The Canary Report

October 1st is World Vegetarian Day

Posted on Sep 30, 2008 by Susie Collins in Blog, Food, Home & Garden, Susie Collins

I struggle all the time with the issue of eating meat. I do not want to eat mammals, not for health reasons, but for ethical imperative: I love animals and cannot bear the suffering endured by mammals meant as food, especially those grown in commercial feed lots destined for an inhumane slaughter.

So I eat mostly fish, but I know even fish are sentient beings as well, with distinct personalities and the desire for happiness (yes, this is Buddhist teaching). I see the fish in my ponds and I know they are extremely aware of their beingness: they are curious, social, delight in play, and are very unhappy when sick. So it’s also hard for me to eat fish!

So I was interested to discover that October is World Vegetarian Month, with the kick off on Oct. 1st.  

Here’s some food for thought from Myriam Black at The World is my sOyster Weblog:

There are many reasons that men, women and children decide to cut animal flesh out of their diets. These are the main ones:

1. Animal cruelty issues -factory farm operations (where most of your meat comes from) is often cramped, cruel and rampant with disease

2. Environmental issues -animal farming takes up way more resources than farming plant based stuff. By the time you factor in all the resources that go into feeding a cow and how much that cow actually feeds you, it ends up being a net loss of energy overall. It’s much better for the environment if we eat plants, which give much more energy per acre than a cow. Plus, less cattle production means less soil contamination in our veggies too. There are also large areas of trees that are being cleared to make more space for livestock productions. Eat an asparagus, save a tree!

3. Health issues -there are very few vegetarians that don’t notice a dramatic change in their health after giving up meat (and even more so when they give up eggs and dairy too). These include more vibrant hair, smoother skin, better eyesight, better hormone balance, better blood pressure, higher energy levels and better weight management. This has also helped some of our top athletes compete better too.

4. Financial issues -I think we all agree that meat and milk are bloody expensive. My grocery budget has remained the same since we stopped eating meat but having no meat or dairy in my grocery cart has allowed me to invest my dime into foods that are extra healthy for me, like extra fruits and veggies, organic produce, hemp protein powder, pure fruit juice and other yummy goodies like that.

5. Culinary reasons -I have always loved cooking! And when we went vegetarian and later vegan I had to rethink the way that I viewed vegetables on my plate. Instead of being the garnish beside my chicken breast they have become my main masterpiece! There is a whole new world of food and flavors out there to be discovered, especially in ethnic cuisines.

I implore you to give vegetarianism a chance. The earth, your body, the animals, your wallet and your taste buds will thank you!

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I found Myriam’s post through Elisa Camahort at Blogher, who writes about vegetarianism:

What are my guiding principles?

1. Any step is better than no step. No one is a 100% perfectly humane human. Perfectionism is an easy excuse to keep you from even trying to do one thing…you may ask “What’s the point of only swearing off veal?” I say that it all matters it all helps, and you should do what you can do…until you can do better.

2. I am veg*n because I can be and there is no compelling reason not to be. Can’t you be? Why shouldn’t you be? And couldn’t you start small and work up? What have you actually got to lose? Conversely: what might you gain?

3. Yes, veg*nism can be better for your health, and yes, it can better for the planet’s health. (It can also not be those things…it all depends on how you do it.) I am not a religious person. I’m not even particularly a spiritual person. But I deeply believe that this is the most beneficial spiritual practice I follow. I believe it promotes both my personal well-being and promotes peace in the wider world. I know I have been a catalyst for others to head down the veg*n path, and is is not because I harangue or vilify or preach. I simply encourage people to be informed, and think about it and make conscious choices. And to do whatever they feel they can manage to do right then. That’s all.

4. Yes, I vote absolutely religiously, but how I spend money is also a vote, of sorts, every single day. I do believe economic “encouragement” drove many cosmetics companies to drop animal testing, for example, and that’s a good thing. We all consume, but we can do it consciously.

That’s my testimony in honor of World Vegetarian Day. What will you do to mark the day? Make veggie meals? Patronize a veggie restaurant?

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Link to photo by coincoyote at flickr

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Tags: Food, Healthy Living