I decided to go vegetarian over 2 years ago. After first making the switch, I felt AMAZING. (And I’ve never heard of anyone switching to vegetarianism who hasn’t said the exact same thing.) Besides the proven health benefits of a vegetarian diet (rigorously documented in this blog), I simply became more conscious of what I was putting into my body and therefore stopped eating so much crap. So, in addition to dropping meat, I also significantly cut back on processed foods and fast foods. I lost a few pounds, became more “regular,” had a high level of energy (I even completed my third marathon as a veggie), but most importantly, I was treating my body right. And knowing that I was treating myself well just made me feel even better.
While I do attribute my increased well-being partially to purely physical reasons, I think the significant shift to “feeling amazing” was mental. It is incredibly empowering to make a conscious decision to no longer contribute to unnecessary pain and suffering. I felt like a weight had been lifted. I felt good about making compassionate choices. I felt like a responsible human being and was proud of my decision. I simply felt really good about myself.
And as I read more about the benefits of a vegetarian diet to the environment, it only iced the already sweet cake.
With all of my new found knowledge on the countless benefits of vegetarianism (to ourselves, our fellow creatures, and our planet), I literally felt like I was enlightened, like I was “in the know,” like I had discovered an amazing secret that few people knew about, almost like I’d found a new religion. And because I felt so fantastic, I couldn’t wait to share it with anyone and everyone who would listen. And I did. All the while, naively assuming that since the arguments for vegetarianism are so compelling, that there was no possible way that anyone would not choose to go vegetarian! Clearly, I was going to convert everyone I knew simply by telling them the truth about meat…
I now understand why it is so difficult to change known wrongs (smoking, pollution, slavery).
I first chalked up the resistance to lack of information, but as I continued to flood my family, friends, and co-workers with information, I slowly began to realize that this was not the problem. If the decision to go vegetarian were based on facts, there would not be a decision! It is so obvious, to any rational being, that vegetarianism is the best option for every living thing on the entire planet. But humans are not often rational.
I then thought the resistance was due to habit. I thought that maybe people wanted to eat less meat, but they just had a hard time breaking out of their life-long meat-centric routine. So I shared recipes, and suggested meat substitutes, and recommended veggie dishes at restaurants. Habit is a very hard thing to break in humans, but it’s not impossible. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. This was not the problem.
I now know that the issue is selfishness. Plain & simple. Yes, I realize that word has a harsh connotation and I don’t intend to condemn, but let’s be honest here: If one knows that eating meat directly causes the brutal abuse and painful suffering of billions of animals, and one knows that the meat industry is responsible for the greatest amount of pollution on our dying planet, and one knows that they will be healthy (probably even healthier) on a vegetarian diet, then WHY would they continue to eat meat?! “Because I like the taste,” is the only answer I can seem to get from anyone. You like the taste enough to kill billions of animals every year, kill our planet, and kill yourself in the process. That is truly selfish.
Vegetarianism isn’t merely something one does; it is how one is. It is easier, by far, to continue the apathy, complacency, self-interest, and “blissful” ignorance, but we should choose, instead, to exemplify the highest qualities of our species: conviction, integrity, self-discipline, and compassion.
I started this blog because I believe that, as humans, every one of us has the fundamental desire to be our best selves (do I sound like Oprah yet?). I believe that each of us has the capacity to make a powerful difference in a world very much in need. Everyone is forced to take a side, by their action or inaction, and there is no such thing as moral neutrality. Which side are you choosing?
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Breakfast: Smoothie with mango, pineapple, and almond milk
Lunch: Veggie wrap with lettuce, tomato, carrots, cucumber, avocado, sprouts, vinegar and oil
Dinner: Stir fry with broccoli, cauliflower, water chestnuts, tempeh, and soyaki sauce
5 comments
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Molly says:
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 1:27 am (UTC -5)
I’m enjoying your blog – just found it a few weeks ago.
If I may play devil’s advocate for a moment – if your desire is to reduce suffering, why do you still consume dairy? Dairy cows are mistreated terribly, and for a longer period of time than cattle raised for beef. You’d be healthier without it, and contributing even less to pollution and the abuse of animals.
Just my two cents.
AmyT says:
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 8:41 am (UTC -5)
Excellent post!
I think you have made am important point about selfishness. I think some people are unable to feel compassion and empathy. I do not know if they were raised that way or what. I often feel so angry that people don’t “get it”. I have come to believe over 20+ years that it must be a lifestyle choice you make for yourself and hopefully others will follow when they see your dedication. I thank you for your blog and your choices. You are a good person and I honestly think there really are few people that are in this world. As I say…”if you can not be kind to an innocent animal then how can you care about people”? Watch “Earthlings” people.
Powered By Produce says:
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 10:57 am (UTC -5)
Molly,
I appreciate devil’s advocate – it’s what causes people to look at what they’re doing and really think about it!
