I guess I had always known what went on, but decided to stick my head in the sand. I was never a big meat, fish, egg, or milk consumer...... Cheese is a different story.
After watching the documentaries I could no longer pretend that these practices did not happen. A friend put it best when he said "You can't unlearn these things".
Going Vegan cold turkey proved impossible for me (no pun intended). My problem is that I can't seem to quit eating cheese and putting cream in my tea. I remember going to my step-aunt's farm and watching the cows being milked. I was young, but their cows were well cared for and didn't seem unhappy. I haven't seen a video on milk cows being abused so I have justified that it's ok to eat cheese and have my splash of cream everyday. I know...... I am all over the place. I've also watched a documentary on cheese and how it is cancer causing. I smoked for 17 years so I know what it's like to do something that you know is bad for you.
 |
| Love this image! |
The subject of hunting for food came up. I came to believe that if an animal was killed humanely and used for food (not sport) then it would be alright to eat. I have no issue if you can look into the eyes of a deer and be grateful for it's sacrifice. I don't see myself eating deer at any point but never say never.
I also believe that I would eat eggs if it came from a small local farm where the chickens were truly "Free Range". Please note: If you are currently buying free-range eggs from the supermarket thinking that the chickens are running all day in fields and frolicking, I would recommend that you do some research (not the case).
I've also decided to eat fish (but I don't like many types)....... no rhyme or reason.
I seem to be all over the place when it comes to food. I don't want to label myself because I want to do what I feel is right for me. It may not fall under a particular label........ there are too many labels in the world.
I respect the right of others to consume what ever they want. I am not in any position to judge.
Do you think about what you eat? Can you recommend any articles, books, movies, podcasts etc?
Gotta run.
17 comments:
Don't look for labels( vegan, vegetarian etc. )instead slowly eliminate meat and go towards veggie diet. Find out if works for you but also be prepare to have to learn a lot and constantly look for and experiment with new foods. This may be a new path in your journey ....
Good luck.
Thanks Darek! I'm totally off meat and eggs....... . I have substituted milk with almond milk. A good start I guess?!
This is a tough issue, a lot of the videos made show only the worst on purpose, look at who they are made by. being so close to the cattle industry..I own cows..we love our cows, we also eat our own so I know how they are treated right up to the end, sadly I know this isn't true for all. Sometimes I struggle with it a bit too, still trying to convince my husband we need our own chickens :)
Thank you Christy (and your husband) for being kind to cows!!!!
I've struggled with all of this for many years. Vegetarian for many than back to eating meat that I felt was treated humanely. It seems when I stop trying to label myself things go better though if I put a label on myself I'm now moving towards emulating meat again, cutting back on dairy but keeping seafood on the mix...I understand!
I absolutely think about food. I have Crohn's so everything I eat is scrutinized. I have "Lacto-Vegan Days", two days a week. It started with Friday (based on the old no meat on Friday Catholic tradition), and it has made its way to one more day. I mainly eat fermented milk products, like yogurt, to aid digestion.
When I was studying to be a Vet I had a few visits to abattoirs and farms. The abattoir visits were particularly confronting and I did go vegetarian for a while. But I drifted back to eating meat and still am.
Good to know I'm not alone Abbi....... Thanks!
Hi Half Crazed!
Your food choices must be made with great care. Do you find that your Chrohn's gets better, worse, or that there is no difference when running?
Char......... that must have been very difficult to witness first-hand :(
You don't have to go "cold turkey" (or cold soy as the case may be, har har) Even small changes can help you feel better physically and emotionally. I've been a vegetarian for over 15 years and chicken was the last to go.
You'll find a balance that is right for you - YOU get to make the rules and YOU get to change them as needed!
great post. Best film I've seen is Forks over Knives. Kind of sums up that we are killing ourselves by eating all the meat we eat.
That was a great documentary Will!!
I am kind of in the same boat as you - all over the place! :-) We have seen a few of the documentaries, but still eat meat. We tend to go with grass-fed, hormone free beef. Chicken is harder - I eat chicken and egg whites like they're going out of style. I think it's easier to make these changes in baby steps...slowly eliminating various things and finding good replacements.
A couple of book recommendations: The Omnivore's Dilemma and fast Food Nation. Food, Inc. is an excellent documentary. Check out the blog called No Meat Athlete.
'Baby steps' is great advice TX Runner Mom!
I will check out 'The Omnivore's Delima'.... I've not heard of it before. Thanks for the suggestions!
Post a Comment