Gilraen Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Hello, I feel bad when I order meat at the restaurant, because all my friends are vegetarians. They never saw me eating meat before. One of my closest friends sent me . I am terribly ashamed now, as I understand and totally agree with this guy. What you folks think about his arguments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted January 23, 2013 Moderators Share Posted January 23, 2013 Excellent health requires eating meat. Meat can be raised and slaughtered kindly and humanely. It costs more and we should find ways to pay for it. I visit a farm at least once per week to pick up veggies, eggs, and sometimes chicken and rabbit. I love my farmer's chickens. They are beautiful and some of them are curious and charming. I made a point of visiting while he was slaughtering chickens one morning because I thought I should be familiar with how their lives ended. Slaughter is violent and bloody, but it happens quickly and efficiently on the farm. The chicken was afraid no more than one minute and then she was gone. I hope when I die, my end is as quick. I left the farm with 2 chickens that I watched go from clucking in the yard to being ready to cook when I got home. I appreciate that a life was ended to feed me and keep me healthy. Having watched the whole operation and knowing about the cost of raising, feeding, and protecting the chicken across its life, I am amazed that my farmer can afford to sell me his chickens for $15 each. I can buy fatter birds at the grocery store for $5 each, but they did not live such good lives and may not have died so quickly and kindly. I am glad I can afford my farmer's chickens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callan Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Gilraen, I understand your troubles - I was once a vegetarian, and live with my vegetarian father right now. I ease my conscience in a similar way to Tom (and many other proponents of this lifestyle) by doing my best to buy meat and eggs that were from animals that were humanely raised and slaughtered, wild fish, and so on. Mark Sisson has many good articles on determining what the labels mean and what to look for when buying meat... I'd look them up were I on a proper computer, but they shouldn't be too hard to find if you're interested. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 ALL the meat I eat at home is organic, free-range, local and humanely raised. I, too, went through a vegetarian phase (I didn't eat well, mind you, I just didn't eat meat), so I am very sensitive when it comes to raising farm animals and slaughtering them. However, I feel better encouraging local farmers who raise their animal well. I feel that my money makes a bigger difference when I buy organic local meat, than not buying meat at all and buying Monsanto food. I choose to spend a bit more on high-quality meat. However, I know that restaurants value cost efficiency over quality and ethics. For that reason, I often opt for fish/sea food when I'm at the restaurant. Mussels are one of the best options because they are one of the most sustainable food (even if non organic), and their nervous system is much different that ours and doesn't detect pain (it's still unclear what fish can feel). When you're eating out, you could also eat your protein before going to the restaurant (or after), and choosing a vegetarian entrée (like a salad). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Learning more about this subject--by experience if possible, like Tom suggests, really helped me. I watched the animals being loaded in a truck (it was the first time they had been on a truck so they didn't have scary memories to associate it with), and I went to the slaughterhouse and watched the process. Death is a part of life. I personally think trying to deny that is it's own perversion. Like others have said, I choose to honor life by buying the most humanely raised meat that I can find (I buy a half cow at a time). Have you looked into the book The Vegetarian Myth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshacklett Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I always find this topic frustrating, because the bottom line is that no one lives an impact-free life. Unless your vegetarian friends are living truly as cavemen, chances are their clothes come from sweatshops, they inadvertently support terrorism and violence through recreational drug use, they go to restaurants with cheap, immigrant labor, etc. While I totally agree with being informed, sometimes I just ask people to mind their own business. We all have causes we choose to support, and none of us can be everything to the world. Point out ways in which you are living your own life to make the world a better place, and thank them for doing theirs, then change the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilraen Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 I am really impressed by your approach and touched by your messages. You are right, the point is to appreciate these lives and be a conscious consumer! I am really happy to see how much you care, because I do and I want to achieve my Whole30 like you did! I am going to read The Vegetarian Myth to feel more confident... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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