I am a recovering vegetarian. Or maybe just a liberal vegetarian, though I like to think of myself more as an independent.

     In the recent past, I would eat no food that ever moved on its own accord, no food that once had opinions, a love life, or a bad credit history. But I have expanded my stomach's horizons to include fish, and now I'm not comfortable calling myself a vegetarian.

     If I really want to keep my membership in Club Veg, I don't think anybody is going to stop me. The definition of vegetarian is pretty loose these days. Like the definition of singer or reality television. (I am a vegetarian. Jessica Simpson is a singer. The Apprentice and Donald Trump's hair are based on 'reality.' There's a vegetarian continuum, with cannibal on one end and my five-year-old daughter who eats nothing but, well, nothing, on the other. In between there are a range of vegetable friendly folks:

• Vegans eat only brainless, plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts.
• Lacto vegetarians don't eat anything that ever had a brain (and contrary to popular belief, all people have brains including those who lined up at 2:00 a.m. on the day after Thanksgiving for the 5:00 a.m. sale at Kohl's, which isn't any different than every other sale at Kohl's. So cannibals are not lacto vegetarians). They do eat dairy products, which come from brained beings.
• Lacto ovo vegetarians include both dairy and eggs potential brain-filled living things in their diets.

     But, pretty much, if you fall anywhere on the continuum, you can call yourself a vegetarian without fear of fines or penalties. You can even take out a trial membership give up meat for a week or for breakfast and you're in. It's one of the benefits of our peaceful, all-inclusive world. We wouldn't want anyone deposed dictators, losers in American Idol, or even infrequent meat eaters to feel outcast, so we give them a place to belong.

     My entrance into meatlessness was not a monumental decision. While some people choose to become vegetarian for philosophical reasons, I didn't shun meat because I was an animal rights activist or environmentalist (though I like animals and the earth). When someone pointed out that it was ironic that I was a vegetarian wearing a pair of leather shoes, I had to explain that I don't eat the shoes. I just never really liked meat all that much.

     Also, it sounded cool to say, "I'm a vegetarian."

     So I shunned burgers, and wouldn't go near a pepperoni pizza. It was straight cheese or nothing. And Pop Tarts, Oreos, and M&Ms. There isn't a trace of meat anywhere in those tasty and filling foods.

     The downside is that there are plenty of calories and no nutrition in them, either. So, I phased out Pop Tarts, and replaced them with whole grain breads and cereals. Kellogg's stock still hasn't recovered. Out went the Oreos, in came the oats. The red, green and orange in my diet came not from M&Ms, but from beets, kiwi, and mango.

     But when I took up marathon running (which sounds as crazy as being a vegetarian), I needed more from my meals. It became hard work to get enough protein to replenish my muscles, and I was losing out on a few other vitamins, minerals, and brain cells.

     So, while I haven't completely fallen off the vegetarian bandwagon, I have moved to the middle of the bus. I eat fish at least once a week. It gives me some variety and is a lower fat source of protein than my beloved cheese.

     Eating fish also allows me to increase my dose of omega 3 fatty acids.

     You would think "fatty acid," is a bad thing an oozing blob of gelatinous slime with smoking, searing green liquid dripping from it. If so, you watched too many late night sci fi movies as a kid. Fatty acids are your friends! Just don't call your friends, especially those who are bigger than you, Fatty Acid.

     Studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes by increasing good cholesterol and decreasing the bad. They reduce the risk of prostate cancer, which isn't really a problem for me, but it's nice for those of you who have a prostate to worry about.

     Research suggests that an average of 1 to 2 grams of omega 3 fatty acids a day will do the trick. Three ounces of salmon or about four ounces of canned albacore tuna give you that daily dose. You also can find omega 3s in flaxseed, but salmon works much better on the grill. Canned anchovies and sardines, as well as herring, have mega omega 3, but again, grilling can be a problem, even in the can.

     Another benefit of omega 3 fatty acids is that they alleviate depression. But for that, I'll stick with blue M&Ms.