My (Ongoing) Conversion To Pescentarianism - SPOILER: IT'S NOT EASY!

Hola, mis amores! Hope the New Year is treating you all well. As I have mentioned probably almost a million times now, I am going through a transition phase in life. Whether it be applying to jobs or graduating from college two years early, I am steadily preparing for the next phase in my life. This also includes paying attention to my physical, spiritual, and mental well-being. For almost a year, I have been on the pescetarian diet, and I will admit that this is still an ongoing process. My ultimate diet goal is to fully rid myself of eating processed foods. I know that this is going to take a while, but I am determined to meet this goal. Since being on this diet, I have noticed a huge change in the way my reacts to certain things. For instance, I have more energy when I am working out, and I sleep longer and more comfortably, too. I also noticed that I feel more balanced on this diet then when I was eating more processed foods. Despite the benefits I have been experiencing, I have had my moments of setbacks, but it is not because I intended to. Being surrounded by processed foods, along with living on campus and eating at a dining hall that does not necessary cater to your health, it can really become difficult for me to maintain this diet. Also, I still find myself eating processed foods such as candy and frozen dinners. However, as I said, this is a process and it is NOT EASY. If the constant promotion of processed foods and fast food joints are any indicator, it is kind of difficult to not succumb to it. However, I have hope that I will fully achieve my goal!

What is Pescetarianism?

For those of you who are wondering, what on Earth is a pescetarian? I know when I first heard of it, I had no idea that such a thing existed, but I knew it would be the perfect fit for me, since I am a huge lover of seafood. I decided to look up some articles that discuss pescetarianism in detail, as it has been on rise over the past few years. The Huffington Post did an article on pescetarianism back in 2011, and the author (and fellow pescetarian) Chloe Spencer defined pescetarianism as:

"Pescetarianism, or pesco-vegetarianism, means being vegetarian while still including seafood in your diet. One still cuts out red meat, pork, poultry, etc. from his or her diet like a vegetarian, but does not cut out fish and other seafood." (Spencer, 2011)

In other words, you are not a full vegetarian; and for a person who does not want to fully give up meat, this is the perfect diet for you. Just a personal pointer, I still have eggs as a part of my diet, although it is poultry. Actually many pescetarians still take this route.

In continuation of the Huffington Post article, Chloe Spencer points out five reasons one should become a pescetarian, and I personally thought they were interesting:

1.  Pescetarianism may drastically improve your health.
• "A pescetarian diet may not only reduce your risk for heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, but stroke, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and some types of cancer. According to the Yale College Vegetarian Society, experts say that up to 80 percent of cancer cases are preventable through healthy diets that contain low amounts of fats and oils, and high amounts of fiber -- the model pescetarian diet "(Spencer, 2011). 
2. Becoming a pescetarian benefits our planet.
• "The Vegetarian Resource Group reports that one pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water, whereas one pound of soy requires only 250 gallons of water and a pound of wheat requires only 25 gallons. If you want to help save our water, cutting meat from your diet one way that you get active" (Spencer, 2011).
3. I believe you aren't against animal cruelty unless you are some type of vegetarian.
• Okay, this one I was a little conflicted on, because I was confused by her statement. However, the link to the sources will be at the end of the article, and you can come to your own conclusion about it (Spencer, 2011).
4. We aren't natural carnivores.
• "...Plant and fish eaters perspire through pores on the skin since they are searching for food during hot hours -- not hunting at sunrise, sunset or under cover of darkness as carnivores do. Carnivores also have a shorter intestinal tract than plant and fish eaters do so rapidly decaying carcasses in the stomach can pass out of the body quickly. Herbivores and omnivores have an intestinal tract that is several times their body length since a mostly plant-based diet doesn't include food that decays as quickly. The human intestinal tract is about 25 feet long. Doesn't that tell you something?" (Spencer, 2011)
5. Many successful individuals choose vegetarian or pescetarian diets.
1. As I stated, I will link the articles that I used at the end of the article for you to come to your own conclusions about her reasons. 
2. "These people eat fish but no other type of meat, for fish is needed in the diet, and they understand this. Many people however who are pescetarian still refer to their diet as vegetarianism. This is very common and is not wrong to say -- pescetarian, also called pesco-vegetarian, is just a branch of vegetarianism. There are many types of vegetarians, and every one of them is making an effort to improve their health, contribute less to animal cruelty and help save our planet. Some types of vegetarians will accuse other types as being hypocrites, and attack their diet choices. For example, many vegans and vegetarians attack pescetarians, while they know that they themselves need to take fish oil capsules every day containing omega-3 acids to stay healthy, which they know only comes from fish" (Spencer 2011)

