Omni-riffic

Me: "I don't really eat much meat, huh?"

Ben: "That's why you poop like a deer."

These are the conversations Ben and I have.

In April of this year, Ben and I tried the pescetarian lifestyle for a month. We both had always been curious about living as vegetarians but realized after some cursory research the commitment was far to involved for our quick jaunt. The life of a vegetarian, I learned, requires carefully planned meals and constant vigilance to maintain a healthy vitamin and minerals levels. I gained respect for those that maintain the sans-meat lifestyle; it is one serious commitment. I also learned that vegans, who I have always found unnatural (how they think a slice of soy protein processed American "Cheese" is better for you than fresh, milky mozzarella is BEYOND me), have an even harder time maintaining their health; their life expectancy is the same as those with meat-centric diets. (Apparently, they just die from different things at the same rate.)

I had and have no political/humanitarian reason to stop eating meat and would certainly miss the occasional burger, but if I were to delineate my favorite foods, meat is nearly vacant from the list. See:

-Warm brie on a crisp granny smith apple or the latter with cream peanut butter and the former with really crusty, chewy bread.
-Caprese salad with firm, heirloom tomatoes and tangy balsamic vinegar.
-Dark chocolate with bits of orange rind mixed in.
-Red beans and rice, my mom's recipe of course with lots of added spice. Though it contains sausage my mom can testify that even when I was young I asked for my portion to not have any meat.
-Vegetarian chili without any of that tofu crumble nonsense. Really just the antithesis of Texas chili with lots of beans and vegetables.
-Spinach. Raw, steamed, boiled, sauteed I will eat it any way it can be cooked. Favorites include sauteed with garlic and spinach enchiladas.
-Ahi tuna, either raw with sushi or barely seared. And on that note, really any fish, raw or cooked I'll eat. I'm slightly obsessed.

So I like seafood too much and can never be a vegetarian. I share a diet similar to bears, Giant Pandas and hedgehogs... and I'm okay with that.