I completely agree that vegan is best. There is absolutely no argument from me there. I wrote a bit about my struggle with dairy here: http://www.powered-by-produce.com/2009/08/26/thoughts-ramblings/ (point #1).
Since then, I am definitely conscious of every bit of dairy I consume. At home I use soy cheese or Daiya, Tofutti vegan sour cream & cream cheese, and Earth Balance buttery spread (or I sub olive oil for margarine as much as I can because margarine has saturated fat). [Ok, and I admit, I used real dairy for the "Barackoli Obama" recipe I submitted to the cooking contest because I SELFISHLY thought it would be more appealing than one with vegan subsitutes.]
But really, my current struggle with dairy is eating out. Often times at restaurants, the only vegetarian options include cheese. I ask to leave off the cheese whenever possible (burrito without the cheese, chalupa without the cheese, salad without the cheese, veggie burger without the cheese, etc.). But sometimes the only vegetarian options include cheese that can’t really be left out (like cheese quesadillas, cheese enchiladas, I’ve been at bars where the only veggie choices are mozzarella sticks or jalapeno poppers).
Whenever I do consume dairy (in addition to feeling guilty about it) I then make a conscious decision to avoid dairy for the next few days. (Almost like a repentance!) I am very aware of the suffering it causes as well as the environmental destruction (and not to mention the fat & cholesterol) and I hope that my effort to eliminate it from my diet will not only help the animals and the planet, but will also help to drive more dairy-free alternatives, especially at restaurants. I also hope to have the conviction to completely refuse all dairy, even if it means awkwardly sitting at a table of carnivores, with no plate in front of me. (Hey, there are much worse things, right? Like the torture those cows go through, for one.)
I would greatly welcome any vegan eating out tips for what to do when your group of friends lands at a place without any vegan options. (And I hope that “keep granola bars in your purse” isn’t the answer, but maybe it is…)
Molly says:
Friday, June 25, 2010 at 1:59 am (UTC -5)
Excellent thoughts in that linked post! I love the part about being a grown-ass woman. ;)
I admit, I judged you harshly based mostly *on* the Barackoli Obama recipe! If it had been vegan, I probably wouldn’t have said a peep.
As far as eating out, I don’t do much of it. I stick to a mainly whole foods, trying-to-be-unprocessed diet, which means eating at home a lot. When I do eat out, it’s a lot of salads. I also cobble together meals based on side items, i.e. ordering several side dishes and eating that only. (Side of beans, side of steamed vegetables, etc.) I check restaurant menus online ahead of time, and I usually get my friends to let me help pick the place we’re going, so that I can at least have some say in the matter. Waitstaff can be helpful if you explain your needs to them, and all those rumors about chefs getting creative with vegan patrons are true! I’ve had some of my best meals at restaurants with nothing vegan on the menu. I got lucky enough to get friendly and helpful waitstaff who relayed my needs to the chef/cook, who then created something for me – and this isn’t at fancy places, either – just at regular, average restaurants. Chain shops won’t do it, though – you’re pretty much stuck with the menu items at those.
My other motivation? (Forgive me if you’ve seen these.)
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/01/chocolate-cheese-meat-sugar-physically-addictive-foods.html
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/12/the-perils-of-dairy-video.html
Powered By Produce says:
Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 4:25 pm (UTC -5)
Yes, I admit the Barackoli Obama had a ridiculous amount of dairy in it. My thought process on that one was that I really wanted to enter a vegetarian recipe in a non-veg contest and the recipe had to be related to your state somehow. The Barackoli play on words came to mind & that was about the only broccoli recipe I knew that was more than just steaming plain broccoli. Like I mentioned, I didn’t think vegan substitutes would fare well in a meat-friendly recipe contest.
I appreciate your eating out tips! (I’ve definitely made a meal out of sides before, too.) I sometimes feel embarrassed when asking for multiple menu modifications (can I get the baked potato without cheese, and can you sub the butter with olive oil, and could you leave the bacon bits off, and maybe add some extra chives, oh ya, and no sour cream either). This is a SELFISH fear that I need to overcome, I know! As I said, I like people playing devil’s advocate because this is what causes us to examine ourselves and what we’re doing. So thank you for giving me a little reality check :)
No, I hadn’t seen either of those videos, but I had read about how cheese is addictive, just like drugs. That first video was pretty fascinating – I really enjoy learning the science behind things and it gave a great explanation of the cheese addiction. It really makes you look at cheese in a whole new way!
I absolutely love his point about how the cure for liver disease cause by alcoholism is to separate the person from the alcohol, but the cure for heart attack, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure is to give more pills, but not to separate the person from the fatty animal foods. I also liked his anecdote about giving a speech in Lubbock, TX – my boyfriend went to Texas Tech & I’m very familiar with the culture there ;)
It looks like there are many other great videos on that site! I’ll definitely be watching many more of them. Thanks so much for the links!