tofu, the other white meat.

about two months ago i decided to finally make a firm decision to stop eating meat. i have long felt that american culture fosters an unhealthy lifestyle, partly due to the consumption of meat in enormous quantities (to me, that means every day or multiple meals a day). back in the day, animals were consumed as a matter of necessity during seasons when fruits, vegetables, and grains were not readily available. modern society allows us the luxury of year-round access to any food we could hope for. we have the power to make the choice of what we eat.

a lot of people think vegetarians/vegans are "crazy," but i have to say i think it's far more ridiculous to have no concern whatsoever for what goes into your body. so far i feel better, and i feel more conscious and responsible about what i'm eating. in response to some of the many shocked responses as to my lifestyle choices, here's the quick breakdown.


Why I don't eat meat:

1: Health. Meat is not necessary for a healthy diet, and with the overprocessed, hormone-pumped meat in the U.S., it's likely doing more harm than good. We have enough access to other food sources year-round that we don't need meat anyway. it's a myth that vegetarianism leads to protein deficiency, and most people actually get MORE than enough protein in their daily diets. nuts, beans, lentils, soy products and many other sources provide healthier forms of protein.

2: I love animals. While I don't think it's morally wrong to eat animals (when it's a necessity), the way modern society raises and butchers animals for food disgusts me. If we ate meat in small quantities as was intended, the terrible treatment of animals would be unnecessary and animals could live happily and freely on well-kept farms instead of being tortured. Also, i feel humans have been given a responsibility to care for everything on the earth, and i want to take that more seriously. it's incredibly pretentious to assume that because we have the ability to exercise dominion over animals that we have the right to treat other living things however we want.

3: Religious reasons. Mormon doctrine states very clearly the use of animals by man in Doctrine and Covenants section 89 (aka The Word of Wisdom).

"Yea, ^aflesh also of ^bbeasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used ^csparingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be ^aused, only in times of winter, or of cold, or ^bfamine."



the end.