You're What?

Edited on 8-01-2008:

Do you know what I am talking about when I say somethings just stare you in the face?

I am having that moment right now.

I received this email today. It relates to my post and the following quotes were included in the story.

Proverbs 12:10: "A righteous man regards the life of his animals" (NKJV)

"I give you every seed-bearing plant and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food" (Genesis 1:29)

"the lion shall eat straw like the ox," and "they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" (Isaiah 11:7 and 9, NKJV)

So I'm careful to communicate I'm a vegan (I changed this word) because I believe "'all things are lawful' but not all things are beneficial" for my body and the current state of the world (1 Corinthians 10:23, NRSV).

I will also add this part:

I knew God gave the animals into Noah's power after the flood, perhaps for him to eat in a vegetation-impoverished landscape. Later, God provided quail for the Israelites in the desert. Then Jesus came to earth and undoubtedly ate Passover lamb with friends and family. He also cooked his disciples a fish breakfast, part of the regional and cultural cuisine.
I understood both meat and vegetables were part of everything God gave his children for life. He asked only for good stewardship of his gracious gifts: body, earth, and spirit. For some people, fulfilling this command meant picking up meat with their forks.

But for me, by the end of my research, I knew caring for God's creation meant doing the unthinkable. I had to betray my meat-and-potatoes roots and become a crunchy granola woman.

End of Editing

VEGAN!

There...now I've said it.

This is the word that makes people look at me like I have just lifted up my shirt to show them my belly. Oh, wait...too much information for you to handle all at once. I see. I'll break it down for you.

I am reading the above book, Skinny Bitch, and it has transformed our lives. I have been reading this for a while because even though I have been dairy-free & egg-free for almost NINE months (wow! Even I had to have a double take), I have yet to give up meat.
Many of you know that our girls (and myself if I am honest) are very allergic to both dairy and egg, so that is what prompted this quest for a healthier lifestyle. Now, mind you, Daddy & boo have taken this path with us because as the old saying goes, "Mama is only going to cook one meal around this house."

Well, the meat was our biggest hang-up until I got to that part of the book (which was a couple of nights ago). You Are What You Eat. I thought about this title and was thinking, "Yep. I am what I eat. However, what I eat isn't all that bad now. I have cut out the fast-food restaurants, ice cream joints, & high fructose corn syrup (if you don't know why that's bad, click on the link & read health effects)." Once past the title, I was fully engaged in what seemed like a tug-o-war with my head. *Keep reading - Quit reading. Once you know, you can't claim ignorance. Type of battle*
I kept reading and what I read has changed me & my family. You see, I read it aloud to Daddy and he said, "You need to quit reading this to me, it's making me sick." Exactly my point. Now we both can't claim ignorance.

I understand that many of my readers are not ready for this jump, therefore I will not post what I read, just if you are curious, clink on the link, check out the book at the library, or purchase the book.

It's been SO good for us all to live this way! I can see such a change in all of us. I myself have dropped 50lbs ( I work-out maybe once a month), have much clearer skin (without washing it but one time twice a day), haven't had one single allergic reaction to the seasons change nor have I been sick in general (dairy adds to mucus build-up), and might I say that Dr. Oz would be proud of my bathroom behavior (enough said). Daddy and Boo feel better and look better also. Tay and Squirt are MUCH better and have a much better demeanor.

I really didn't realize that a simple change in eating would make such a difference in our minds, body, and spirit. I sound like a YMCA advertisement.

Well, now you know the scoop on us. We thought it would be better received if it came across in the form of the blog. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them. I welcome them all.

By the way, we aren't built to be meat eaters anymore. I use to use that as my excuse, however our species have evolved. Our teeth aren't razor sharp, our fingernails are dull, etc. We do not need to drink milk from another species. We really don't even need our own mother's milk (unless you are a baby, and if you are, you can't read this anyway). *my head is telling me to stop telling you this unless you asked for it* I will stop.