Ever since I was little I considered myself to be an animal lover. I used to own hamsters, dogs and cats and I would go horse riding when I could. I loved animals so much that I had (for most of my childhood) wanted to work with them. Even up to the present, I've looked in to volunteering with charities to do with animals. So if I love them so much, why do I eat them? That is the question that has been on my mind the past six months.
My interest in vegetarianism started when I was a teenager. This was very difficult because most of my family are absolute carnivores and also paranoid about not getting the right nutrients in to your diet when cutting things out. I didn't know enough about nutrition at fifteen to have been able to handle the vegetarian diet myself, so it never happened. When I left for University I did start to try and make some changes. Anyone who knows me, will know that my entire life I've decided against eating lamb, veal, venison, rabbit etc so there wasn't honestly much to cut out. At University I went a year without eating any red meat and stuck mainly to poultry and pork a couple of times a week. Then as a student my will was broken when I met my (now ex) boyfriend. Even though it was obvious I didn't eat red meat, I would go to his mums house and she would have made bolognese or I would go home and he would make something I said I wasn't eating. I can remember one time his mum made veal sausages for us, but he decided not to tell me what they were until after I'd eaten them, to prove a point that I liked them - makes it difficult when you have no support. Eventually my life got too busy and the vegetarian lifestyle went out of the window again.
Being on my own again this year, I started to think about the vegetarian lifestyle and really for the first time in my life tell myself off for not being one already. If it was something I wanted to do then why hadn't I done it? The main reason was because I didn't know the full understanding of why I wanted to be one, beyond I liked animals. So one night I decided to sit down and have a long think about it all. I was sitting there for hours and all of a sudden my mindset changed- a light bulb moment some might say. With even further time to reflect since starting to eat a vegetarian diet, here's why I decided it's the lifestyle for me.
1. Animals are not on this planet for our benefit - humans need to stop playing God.
In the stone ages we needed meat to live, we needed to hunt like animals to survive. I think it's safe to say that we have evolved slightly since then though and in this day and age there is no real reason as to why we should still have to eat meat. We now have the morality, logic and conscience to know better. I don't think we should have the right to decide what creatures live and die, for the sake of our taste buds.
2. The livestock industry is killing our planet
The agriculture industry is the second highest emitter for greenhouse gases causing global warming in the world (second only to the energy industry). Everyone has heard of the Amazon rain forest and the terrible deforestation happening in the world by now. Well over 80% of that is due to the livestock industry.
3. Organic and Free Range - RSPCA Approved...it's still murder
There is a lot of mistreatment of animals in the industry. There are also a lot of farms out there who treat their animals to a good and enjoyable life; this almost makes it more cruel to take this away from them. At the end of the day, you're still killing an animal who doesn't want to die. One of the things that I have a problem with, is when people say 'But the animal was killed humanely'. The word humane means compassionate or kind; there is no compassionate way to kill an animal that doesn't want to die.
4. Why are different animals entitled to different rights?
Most people at some point in their life will have a pet, which is a great thing. The wholesome and unconditional love you receive from them is a warm feeling and bond that is so special. Why then did we decide to love these animals, whilst others are shut away in barns for their entire life, suffering until the painful end? The simple fact is that it's because society has taught us this is the way. We have grown up in a world where chickens, pigs and cows are food whilst cats, dogs and horses are pets (for the most part of the world). Why is that fair on the animals? Pigs are cognitively complex creatures who think, who play, who recognise other pigs and humans who want to hurt them or who like them - just like dogs. Why then is it fair to put the pigs between two slices of bread every morning?
After thinking more about all of these things, I decided that the less animal produce that is on my plate, the better I feel about it. I don't agree with so many of the things that is happening in the agriculture industry these days, so I've decided to no longer be an active part of a market in which animal torture is a business.
In the next few months I've decided to give the 30 day Vegan Challenge a go as well, so if anyone has any recipes or food swaps then hit me up!
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