“You are what you eat”. It’s one of the first sayings in English we learn as children growing up. I remember hearing it as I devoured a McDonald’s Happy Meal while playing the Monopoly game as a kid. Fast food probably made up 40 percent of my diet. I loved Wendy’s chicken nuggets with fries and a frosty, cheesy gordita crunches from Taco Bell, a double whopper from Burger King, or popcorn shrimp from Long John Silver’s. Of course when we are young, our bodies are able to metabolize a lot of these savory bites and I didn’t think twice about my hankering for Gushers, Fruit Rollups, Twinkies, Oatmeal Pies, and any other sweet I could get my hands on.
Self, Society and Environment
That all changed my junior year at Notre Dame, when I enrolled in a course called “Self, Society and Environment”. It was a small class of about 12 of us with a professor in his 80’s whose name I can’t now remember. What I do remember is that I enjoyed how pleasant and peaceful he was and how we all sat in a circle in class rather than in rows. This forced us to interact, and as an introvert definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. At that time I was still enjoying my near daily fast-food runs or gobbling down two dollar wings from BW3’s. Each of us in the course had to pick a topic that we would research for the next four months. I cannot remember what I chose to research for the life of me.
But most of us in that course will never forget that of our colleague Mary from Oklahoma. Mary’s family was one of the largest producers of beef in the South, and she chose to research how large-scale cattle farming can be sustainable and good for people. By the end of the semester and due to Mary’s project, all but one of in the class had become vegetarian, much to Mary’s family’s dismay. As we learned and dived deeper into how diet affects our bodies as well as the planet, we could no longer ignore what her research proved. Some of the pictures we saw of chickens from Tyson Farms, or cattle exploding with puss and infections, can never be unseen, and changed our lives forever.
Quarantine Vegetarian
As a male college student in 2007, becoming vegetarian was not easy. Like many others, my male friends mostly made fun of me for my decision calling me a “wuss” or some other NSFW names. I deeply missed pepperoni pizza and Green Chile Cheeseburgers. I had no idea what to cook other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But slowly, I found a diet that worked for me. In quarantine, I start with a fruit and vegetable smoothie at noon, mostly with stuff from my own garden.
I have some awesome vegan tamales from Teresa’s in Cleveland, NM. I try to be done eating by 8pm in order to let my body fast and break down the food. I have found some delicious veggie burgers and grill recipes that leave most of my meat-eating friends forget that there was none on the menu. I completely respect vegans, but as cheese enchiladas are my Saturday treat, I enjoy ordering Monica’s El Portal on a weekly basis. My diet is not perfect as I still eat way to much cheese and occasionally treat myself to a free range egg. I recently enjoyed some trout that my bandmates Rick and Ragon caught while camping.
Food Heals the Body and Mind
I don’t judge people or look down upon them for their diet choices as we are all on our own paths and our own pace. But I am thankful to Mary and my classmates for setting me on this journey. It was once thought that being Vegetarian or Vegan would make you weak and unhealthy. But as the recent film on Netlflix “Game Changers” reveals, many top athletes in all professional sports have made the change. Our diets have the power to either heal or harm us and the planet, and food truly is medicine for our bodies. I believe that becoming Vegetarian or Vegan should be left up to each individual. But I do think this time has offered us an opportunity to see where our food comes from, and to try to eat more locally and sustainably. ‘Cuz if I am what eat, then I want to be healthy, strong, and happy. Read more about Chris and find his previous articles here!
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