Good Evening! I promise that regular blogging will commence tomorrow. I’m feeling a little better, but have had ZERO appetite all weekend. I’ve actually lost 1.5 lbs since Friday!!

Anyway, enjoy the next guest poster in my I’m A Vegetarian series and if you too are a vegetarian and would like to contribute your story just email me!!

I wish I could say I had a remarkable turning point like watching Charlotte’s Web and falling in love with Wilbur on the spot, but alas my road to vegetarianism was a bit rockier.

I grew up eating nothing but junk food. We even had a row of spare ovens where we stored our extra junk food and I was the preferred after school play date location because we had the best snacks.

As my little sister and I were freakishly skinny, we were never forced to eat our vegetables. In fact, I remember eating over at a friend’s house whose parents imposed the “clean your plate” rule. I tried to flush my carrots down the toilet but wouldn’t you know, the toilet clogged and I got caught “orange-handed”.

When I moved to the Deep South for college, I continued to follow the “see food” diet (I see food, I eat it), but this time the Metabolism g-ds were NOT having it.  This began a pattern of disordered eating that would go on for several years, whittling me down to skeletal proportions and later turning into a vicious cycle of binge eating.

Somewhere along the way, I listened to my body and here’s what I heard: constant headaches from blood sugar spikes, perma dry mouth from dehydration, mood swings, GI issues and flagging energy.

At that moment, I had a strong hunch that if I chose to treat my body with the respect it deserved, it would become my ally, not my enemy.

I began to visit Farmer’s Markets in Southern California and became instantly hooked on fresh, seasonal produce. The abundance of vegetarian restaurants showed me I could have a delicious meal without contributing to animal cruelty.

I also began to see remarkable differences in my health.  Gone was the short term memory loss, constant migraines and GI problems.  I even noticed my skin and nails became shinier and stronger.

Now as I am about a year and a half into my vegetarianism, I can honestly say I do not miss meat or fish at all (and this is coming from a former 5 X a week sushi eater).  Moreover, I have taken the time to read up on the slaughtering of animals and the toll the livestock and fishing industry is taking on our Mother Earth and feel very pleased that I am no longer contributing to such atrocities.

So I raise a carrot in honor of my fellow vegetarians.  Regardless of how or why you made this decision, you have my respect!

Like what you read here? Check out Bess at I Dream of Greenie and follow her thoughts in 140 characters or less on twitter as well!

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