Those Meat Sweats

I’m slowly making the shift to veganism. Typically I don’t eat meat, eggs, fish, milk or yogurt. If only I could curve this cheese addition and I’d be one happy girl. I've chosen the word typically because when visiting I can let a few things slide. An egg here, a little milk there. For me, and me alone, there’s a fine line between my beliefs and being a crappy dinner guest. I like to suss out each situation as it arises. Personally I categorize myself as having a pant-based lifestyle rather than being a vegetarian because I don’t go for the meat alternatives; I have a diet consists of the more natural items. There aren’t any soydog’s or artificial bacon slices in any of my cupboards.  This lifestyle choice suites me because I want to be healthier and more importantly, there’s that whole animal thing. And here’s where I’m going to get messy.

Hugo

When I think of Factory Farms I think of Hugo. We have created an industry out of inhumane and cruel lives for animals. As humans, who the hell do we think we are to abuse our power for the sake of, what, taste-buds?  I was fortunate enough growing up to contribute very little to the continuation of commercialized farms. My dad was a hunter and we got our beef from local free range farming communities. We paid $2.50 for a dozen eggs each week. However, factory farms isn't my sole reason behind staying away from animal products; animal shit and over consumption is.

A main contributor to Global Warming is methane, which is the second most prominent  greenhouse gas produced by the United States. Cattle and other domestic livestock produce methane through their digestive process and also from the storage of manure, ‘cause its all gotta go somewhere.  Agriculture contributes to 25% of the production of Methane, which is absurd considering coal mining only produces 9%. This percentage doesn’t take into account the greenhouse emissions released through what is required in caring for the livestock (don’t even get me started on corn production) such as the transformation, crop production for food and waste created from the unused animal parts (EPA, 2014). In North America we prefer everything in abundance and this includes food. We are producing and eating meat in an unsustainable manner. The average American typically eats about 200lbs of meat each year (PSR, 2014). I repeat, 200lbs each year.

I thought you should know that one has ever died from a protein diffidence and you can get your vitamins, excluding B12 (kudos Clara) from other sources. Need iron? Try eating anything green, like spinach or kale. Stop telling me that you don’t stay full for long if you don’t eat meat, if this is the case then it’s because you’re eating crap.  I’m not telling you to start living a plant-based lifestyle, I’m merely asking you to perhaps question, rationalise and justify what you are putting in your body and the associated costs of doing it. Why do we have to base our meals around our meat? Just try a meatless meal every Monday.

This is the extremely simplified version for my veganism shift and lifestyle choice. I could continue on but my explanation is much more entrancing and vulgar when turned into a wine-induced rant. Below are three sources that truly express my views.

Weekday vegetarian (Ted Talk) by Graham Hill

I think this is a good balance between what I believe and what most of you believe. It provides some great facts in a quick five minute blurb.

Vegucated by Marisa Miller Wolfson

This is a documentary full of fantastic information that shows the struggles of a few everyday American’s exploring the vegetarianism lifestyle.

Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

This provides some intriguing fact and presents the material in a great f-bomb manner.

Smiles,

Kirstin

Once you come to terms with why you don`t eat cats, dogs, monkey and dolphins, you begin to understand why I don`t eat cows, pigs, chickens and labs – Edward Sanchez

References

EPA (2014). Overview of Greenhouse Gasses. Retrieved from http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/ch4.html

PSR (2014). US Meat Production. Retrieved from http://www.psr.org/chapters/oregon/safe-food/industrial-meat-system.html#dietdisease