Eating In The
Light…Making the Switch to Vegetarianism
By Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. & Becky Prelitz
One is dearest to God who
has no enemies among the living
beings, who is nonviolent to all creatures."
~ BHAGAVAD GITA
Life seems to constantly
present us with changing scenery. In fact, change may be the only
constant part of life! The more we embrace and welcome change, the
easier and smoother our transitions become. When we make a change
because of love, the change is usually lasting. However, when fear
motivates us to change, the change is usually short-lived.
Making dietary changes is no different. If you decide to become a
vegetarian for loving reasons, such as loving your body, your spiritual
gifts, animals, and the environment, you'll enjoy the transition more.
However, if you are motivated by fear-such as wanting to lose weight to
please someone else-you're apt to struggle with food cravings and
dissatisfaction.
One simple way of modeling a life change is by using the ADA 3-Step
Process:
-
A is for Awareness
-
D is for Decision
-
A is for Action
STEP 1: AWARENESS
Awareness means you have a conscious awareness of the issue, or your
reasons for desiring a change. Upon becoming aware, we can then take…
STEP 2: DECISION
Making a decision is making a choice, to do or not to do, after which…
STEP 3: ACTION COMES INTO PLAY
Action incorporates our follow-through. It's important to associate Step
1 as much as possible with Step 3 so that change can occur with the
realization that a personal decision (Step 2) has been made. This is
opposed to being forced into a change, which usually leads to
resentment.
Sometimes Step 2 (Decision) can cause people to get stuck, and then
confusion sets in. Change involves risk. Knowing the degree to which you
are willing to change assists in the change process and helps to keep
you open. As mentioned earlier, though, sometimes people get stuck while
trying to make a decision. Time passes, and ultimately no decision is
made, which is actually a decision in itself.
Human behavior usually causes us to take the easiest choice when we have
alternatives available to us. So, it's easier to procrastinate, keep
living a sedentary lifestyle, or continue eating fatty animal foods than
to change. Here are some ways to motivate yourself if you become stuck
in this way:
Make a list of pros and cons. Write down the benefits and drawbacks of
becoming a vegetarian. If you have more pros than cons, keep reviewing
the list each time you feel unsure of your decision.
Test-drive your future. Imagine how your body, health, energy level,
relationships, and career will be affected if you become a vegetarian.
Then, imagine the alternative. How will your future look if you continue
with your present lifestyle?
Ask your gut. Go within and ask your inner self, "How do you feel
about becoming a vegetarian?" Then, pay attention to any changes in
your gut feelings. Does it tighten? Become lighter and brighter? Do you
seem to get a positive or negative reaction from your gut? Mentally
interview your gut, and ask it, "Why do you feel that way?"
and "What do you want?" Your gut feelings will guide you to
honestly listen to your soul's needs, instead of your body's earthly
desires.
Watch out for all-or-nothing mental traps. Sometimes we resist making
changes because they feel too overwhelming. If you're balking at
vegetarianism, perhaps it's because you need to make the transition
gradually. For instance, begin with one vegetarian meal a week. Then,
make two meals a week vegetarian, and so on. This also gives your
stomach a chance to adapt to a lower-fat diet so that you won't feel
hungry from going "cold turkey" from meat (no pun intended!).
For most of us, small changes work best over the long haul. A concrete
plan of action, such as "avoiding red meat" or "Every
Wednesday, I'll eat a plant-based dinner," is especially helpful
when we're first beginning a change. Small, concrete plans help to
support new routines, which serve a purpose. They help to organize us;
and make us feel comfortable, safe, and warm.
So, when we embrace change at first, we can expect to feel disorganized
and a little uncomfortable. Establishing a routine, which you can
continue to modify throughout your life, will support you in your desire
to change. Here are some steps you might take when making your
transition to vegetarianism. You can perform these steps in whatever
time frame seems natural and comfortable to you.
TEN SUGGESTED STEPS FOR
MAKING THE SWITCH TO VEGETARIANISM
1. Adopt a meditation
program, such as yoga, A Course in Miracles, or sitting quietly with
your eyes shut. Notice your breathing, thoughts, and emotions. Be aware
of how your body feels, and any messages it seems to be signaling to
you. Keep a journal of any insights you have.
