Then it happened
Yes, that happened last night.
It’s the chicken that took me over a year building up to purchasing, seasoning, cooking, and then eating. I’ve been contemplating the above chicken breast for a year.
I know this is going to upset some people, some readers are going to love it, but before you form your opinion, please hear me out:
I’ve been lacking in the nutrient department. As a fitness professional, I’m very active, lift weights and workout often, and need a higher amount of protein (as well as the other macronutrients) to support my activity level. For the past two years +, I’ve done everything under the sun to try and make sure I was getting the nutrients I needed.
Ever since last summer, I’ve felt like my brain was in a fog. Some days I was dizzy (even though I was getting enough calories), other days I was so exhausted I spent the afternoon on the couch. I didn’t feel *right*. I thought that the way I was feeling had to be something else, since I had researched so much about nutrition and was convinced that my high-raw, quasitarian style of eating was giving me everything I needed.
Every year that my jeans got tighter, I brushed it off, even though I knew that it had nothing to do with my gym habits. I was helping the earth and feeding myself what I thought was the best food possible – if that meant gaining a few el bees, or my body fat % going up, I was cool with that.
Starting last winter, I had a series of blood tests to see what the dealio was and why I felt so wonky. All of my tests came back in the normal range, but my vitamin levels were low, even though I was a juicing and salad fanatic. My doctor was surprised when I told him my eating style (shocker) and suggested that I start taking a multi-vitamin and a B-complex immediately, which I did.
The thing is, our body isn’t intended to process chemicals. It’s more beneficial to get nutrients through actual food than through vitamins, which are only insurance to fill the gaps. Many people are excellent at getting the nutrients they need and feeling fulfilled from a vegetarian or vegan diet, but I’m not one of those people. After turning my meals into a science experiment (B12? Check. Protein? Check. Iron? Check), I’ve come to a realization that I need to have white meat back in my life. I’ve been eating fish, eggs and goat cheese this entire time, but it’s not possible (or healthy) to eat fish everyday (mercury levels, toxins) and eggs can only be tolerated so often. Protein powder is an excellent supplement, but I’ve been dependent on it for the bulk of my daily source of protein. By eating poultry, this will be a good way for me to get some variety in my life and get the vitamins I’ve been missing out on.
I’ve also realized that I WANT to eat chicken again. Even though I was thrilled with the way I was eating and the meals I was creating, I always felt like something was missing.
This was an extremely hard decision to make. I talked about this numerous times with the Pilot, with my homeopathic doc (who also urged me to eat more animal protein) and even had dreams about chicken.. I’ve been in a huge ethical dilemma with myself, but realized this is what needs to happen.
I love animals, I love the earth, but I also love myself, my body and need to take care of it.
I always tell you guys to follow your heart and do what you think is best for you. I’m not going to say it’s going to be like this forever (when I stopped eating meat, I had no idea how long it would last), and like before, I’m not labeling myself. I’m rolling with what feels right for me, and right now this feels right. I encourage all of you to do what you need to do, adapt your eating styles as you see *fit*, and now it’s time for me to do the same. I don’t ever want to influence you guys, and like I’ve said many times before, just because some silly blogger is doing something doesn’t mean you need to follow suit. The eating plan that’s best for you most likely isn’t one that you’ll find in a diet/nutrition/healthy living book or research article- it’s one that you create and discover for yourself.
So last night, I bought a pack of certified-organic free range chicken from Trader Joes. Just like I was making dinner for the Pilot, I prepared it with some of my favorite things: stuffed with goat cheese from the farmer’s market, sundried tomatoes, arugula and kalamata olives. I thought it might taste disgusting, I’d get sick and that would be the end of it. It was amazing. With the first bite, I felt a sense of relief wash over my body, and I knew that was what I had been needing all along. After eating, I felt pleasantly full and satisfied- my stomach didn’t hurt in the least bit.
A couple of notes:
–This isn’t going to turn into the chicken blog, especially since I don’t blog all of my eats. I’ll still be providing vegan, raw, gluten-free, vegetarian and occasional poultry-friendly recipes. Something for everyone 🙂 I like to think that the little blog is more fitness, recipe and shenanigan-focused than “here’s what I ate today”, so I don’t think that much will change.