The Pescetarian Diet

A major component of embarking on a diet is knowing what exactly to eat. The pescetarian diet is no different. It is also important to note other circumstances of changing your diet, especially in the cases of spirituality, environmental concerns, and just overall health concerns. A 2017 article on Healthline details this different factors of the pescetarian diet:

"Health Benefits

• One study found that women who were pescatarians gained 2.5 fewer pounds (1.1 kg) each year than women who ate meat (4).
• And people who shifted their diet in a more plant-based direction gained the least amount of weight, showing that reducing your animal consumption may be good for you no matter your current eating patterns.
• Another study concluded that pescatarians had a lower risk of developing diabetes at 4.8%, compared to omnivores at 7.6%

Environmental Concerns

• Raising livestock comes with a high environmental cost.
• According to the United Nations, raising livestock contributes to 15% of all human-made carbon emissions (5).
• In contrast, producing fish and seafood has a lower carbon footprint than producing any type of animal meat or cheese (6).
• A 2014 study calculated that diets of fish eaters caused 46% less greenhouse gas emissions than the diets of people who ate at least a serving of meat a day (7).

Ethical Reasons

Ethics can be a major reason why people choose to go vegetarian. It can be a major reason for pescatarians too.

Some of the ethical reasons people choose not to eat meat include (8, 9):

• Opposing slaughter: They don't want to kill animals for food.
• Inhumane factory practices: They refuse to support factory farms that raise livestock in inhumane conditions.
• Poor labor conditions: They refuse to support factory farms that have poor conditions for their workers.
• Humanitarian reasons: They consider producing grain for animal feed an unjust use of land and resources when there's so much hunger in the world.
• Eliminating land animals from your diet addresses some of these ethical concerns. That said, aquaculture and overfishing can also be problematic." (Jennings, 2017)

What EXACTLY do we eat? (And what we don't eat)

Last but certainly not least, I will list what pescetarians do and don't eat here:

Pescatarians Do Eat

• Whole grains and grain products
• Legumes and their products, including beans, lentils, tofu and hummus
• Nuts and nut butters, peanuts and seeds
• Seeds, including hemp, chia and flaxseeds
• Dairy, including yogurt, milk and cheese
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Fish and shellfish
• Eggs - give or take this is still counted as poultry, but pescetarians still count this in their diet

Pescatarians Don't Eat

• Beef
• Chicken
• Pork
• Lamb
• Turkey
• Wild game

Conclusion

To conclude, I have seen and felt vast improvements in my body in the past year I have took part in this diet. To be honest, I do not see myself going back. I plan on staying a pescetarian for a very long time. Until next time, and I hope that I was sable to enlighten you on the pescetarian diet.

End of Blog Song? "For Sentimental Reasons" by the late great Sam Cooke! Links to the articles are on the bottom of the post!

Citations:

Jennings, Kerri-Ann. “What Is a Pescatarian and What Do They Eat?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 10 Mar. 2017, www.healthline.com/nutrition/pescatarian-diet.

Spencer, Chloe. “5 Reasons to Become a Pescetarian.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 29 Sept. 2011, www.huffpost.com/entry/pescetarianism_b_956965.