I was reading the news recently and I found out that there was a recall on meat in California. Sick animals were pushed into cages to be sent off to the meat companies. The animals were beaten and the people who took part in all this were fired.
If the meating company does stuff like this sometimes and gets away with it. How does it make the consumer look if he or she is buying it? We buy food for the flavor most of the time right? It just seems to me that when I buy products or food that there should be some sort of ethical welfare behind it instead of cruelty.
Then, I face the issue that this food that I am eatting was a living creature. Aren't we in a sense all living creatures? Most people would say no that we are not creatures, we are human beings. What about our morals? Have I foresaken them? This is tough, I do not believe in cruelty to animals. I am totally against it, but does eatting meat mean that my statement is questionable?
I hate people who are two faced, but does this mean that I hate myself? I actually think I am a good person that uses her potential for good. However, does buying the meat companies meat mean that I take part in their sometimes cruelty. Is it wrong?
I have many friends that range from meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. It is more of a personal preference. I myself eat meat sometimes I feel bad about it but I look at it this way. I enjoy the flavor it gives me vital proteins that some people do not get when they first turn vegetarian or vegan.
Also animals out in the wild and before domestication tended to be carnivorous it more or less depended whether they could fight well and get meat or not. We had omnivores only because of their passive nature.
Also, animals feel pain yes but they are not humans we had a huge debate on this in class. They do not have emotions and trying to personify them by comparing humans and other animals is wrong. A dog cries to be let back in not because they are sad but because they learn that when they make that noise they get back in.
However if you still feel bad about eating meat and want to find an alternative you need to know a few things.
1. You need to check with your parents/guardians and see if they are willing to live around that life style
2. You need to have the self-control for it. Yes, it sounds easy now and you might not eat meat that much now however, when you stop eating meat for long enough you will crave it. Believe it or not, when you eat meat on a regular basis without even realizing it you will go into a withdrawal of sorts.
3. Here is the most important thing to know when you decide to become vegetarian or vegan make sure you eat the right things so that you get enough protein that you will miss out on when you do not eat meat. There are tons of books on this and it is very important because you can get sick when you do not eat right. Some extreme side effects are weakened bones, thinning/ weak hair, and dark circle under your eyes.
If you think you can do all of that successfully or if you just want to try then go ahead. It is really your decision anyway just a bit of helpful advice.
Think globally act locally.
Always listening.
wow that is helpful advice....I never really understood the negative parts of not eatting meat. Thank you, for your advice.
No one should have to be forced away from a cruelty-free lifestyle just because their parents like steak. If that was how it worked no teenager would be vegetarian/vegan unless their parents are that way.
I recommend explaining your choice in non-judgmental terms and requesting they try to accept your choice and help find a way to prepare dishes that work with your new lifestyle. For instance, spaghetti and meat-LESS sauce, then they can add their own beef.
As for the protein thing, the key is to eat a wide variety of foods. Protein is not the main problem vegetarians have. As long as your food choices are varied around the food groups you will be just find. The really problem is iron count and B-12. Iron is available in some of the foods you will eat, but the levels are lower. It is recommended to eat higher levels of Iron rich food rather than a supplement, but that would work as well.
I have been a vegetarian for nearly 5 years and I have yet to have a problem with any of my nutrient levels, but it does take retraining if you are a picky eater. My rule is one vegetable, one fruit, one dairy (or soy for vegan), and one grain at every meal.
Think about it...
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tomorrowtoday
Yes, I will think about it. In exercise terms, how does being a vegetarian effect your abilities?
I have more energy. I started working out because of that energy so I'm stronger. I seem to have more stamina (as do my vegan and vegetarian friends) than the meat-eaters who surround me (especially weekend mornings after everyone had a night out, lol). I thinned out and I personally do not have an overweight vegetarian friend. It is possible to be overweight if you don't eat a balanced vegetarian diet and it is just as possible to be a skinny meat-eater, but food choices are easier when your plate is no longer half filled with meat.
Think about it...
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tomorrowtoday
Ok, I will think about. Perhaps I will try it out because I desire to become a better athlete in terms of soccer for next year. Moreover, I want to try to figure out what works best for my body and my mind. Thank you. I am now going to look at the link you have sent me.
That is just a link to my blog, but please feel free to check it out. Lots of interesting thoughts from my head.
For links dealing with vegetarianism I recommend:
www.goveg.com
www.vegetariantimes.com
www.vrg.org
www.vegweb.com
Those are the major vegetarian websites with a lot of information.
