My Vegetarian Choice

I made the choice about a month ago to become a vegetarian. This is not something that I entered into without fully looking at what I was entering into or what this choice meant. For me, this choice is one I made for health and one that I made for ethical reasons. 

In terms of the health benefits, most people on this planet would benefit from adding more fruits and veggies to their diets. For me, I have always liked eating a variety of fruits and veggies. I’m not claiming to be the the healthiest eater but I’ve noticed the difference in my body and overall health when I concentrate on eating a more plant based diet. Meat is something that I have always been able to take or leave. If it was being served, I’d probably eat it but I could always do without it. I have found though, that red meat actually hurts my stomach when I eat it. Doesn’t matter the quantity, red meat has always left me feeling lethargic and ill. So I tended to avoid it.

As for the ethical reasons, well I guess you could blame my dog Landon for my that. Since having him in my life, so much has changed. Too much to put all in one post. I have always loved animals, but since adopting Landon, my heart has been filled with love and joy. My overwhelming need to protect him grows daily. This has spread to wanting to keep all animals safe from unnecessary harm. There is so much torture and abuse that goes on in the world and animal abuse is something I just don’t get. For me, I don’t see the need to kill animals for food. The world has changed and the need for hunting is nil. Past generations hunted because they needed to do so to survive. And back then, people used all parts of the animal so that nothing went to waste. These days, animals are killed for not only food, but for game, for the thrill. I just don’t get that. What is worse, is the method used for the slaughter of the animals that people eat everyday. I don’t want to get into the details, as that is not what this blog post is about, but factory farming is a cruel, inhumane, and unnecessary way to obtain sustenance. 

For me, the best way that I can protect the animals that I love so dearly, is to not participate in eating them. This is not always an easy task. The scent of barbecued chicken wafted through my house last night and I almost had some. It was always a favourite of mine. But an image in my head of the living animal made me change my mind. 

Now, although I don’t agree with eating animals that doesn’t mean that I want to preach to people about why they shouldn’t eat meat. That’s not what this post is about. I guess I just wanted to put it out there about why I chose to go meat-free. While I’d prefer if others stopped eating meat, I am not here to argue with people about what is right and what is wrong. All I want is for people to understand where I am coming from and not chastise me for making a choice that came naturally to me and that goes along with my beliefs. I’ll respect yours as long as you can respect mine. 

Okay, ramble over!