Well, meat always kind of grossed me out. When I did eat it, I had to have it burnt (to make sure it was fully dead). Im a weirdo. What really did it for me though was the reality of how much our consumption of animal products impacts our environment.
I care for animals dont get me wrong, but I always thought you needed to eat meat. Once I realized that I could be healthy with out it, it seemed practicle to do with out.
I want to be vegan, but it is terribly difficult right now being that I am broke. I just got a job though, so it should be easier. Dairy just doesnt need to be in my body any more.
Today during my job training for GreenPeace, I learned the impacts we are making on fish populations by over fishing. So I have been pescetarian for over half a year, but I think I am done with it. According to Ayurveda Pitta people are not supposed to eat fish anyway. SO, so long.
I started to eat vegetarian food about 10 years ago. -- maybe a little before, actually. A friend was a vegetarian and did a good job of telling me that I could have a perfectly decent life without meat. It is healtiher, lower calorie, higher fiber, is good for the environment and is cruelty free (or at least tries to be.) People ask me why I choose to live this lifestyle-- It is really all 3 reasons Health, environment, and anti-cruelty, so there is no one reason why. I like vegetarian food better. It dosen't take long to digest, and I feel much better. I can also chow down without consuming as many calories as with meat, so I feel full with less calories and fat. I was an ovo-lacto vegetarian, now I am an ovo ony, and soon, maybe next year I will go to "strict" vegetarian-- not vegan but no animal products.
My mum is vegetarian for ethical reasons so i was brought up vegetarian. I often get people commenting on how it was unfair of my mum to "deprive" me of meat as a child. I really don't agree with this. I was never told i couldn't eat meat and my mum always said she wouldn't have had a problem if i decided to try meat.
I've always been a bit sensitive to energy around me, the less junk I have in my body the more sensitive I become. Since going vegan it's been much better. I feel like I have a better connection with the earth. I know it sounds strange lol! I just feel happier in general now especially knowing all those animals aren't being killed for my taste buds.
How do you feel about the fact that animals eat other animals? Do you percieve a difference between fish, birds and mammals?
TIA
carniverous animals provide an important service of getting rid of sick and wounded animals. Truly, now think of this. If animals who had something egregiously wrong with them were allowed to live, they could mate and those genes would be passed on. As well, think of the unsanitary conditions if the bodies of wounded or diseased animals were all over the place. If you think of it, lions and so on kill animals on the fringes of the herd-- those ones lagging behind. They usualy do not lag unless they are sick or injured.
Humans eat perfectly healthy animals-- young and full of life, and corral and kill them. These days with factory farms they trap them in hideous conditions as well, depriving them of any sort of joy they might have-- and I do believe animals have "feelings." Also "emotions." Even a cow or pig or chicken has an emotional life. A cow (steer) can live about 25 years, but factory cows are killed at about 2 years old. You talk about the veal industry? Well beef cows are actually not much oder than veal calfs. Cows can be quite emotional, and intellegent. Pigs also. They have the same brains as horses or dogs or cats. There is nothing "computerized" or unawear about the brain of a critter bred for slaughter. They are not walking meat. They have a real life, and if they were not in such concentration camp conditions, they would be having families and loving and experiencing life. Okay it is not on as high an order as humans, but what gives us the right to kill things "dumber" than ourselves. Would we kill and eat someone with downes syndorme? Seriously.
The longer I am a vegetarian, the more I am comfortabe with not being a part of the cruelty that is shown to animals.
Plus, veg food tastes good, is lighter in calories, and is lower on the food chain.
carniverous animals provide an important service of getting rid of sick and wounded animals. Truly, now think of this. If animals who had something egregiously wrong with them were allowed to live, they could mate and those genes would be passed on. As well, think of the unsanitary conditions if the bodies of wounded or diseased animals were all over the place. If you think of it, lions and so on kill animals on the fringes of the herd-- those ones lagging behind.
That's a rather selective take on nature.
Carnivores are not the same thing as scavengers.
And the ones lagging behind are often the "children."
I became a strict vegetarian (no eggs or dairy, but I'm not vegan because I still eat products made with honey) because of the horrendous conditions endured by animals in factory farms and all of the health benefits of a plant-based diet. 'Nuff said.
I have been veggie for over a year, simply because I love animals. I am considering becoming vegan, but I already dont have enough vitamins or protein in my diet due to not eating meat lol. I am not very read up on vegan foods.
Lots of our fish come from the chinese market. You pinpoint which fish you want and they dip it from the tank and bang it on the head.
Jesus, that's just horrible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LucyLucyLucy
I have been veggie for over a year, simply because I love animals. I am considering becoming vegan, but I already dont have enough vitamins or protein in my diet due to not eating meat lol. I am not very read up on vegan foods.
How you don't have enough vitamins and protein is beyond me. Have you been to a doctor to verify this? Have you talked to a nutrionist? Have you read up on proper veg*n health? A good starter book is Becoming Vegan. The authors also have Becoming Vegetarian. Getting all your nutrients is incredibly important and being veg in no way should hinder it and for most people makes it easier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by betsysunqueen
Because it isn't acceptable that animals suffer and die for our culinary preferences.
Perfect. That's all it is really, a selfish desire to eat others' flesh and to use them for our sheer amusement.
Last edited by Fat Chick B Gone; 09-04-2009 at 08:54 AM.
