So, I decided to pop in here again and go ahead and enter this challenge (love these, they give us writers some good motivation and it helps when the topic is already chosen)! ## First off I eat meat. I actually have been eating a lot of meat lately. As someone that works out daily and is very active I find quality meats tasty and beneficial at getting protein, iron, cholesterol, etc. BUT... I did have an experience from several months back where I was essentially plant based for about two months...and...I didn't notice any strength or muscle loss! ## My experience I'll put it simply, I was so sick and tired of eating chicken that I just decided to cut it out. Its bland and boring and lets face it, its not **kosher** and its a bottom feeding animal, and there's no guarantees that its not being grown in despicable conditions inside of some lightless warehouse, being pumped with hormones and a disgusting diet of corn and other completely unnatural ingredients. I don't eat much ground beef, I do like steak but for two months I was about as close to plant based as I've ever been. The only exceptions would be the occasional eggs and some quality cheeses (I'm a sucker for mozzarella). I experimented with lots of different plant based foods. Lots of artichokes, spinach, beets, assorted vegetables and ripe fruits. Tons of olive oil. I don't like cooking and preparing all the time so I would generally make a giant salad that would last me a few days consisting of: - spinach - kale - spirulina - nuts & assorted seeds - beets - mozzarella chunks - balsamic vinegar - olive oil - broccoli I also was buying lots of frozen vegetables of all sorts, which I would drizzle in butter to get some fat. I love Mediterranean food so I already eat a ton of olives and peppers drizzled in olive oil / vinegar. Also button mushrooms. **Here's what I really noticed and enjoyed about this type of diet:** 1) With all the olive oil and olives themselves I knew I was getting very healthy fats which I think should be a staple for anyone, and I could tell my body was starting to burn fat instead of carbohydrate, and my mental clarity seemed to rise. 2) Obviously, fiber is not an issue with this diet so healthy bowel movements as well as a nice full feeling without feeling bloated by all that meat! 3) I'm a big proponent of getting a lot of phytonutrients and enhancers so this type of diet ensures lots of vitamins, minerals and other plant nutrients, also supplying a lot of things that I normally don't get in my diet such as mushrooms, peppers and other colorful veggies and fruits. **What I think people need to think about carefully when choosing a plant based diet:** 1) I am a big fan of cholesterol for keeping testosterone and other hormones higher, especially working out and being a male. It is very easy to not get any since there is essentially no cholesterol from plants, although you can get plenty of healthy fats. That's one reason why I never go full vegan but instead use cheeses and eggs to fill in that gap. 2) It is easy for vegans to be iron deficient especially women so you have to make sure to eat a LOT of iron containing foods. I know for instance that while spinach has lots of iron on paper, it is not as easily absorbed and you need to eat a crap load of it to reach proper levels. 3) I know it is possible to gain a lot of muscle with vegetables but the quantity needed is much more than I am comfortable eating. I don't care how much you like plants, its hard to eat giant plate loads of broccoli, cauliflower etc. In the end I think that a plant based diet is definitely healthier in the long run and even Dr. Andrew Weil is quoted saying: > "Eat food. Not a lot, mostly plants" Eating a lot of meat not only makes me bloated but really doesn't leave me feeling full unless its a gigantic steak (which I've been known to devour) and I think meat, especially cheap processed meats, bring a lot more toxins into the body than we need. Especially chicken. Non-Organic chicken is the worst IMO. Eating plant based is certainly effective for hitting nutrient deficiencies, especially for those that don't know much about nutrition and don't know if they are deficient. You hit your bases if you eat a nice variety. And I do know vegan bodybuilders and weight lifters. I think the best part of plant based is being able to pour olive oil all over everything along with other spices, salts and condiments! I would certainly recommend people that eat a lot of meat give it a try for at least several weeks...if nothing else than to give their digestive tracts a break.
Originally posted here: https://hive.blog/hive-120078/@zydane/my-experience-of-cutting-out-meat
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