SLOgrown

About a year and a half ago, I began having stomach problems. All sorts of problems. After many doctors and tests, I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. More accurately, they couldn't diagnose anything else, so IBS was the only thing left. A practicing Ashtangi, I had considered vegetarianism for ahimsa, or non-violence, one of the yamas of Ashtanga Yoga. 

After 26 years of omnivorous eating, I slowly cut most meat products out of my diet. Now, one year later, my IBS "episodes" have decreased dramatically. I still eat eggs and fish on occasion. I'm lactose intolerant as well, but I do eat goat cheese and raw butter from time to time.

 So why am I a Jennatarian, and not just a ovo-lacto-pesci-vegetarian or whatever? I eat meat when I have to. If friends host us for dinner, I eat what they cook, regardless of whether it's vegetarian or not. I work in the wine industry. If I'm at a wine dinner, I eat what is offered, or I don't eat it. Whatever I feel like. I eat meat when I want to (hasn't really happened yet….). However, if I ever do choose to include meat in my cooking (for myself or for Husband), I always try to buy local, grass-fed, organic, free-range.

Of course, the longer I live without meat, the less I want to eat it.