I've been a pescatarian/vegetarian for the past 2 years now. The only kind of meat that I've eaten has been fish; no beef, pork, chicken, fowl etc. It's been a really healthy way to live and I've enjoyed it and never felt inconvenienced by it. No matter where I've gone out to eat, there's always been something on the menu that I could enjoy.
I got into it because I wanted lose some excess weight and heard that this could be a good way to do it and it was. I no longer felt weighed down by what was in my stomach and I felt healthier.
After I had lost some weight and was considering going back to normal eating habits, a friend of mine showed me the "Meet Your Meat," video from PETA. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIjanhKqVC4
I felt disgusted by the common practices of the meat industry and decided that I would continue being a vegetarian as a protest against the industry.
I have found and validated the idea that we, as Americans, live in a society where we don't have to eat meat and conform to the average world. We can choose to lead a cruelty-free life style (which I encourage) and not eat meat or purchase goods containing animal by-products or were tested on animals. heck alot of the things on store shelves are cruelty-free and you can easily make the switch. Things you may not have known were already vegan: http://www.peta2.com/stuff/s-accvegan.asp
PETA2 has a bunch of links and search engines to help you along with some cruelty free food and clothing shopping http://shopcrueltyfree.peta2.com/index.aspx
here it comes...
I have come to realization that as an American and vegetarian, I've become poorly prepared for disasters, some of which experts are saying are inevitable; natural catastrophes, economic collapse, terrorist attacks, social collapse. How am I so unprepared? well if the "shit hits the fan" and the power grids go off, well then the contents of my fridge will only get through a few hours to a few days before they become hazardous to eat. If soil outside is contaminated,then the vegetables in the garden won't be safe to consume. If things get really bad and my personal stockpile is depleted (eaten or stolen) and the dude next door can offer me a can of spam, how am i supposed to refuse that? And if I do take it and eat it, will this be a time when I'll be hunched over feeling like garbage because my body is having a hard time breaking down the food. What if I am hunched over and I can't make a run for it or my family is being attacked by looters? How about if I'm forced into the woods and the only source of food are bugs and the animals that can be hunted?
I'm not saying that vegetarians and vegans are screwed when a disaster happens, but I do think that they will encounter more hardships.
I'm not saying that vegetarianism is lame or anything - I highly encourage people to try it.
I'm not saying that I'm going to go eat big slabs of steak from now on either, I just won't be a strict pescatarian/vegetarian.
What I am saying is that bad things happen. And you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. And no longer being a strict vegetarian is a way that I'm doing this.
I have more reasons for doing this, but this is the main reason. Email or message me if you want to discuss those reasons or anything else.
Be Safe,
T
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4 comments:
I understand your reasons for changing your diet to help lose weight. You know I've made a complete makeover in my diet due to the diabetes. I have always eaten meat and will continue to do so, however, I buy organic and free range, eat lots of veggies and only whole grains. I've feel so much healthier. Restricting your diet so radically, in my opinion, is not the healthiest or most practical way to be.
nice post. its kinda the same way that i feel about animal testing. people tear and bark about animal testing and end up, many times, hurting other people, physically and mentally. i'm against animal testing but when it comes to like you said a disaster..or calamity..viral disease.. and my wife, child, friend, family member is at stake and the safest way to find treatment is to test on animals first. i will be the first to say: start lining up the rats and monkeys
Now you are REALLY thinking like a Bayani guy.
At 505, I met an instructor who is a hardcore vegan/vegetarian. I asked him what he'd do if the shit ever hit the fan and he was forced to eat meat out of necessity to survive.
He said. "If I need to absolutely survive...I'll kill whatever I can...snare it...and eat it."
Cool blog. I got nothing against vegetarianism but as Bourdain once said, "Vegetarianism is a luxury of the first-world."
-PG
hey.. just surfing thru friends' blogs.
VERY interesting blog. i'd have to say, one of my favorite. wouldn't ever have thought of this aspect of vegetarian--sim?
i have friends who have tried it just to see if they can, for noble reasons, for health reasons, but i've never seen this side of it.
your decision to loosen up your strict diet (no pun intended!) sounds like a good one. i back you up all the way, buddy!
here's to good eatin! =)
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