I grew up in a meat-eating household, so eating meat was normal and natural, and like most kids, I didn't think much of it.
Then I read my mom's book, "Diet for a Small Planet," by Frances Moore Lappe, and had my eyes opened regarding the planetary costs of raising so much meat for food, on a small planet with an exploding population of humans.
At the same time, I had a couple of snakes as pets, and felt no great moral dilemma over feeding them mice, which is mostly what they would have been eating in nature.
Much as when watching a nature program, and seeing a lioness taking down an antelope or wildebeest, although I felt sympathy and even empathy for the animal being killed, the animal would have died in any case, whether or not the cameras were rolling. Death is a part of life.
When I moved out on my own, I ate little meat due to the expense, and considered taking the leap to becoming vegetarian. But when I went too long without eating meat, I found that my health suffered, and I learned later on that vegetarianism is actually not recommended for those with the O negative and O positive blood types.
We just don't tend to do well on strict vegetarian diets.
I still eat meat rarely, most of my meals are vegetarian or vegan, and I tend to use meat much as the Japanese do; as a condiment, rather than as the main course.
I got used to cooking vegetarian meals in Florida, because several of my closest friends there are vegetarian, and when Marek and I met he was a piscavore, meaning that he ate no meat or poultry, but did eat seafood.
For me this hybrid diet makes the most sense, as I am able to maintain my health, and still make a difference, as I choose to not support CAFO operations, buy organic and pastured as often as possible, and my meat intake is a fraction of that of most Americans.
Your post brought out a lot more information from me, but I'll fashion it into a proper post in the morning.
Thanks for your thought-provoking post, and for the invitation to share thoughts from whose of us who have chosen a different path.
Hi thanks for sharing your story! I didn't know that about the blood type. Is it because u need more iron? U have to do what works for u too for sure. Personally I don't eat cheese and milk because cows still suffer and all the environmental factors of keeping cattle and the milk has many antibiotics in there, we don't digest it well and it inhibits absorbtion of other nutrients. The oceans and farm fish is all polluted and there's also the problem with over fishing. It's seem using animals is just tainted and I don't like it from an energetic perspective its all. Life as far as I'm. Concerned. But going plant based means sourcing good quality organic vegtables because its also no good buying toxic vegtables delivered across the world. I look forward to day food grows everywhere
I can relate to much you re saying, and I agree that factory farming, mega agricultural and fish farms and the like are not only NOT feeding the world, but are poisoning out planet at an ever-increasing rate. There are better ways.
I've been growing organically for over thirty years, so from that standpoint, you're preaching to the choir. We're not growing all our food yet, but we're coming closer every year, and I've been writing about various methods of growing and preparing our own food for well over a decade.
It is easier than people think, and doesn't have to take a lot of space, if you're willing to think outside the box. I specialize in orcharding and perennial vegetables, which require a whole lot less work overall than traditional market gardening, and keep producing year after year.
As for the mistreatment of animals, I agree, it is a huge problem, and I choose not to support it. That said, I disagree that all meat and dairy animals are mistreated, as I know a number of farmers who not only don't mistreat their animals, but their animals live far better than a lot of humans do.
One friend in particular has the most spoiled rotten goats you've ever seen, and they thoroughly enjoy being milked, so they are far from suffering. Our goats are wethers, which is to say altered males, so no milking duties here as yet, but they're pretty spoiled as well. ;-)
And as I said I do plan on getting milking goats and (hopefully) a cow in the future, and we have enough land that they will have plenty of forage, protection from predators, and lots of love and care. As all animals should.
I should also note that I've been accused, since childhood, of making pets of everything, which is true. ;-)