I love chicken wings, pork chops, bratwurst, cheddar stuffed bratwurst, spaghetti with meatballs, meatloaf (it's like a loaf of bread, but it's meat!), steak kabobs, steak tips, giant cuts of medium-rare sirloin steaks, filet mignon, and don't even get me started on the possibilities that come with bacon!
But I am also a human with a conscious. I feel the weight of responsibility of being at the top of the food chain and being the species that is in control of our planet and its resources. Also I luuuuuurv me some living animals too! Furry, feathery, cuddly or not, I have pets and I love them.
As a student of yoga, I cannot ignore the yama, or ethical aim, of ahimsa, or non-violence. This includes non-violence towards any living creature. There are some monks who wear masks over their mouths to prevent the accidental inhalation of bugs and carry brooms at all times to sweep away bugs that might be about to be under their feet. I know that I will never take it to that extreme. There are so many more reasons why I am interested in making this change other than merely a love and respect for all animals. I could write a whole other blog just on the environmental impacts of raising cattle. Check out 49 Good Reasons For Being a Vegetarian.
It will also be a challenge to find a way to eat that is healthy and well-rounded, imagine the damage I can do with macaroni & cheese, cake, and nachos! I read a great blog on Elephant recently about just such a dilemma, Why vegetarian does not equal healthy.
I may not ever cut meat out of my diet completely. I plan to continue to eat seafood as well as dairy products, but I do intend to cut back drastically on my meat intake. Everything I've read so far recommends taking it slow; having one or two meat-free days per week, slowly building a vegetarian recipe collection, and using meat substitutes when I'm having a craving. So that is my plan, beginning with this week. For the month of August, while I am attending the yoga teacher training, all of my meals prepared on-site by the chef will be vegetarian. That will be my first true test!
Could you ever go meat-less? If you are a vegetarian, how did you make the change?
The way I see it you can't pick and choose. If your going to be a vegetarian based on those ideals then it has to extend to the fat nasty spider in the corner of your room or the mosquito biting your arm.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input "Me" (I know it's you behind those shades Ryan). There are certainly some people who feel that way, but as I said, my desire to change is based on a variety of ideals, not just non-violence. And, I feel like it is better to change at least somewhat than not at all!
ReplyDeleteAlso, if your giving up meat in food, you should probably give up wearing leather. And re-claw your cats.
ReplyDeleteNo in all seriousness, I would think not killing that spider or mosquito is far more important than deciding to be a vegetarian for non-violent reasons. You choosing not to eat meat, thats just kind of passing the buck. Your actions actually have no affect on what violence is committed, those same animals are going to be killed, whether you eat them or not. However, you choosing not to kill those insects is you proactively being non-violent. Deciding to not eat meat is something to just making a statement, accepting not killing any animals personally is actually acting on something you believe in.
@Me If I am not eating certain meats, then that is reducing the demand for those meat products. It is true that the impact that one person can make on market demand is very small, but the collective impact of many vegetarians can be, and is, significant.
ReplyDeleteI agree that pro-actively choosing to not smoosh an insect is also a way to follow the tenent of non-violence, I plan to try to follow that. However, I will not be obsessive about it, if I accidentally step on a bug, I'm not going to beat myself up about it.
I don't wear leather.
And my cats have no idea that they ever had claws, they lead healthy and fulfilled lives. :P
I was a vegetarian for 8 years until a few months ago. I started having dreams that I was eating chicken- that was the whole dream, I sat down for dinner and ate chicken and it tasted wonderful. After a couple weeks of the same dream I felt my body was trying to tell me something so I added chicken and turkey back into my diet.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind not being a vegetarian anymore, but I do try to be aware of the amount of meat I consume, I have many veggie meals, and when I can I choose organic local meats. Doesn't solve the killing part but it is a better on the environment. I try to keep a balance between keeping me healthy and minimizing my impact on my environment (which include the animals I consume).
@DEL What an interesting story, I definitly think that our body will communicate to our brain what we need.
ReplyDeleteI think that trying to find that balance of what our bodies need to be healthy, and minimizing the impact is the way to go.
My husband and I gave up meat for lent this year and it was surprising how easy the transition was. After lent was over we just didn't look back. We had already learned way too much about how meat is handled in this country and it just seemed like the next logical step for us. I have not really missed it at all - and I grew up in Montana, my grandfather was a butcher :). The key is a collection of tasty recipes and buying local and in-season as much as you can. The vegetable industry in our country isn't great either and vegetables grown en-mass can be tasteless and lackluster. Good luck and I am enjoying following you on this journey :).
ReplyDelete@Patricia Thanks so much for that! I am nervous about this upcoming month, but everyone I've talked to has said I won't even notice that my diet has no meat in it.
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