If you are interested in a good book on veganism that I highly recommend Skinny Bitch. It is very popular right now and has tons of important information about why vegetarianism is good for you and the environment. They also have a cookbook called Skinny Bitch in the Kitch which has some great recipes. Also for cookbooks there is The Starving Students' Vegetarian Cookbook and The Healthy College Cookbook (not all vegetarian but they have lots of easy veg dishes).
And I can not stress enough how important it is to be very careful to get a balanced diet. Check the vegetarian food pyramid and be strong against the reactions you will get. No guarantees being vegetarian will make you better at sports, but I know it doesn't hurt any. For more energy I also recommend no having soft drinks and sticking to low sugar sports drinks, ice tea, coffees (in moderation), possibly a switch to soymilk, and tons upon tons of water.
If you have any other question or desire more details please let me know and I will be happy to help you in any way possible. I highly encourage a vegetarian diet, but a smart vegetarian diet is key. Good luck!
Meat tastes good, yes.... but that's not why we eat it.
Humans are omnivores just like snakes are carnivores and rabbits are herbivores. We eat meat because it's healthy for us.
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What's the worst that could happen, apart from all of us being flattened or fried or whatever bombs do? [Rudy Steiner from The Book Thief]
your point of view strikes me because I have not tried to find a deeper meaning into why we eat meat.
I respect your views. But humans are omnivores for a reason. We are supposed to eat both meat and vegetables. But I think we're eating meat in excess. We need to eat both foods in moderation. Due to this excess in eating, meat processing plants like the one in California are killing sick cows to get the meat out on the market.
+mspin
Moderation is always a good aspect in anything anyone chooses to do and I have never really considered it when I thought about meat, but food in meaning fatty foods, I have.
Eating meat doesn't mean you're being cruel to animals- it's meeting your needs to survive. Mutilating animals and/or cooking them alive is being cruel (*cough* KFC *cough*)...
If you're thinking of going to vegetarian route let me just tell you from experience it's pretty hard... I didn't have enough protein in my system so I got pretty sick and had to start eating meat again- so make sure you have plenty of protein (peanuts, beans) and you might want to get some multi-vitamins.
~*El Kc*~
To tell you the truth I do not really like KFC. Wow, I need to look into what you have just said about their restaurant.
It's on the PETA website... it's a bit gruesome so brace yourself.
~*El Kc*~
Alright, that narrows down the search tremendously.
I always try to become a vegeterian, but then I am never able to go through with it. I hope one day I can actually stick with it.
Especially if you take the moderation of meat into consideration, it is completely reasonable to eat meat without feeling like you are contributing to the abuses that took place in California and probably take place at profit-driven factory farms.
First, the moderation mentioned by weezyf is key. United States citizens eat a lot more meat than the rest of the world and meat is a sign of affluence in this way. The relatively cheap meat we have in the United States results from a complex interplay of farm subsidies and laws that allow the non-ambulatory loophole that allowed the California practices to continue without detection for so long. Your response to eat less meat is a good one, but it doesn't mean you have to give it up altogether. Reducing your meat intake will have an effect on the meat market overall.
Second, there is probably at least one farm within driving distance of your house that sells meat that hasn't been subjected to this kind of treatment. It is more difficult to find and is probably more expensive, but it can be done. And if we, as a nation, promote this return to local agriculture, the costs associated with these options will go down. The price is unlikely to be able to go as low as it would with factory farm prices, but perhaps it is time to return to paying for quality in food, instead of eating more food of a lower quality.
Your perspective is different than I originally thought. I never thought about the quality compared to quantity. I like your perspective on this issue, it is new and I actually agree with you.
well god told Adam to eat the animals and that Adam had dominion over them, so is eating meat bad? no of course not, should we try and treat animals well as part of our sacred stewardship, of course.
no one who believes in the bible can think that being a vegetarian is the way we should live our lives, Christ was a jew who killed many passover lambs and ate them, so JC was perfect and he ate meat so is eating meat an issue, no, is the way we raise and treat animals for food important, I believe so.
Knowing two vegetarians and a vegan myself, I've faced this problem as well. But, the way I look at it is this: I love and care for animals like you wouldn't believe, I mean I feel bad killing a bug (seriously), but since people have been eating animals since they knew how, and since meat provides proteins and such that generally you can only get from loads of vitamins otherwise, I believe the problem is how we treat the animals. If we were all to push for better animal rights, you would say, on this matter, then at least we could say the process was as humane as possible.
I'm vegetarian, and I haven't had any health problems as a result. My blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart rate are all in better ranges than most. I don't feel tired, get sick, or need protein, and I do just fine in sports.
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