Turkey Day Revisited

By now, you may already know that I don't eat meat, except seafood. There's no animal activist rationale behind my choice....I LOVE meat. Up until two years ago, In & Out Burger was a regular stop for me on my way home from work. (For those of you outside of California, this is THE place to get your red meat on.)

In 2005, my girl Jazmin and I ate nothing but raw fruits, nuts and vegetables for three months. Caught up in the raw food* movement that seemed to be all over LA, it was an experiment to see if we could do it. We had energy for days, clear skin, a sense of accomplishment, and the added bonus of losing weight.

What I tell my raw friends now: eating hot food is underrated.

Plus, planning my days around intricately prepped meals, not being able to eat out...I saw no way to keep this lifestyle up. So I went back to my regular ways, with another bonus: my appreciation of a green salad.

Perhaps I made a poor choice with my first meal after three months of veggie hell: a skirt steak. Three bites later, nauseous, and a solid kick to my own tail...I knew this was the last time I'd eat steak. I can't explain it very well, I just knew that I never wanted to have this feeling again. And I was laid out in my bed 30 minutes later, wondering when the stomach pain would go away. Within six months, chicken, pork and turkey left my list too.

So I've adjusted. I'm okay with it. But right now, I'm watching my husband eat a hot turkey sandwich with giblet gravy. He hasn't looked up from his plate since taking the first bite. It smells fantastic. It's probably very comforting.

(Heavy sigh...)

I won't eat it, after all this time, I know meat just doesn't work for me. But does he have to make that sound? That "I love what I'm eating" noise, along with heavy chewing and an occasional "Ummph?"

Thanks honey.

*Wikipedia's definition of a raw diet consists of "Unprocessed, raw plant foods that have not been heated above 115 °F (46 °C). 'Raw foodists' believe that foods cooked above this temperature have lost much of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body. Typical foods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains and legumes."