|
Articles and Information
I Married a Meat Eater
by Karen Waygood
How Could You?
I've flirted with a vegan diet most of my adult life. Dr. John McDougall planted that seed deep into my 22-year-old brain when we worked together in radio in the early '80s. I know all the benefits. I understand it intellectually. But it can be lonely hanging onto this part of the food pyramid. So, I strayed.
It was during one of these lost periods when I married Brock, the meat-eater.
For Fiber Richer or Poorer
I adore vegetables. My husband adores meat. He'll tolerate lettuce, tomatoes and radishes. He says he's eaten apples and green beans, but I could not testify as a witness to this in court. Once, I put a banana in his briefcase. It spent the day banging around in the dark before it was deposited, bruised and forlorn, back on the kitchen counter.
Protest is futile.
"I love corn," he'll point out defiantly.
"Corn isn't a vegetable," I sigh uselessly, "it's a grain."
Which is better than nothing, I must keep reminding myself.
Back in the Saddle Again
I decided to hop back on the vegan wagon for medical reasons nine months ago. Within weeks my weight, blood pressure and cholesterol dropped. My skin cleared up and I began to sleep better at night. And Brock, the meat-eater has been an absolute doll.
He rarely tempts me with anything I shouldn't ingest. If he goes food shopping, he'll always get me some kind of fruit - the banana may be as long as my forearm - but it is, after all, the thought that counts.
Our work schedules do not permit us to eat our evening meal at the same time. I've always fixed two dinners, so this part of my life hasn't changed.
Opposites Attract
We do share the occasional pizza: half cheese/pepperoni and tomato sauce/vegetables. However, there must be strict instructions at the pizza parlor NOT to allow a vegetable of any kind to touch the cheese side of the pie. If it does, Brock considers the slice "polluted" and won't touch it.
My husband is patient at restaurants as the server unfortunate enough to have us in their section gets pummeled with my menu inquiries. As soon as I finish ordering what I determine to be the most healthful thing on the menu, he chimes in with, "And I'll have the exact opposite."
For many reasons I'd like Brock to see the "vegan" light. I'd rather the "till death us do part" portion of our marriage to come later, not sooner. But I didn't marry the meat-eater to change him. And there are benefits. I get to hog all the non-dairy banana pudding I can fit into the refrigerator.
Karen Waygood is a practicing vegan and television journalist for KITV4 News in Honolulu.
| |
Sponsors:
|
