Anyone who knows me knows that food is one of my top three favorite things in life. I am basically a vacuum and or a bottomless pit. I will finish my food, my friend's food and whoever else needs me to. I have also yet to find something that I wasn't at least willing (and usually excited) to try.
When I went abroad, I did a sort of food experiment with myself. Being in India, I decided to try vegetarianism. In fact, half of my group were already living this lifestyle and they kinda gave me a rundown of the basics. The meatless options were plentiful considering traditionally Indian food is vegetarian so, I started the journey.
The first day or so were definitely difficult, I craved chicken and some home favorites. I decided to push through because the meatless food was incredible. I quickly saw that nearly every option had a vegetarian counterpart in the form of paneer. My fears of being hungry or feeling sluggish because of lack of protein were replaced with my absolute love for this protein substitute.
After several weeks, I felt different. I had more energy. My skin was clearing up and most importantly I felt healthier. Obviously, being in India and having a complete detox of all the preservatives put into foods in the US may have altered how I felt. Thus, I decided to take this little experiment back to the states.
A great friend I met while there showed me several recipes that I could make at home to get me started because I would no longer have access to the foods I had been eating for months. I started by replacing my beloved paneer with tofu.
Currently, I have been back for two months and I have been a vegetarian for five. I can say it has been much harder to maintain here, especially since I have greater access to beef, and it is more in my face. I had to cook my own food if I wanted to maintain the same diet.
I thought it would be a hassle, but it actually reignited my love for cooking and helped grow my skills. I now get to pretend to be a Food Network star almost every night of the week and control my portions better as well as keep track of what I am actually eating. I also feel the same health benefits that I did in India, so I am deciding to extend the experiment indefinitely.
I still remain a bottomless pit and a human vacuum; however, I have learned what foods make me feel more energetic and how I can fuel my body better. I am so excited to continue this and try out more recipes.
