Can a Carnivore Survive a Meat Free Zone?

It's the final week of my 'Adopt Better Habits' challenge and I thought I would test myself to the limits - yet again - by going veggie for a week.

When I was in my thirties - many years ago - I appeared in the Spirit & Destiny magazine's Health MOT feature.  I was interviewed by a Naturopath, Personal Trainer and Nutritionist.  I discovered that as my blood type is A my body struggles to break down red meat and chicken, which can cause bowel toxicity.  I was advised to cut out all red meat and cut down on chicken as well as having fish at least three times a week and drink eight glasses of water daily.

This was sound advice, but at the time I had three kids under five and a lousy husband.  I also really do love a juicy steak, crave bacon butties and enjoy roast chicken dinners!

Can you see how going vegetarian for a week is going to be tough?  I needed help.

I was therefore overjoyed to discover a great book with tips for losing weight, told in a light hearted way (I don't like being 'told' what to eat) with plenty of veggie recipes.

I recently bought How To Eat Loads and Stay Slim by Della Galton and Peter Jones after being initially attracted by the fabulous title - who doesn't want to eat loads but keep a trim waist?  Once I began reading I discovered a highly amusing mix of 'hunger science', quick cheats, psychological techniques and scrumptious recipes.

As a wannabe vegetarian it really helped me on my veggie week to see how Della could keep herself adequately fed without adding meat in her diet.  She's also uber trim so that was motivation enough to want to find out her secrets.  Peter's veggie recipes also sound amazing - don't get me wrong, this book is for carnivores as well as herbivores so there is plenty to keep the whole family happy.

For my male blog readers you also have a treat in store (aside from a svelte Della!)  Peter's take on losing weight is hilarious and enlightening.  I certainly never thought men suffered the same hang ups as women but Peter tells it how it is in a true 'yorkie bar' fashion.

The book also links to a corresponding website which was my go-to source for this week's challenge; Peter's Veggie Bean Chilli is our Friday night special.

You can also follow them on facebook if you want tips, recipes and inspiration on the go.

My son, Jamie, asked if he could join me for this challenge as he loves fish and vegetables.  It has been really great to have him involved and we've both enjoyed the colourful variety of foods that we've eaten.  He wasn't too impressed with crab sticks but he did love the 'Fat Free Salad Dressing' from the book.

This week has been a real surprise for me.  I thought of it as a 'big' challenge - okay, maybe not as big as the zip wire - but ended up looking forward to meal times and feeling lighter and not as drained. 

I'm going to take Della and Peter's advice and eat a more sensible and varied diet, I may not be able to cut all meat from my diet but using their tips and recipes I can integrate more fish and veggie dishes into our meal planner.

Log on to the How To Eat Loads and Stay Slim website and start your own challenge today, it could be a veggie week or just a healthy eating campaign.  Using the book and the site you won't go wrong.  Good Luck!


Do you have any favourite vegetarian recipes you can share?  Could you cope without meat in your diet? 


If you want more information about the Authors of 'How To Eat Loads and Stay Slim' log on to their personal websites below:-

www.dellagalton.co.uk
http://peterjonesauthor.com