzling protein shakes is the silver bullet to fitness, instead of getting your heart rate up on a consistent basis. The reality is, I was getting way too much protein before I gave up meat, and I still take in more than enough. Most Americans consume double the amount that they need each day. A different question we might start asking ourselves is Where do you get your energy? I remember heading straight for the couch not the gym after eating particularly meaty dishes. Fatty, high-sodium foods close up the arterial pathways, making it difficult for blood vessels to oxygenate the body.

Thats not to say you cant get ripped on a diet of chicken and steak. Millions of people have. But it really just depends on your fitness goals. Ive moved away from bang-bang, short-run strength training in recent years in favor of running and functional, full-body fitness workouts. That brand of exercise requires more energy, better blood flow and an emptier stomach. Im in a great place these days. I recently ran my fastest mile in 10 years (4:43). Its important to remember, also, that a shift in focus from protein to energy could also have implications on longevity. Countless studies of metabolic health have linked a reduced protein-high carbohydrate diet to more years lived on the planet. This is true of every community with a disproportionate amount of centenarians (Blue Zones) throughout the world.

Im a big alternative meats guy, yes, but Ive also taken the plant part of the plant-based diet seriously this year. I have tried and tried cooking more foods this year, namely vegetables, than the previous five years combined. Its worth taking a break from meat just to remind yourself that as a food group, it can be a bit of a ball-hog. Meat is always looking for ways to dominate a meal. Theres a reason many men report feeling like a meal is incomplete or insufficiently filling without meat. But foods like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and chickpeas can be a worthy main course if given a chance. During peak quarantine, my speciality became a tray of oven-roasted carrots dressed in honey, garlic and gorgonzola.

Photo by Ollie Millington/Getty Images

This is one of the pitfalls I mentioned earlier: there is a sense when you give up meat, that you have a ton of healthy credit in the bank. After all, youre constantly denying yourself a food group that is connected to bad heart health and a slew of other ailments. This must mean youve earned the right to fill up on anything flavorful that youre still allowed to eat, like pizza, potato chips and ice cream. When the main goal is to avoid meat, excessive consumption of butter, cheese and sugar feels reasonable, if even a little expected. But a full plant-based diet is only effective when meat is replaced with whole food alternatives; in fact, if a so-called junk food plant-based diet becomes your endgame, studies indicate that you would have been better off just sticking with meat.

To avoid rookie vegetarianism, prioritize real, whole foods. Think starchy vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats. Eschew processed foods with preservatives or thickeners. Earlier in the year, Id go to bed patting a stomach full of French fries and beer, thinking to myself Well done, still safe.Theres nothing wrong with consuming French fries and beer in moderation, at least but doing so to make up for a meatless lifestyle can be a slippery slope if youre not careful. The key for me has been keeping such simple pleasures sporadic and special. During the rest of the week, my diet trends boring. I like edamame, brown rice, pesto pasta. Peanut butter on an apple really gets me going.

In line with this philosophy, I should add, eating alternative meats every single night probably isnt a good idea. The reason theyre so tasty owes to the super-sized sodium levels. Look no further than their biggest partnerships (Burger King, Qdoba, Subway, KFC). Meatless meats dont carry the cancer risks of red meat, but theyre laden with empty caloriesand can pack four times as much salt as standard ground beef. Theyre also high in saturated fat. Youll get some nutritional value from the blends (black bean burgers have zinc and iron), but at the end of the day it should be considered a reminder of the old a comfort food, not an everyday choice. It carries the plant-based diet tag (really, a plant-based burger might as well be the movements mascot), but it has little to do with a more natural, whole-food plant-based diet.

Be prepared for the Spanish Inquisition: Why? How long have you been doing this? Is this who you are now? So what do you do if, like, youre at someone elses house for a BBQ? Doesnt plant-based meat have estrogen that makes men grow boobs? Do you think Im a monster for eating this burger right now? What kind of meat do you miss the most? Is it really that bad for the environment? Can you even build muscle anymore? Should I try it? Do you have to be an amazing cook? Does that actually taste like meat?

Just try to keep your cool. I truly do not mind fielding questions about a life without meat. Though occasionally misguided or misinformed, these questions are generally a sign of a populace in dietary flux, as millions of Americans have come to reconsider the impact their food choices have on their afternoon, their heart and the planet. Curiosity is a necessary, inevitable first step. In the last 12 months, two people I am quite close with also gave up meat. Others who I have lived with this year have made a conscious decision to eat less meat, as unofficial observers of the nations growing flexitarian movement.

Ive appreciated the solidarity, and I can only imagine what it was like for vegetarians decades ago, who had no Beyond or Impossible Burgers to tide their cravings. Ultimately, though, this is a personal choice, a decision made alone, one made again and again, every night, as I open the fridge and decide whats for dinner.

Whats my biggest takeaway after these 12 months? Its been a long year. Ive felt stomped-over, cramped, lost, confused and forgotten in 2020. But this decision, the reasons I did it and my resolve to stick with it even in the face of marbled Wagyu have all filled me with pride.

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Originally posted here:
I Went a Year Without Meat. Here's What I Learned. - InsideHook