My Vegetarian Journey

I made my first stint toward vegetarianism several years ago, so what you are reading about on facebook or twitter from me is nothing new.

When you are in the college sports business and you travel with these teams and all of the young people that make these teams up, you find that they do not eat very healthy.

We were on a trip and traveling through Jackson, Mississippi when I made the statement to two friends, “If we stop at one more fast food restaurant, I am giving up meat!”

Needless to say, it wasn’t five minutes later we were pulling up in front of a Wendy’s.  That was six or seven years ago.  My initial bout with a change in lifestyle – because that what becoming a vegetarian or vegan is to me – a lifestyle change, lasted every bit of about two to three months before I went back to eating what I consider to be bad food.

But it didn’t take me long to realize that I needed to change my eating habits.

For the past 15 years I live lived in the deep south, Alabama and Louisiana. Neither is a hotbed for healthy cooking, and with the past 11 years in da boot (Louisiana) needless to say, when you live in the land of what they consider the Food/Cooking Capitol of the country, vegetarian and vegan fare is far from being normal or accessible. The heat in the dirty deep south is no joke, especially in the summer time when normal temps are 100-120 daily.  Meats were making feel like I weighed 500 pounds, and you know what comes after that - the "Itis"... Sleep time!

January 4, 2011 changed my life forever! That was the day I had a heart attack during a basketball game at Southern University. After trying to rehab myself and get back to some resemblance of normal, I realized that it was time for that change in lifestyle! Although my illness was not related to my eating habits, the change couldn’t hurt.

People always ask what do I eat as a vegetarian/vegan... All kinds of vegetables, cooked and raw; All kinds of fruits, Beans and other legumes: lentils, chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, Starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes, Brown rice, Whole-Wheat Pasta, quinoa, flaxseed, Hummus, Nuts & nut butters: almonds, cashews, walnuts, almond milk, peanut butter, almond butter.

It is truly amazing the fare that can be made with vegetables.  I wish I would have been on this lifestyle for far longer than I have been.

You guys would be surprised at how tasty vegetarian and vegan fare can be.  Grocery stores are starting to carry more and more veggie/vegan products, and I will continue to sample them to find out what is good and what is not; as well as also continuing to read my labels!

I have to give a shout out to my vegetarian and vegan friends, especially VeRAWnica (Lynne Delaney McLaine).  Without her friendship on this journey, I do not know if I would be where I am.  She has been a trooper and a GodSend in my journey. Check her out at: http://verawnica.com Vegans Rock!

Until next time…