Deborah Habeck who recently served as EBE secretary
I never thought I would stop eating meat, ever. But I started by not eating processed meats, as I knew they were no good for me. I thought about cutting out chicken because it caused me disgust to think about the antibiotics I was eating as a consequence. But even so, I continued. I didn’t know how to eat differently. It was just after holding a pork ear at a butchery and associating it with my dog’s ear that it struck me. I couldn’t think of any excuses anymore.
Throughout the years since my “conversion”, I have gone through many changes. I started reading all of the labels in the supermarket, not only to look for animal products but also for the names of substances unknown to me. I stopped buying plant milk because I didn’t want to drink oil, sugar, salt, and whatever other ingredients were included, depending on the brand. I stopped eating regular bread because I didn’t want to eat emulsifiers and many other ingredients that I’m clueless about their impact on my gut.
I still eat pita bread containing only whole flour, water, baking soda, and salt. But at least these are familiar ingredients to me. So, I’m trying to treat my body right by exercising, drinking water, eating real food, and sleeping well. I still indulge in the weekends by eating foods I know are not best for me, such as a plant-based burger with chips or pizza. I like to allow myself to have things 70% excellent and 30% as a work in progress. I might get to 100% one day, – you might want to check on that in a couple of years. Right now, I am healthier than I have ever been. My blood work, which in earlier years was haunted by high triglycerides and cholesterol, today is “sweet as”. I have little to no cellulite, which was not the case years ago. I feel and look great.
When I think about helping people make better food choices, I would rather talk about how many new plants they started to eat instead of how much meat, eggs, and dairy they still eat. I believe plants have superpowers. The more you eat them, the more you feel good. Then, you want to eat them all the time. So, you only need to go with the flow.
When you commit to increasing plant intake you’ll drop other foods eventually, simply because there won’t be enough space in your stomach. And every day is a new opportunity to make a better choice. And if you blew it today, it’s okay! Tomorrow is another day!
