Gentle reader,
Are there any readers out there who are considering becoming vegetarians? If so, you might be interested and hopefully encouraged by this article.
About a month ago I made the decision to stop eating meat.
I had been thinking about it for years but had always been too unmotivated (ahem, lazy) to take the plunge. Then, a member of my family stopped eating meat. And soon after that, I found out that another close friend of mine had also done the same thing.
That set me to thinking.
Finally, I decided to jump on the veggie bandwagon after forcing myself to watch part of a movie clip that showed some chickens being mistreated and slaughtered. The chickens were placed into slots on a conveyor belt upside down, dangling from
their feet. The conveyor belt moved through a blade that cut their throats. Then they were put into hot water and scalded to get their skins off. I don't think that all of them were dead when they were being scalded.
Once upon a time many years ago I spent a day working in a chicken "factory". In just one day I observed how people become desensitized to the suffering of animals when they work with them in factory conditions, day after day. Terribly cruel things happen to animals in such conditions. Yes, I always knew that animals had to die to make meat. Somehow, until recently,
I was able to shove this information into a part of my brain where it still allowed me to
eat meat. That has now changed.
So how do I feel after the first month?
Well, so far I feel remarkably good. I feel much healthier and more upbeat. The day I stopped eating meat I was just getting over a cold. So in the beginning when I was feeling good and having more energy I reasoned that it was just because I was recovering. But that feeling has persisted now for the entire month. I feel much more energetic and happier than previously. I wonder if this is just a passing thing. I hope not! Psychologically I enjoy the thought that there is no longer a chicken, a pig or a cow "out there" somewhere who is going through hell because of me and my need to eat meat.
A nice side-effect has been a drastic reduction in the amount of unhealthy fast food that I gobble down. I confess, I was partial to the occasional McDonald's quarter-pounder with cheese. I no longer am tempted to eat at McDonald's because most of the menu is meat-based. Even though I still go there once in a while with my family, I no longer order a quarter pounder with cheese like I used to. I guess that is a good thing! Also I have my pizza without sausage and pepperoni. Small victories!
As for protein - I found out that many foods are a source of protein. Nuts are a well-known source, but even vegetables have protein. When you think about it, it makes sense. Cows eat mostly grass, yet beef is rich in protein. So a cow's protein must come from grass. Similarly, vegetables contain protein as well.
As far as adverse side-effects, so far I haven't noticed any. So, as of writing this, the experiment has been a great success.
Here is a summary of the benefits:
1) I am healthier and have less worry about ending up in the emergency room for bypass surgery, or worse.
2) Fewer animals need to be raised, potentially mistreated and ultimately killed just so that I can eat them.
3) We will no longer waste resources (grain, water, etc.) to feed the animals that I would have eaten.
4) I feel happier, have more energy and my pants fit a little better :)
5) I don't have to handle or cook meat, which I never enjoyed doing.
Time for today's quote:
Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.
-Mark Twain
Until the next time, gentle reader, I remain,
Your friend,
Buford Twain
No comments:
Post a Comment