Have you ever thought that your preference to eat meat or not may be genetic? Well a new study that’s linked a person’s genes to how appetizing meat smells, suggests that it is.

Researchers entered the study knowing that the way our bodies detect scents is through tiny chemical receptors that are perched on nerve cells inside the nose. It’s estimated that in total, humans have about 400 unique smell receptors that help sense around 10,000 different odors.

Some receptors detect androstenone – a steroid found in high concentration in male pigs. And previous research shows that 70% of the broader population has two copies of a specific gene that helps sense the steroid. Such people typically have a mixed reaction to pork, with many finding it disgusting and likening it to sweat or urine. But people with only one copy of the gene aren’t as bothered by the smell of androstenone.
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I’ll have a double venti Strawberry Frappuccino, light on the whipped cream and no bug juice, please.

Yes, you can have that now, but only since Starbucks was prompted by thousands of namely vegetarian protesters who were appalled after discovering the coffee giant was using bug-based dyes in some of their drink and food products.

The bug in question is a tiny white insect called a Dactylopius coccus, which when crushed, produces a brilliant red dye known as cochineal. And although this suspicious substance has only become public knowledge recently, it’s apparently been used for coloring foods and makeup for centuries.

Starbucks wasn’t breaking any laws, just vegetarian hearts, who were unknowingly consuming the bug. But cochineal is approved by the FDA and is all natural. Still, some were especially concerned since the dye has been shown to cause allergies and asthma with severe reactions in some instances.

The news leaked when a Starbucks barista reportedly sent a picture of the ingredient label for their Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino to the website ThisDishIsVegetarian.com, which then reported the chain’s use of the bug.
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With everyone recovering from their Mardi Gras hangovers (both food and alcohol induced), we hope no one is giving up water and Advil for Lent. The 40 days (and nights) leading up to Easter is known as Lent and is observed by Catholics as a way to fast and abstain from the vices and worldly enjoyments that may take them from their faith or even concentration on living a pure life. Catholics are expected to “give up something” during Lent; it could be any number of things like diet soda, television, sex, smoking, alcohol, or social media.

One thing all Catholics must give up is meat on Fridays, considered a day of abstinence. Fish and vegetarian dishes become go-to meals during Lent. Fried fish sandwiches and cheese pizza seem to be standards of the Catholic diet during this time because they’re easy and accessible, especially if you’re used to a drive-thru menu.

Whether Meatless Monday or Meatless Friday, we say embrace it and use this as an opportunity to overhaul your dietary habits. Only good things can come of it, right?

We’re making the next seven Fridays a snap and planning the meals for you. These are seven of our most popular meatless and fish recipes for dinner.
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Actress Drew Barrymore has been on our radar for years, ever since she starred in the movie E.T. as a small child. She’s been known for many things, among them her on and off vegetarian lifestyle. In 2002, she gave up on being a vegetarian in order to wear fun clothes, telling IMDB “…Dressing is like an art form – it’s so much fun.” She was back on the vegetarian bandwagon in 2010 and then blamed the diet for making her a picky eater.

Now that she’s dating Will Kopelman, she’s back to eating meat. She says that she finds vegetarianism simply too difficult to do on her own. She loves to cook for her boyfriend and finds it easier to make the same foods for both of them. Barrymore follows a list of celebrities who are “on again, off again” with vegetarianism, including Natalie Portman, who famously gave up her vegan lifestyle during her pregnancy.

People choose to become vegetarians for many reasons, but more choose it for the health benefits than any other reason. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians tend to weigh less, have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as reduced rates of cancer and type 2 diabetes compared to meat eaters. Despite these benefits, many people who try to follow a vegetarian lifestyle don’t stay with it long term.

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By J.J. Kunkle from The Fit Life

The Thanksgiving my husband and I share is a bit different than most. We love our families, but because Thanksgiving tends to focus on food and eating, it’s the one holiday we typically reserve for just the two of us.

Aside from the occasional fish dish, we eat a vegetarian diet. In addition to eating vegetarian, we also eat very health consciously—avoiding processed foods, preservatives and salt as much as possible. So, since we’ve been together, on Thanksgiving we take off for the Smokey Mountains. We rent a nice, little one bedroom cabin and together, cook a nice vegetarian meal for Thanksgiving. Then we spend the long weekend hiking in the mountains. Last year we made quinoa stuffed red peppers.

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