-Family members, please don’t get too excited. I’m not going to eat just any ol’ chicken- unless it’s USDA certified organic free range, I’ll stick to my usual fish and veggie-ish eats 😉
–We’re lucky to be in the position where we can freely choose how to nourish our bodies. Many people around the world are not as fortunate and must eat the food that’s available to them, without questioning what it is—they’re just happy to eat. I’m so thankful to have the ability to fuel myself the way I’d like to. My eating habits are still a work in progress, but through this journey, here’s what’ I’ve learned:
With the right education, tools and planning, it can be easily to eat healthfully. It can be easy to be a vegetarian, be raw, be a vegan, be *insert label here*. Finding out what works best for you is the hardest part. Every body is different and how we choose to eat is a highly personal decision. It’s up to us to respect our nutrition preferences and take what we can learn from each other.
I know that a lot of you won’t agree with my choice, but it’s my educated, heart-driven decision and I would never be anything but upfront and real with you guys. I totally expect some mean-spirited comments, but this is who I am, and I’m going to be true to myself.
Hope you guys have a great day <3
Gina
Ps. Congrats to Annie, the macaroon and goodie package winner!
Please send me your info to fitnessista at gmail dot com 🙂 Thank you so much to all of you for entering- I LOVE reading about your goals 🙂
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I know it had to have been hard to make that decision and anyone who would question it or give you a hard time about it sucks. Plain and simple. You are still making good choices by requiring your meat to meet certain standards. That’s extremely important to me too when I eat it.
The Butcher and the Vegetarian by Tara Weaver was so eye opening for me!
I went through a very similiar sitation. I was doing vegan for a while and my blood test results scared me to death. I understand how hard it is to start eating something again after you haven’t for a long time. I’m just beginning to incorporate some cheeses back into my life and it’s a lot more difficult than I thought.
Totally respect your decision! Listen to your body!
After your post where you mentioned switching up food in the new year, I had a feeling this might be what your difficult post was about. I feel for you because I’ve been there myself! I was vegetarian for something like 11 years and I came to the realization that my body functions best with a higher protein diet. I relate soooo much to the ethical dilemma you’ve dealt with over the past year or so. I respect your decision to bring back the organic chicken and hope that everyone else will, too. 🙂
I always tell my omni friends before they start going on an anti-vegan rage that I truly don’t believe being 100% veg is for everyone. I am so thankful that I can maintain my athletic lifestyle as a vegan. It just makes me sad when people use animals as the main part of every meal, but I’ve been reading your blog for years and know you will make intelligent, compassionate decisions with your meat choices. Like you said, your blog is mostly fitness, random fun things, and unique recipes (with vegan options – which I love!!) Thanks for being honest with yourself and with your readers 🙂
I totally understand where you are coming from! I was vegetarian for a year, but I was still always very sluggish and eating faux meat protein wasn’t helping. I started running a lot and needed something to help me feel back to normal. I definitely don’t eat meat in excess or even daily, but I have incorporated it back into my diet. Besides, I just missed it 🙂
I applaud those who are able to keep such a strict diet, but for me it wasn’t something I could sustain long-term. I try to be accepting to all people, especially concerning diet. To each her own! Thank you for being so honest and open about this, as I’m sure it was hard to come out about it.
Good for you Gina! I was just trying to explain to my younger cousin the other day that there is no “correct prescribed diet” for any of this. My body is different than hers and we have to figure out what works best for each of us. For some people, they thrive on a vegan or vegetarian diet. For others, I believe it is detrimental for their health. Figuring this all out is like a science experiment with our bodies, but something for which we should never have to apologize. Thank you for your honesty and good luck with your “science experiment”. 🙂
When I was growing up I was vegetarian (and since I was only 10 and my dad said I had to cook for myself I was mostly a pastatarian) but around 17 when I started looking for college scholarships for soccer I started eating meat to bulk up- and now I eat it because I like it. I’m sure you’ve read whoever it is that’s “vegan until dinner” and I really liek that idea.
