I have been a pescatarian for about 15 years now, maybe even longer, it’s been so long that I can’t even remember when I began. I decided to become a pescatarian, mainly because I was disgusted with the mass-scale production and knowing that the majority of meat in the grocery stores was not of quality. After moving to New Zealand and becoming educated on regenerative and organic farming, I decided to start eating meat. Not all meat, there are types I will never eat like chicken or pork purely out of preference as they don’t appeal to me. On my current meat journey, I am focusing mainly on beef.
Eating meat. Why now after all these years?
To be honest, it wasn’t even planned, it sort of evolved on its own. I wasn’t craving it and I didn’t do it for health reasons either. It was just a natural progression.
Despite being a pescatarian, I knew from early on in my pregnancy with my son that it was something I wouldn’t force on my son. Obviously, he would eat at home like a pescatarian, but I never wanted to deny him trying meat if he was inclined to. I wanted to support healthy eating habits and if he wanted to try meat off his dad’s plate I was okay with that, so long as it was high quality.
When we moved to New Zealand, closer to my in-laws, we were surrounded by more meat. My in-laws graze their cattle and practice home kill, so the beef they eat is what they raised on their property. Seeing the practice of grass-feeding your cattle, raising them from calf to ethically butchering them for your family to consume felt so natural to me. In a way, it drew me back to nature, the circle of life, and how our ancestors consumed their food. I suddenly felt a void in myself, like I was missing a portion of what mother nature had to offer me on a nutritional basis.
Louie first began eating the home-killed steak and was instantly a fan, and with that, I too started eating beef, it really was that organic, I didn’t give it much thought. Once I started, I couldn’t stop, I began looking forward to steak nights and expanding my culinary skills. It just felt right to me, especially because I knew the meat from paddock to plate.
I felt a deep connection again with our land and the animals that surround us.
Where did I start? Grass-fed beef liver!
Surprisingly when I decided to dip my toe into eating meat I started out with beef liver. I had read and done research on the amazing health benefits of liver (it’s one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world!) and I thought that it would be easy enough to throw into my smoothies without much thought. I looked at it purely as a supplement. I started with frozen pieces of raw liver into mine and Louie’s smoothie. It had a slight taste to it but it didn’t really phase either of us. We did that for quite a while and then I tried cooking liver but the taste was too strong for me unless I grated it into a pasta sauce.
We knew that we wanted the health benefits of the liver in our weekly diet but we struggled with consuming it, so that is when we came across Homegrown Primal’s Grass-Fed Beef Liver capsules. Honestly, they have been an absolute game-changer in our routine. My husband and I have felt an incredible energy boost and we both suffered from heart palpitations for years which has virtually disappeared. We each have 6 capsules a day which equates to 1 oz of fresh organ meat and we give our two-year-old son 1 a day either mixed into his smoothie or in his morning porridge. These are so much more beneficial than a multivitamin because the nutrients are 100% bioavailable.
Besides the beef liver, we eat beef on a regular basis, everything from steaks, sausages, and roasts to the cheeks and kidneys. Yes, we really are about trying everything even the organs as they are so nutrient-dense!
Have I noticed a difference since I started eating meat?
To be honest, in the beginning, I didn’t really notice a significant difference. Some people say they feel different right away. For me, it was gradual and slow to notice anything. However, I do feel now that I can say I have more energy, near-gone heart palpitations and less lightheadedness. My iron which has always been notoriously low has been restored. Overall, I do feel a lot better, that’s not to say that I didn’t feel well on a pescatarian diet, however, I do feel that I am an improved version of my previous self!
I also was fortunate enough that I didn’t feel ill when re-introducing meat again into my diet. I think because I listened and trusted my body’s innate want that my body was ready for me to start consuming it. I didn’t experience any nausea, cramping or bloating. My body adjusted so naturally to it that I knew I was doing the right thing. I always told myself over the years, that when the day came that my gut was telling me “I want to eat that piece of meat” I would honour that and wouldn’t deny myself of it. I am a firm believer that our body carries the innate wisdom of what it needs and when it needs it.
