My Pescatarian Lifestyle

I've recently turned Pescatarian and its become something I'm really passionate about so I thought I would devote a whole post and video on my new lifestyle!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic! :)

What is a pescatarian?

A pescatarian is a person that eats a plant-based diet but also includes seafood in their diet.

Personally, I eat vegetables, fruit, grains, eggs, seafood, and on occasion, some dairy. I also don’t buy any leather goods.

Why did you become pescatarian?

I have changed my eating lifestyle for the wellbeing and ethical treatment of animals, for the conservation of our environment and for my general overall health. 

The main catalyst for this change was the documentary Earthlings. It really frightened me and I truly empathised for the animals. It’s true, if slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would become vegetarian.  It was a very powerful and moving documentary and my key takeaway was animals are not treated ethically, “mass produced” to meet consumption demands, and slaughtered in a horrific way.  I could never look at a beef hamburger patty, a pork springroll or a chicken schnitzel in the same light ever again.  Animals do not exist to live and die in these horrific conditions, it scares me to think how these magnificent animals can be raised and slaughtered with just no respect at all.

In addition, there are also health and environmental benefits of making the switch to a type of vegetarianism.  Animal protein is considered acidic after metabolised (rather than alkalising), promotes calcium loss, and is generally high in saturated fats. 

How long have you been pescatarian for?

I have been enjoying this lifestyle for a month now and have not craved animal protein a single bit. There is so much variety for vegetarians, including protein options and because I am still consuming seafood I have not felt that I am restricted in any way.

Was it hard to give up meat?

Personally, no. I went cold turkey and I have not looked back since.  Generally I have not been a big meat-eater anyway so it was not hard for me to take out animal proteins. I did like chicken though, so this would probably be the most difficult animal protein to give up! Also, while I enjoy eating out, I do prefer to eat at home so I can cook my own food and know what I am putting in it. When I do eat out, I opt for the vegetarian option and I’m keen on trying new organic / wholefood cafes and restaurants. I’m lucky to have a hubby that supports this!

What do you eat in a typical day?

In a "good" typical day, I would eat:

Breakfast: green smoothie

Snack: organic apple/orange and/or tea

Lunch: Sauteed organic kale, celery, tofu and capsicum (with brown rice if I feel like grains)

Snack: organic carrots and  homemade hummus and/or tea

Dinner: Thai Green curry with vegetables and brown rice

Dessert: dark chocolate and/or tea

How do you keep your iron and protein up?

When I stopped drinking cows milk, the first question that people asked me was how do I ensure I consume the recommended calcium intake? Now I have questions on maintaining iron and protein levels up once making the switch to vegetarian. I have been doing research on vegan lifestyles and the key takeaway for me is that iron, calcium and protein can be sourced from vegetables, beans/legumes and grains. Eating a wide variety of vegetables – dark leafy greens, cruciferous, and different coloured vegetables can provide all the nutrients we need.

Can you recommend any documentaries or books on a plant-based diet?

Call me a dweeb, but I really enjoy watching these type of documentaries! My favourite documentaries are:

• Earthlings
• Hungry for Change
• Forks over Knives
• Food Matters
• Food Inc
• Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.

I have only recently started reading books on the matter and am currently reading Vegetarian Diet for Athletes. While I’m not an athlete, if athletes thrive on a plant-based diet, then its good enough for me! There are also a multitude of articles on the net to read about this topic.

I hope you found this useful! Please leave any comments below! :)