So, let's see. I've been a vegetarian for just about a month now. I'll kinda back up and explain how I got here....because, trust me, I NEVER thought I'd be here....
A few years ago when I lived in the DC area, I watched Food, Inc. It opened up my eyes to the horrible things that are happening in our food industry. Not just abuse and torture of animals prior to them ending up on our plate, but just the injection of antibiotics, hormones, steroids, etc. There are major problems going on in our food industry that are causing E.Coli outbreaks, resistance to antibiotics, childhood obesity, marked elevation in cholesterol (we've had a few active duty guys who are in good shape, drop dead from a heart attack on base) and diabetes, to name a few.
At that point, I really wanted to start eating farm fresh foods. I had a conversation with a friend about caged chickens and it left me in tears all night. At that moment, I stopped buying any eggs except cage free eggs. I would love to be able to buy all my meat and dairy, etc straight from a farm and that is doable and I think it's an awesome choice for anyone looking for healthier and more humane options. Moving around makes it difficult and the other thing is, I'm now married to a vegetarian, so we don't really eat meat at home, it's only when we go out... and you NEVER know where the food comes from. You don't even really know if it is chicken or beef.
I was also haunted by a question someone posed me that if I wasn't willing to kill the animal myself to eat, why would I feel okay eating it? Hmm. Well, I felt like animals were put here for us to eat them....by God, right? I opened up my Bible and started with Genesis....I read all through the beginning with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It never mentions animals for food! In fact, in Genesis 1:29 it says "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." Now, doing some more exploring, the word meat comes from the Old English word mete, which referred to food in general. So, God gave adam and eve everything they needed to eat in the garden without killing anything. The Bible does go back and forth on eating meat and not eating meat, but the original plan was not to slaughter and kill for food. After they sinned, it does talk about God showing them how to clothe themselves with the skin and fur, but it still didn't mention eating them at that point. Now, that we have evolved and we don't need animals for clothing, there shouldn't be a reason, right? Except for that this is how our culture has gone on and on and no one has changed it.
Cameron and I met and he began making me amazing vegetarian dishes that I loved! I would still order meat when we went out to eat and he doesn't really care what I do, so he never said anything about it. I slowly started seeing how cutting meat out of my diet really wouldn't be that hard. There are so many companies, like Morningstar, Quorn, Boca Burgers that all make "chicken", "beef", and "pork" alternatives from other natural ingredients. There are veggie burgers, bean burgers and all kinds of options. I've tried mushroom, spinich and avocado enchiladas. All of this is good and I slowly started seeing, I can get all my protein (in fact MUCH MORE) without having something die.
Then, I watched a PETA video....and cried my eyes out. I just don't understand how some of these people that work in the factories can do this kind of stuff to the animals. I LOVE animals. In fact, I still think I should have been a veterinarian at times and I've thought about going back to school for it. At this point, I had to ask myself.... "Why AM I eating meat?"
Sure, it's a good source of protein, but soy is better....sure, it tastes good, but so do a lot of vegetarian dishes.....sure, it's what everyone does in our society....but does that mean it's for me? I just didn't know at that point.
I wasn't ready to announce and say that I was a vegetarian until I had been doing it a while, so I just started day by day.
It has been hard to go to some of our old restaurants and not order the things I've always ordered and REEEEEALLLY hard not eating sushi with fish (but, if I say that I'm going to spare every living thing, that means fish too...). It's not been easy. In fact, I threw a few temper tantrums after eating because I almost felt empty. I felt that eating used to be really enjoyable and a few times it was just depressing because I couldn't order what I want.
That's when Cameron reminds me that i don't HAVE to do it....but for some reason I feel like this is the right decision for me....but it's just hard. He then says, well, if you believe in something, it's not going to be easy, but you're making that stand and you're disciplining yourself (which no one really does in our country anymore) and you'll grow from it.
I'm still growing and I'm still probably going to have a few temper tantrums....but tempeh and tofu save me! You gotta cook the stuff right and it's not too bad. The smokey tempeh strips on a sandwich taste just like a BLT!
Plus, Cameron said we'll tell our kids that I went vegetarian because I was stubborn. Could be true. I think it's something I feel I have to "conquer", so I am stubborn about it. But, you know what...I feel better. I know I can eat with a healthy conscience that some momma cow isn't being dragged off the truck to be slaughtered...and that one less chicken might be injected with steriods to make it grow bigger and fatter until it's legs break.
Many people, myself included, don't feel like one person will make a difference, but look at what has happened to the vegetarian food industry over the years! It's grown like crazy! It's not growing because people aren't eating it. It's growing because people ARE eating it. One by one, people are making their own personal choice to stop eating meat and it IS making a difference. At least, I know in my life it is. I never thought I'd be here.....
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