To Be or Not to Be- a Vegetarian

Do we or don't we? Eating habits, lifestyle preferences, health reasons, religious beliefs, what's in vogue and what's quite possibly passe, give way to the age old question, Is being a vegetarian healthier?  I'd like to think yes, it's my preference but I do not force feed it to anyone except my husband, who by the way asks another question, What's in your wallet?  His take on the highly inflated cost of a vegetarian diet.  Perhaps, but even he admits, eating fresh, less fat related foods and almost no processed foods, does appear to give him more energy.  Using the word appear, in no way, constitutes a commitment on his part. Two weeks (fourteen days), I remind him, will not begin a new life time habit of eating healthier. Twenty eight days and he'd have a good start.  In his world, there are two completely different parallel paths, his train of thought versus mine.  Understand, the admission of parallel paths pretty much means "Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter, quite like unrequited love!" Thank you Charlie Brown!  I love the thought of a healthier lifestyle, unfortunately his thoughts are not reciprocated.

Being a vegetarian does not necessarily make you the healthiest person on earth.  As the unhealthy better half mentions, "I have smoked my whole life," and .....! "And what?" is the sarcastic snap back that has just jumped from my stunned and frustrated being.  Perhaps in his world it's okay but not mine.  He has managed to win the battle of bladder cancer, I remind him, "This is quite possibly the first battle."  His doctor also mentions, "there is a direct link between bladder cancer and smoking."  What is he not processing here?  Too much red meat, sticky buns, cheese danish, bacon, potato chips and gallons of carbonate high sugar drinks, have also ruined his ears!  "But honey, I like them, I've been eating that stuff.........."  The battle continues on all fronts.  A quick reminder of a recent comment I overheard him making to a candidate running for the Board of Directors at our community, I too was on that ballot, "she is the most sweetest, stubborn, toughest person I have ever met!" That boy "ain't seen nothing yet!"  My two year term began last week!

Unlike religion, which should be every one's choice, no one's God is any better than another,  my case for being a vegetarian is packed with fact filled reasons.   According to the book "Eat Right 4 Your Type" by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, people with different blood types process foods differently.  My type A, flourish on vegetarian diets.  Ironically, everything that is supposedly good for people with type A blood, I like.  My husband, is O type.  Unfortunately, they need some sort of lean meats.  Chicken, turkey, fish are in, burgers, BBQ ribs, sub sandwiches loaded with roast beef and cheese, NOT SO MUCH!  They do not thrive on high fat, high sugar and processed foods, this slows them down.  Could be why you know who lacks energy and feels watching football is a form of exercising.  It is if you count the steps taken back and forth to the refrigerator and snack cabinet!