Those of you who know me well know that I am not crazy about meat.

I could easily live without red meat. In fact, I can tell you the last time I bought beef was to use for meatballs, specifically because Brooklyn requested them for her birthday meal. That was mid-February. I haven't purchased any since and don't plan to. When I use meat, it's usually boneless, skinless white chicken breasts OR ground turkey. I don't do pork, either. But I do eat fish! There is currently a bag of frozen tilapia in my freezer from Sam's! 

My reasons for not liking meat have never been because of the treatment of animals, although that certainly does bother me. I really just don't like the taste/texture of it in my mouth. I detest biting into something that doesn't give or that "pops". I'm shivering as I write this just thinking about it. And even chicken is difficult for me sometimes because I don't like the TASTE of it. I like it better than meat, though.

Health and fitness have always been paramount in my mind, and recently, as certain health issues have sprouted on the family tree, I have become more focused on making the wisest choices possible when it comes to what goes into my body. Food is more than just something to fill us up!

It's the brick and mortar of our existence.

If we fill our bodies with junk, we can only expect our bodies to perform on a junky level. They will have become constructed and held together with junk and therefore, we should expect to get sick with cancers, heart disease, etc. 

Remember that song...(feel free to sing and use appropriate hand motions!)

"The foolish man built his house upon the sand, 

(repeat twice...)

and the rains came tumbling down...

The rains came down and the floods came up,

(repeat twice..)

And the house on the sand went SPLAT!!!!

The wise man built his house upon the rock,

(repeat twice...)

and the rains came tumbling down...

The rains came down and the floods came up....

etc...

And the house on the rock stood FIRM!

Now, if you are a Christ-follower, you know that song is referring to building your life's foundation on Jesus Christ who is the Rock, the ONLY solid foundation. All else is literally, sinking sand. 

But what if that metaphor extends also to our physical foundation. What if what we eat can also be the equivalent of a sandy foundation? I think we all know that IS true. But what do we do about it?

Well, for each of us, that may be different. Some of us take steps to cut certain foods or eat more of other foods. I know there is compelling research out there about the benefits of plant-based diets, including some amazing results in reducing bad cholesterol levels, reducing blood pressure, reducing triglyceride levels (all heart-related issues) as well as cancers. I'm hoping to dig more deeply into that research soon.

I have broached the possibility with my husband of conducting a 3 month trial period where we eliminate meat completely and focus on plant-based foods, and see where we stand physically at the end of that period. Before I do that, I am doing a bit more research, but my husband is on board. What a great guy I married!

All this comes to you now because Kyle sent me the following Infographic which was generated after a New York Times articles touted the dangers of eating meat.

The following may be more than you want to mess with, and that's fine. The part about pink slime is particularly revolting, and only supports my current revulsion to hot dogs. But you'll see what I mean...

And if you hate soapboxes, well, this isn't really one. It's more of a shared exploration...