I made a MASSIVE decision on Friday night, one that is going to impact me for the rest of my life. I'm telling you because it is directly related to my health, which means it will affect my blog too.
I'm giving up animal flesh. No more beef, chicken, turkey, none of it.
The crazy thing is that if you would have suggested this to me 6 months ago, I would have laughed and eaten a steak. I have always LOVED meat. The bloodier the steak, the better it was to me. And chicken is a staple in my diet, especially since I've gone healthy.
So, you may ask, what changed?
Well, I think the Universe has been conspiring against me. Or for me, depending on how you look at it. For months now, it seems everywhere I turn I see and hear pro-vegan images and statements. I have a few facebook friends who are raw vegan and always posting something thought-provoking. I've been getting the message loud and clear that meat is very difficult for the body to digest and somebody lovingly referred to it as "putrified flesh rotting in your bowels," which is a mental picture that has stuck with me. But the health reasons alone weren't enough for me. I mean, every other year, there is a new diet where they tell you to give up SOMETHING, so I try to take those kinds of messages with a grain of salt.
It was a video that finally did me in. The video below, actually:
I have always loved animals, since I was a kid. In fact, I'm kind of obsessive about my dogs, in case you haven't noticed. But I guess somewhere along the way I became removed from exactly how we get the meat we eat. Intellectually, I'd heard it before. I'd heard people talk about the poor conditions that animals are raised in, the antibiotics they pump into them. It wasn't until I saw it with my own eyes that it meant something to me. It wasn't until I saw animals strung up by their hind legs, their throats slit, entrails hanging out, still alive, as the butcher cut them into pieces. It wasn't until I saw animals squished together, walking on top of each other, sick, hurt, trying to eat each other, clubbed to death, that it really meant something to me. It wasn't until I saw their very real pain first hand that it hit me. I cried my eyes out for an hour.
One of the images that really got to me.
It disgusts me that someone would eat a dog,
but is it really that much different than eating a cow?
In India, cows are sacred, and they probably
look at us the same way as I look at the men in this photo.
Something changed inside of me in that hour. Something clicked over in my brain. I held onto my dog, imagining Lola going through that kind of pain. For the first time in my life, it hit me that these animals that we slaughter and eat are living creatures with feelings, and by eating them for dinner I contributed to all of those images in the movie I had just watched. (Well, only half watched, I couldn't even finish the movie--it was awful.) I realized I was a murderer. Maybe I wasn't the one clubbing them to death, but someone had to do it for me, didn't they? I no longer want to contribute to what I now see as heinous acts against living beings. I will never again consume animal flesh. My decision is strictly moral and ethical.
A few weeks ago, I attempted to give up meat for the health benefits (and there are MANY) but the health benefits alone were not enough for me to stick with my decision. But after seeing those images, I really don't know how I could ever eat a piece of animal flesh again. Someone asked me on Saturday if I wanted to grab a burger and I almost puked in my mouth. I feel like the smoker who suddenly quits and never picks up a cigarette again. I'm done. Just like that.
I don't really know what to label myself now. I don't really plan on labeling myself anything, as I really hate labels. I don't want to eat any animal product that contributes to the mistreatment of animals.
That being said, I live in the country, surrounded by farmers. So I will continue to eat farm fresh eggs, the ones laid by chickens that hang out in the field all day long. And if I can find a good dairy farmer, I will continue to eat cheese too. I've already given up milk because it is extremely hard for adults to digest, so that doesn't affect me. I'm undecided on fish, especially the fish my boyfriend brings home from his weekend fishing trips...
Right now, I'm studying up on the nutrition of the Meatless Way and gathering yummy recipes (even though, to be honest, most vegetarian and vegan recipes look pretty gross), but I have found some that look promising. I'll keep you updated as I go and pass my best recipes along.
For now, I'm eating a TON of fruits and veggies (way more than I'm used to), quinoa, nuts, seeds, and making sure to take my vitamins. I actually feel great, and totally satisfied, with my new way of eating. I would also like to say, I don't plan on being one of those "judgy" vegans/vegetarians/whatever the hell I am now. I won't attack you or look down on you for eating animal products. But I will throw in some education here and there. I understand it is a very personal decision, and it is one that took me months to get to.
I do encourage you to check out the videos above and below. And if I have any vegan/vegetarian readers out there, I would love to hear from you--your stories, advice, recipes, etc.!
Thank you for reading,
Mon
PS This is another eye-opening, and very graphic, video about the meat industry. I could barely look at the screen and didn't get through the first few minutes. I will NEVER eat meat again.
