Going vegetarian, again!

• 1. Why go Vegetarian?
  This may be  the question those of you who love meat are wondering. This is not a new experience for me. I have gone through periods of cutting meat out of my diet as far back as a pre-teen. The main reason being that I simply don't like meat, of any kind. I have never liked fish so that was not an issue. I gave up red meat when I was first diagnosed with cancer 12 years ago. Since then, I have gone through periods of eating red meat but only organic. Chicken and Turkey are the last two to give up. Also, with my cancer being estrogen + and my therapy being hormone therapy used to omit as much estrogen as possible from my body, I feel it is better not to add the additional animal estrogen's.
   
• 
  2.Cookbook for Christmas
  Tim & Stephanie gave me a good, simple vegetarian cookbook. The recipes are pretty easy to follow. I have not had trouble finding the ingredients and it is filled with pictures so you can see what it is supposed to look like. I find it easier to cook vegetarian. No worries about not thawing meat from the freezer to prepare for the evening dinner.Just like planning  your usual dinner menu, I look through the different chapters of the book or recipes I find on line to mix it up.
• 
  3. New Food experiences
  So what is "seitan" anyways?? A challenge of the vegetarian diet is some of the new foods and terms you are introduced to. If I have no idea what the recipe is calling for I google it. If I don't think the local grocery store will have it, I just google "substitute" for..... Overall, we have enjoyed the new food experiences!
• 
  4.Nutritional concerns
  Between ongoing treatment for cancer and being a runner I definitely have concerns  about meeting my bodies nutritional needs, particularly with protein, iron and vitamin B12. I do take a daily multi-vitamin supplement and plan to add additional supplements as needed. I will let my doctor know about this change and continue to educate myself to keep myself healthy and well balanced.
• 
  5. Feeling Lighter
  I find I do not have the heavier feeling when you eat meat based meals but may need to snack a bit more often. I try to eat a small meal/snack every 3 hours 4 to 5 times a day. Including a protein source each time such as eggs, beans, nuts, milk, etc.
• 
  6. Other Veggie People
  I am fortunate that my husband/family does not mind the vegetarian meals. Several of our family members and friends are also "veggie people" so getting together is easy as I usually have an option for both groups of people, like a vegetarian lasagna and a meat lasagna. It is nice to have others around to share recipes and outcomes with!
Any suggestions/tips or favorite recipes are welcome in the comments section!