Bliss Warrior

ASK MISS BLISS - MEAT MADE MY BODY SICK AND I NEED HELP BECOMING VEGETARIAN

Dearly loved Bliss,

I recently became very ill and, as a result, had to have my body COMPLETELY flushed. As a result, I am having a really hard time dealing with “normal” food. Even before my illness, I had been considering becoming vegetarian for health reasons, but never really saw it as convenient. I was willing to tolerate my problems with food in exchange for yummy stuff! The more I research it, though, the more I am realizing I don’t have to trade taste for health, but can combine, thanks in part to your lovely blogs about a decadent and healthy lifestyle.

Now more than ever (and because of my illness) I am very seriously considering giving up meat. If you get a chance, I would love your opinion on it, tips on eating healthily, anything. Also…is your delightful husband health-conscious as well? My fiance is an amazing chef who delights in creating wonderful things with food, but he’s never tried cooking anything without meat. I think this could be a challenge for both us - more for him, honestly, because he does all that cooking (I know, I’m totally spoiled. :D).

I guess all I’m asking for is your input. I know living in California and New York probably makes it easier for you because you have more top-quality produce available to you, but here in Atlanta, it seems people haven’t yet discovered the meaning of the word health.

I know you’re a terrifically busy woman, and if you never get a chance to get back to me, I understand. But I would love to hear your thoughts, maybe glean a bit of wisdom from you.

Love from afar!
Sick of Meat

Dearest Sick of Meat,

I very much understand how scary it must be to know that you no longer have a choice when it comes to food. Due to weak health, you have to dramatically change your diet to return to your vibrant self and the implications of this change do not only affect you, but affect your partner, as well. In a relationship, it can be hard to have different dietary needs, especially when one partner is the primary cook.

When I first became vegetarian six years ago last week (my veggie anniversary), my partner panicked. A dedicated carnivore, he liked very few fruits and vegetables and since I was the primary cook, he knew immediately, that my choice to stop eating animals would affect his life, too. At first, I thought it would be easy to continue as we had eaten before. When we stopped at Burger King, I ordered the veggie burger. At Subway, I ate the “veggie delight” sandwich (which basically is a cheese sandwich with lettuce, tomato, pickles, olives, etc.). I ordered pasta with marinara sauce at Italian restaurants and asked for salads without the meat in more traditional places. Basically, I tried to adapt without affecting the way my partner ate because I always saw my vegetarianism as “my choice” and never wanted to push it on my love or anyone else in my life.

But soon, I became bored of icky-tasting veggie burgers and cheese sandwiches. I didn’t want to get fat on carbs and dairy by making the mistake many vegetarians do of overindulging in macaroni and cheese and margherita pizzas. I knew that I had to learn how to cook if I was going to be a happy and healthy veggie girl. And, if I was going to be a vegetarian chef, my man’s diet would have no choice but to change, as well.

WAYS TO HELP TURN YOUR PARTNER ONTO A VEGGIE LIFESTYLE

1. FAKE MEAT HAS NO CHOLESTEROL AND DOES NOT CAUSE HEART DISEASE

Many transitional vegetarians feel confused as to what to eat to replace meat. In the beginning, I could not imagine a meal that did not have some kind of “protein”, so I tried to make my favorite dishes with “fake” soy meats because I had not learned to enjoy tofu and seitan yet (that took a good couple of years) and I also hadn’t realized how many marvelous dishes there are just veggies and grains. I made my man tacos with ground soy “meat”, and stir-fried veggies with soy “chicken” strips. For breakfast, we would make scrambled eggs with soy “bacon”. Even though it was not as satisfying as meat, we learned to enjoy how little cholesterol we were eating and my man got behind the idea that we were lowering our heart disease risk and losing weight. I encouraged him to continue cooking meat for himself, but he did not feel comfortable doing this, and so I tried to think of vegetarian dishes that were “almost” like his favorite foods – all with soy meats.

2. BEING VEGETARIAN IS THE BEST WAY YOU CAN FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING

Goveg.com reports that “A 2006 United Nations report found that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUVs, Hummers, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined.”
So tell your man if you both reduce your meat intake, you can help stop global warming and ensure there is a beautiful world for your future children and grandchildren. To read Fight Climate Change with Diet Change, CLICK HERE.

3. LEARN TO ENJOY VEGETARIAN MEALS BY EATING IN ETHNIC RESTAURANTS

For some transitioning vegetarians with meat-eating partners, the best way to find new veggie dishes you like (and that he may like, too) is to visit ethnic restaurants that serve both veggie and non-veggie entrees. Indian, Thai, Chinese, and Italian restaurants all have vegetarian options. He can order the flesh meal, and you can try veggie entrees and have him taste them. He might just prefer the meal you chose!

4. ASK HIM TO KEEP THE MEAT ON THE SIDE

Many home-cooked meals can easily be modified to be vegetarian. If he cooks pasta with meatballs, ask him to keep the meatballs on the side so you can have veggie pasta with marinara sauce. If he’s making chicken with a salad, ask him to make an extra large salad for you and augment its protein by adding nuts or cheese. Or, have him pull a soy chicken breast from the fridge and cook that for you. At first, this can seem like a drag, but soon enough, it will get you helping him in the kitchen which can be a lot more fun and good for your relationship.