Gina,
You are living what you say to others….”trust your body, listen to what is right for you….”
Good for you for the ongoing search of what works best for **your** body!
Happy poultry cooking!
Good for you for realizing what you need and choosing the right kind of meat to eat. There isn’t anything wrong with doing what your body needs.
I stopped eating meat for almost a year and then had it over the holidays. I thought I also was going to be sickened by it, but then I enjoyed it! So I had the same experience. I’m glad you shared this because I think many people are in the same boat and need a push to honor their bodies.
I’m so glad I’m not alone!! I was a vegetarian (+ no dairy) for about a year, but something was just off– after a little research, I realized I was missing the vitamins+minerals in red meat (of all things). It was tough, but I feel so much better and I think I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been!
Thats awesome that you are taking care of your body and doing what works best for you right now!
I kind of hate how vegetarians/vegans/”quasitarians” have to always justify their eating choices while people who eat absolute crap can do so without anyone blinking an eye. Says a lot about our society.
Anyway…
I went vegetarian for a year and just recently started incorporating chicken back into my diet. Part of the reason I went back to meat is I was losing the muscle tone I worked so freaking hard to get, and secondly, there was no magical transformation for me when I cut out meat. I felt the same as when I was eating well with chicken every now and then. I still never crave it, but the idea doesn’t make me sick, unlike the thought of red meat-blech!
Thanks for your honesty, always. I have been contemplating veganism but haven’t made the plunge, and I am mostly okay with that. Your post and return to poultry is very heartening and helps me realize that a label is not necessary, nor is restriction — of any food/group — necessarily the way to go.
Congrats and happy new year!
I think you’re setting a good example, and that example has less to do with which specific foods you pick and more to do with honoring your own body’s needs, as opposed to the bodies of people you don’t even know. And one’s OWN body is something more people could stand to be mindful of (myself included!). Party on, G.
I totally applaud you for making the decision that is best for you even if it might not be the most popular one. You absolutely have to do what is best for your body. In fact, I’m beyond happy about this post because it truly shows that you practice what you preach as far as listening to your body’s needs & following your heart. Plus, if ya come to hate it, it’s not like you can’t go back :O) Thanks for being such a huge inspiration!
I completely understand how difficult it was to write this and I am SO proud of you for doing it. I am struggling with the same thing right now – in fact, have been trying to figure out how to put it into words. Our bodies are unique and TELL us what it needs. We can choose to listen or not, and the fact that you are listening is the healthiest thing you can possibly do. If you aren’t feeling “right” you’re not doing yourself OR the world around you any good! Keep on listening, and again – so proud of you for your upfront honesty.
Good for you. I really hope people don’t give you a hard time about this because it’s your body and you need to do what makes you healthier. I love how you mentioned the fact that people in other countries don’t have the luxury of picking a diet. It’s so true. They eat animals not because they don’t appreciate all living beings but because without them they’d die of starvation. That doesn’t make them any less human and it doesn’t make you, either. 🙂
Have you considered red meat? It is actually has more nutrients than white meat. Bison is a really fun choice. One step at a time but it is something to think about!
This is your life and your body. Only you know what’s best for both. If a little chicken in your life is going to make you feel healthier, then that’s what you have to do. Any one who judges you for that is awful.
Good for you! you have to do what is right for your body and you are still making good choices on the chicken!
Gina, my favorite thing about you is that you’re honest & do what’s right for you. I think we could all learn a thing or two from you 😉 .
It’s so important to do what’s right for ourselves. Thanks for this post. Oh and I’m SUPER excited for you to get a book deal… that’s a book i’d pick up without thinking twice!
good for you for making the hard decision about what’s best for you.
Its so important to listen to your body and do what’s right for you! Way to go!!
You go girl. I’m the same way, Love animals, love the earth. thankful for everything the earth has given us. But I believe that chickens were meant to be eaten to sustain our bodies with the nutrients we need. So I eat chicken. guilt free.
Good for you!! I love that you are listening to your body and giving it what you need for your active lifestyle! No one can fault you for that.
