Separating the Bread and Meat
This is not a theological issue, but simply a practical, physical one.
Some time back I discovered the Great Taste, No Pain system for curing digestive issues through simple dietary changes.
In the most simplistic of terms, the biggest component of that program is to avoid eating starchy carbs (which your stomach digests with an alkaline-based solution), with animal proteins (which require acid-based digestion). As you might imagine, having both those competing needs in there at once means digestive efficiency plummets.
Yummy photo swiped from Joyful Abode
Once you start thinking about it, it’s alarming how many common meals are based on that very pattern:
So the transition has been more than a little challenging.
Luckily, most veggies fall into a “neutral” category, and can be either with either the starches or the proteins. Vegetable proteins (nuts, soy, tofu, etc.) can also be eaten with the starches.
A “‘protein centered” meal is easy enough to construct:
If I’m making steaks (a favorite of hubby’s), we can just forgo the potato (or make them for the others and just not eat it myself). A nice salad, some green beans, and everything is set.
For the “carb/strach centered” meals, we’ve found some easy basics, and some real challenges:
- Peanut-butter is a life-saver. I eat a lot of peanut-butter toast, peanut-butter-and-something sandwiches, etc.
- When the kids have pizza on Friday nights, I have a big salad. I either “go meat” and put pepperoni on it, or “go carb” and enjoy it with pizza-seasoned bread-sticks dipped in marinara sauce.
- I have purchased some veggie “cheese” in slices and shreds, so that I can “fake it” – cheese sandwich, nachos, bean burrito with “cheese”, etc. I just wish it melted better.
- Hormel Vegetarian Chili has been accepted by the whole family as a substitute for the “regular” kind (in some cases without even knowing it). I know I should make my own, but until such time, this works.
It’s been interesting to look at many recipes through new eyes. I’ve found it useful to apply the label “vegetarian” or “vegan”, to help people understand the problem. Even though I do eat those things, of course, I can’t eat them in that context.
So that yummy “dessert apple pizza” doesn’t work for me, because it has a layer of cream cheese filling in the middle. I was thankful for a Facebook friend-of-a-friend who offered the idea that vegand commonly make “cream” substitutes from nut pastes.
Something new to explore!
I’ve been learning about the importance of soaking grains in buttermilk or yogurt (added in place of some of the cooking liquid) for 24 hours before cooking. It helps to break down some parts of the grains for easier digestion and better nutritional absorption. I’m not sure if this affects what your body uses to digest these starches, but it might be worth looking into for those days you’re dying to blend the grains with your meats. I haven’t had any problems since becoming a vegetarian, but I frequently mix eggs or dairy with my grains…. I guess I ought to look into it.
I’ve been reading a lot about soaking grains, too, Lisa. We are so much on the same path!
That makes them easier to digest, but it doesn’t change the main chemical reaction that THIS piece of the puzzle addresses. Meat and starch pose digestive “challenges” for all humans, it seems – just that some of us deal with it better than others.