For somewhere in the realm of 12 years, I lived my life as a vegetarian. When I became pregnant in 1999, the addition of fish entered into my diet. I'm not talking canned tuna, but really incredible fish that my husband sustainably caught off the northern California coast. Fresh, Fresh, Fresh...from fishing line to plate. Even so, we still ate a mostly vegetarian diet. Now that we're in New Mexico, far from the coast and the lush year round gardens that I used to have, I'm eating...well, shall we say, much more diverse? I guess that's my kinder, gentler way of saying I'm a carnivore again. BUT that doesn't mean that virtue has completely left the building. I tend to consume meat in condiment sized portions. And only if it's sustainably raised and conscientiously and humanely processed. This choice is not only due to my change in surroundings and therefore a change in what is locally and seasonably available, but also because of a panel of blood work I had recently that revealed I was deficient in vitamin B. This, I am told is quite common in long time vegetarians. All of this said, I believe that however you choose to eat, be it carnivore, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free or dairy free etc, you should know where your food is coming from and take the time to experience how it makes you feel. Live, Love, Cook and Learn - even just a little bit about your food's nutritional benefits or deficits. And for goodness sake, no matter what diet you subscribe to, DO NOT sacrifice taste! Vegetarian doesn't mean all you eat are salads (this is a concept I worked hard to dispel with many relatives). Vegan doesn't mean your food is boring and limited. Gluten free doesn't mean you either give up bread entirely or eat what closely resembles sawdust. It's my mission to prove this to all of you out there! And if you can't or don't want to cook for yourself...Just hire me, I'll do it!
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