Go Veg!

For four years I was a strict vegetarian.  The only animal proteins I would allow were eggs, milk and cheese.  I tried going vegan, but honestly, a life without cheese is too depressing to even consider.  I also tried to cut out eggs, due to the horrible living conditions of the chickens on most commercial farms.  Watching a couple of documentaries on this really was eye-opening and I still wish I had the determination to cut them out of my diet completely.  It's just too hard to accomodate that lifestyle choice because eggs are in everything!!  Kind of like high-fructose corn syrup; another evil little ingredient that due to politics alone, not to mention the health concerns, I personally feel compelled to loathe.  But yet again, it's in Everything!! 
I digress....
About two years ago, I had some blood work drawn and due to the unhealthy results, I decided to start including meat back into my diet.  For about a year, I was eating like any other red-blooded American.   Unfortunately, my body didn't exactly like the change.  My digestive system has a very hard time breaking down meat.  So I decided to become a pescatarian.
Somehow though, eating some kind of meat made it a slippery slope into eating other kinds of meat in a bind.
Such a bind came up today.  My boss wanted lunch from a restaurant with a limited menu.  Thinking I would be fine, I ordered a gyro.
Mistake.  Big Mistake.
Suffice it say, from this one horrible eating experience, I have decided to go back to being vegetarian!  The idea of eating any kind of meat right now, even fish, makes me want to go running to the bathroom. 
Only this time, I'm doing vegetarianism the smart way!  More beans and leafy green veggies for me.  No more "faux meat" as my only source of protein. 
Digestivally and culinarily (is that a word?) speaking, I was at my happiest and most comfortable when I was a vegetarian.  My digestive system was in full swing and I loved the challenge of coming up with meat-free entrees.  It really got me out of my comfort zone and the traditional "meat and two side dishes" funk.  I was open and eager to try new cuisines, especially European and Middle Eastern.  I learned what kind of flavors compliment one another and to appreciate the humble vegetable and elevate it to center stage.  Dinner time was an adventure, not just a means to an end. 
So with all of that said and done, I have to say that I am quite excited and feel very confident about my decision to go back to the Veg lifestyle. 
Hopefully I will be sharing many new recipes in the future!