Why I am Becoming a Flexitarian

Wake Up Call.

First, it was Luke Perry. Then John Singleton. Both in their early 50s and gone too soon. Then, while watching The Sopranos, I remembered James Galdofini was 51 when he passed. I’m 45 with a 15-month-old daughter. Time to make some changes with how I’m living my life. That’s why I’m becoming a flexitarian.

What is a Flexitarian?

When I tell people that I’m becoming a flexitarian, they look at me baffled. It’s a weird word with no set definition.

This looks as filling as any other taco! (Photo by Edgar Castrejon on Unsplash )

I define as a vegetarian that cheats once in a while.

Right now, I try to have only one meal a day that has meat. I try to make sure that one meal is seafood or chicken.

Red meat is now reserved only for special occasions (anniversaries, birthdays, etc.). I try to go totally meatless at least twice a week.

And unless I’m at a shrimp or fish fry, absolutely no deep fried foods.

Again, I’m a flexitarian, you can still invite me to the fish fries, cookouts, and seafood boils!

Why Am I Becoming a Flexitarian?

I have hypertension and high cholesterol. Medications keep those under control, but why contribute to the problem. Eating better will make my numbers better, which will mean I will be healthier.

I also have a Palindromic Rheumatism. This is an autoimmune disease very similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis. The more I weigh, the more pressure I’m putting on my joints.

Before, I go on. I want to be precise. This is not a weight loss plan. This is a healthier lifestyle plan. I’m hoping weight loss is a side effect, but first I just want to eat better.

Maybe Full Vegetarian? Vegan?

Mrs. Nola Nerd Couple is going to South Korea on the 12th of June. The baby and I are staying behind.

I have one meal planned in those two weeks that is meat-centered. The rest of the time, I want to cut out meat.

I’ve bought lots of vegetarian/vegan goods at Trader Joe’s and Target. I have been scouring websites like The Minimalist Baker to find inspiration. I have been taking B12 vitamins.

Who knows? I might find I prefer I don’t miss eating meat. I actually have not found a meat substitute that I haven’t disliked yet. They are not the real thing, but they are good. I think being a vegetarian could be an achievable goal.

Eggs. Eggs will be my nemesis from going full vegan.

But again who knows.

Keeping Track

Of course, the hardest thing to do when starting a lifestyle change is sticking to it. I do plan on using this blog to help keep track of this journey. Maybe even post a recipe or two.

New Orleans seems to have more and more vegan/vegetarian options than ever before. I will report on what ever ones I try as well.

Anyone out there with any tips or tricks? Any good scientific based websites to recommend for both recipes and lifestyle changes?

Kurt Hargis

I'm a husband to a woman who is nerdier than I am, and a father to a near perfect child. I am one of the main authors for this website, plus I handle most of the technical aspects (web design, editing podcasts, and videos, etc.) During the day, I'm a Computer Science and African American Studies Teacher. Most of my free time I'm listening to music or podcasts and watching soccer. I love Star Wars and Star Trek equally. I'm a horrible gamer yet I game. You can reach me at nolanerdcouple@gmail.com

View Comments

  • A couple of points. You mentioned Luke Perry and James Gandolfini. It’s hard to know the cause. It’s that old discussion.Nature v Nurture. By all accounts, Perry was healthy, while Gandolfini are like Tony Soprano.

    That said, you do what you can.

    On Facebook,find Leslie Haas. She’s a vegan who is a guru and a cheerleader for eating healthy. She posts recipes and cooking methods.

    About all those packaged meals, careful. We try to eat non processed food because even Trader Joes food is full of chemicals whose names you can’t pronounce. Just read the labels. Sheesh, back in the day, we even made our own baby food because we couldn’t figure out why sugar and salt was added to strained peas.

  • I'm glad to see that you are taking control now. It's so hard. Shannon has had high blood pressure and high cholesterol since we met. He never took it seriously because he didn't feel bad...until he had a heart attack on Mother's Day. Huge lifestyle changes are on the horizon for us, too. Miss y'all!

    • That actually played a part in this, but I didn't want to put your business out there without permission :) Mrs. Nola Nerd has an APSI training in Lafayette so we are going to try and go that way to visit!

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