I bet a lot of people who read you have been through similar experiences (wanting to go vegan, needing to eat some meat, finding the least impactful way of honoring their body and being good to animales). I hope that anyone who gets bent out of shape has their b vitamins first before they post. 🙂
I actually was just coming to BEG your advice and this post fits in… I am going cardio crazy teaching Zumba and other cardio classes. I am gaining like crazy, sweet tooth is out of control and I had to add in more animal protein even though my skin looks like crap with it. It’s time to cut down (WAYYYY down) on the intense cardio. What’s your recommendation… 3 classes a week? Will a few pilates/yoga classes with a lot of pushups and plies matter as long as I keep the cardio in check?
My pants are getting too tight too. :-\
Your honesty and candor about this subject is so refreshing! Congratulations for being able to listen to your body and give your body the fuel it needs. Diets and food choices should never be labled. Everyone is different and needs to address their diet needs differently. I was recently at Whole Foods and my purchases were questioned because they did not fit into one “diet category.” It was almost like the cashier could not wrap his mind around the fact that I didn’t eat dairy but wasn’t fully vegan or vegetarian.
I certainly hope that you don’t get any mean-spirited comments! It is your body. You know what will work best for it and its your personal decision.
GREAT decision Gina. I too am a vegetarian but don’t know how long it will last. Right now I feel okay, but I do constantly wonder if white meat would be beneficial for me.
Thanks for showing everyone how personal food choices are. You have every right to make your own decisions and to continue to say no to meat at restaurants or places where it isn’t raised the way you would like.
Inspirational, as usual!
I respect your decision, and I know it probably wasn’t an easy one to make.
I also know that a vegetarian (or quasitarian) diet isn’t the easiest thing — I have iron deficiency. Ultimately you have to do what’s right for you and your body.
Yummy!! Chicken w/ goat cheese is sooo good. Good for you for doing what’s best for YOU. I’m sure this wasn’t an easy post to write, but I think you’ll get more support than you think. 🙂
I’m proud of you! For especially listening to your body and realizing what you needed!
Shame on anyone who would verbally disapprove your decision. You are the PERFECT example of how to respect your bodies needs while still respecting what you value. Props to you for showing that what we eat is about nourishing our selves, and not about standing up on some soap box, preaching to others. Every BODY is different, and you are a wonderful inspiration for those who havent yet taken the time to evaluate what their own body is telling them 🙂
Same thing happened to me~ You are an inspiration no matter what you are eating! I am so glad you posted this.. My two step-daughters are vegetarian’s and have a hard time getting adequate nutrition.. I am definitely going to forward your post to them.
I have never been vegeterian or vegan – I read your blog because I like it, not because of what you eat or don’t eat. My b12 is low due to disease in the intestine (so my body has a hard time absorbing it). I do take b12 injections and it helps a lot but I also look for natural sources of b12 as well.
This is preciesely why I started eating white meat again after being a vegetarian for 14 years. I was not getting the nutrients I needed. My hair was thinning, my nails were breaking, and I never had muscle tone. Since eating meat again (5 yrs ago), I feel great! I don’t eat it daily..maybe a few times a week and the rest of the time I balance out with tempeh, tofu, beans, etc.
Good for you for listening to your body!
hi gina! good for you, i was never a big meat eater but cut out chicken completely about a year ago and eat fish but only on occasion. i do not really miss it but do feel that this mostly vegetarian lifestyle is giving me the protein that my body requires to fuel my workouts (im a big runner, lift weights, and do yoga regularly). i will look forward to see how you start to feel 🙂 in the meantime, i have an awesome recipe from the canyon ranch cookbook (nourish) but found it on the food network website, please try it !!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/balsamic-chicken-with-baby-spinach-recipe/index.html
xo andrea
i’ve been vegan. i’ve been vegetarian. but i honestly feel best with small amounts of animal protein in my diet. i am such a HUGE promoter of doing what is best for YOU, and i am so happy you are living up to that. people can learn a valuable and inspiring lesson from this!!!
You’re awesome. It’s so hard in every aspect of life to listen to ourselves and take action. It’s even more difficult for you because you put your life on a blog for the world to see and I imagine you’re often put under a microscope with every decision you make. Way to go for doing what your body needs! After all–one body and one life, right?
