WEBVTT - Think flexitarian

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to think flexitarian. You can set discipline

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<v Speaker 1>defaults for yourself and reserve the right to take a

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<v Speaker 1>freer approach when you decide to. When this is your

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<v Speaker 1>conscious choice. Different behaviors aren't about slipping or failing. They

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<v Speaker 1>are about recognizing that all or nothing isn't the only option.

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<v Speaker 1>So you may have heard the term flexitarian a person

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<v Speaker 1>who is mostly vegetarian but not strictly so. Being a

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<v Speaker 1>flexitarian might mean usually eating vegetarian, but eating turkey on

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<v Speaker 1>Thanksgiving or lobster well in Maine, or burgers at a cookout.

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<v Speaker 1>Or it could mean being a weekday vegetarian who eats

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<v Speaker 1>meat on Saturdays and Sundays. Or it could mean that

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<v Speaker 1>you don't actively buy meat or order it in restaurants,

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<v Speaker 1>but you eat it when it is served to you

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<v Speaker 1>at a friend's home. Vegetarianism becomes your default, but you

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<v Speaker 1>choose to deviate from it when you want to, either

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<v Speaker 1>based on specific exceptions or based on your feelings at

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<v Speaker 1>the time. I am not trying to reduce my meat intake,

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<v Speaker 1>but I am trying to consume less dairy because it

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<v Speaker 1>causes me congestion. No more cream in my coffee. I

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<v Speaker 1>go for the non dairy ice cream, even at my

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<v Speaker 1>favorite ice cream parlor at the beach. But when my

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<v Speaker 1>husband and I were at an amazing restaurant and they

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<v Speaker 1>had ice cream as the dessert on their prefixed menu,

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<v Speaker 1>I had a few bites. Was I congested the next day? Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>I was, but I decided it was worth it. It

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<v Speaker 1>is the flexitarian mindset. The flexitarian mindset works with other

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<v Speaker 1>choices too. You can be flexitarian with alcohol, which might

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<v Speaker 1>mean not drinking alcohol except champagne on New Year's Eve

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<v Speaker 1>and at weddings, and fine wine when it's offered to

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<v Speaker 1>you it's something celebratory. Or maybe it means no alcohol

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<v Speaker 1>and work nights, but you and your spouse have an

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<v Speaker 1>interesting cocktail on Saturdays. You could make dining at home

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<v Speaker 1>or packing a lunch the default and only go out

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<v Speaker 1>to eat when you have a reservation or a calendar invitation,

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<v Speaker 1>which means that you have planned ahead and get to

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<v Speaker 1>anticipate that meal out. Or you could dine at home

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<v Speaker 1>and pack lunches during the week and dine out on weekends,

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<v Speaker 1>regardless of the sphere of life, when you think flexitary

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<v Speaker 1>and you set a disciplined default and grant yourself permission

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<v Speaker 1>to deviate from it at your discretion. Now, some folks

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<v Speaker 1>with strict views of habits may think that this is

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<v Speaker 1>really just about giving yourself excuses. And obviously, if you

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<v Speaker 1>are dealing with an addiction such that permission to have

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<v Speaker 1>one drink leads to having six drinks, that is an

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<v Speaker 1>entirely different matter. But if you are not facing such

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<v Speaker 1>a situation, being flexible really isn't about giving into cravings

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<v Speaker 1>or being weak willed, whatever that means. It is about

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<v Speaker 1>recognizing that you can get a lot of the benefits

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<v Speaker 1>of a habit without doing it absolutely all the time.

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<v Speaker 1>If your standard for yourself is that you only don't

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<v Speaker 1>eat meat except on special occasions, you will in fact

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<v Speaker 1>eat less meat. You are achieving the goal you are

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<v Speaker 1>aiming for, but you will also feel free to loosen

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<v Speaker 1>your guidelines when there is a good reason. You are

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<v Speaker 1>not denying yourself or your loved ones or creating an

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<v Speaker 1>awkward social situation. If you are concerned about that, you

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<v Speaker 1>are just setting defaults that nudge you toward a behavior

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<v Speaker 1>You want and leaving yourself a few wild cards for

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<v Speaker 1>freeer moments in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening,

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<v Speaker 1>and here's to making the moves of our time. Hey everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled

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<v Speaker 1>out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look

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<v Speaker 1>forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production

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<v Speaker 1>of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,

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