5. THE BEST PRODUCE IS AT THE FARMER’S MARKET

Even in California and New York, the best produce is not found in the grocery store, but at the Farmer’s Market. And, guess what, darling reader? There are Farmers’ Markets even in Atlanta, Georgia. CLICK HERE to see the many markets in Georgia. Shopping in Farmers’ Markets supports local farmers and also helps stop global warming because you are purchasing food that was not packaged or shipped, wasting precious natural materials, gas and oil. Plus, at the Farmers’ Markets, the prices are cheaper, the produce is fresher, and you get to taste food before you buy it. I personally find it moving to meet the people who make and harvest my food and it is easier to get good, non-pesticide-sprayed organic foods at the Farmer’s Market. Many markets also have musicians, fresh flowers and are a wonderful way to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning with the person you love.

6. WHEN HE FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE, GO TO VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS TO FIND NEW ENTREES YOU BOTH LIKE

When I did a quick google search of vegetarian restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia, many options came up. So, when you are feeling ready, do a search and explore some new places and new foods in your area.

7. GET ONE NEW BIG VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK

I rarely cooked before I became vegetarian. But when I grew bored of the three or four veggie dishes I knew how to make, I finally purchased Marilyn Diamond’s massive cookbook, The American Vegetarian Cookbook From The Fit For Life Kitchen. With over 400 pages of recipes, you can find some dishes you will both like. And, since they are healthy for you, your new entrees will help you both be thinner, fitter and healthier while not denying you yummy taste.

7. BE GENTLE HELPING YOUR PARTNER TO ACCEPT YOUR NEW DIETARY HABITS

After six years of my being vegetarian, my man is now a vegetarian 26 days of the month. I have never tried to force him to be veggie and understand that sometimes his body needs meat. When it does, we try to purchase clean, organic meat in restaurants we trust. He understands that I will not cook meat and he does not feel comfortable bringing animal flesh into our home, but that is his choice, not mine. The number one thing to being successfully vegetarian is to notice how your body feels when you eat veggie dishes. As your body becomes healthier, you will naturally reach your ideal weight and trust me, your partner will want to be more like you!

XOXXOXOXOXO
BLISS WARRIOR

LOVING GIRLS OF MANY SHAPES AND SIZES

“It’s so strange that we have no idea of our own size or the space we actually fill. It’s so hard for us to see what others see.”

I am having lunch with a gorgeous baby bi-girl friend of mine in Hollywood. It is unusually cold - the June gloom came in May - and we are trying to warm up by sipping large bowls of soup. “Well, it’s especially easy to think you’re fat in L.A.”

“I know. When I’m in New York, I feel normal, and if I’m in South Dakota, it’s easy to feel thin…” She laughs and her blue eyes brighten the foggy afternoon. “But here in L.A., everyone is so determined to look like a stick on TV, it makes you feel crazy and huge.”

“You know,” she says with a tilt of her red hair, “when I lived in Seattle, I felt pretty darn good about my body. I never had issues with feeling fat. I liked who I was, but here…” Her words drift off and I nod.

“I’ve been trying to write a blog on why women should explore dating girls of all different body types, but I’ve had a hard time getting the right words out. When we feel fat, it’s because we are comparing ourselves to some stick-figure girl who has no breasts or butt but can fit into a size zero. As my man says, ‘Boy bodies can be fun once in awhile, but most men don’t want to spend their lives with just that.’ When he first said that to me, I thought he was crazy. I guess we are so used to seeing that body type in fashion and the media, we women get brainwashed and think that is what men want, when, in reality, men often prefer a soft, curvy, femme girl.”

“Is that true,” she asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, it wasn’t until we started having love affairs that I realized why men truly do appreciate the unique look of each woman’s body. Over many years, we have had the amazing honor of finding lovers that are taller, shorter, larger, curvier, thinner… And, with some of them, I felt like the ‘big’ girl, with others I felt like the ‘tiny’ girl, and sometimes, I would be surprised and delighted that the ‘tiny’ girl was actually my same size, even though I felt ‘bigger’.”

“It’s true that it’s really hard for us to see what others see.”

“There was something about being with a girl who would say, ‘Look at how fat my thighs are,’ and I would look at her and see beautiful legs. She wasn’t fat at all! Or the girl who’d complain about how flat chested she was when all I ever wanted was to be able to wear a tank-top without a bra. Moments like these helped me to question myself when my brain would go to those same dark places. By seeing the beauty in all types of women, I learned to see my own.”

She ponders this as she sips her soup, and I take a moment to feel gratitude for each and every woman whose unique beauty makes a dreary day sparkle.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
BLISS WARRIOR

************************************************************************************************
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS BLOG, YOU MAY WANT TO READ:
IS PRETTY LINGERIE JUST FOR GIRLS?
THANK GOODNESS FOR GIRLS WHO PLAY DRESS UP
THINK GORGEOUS, ATTRACT GORGEOUS
BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS, DATE GIRLS
************************************************************************************************
BLISS WARRIOR’S FIRST RADIO INTERVIEW WILL BE ONLINE THIS WEDNESDAY. FOR ONE WHOLE HOUR, GINA HENDRIX INTERVIEWS ME FOR HER WONDERFUL SHOW, LOVE LIFE MAKEOVERS. THE SHOW AIRS ON http://www.bbstalkradio.com FROM 11AM TO 12PM P.S.T. ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, IT WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE ON MS. HENDRIX’S SITE, http://www.selectiveandsingle.com/. I HOPE YOU ALL JOIN ME FOR A TRULY RADICAL LOVE LIFE MAKEOVER.
************************************************************************************************
BLISS WARRIOR’S FIRST SLUMBER PARTY GAME STARTS TODAY AT HOTEL BLISS. IF YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE GAME AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE, CLICK HERE. INTERESTED IN JOINING HOTEL BLISS? FILL OUT A MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION BY CLICKING HERE AND COME JOIN THE SLUMBER PARTY!
************************************************************************************************