Good for you. The only thing that makes me sad is that you feel the need to defend yourself against people who might attack you. Your body, your choices, and you’re clearly doing what you think is best. As ever, Gina, a great example for women struggling. I don’t know you but I ADORE you.
ps, I’ve been dabbling with vegetarianism for several years. I’ve hit points where I craved meat to the point that, in high school, there was a good two weeks where I ate steak every single day. I haven’t eaten meat or fish in over a year at this point in my life, but I do sense a change and a desire to return to vegetarianism from veganism. When it feels practical for me, I’ll do it.
Girl, you be you!!!!! If there is any mean spirited comments that comes from a place of negativity and single mindedness.
What works for some won’t work for all. What works for you won’t work for me! 🙂 So go be you today!
Honesty is the most admirable quality in people!
Hi Gina!
I don’t think I have commented for a looooong time. I commend you for being so honest about your decision. I was vegan for about two years and was gaining weight because I was eating so much soy, then I went vegetarian. It was good, but I needed Wild Alaskan Salmon in my life. I, like you, tried a few bites of WF’s chicken and didn’t like it so I am Pescatarian! Point being, I only had my husband to judge (he was happy) you are awesome to let your readers know about your journey that most would consider private. I learned that you have to do what you need within reason!
I was vegan for 3 years and felt terrible just as you described. I felt a brain cloud and couldn’t keep an uncomfortable extra 5 lbs off. When I slowly began to add organic dairy and fish things got a little better. And then I tried USDA certified grass fed beef and it changed my life. That probably sounds gross to you. I started eating a filet mingion for dinner two days a week and that has made me feel healthier than ever before. I still eat many vegetarian meals and lots of veggies but the meat helped so much. I even lost the stubborn 5 lbs and it just fell off naturally.
I’ve always been happy go lucky meal eater…I lost 85 lbs being a full blown meat eater. However as I have been studying for my PT test and learning about the nutrition side of things it hit me that I, and most Americans, eat WAY too much meat protein. I’ve been trying out some vegetarian dishes to cut back on the meats…yum yum!
OMG, I am right there with you!!!!! I was a vegetarian/vegan/raw experimenter for over 7 years. When I had my first child and everyone around me (including my husband), wanted to feed him meat, I gave up. Well, I felt much more energy, I even leaned out. I truly believe that everyone has a different metabolic type. I have taken some online test for metabolic typing and am truly a protein type. I know people that can live on a vegan diet and never be hungry of lack energy, I am not one of them (wish I was). I understand what you are going through. Everyday I contemplate going back to vegan b/c I hate having anything to do with harming an animal, but I don’t feel right w/o the meat.
Hi Gina! I am excited that you are eating poultry again – hope to see some yummy recipes for that in the future.
Hopefully you start feeling better soon!
Great post Gina! I’m not vegetarian or vegan, but I do think it’s important that you do what’s right for YOU, and make no excuses for what other people might think 🙂
I’m proud of you for doing what you have to do for you. I too have to have animal protein at times to really feel at my best. I don’t know how much weight to put into the concept of the blood type diet, but some of it really makes sense. It makes me wonder what the blood type of the successful vegans is vs those of us who feel animal protein keeps us whole and healthy, and if there’s any merit there. I just started reading about it the other day. http://www.dadamo.com/
Gina, good for you! You have to do whats right for you, not what is going to make “everyone else” happy.
The past year, I flirted with vegetarianism and going 70%..ish vegan. But like you, my jeans kept getting tighter, and I was exhausted ALL the time. The pounds haven’t melted away after re-introducing animal sources back into my diet, but my energy levels certainly have soared. I’m confident that this new found energy will fuel my workouts and let the flab be a thing of the past! Thanks for re-confirming that I’m not a horrible person by eating animals 😛
Boy, oh boy, oh boy- can I relate to this!!!! Omg, it is exactly me!!! My first bite of chicken= relief! Physiological relief! I was ME again. It was a crazy feeling…I felt “healed.” Good for you girl. We have got to do what is best for our bodies. <3