2. Become aware of how you feel when you eat. Eat one food at a time so
you will clearly see how that particular food affects you. Record the
feelings and reactions you get for each food in your journal.
3. Note how you feel when you eat meat, and how you feel afterward.
Record these feelings-without editing, judging, or censoring them-in
your journal.
4. See how you feel when eating or drinking dairy products.
5. Purchase or borrow some vegetarian magazines and books to get new
recipes and ideas for meat substitutes as you prepare to become a
vegetarian.
6. Eliminate beef and pork from diet.
7. Eliminate dairy products.
8. Eliminate chicken and turkey.
9. Eliminate eggs.
10. Eliminate fish.
The goal is for you to achieve success while being flexible and
compassionate with yourself. For instance, you may want to transpose
Steps 7 and 8. Remember, the goal is a process, not a destination. As
you begin to change, this change will have a rippling effect on you and
those around you, with the ripples eventually reaching everyone. Your
friends and family will either embrace these movements, or show
resistance and rejection. Honoring people's process of change is
important, especially when we want to encourage others to join in our
lifestyle change.
GRADUALLY BECOMING
VEGETARIAN
Our attitude permeates
everything, including when we make changes. Attitude places a lens on
how we view and embrace life. If we think something is helpful, then it
will be. Is love or fear your filter in life? Energetically, love leaves
us open, while fear spins us off-center and ultimately shuts us down.
Are you a vegetarian because this is a loving act for your body and the
environment, or is it out of fear that you may have a heart attack as a
result of a fatty diet? Love always heals fear and creates more love,
while fear only creates more fear.
The most common reason why people switch to vegetarianism is to gain a
greater feeling of well-being. This well-being is experienced as having
more energy, feeling better, thinking more clearly, and having a greater
connectedness to animal and plant life. Weight loss is a side benefit of
a vegetarian.
Awareness, decision-making, and action (the ADA of change) may look
different for each of us. Gradual change invites others to join us. When
we go down the river too fast, we may leave our loved ones on the river
bank, with no bridge to connect us. Honor the changeability in others,
especially if it shows up in a different way from what you regard as
right or appropriate. That is why changing for oneself, and not to
please others, is so important. If others come along for the journey,
that's great; otherwise, move on with a smile.
Having a plan and developing a routine helps to establish a foundation.
From this foundation, you can build a bridge to reach your family and
friends. Slowly introducing new food items to your loved ones is one way
to invite them to step on to your bridge to meet you.
Your bridge can be constructed with some of the old, while incorporating
the new. One practical example of this concerns making meatloaf. At
first, you can make it with your usual recipe, using a meat source and
adding a little tofu. Over time, you can replace a major quantity of the
meat with tofu. Eventually, your meatloaf will become a tofu loaf.
When we first improve our diet, we usually reduce or eliminate junk
food, caffeine, and sugared snacks from our meals. When we hear people
talk about eating a plant-based diet, they usually describe how
energetic they feel as a result. This makes sense, since most Americans
eat two to four times the amount of animal protein that they need, which
can led to fatigue. Animal-based protein has a nitrogen atom on it. This
nitrogen needs to be processed with water, so it can be released from
the body as urea.
Most people do not drink enough water. Water needs are increased when we
eat animal products. When we don't drink enough water, fatigue is the
end result. When we are even one percent dehydrated, we become fatigued.
Once animal protein is decreased in the diet, the water needs reduce,
and fatigue is less likely.
An inviting way to use the imagination is to remove all the rules,
listen to your feelings, and follow through. The cookbook The Art of
Taste, by Beatrix Rohlsen, leaves room in her recipes for you to add
your own creativity. You may find it helpful to follow the recipe once
or twice to be aware of one possible way the recipe can taste. Once you
gain confidence, you'll feel open to adding your own creative touches.
This openness to add artistic license to someone else's recipe allows a
flow to occur, which supports and inspires your creative energy. §
Doreen Virtue, Ph.D.
is a spiritual Dr. of Psychology and the author of Divine Prescriptions,
Angel Visions, and Healing with the Angels. For information on her
seminars, books, call 1-800-654-5126, ext. 0 or visit her website at www.angeltherapy.com
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