I recently read a book review by Sheila Ashdown of the book The Face on Your Plate: The Truth about Food by Jeffrey Moussaieff Mason which came closest to my explanation of why I don't eat meat other than fish:
"I had finally read enough about industrial-scale food production to reach a critical mass of information about the ramifications of what I put in my mouth -- the environmental and public-health impacts and the inhumane treatment of vulnerable animals -- that I had to put down the hamburger and pick up the garden burger."
and
"The bulk of the book explores the three reasons that vegetarians and vegans forgo meat and animal byproducts: "for their health; for the health of the animals; and for the health of the planet.""
Then I heard about this American Heart Association study linking daily consumption of red meat to earlier death. (One of the most striking lines in the article: "Red meat is associated with death in several ways.")
I try not to moralize about my diet. For one, it's none of my business what other people do and I don't judge them either way. For another, I'm not perfect and I could definitely improve my food choices in a lot of ways. Vegetarianism (or its variations) is not necessarily the answer. It seems to me that, as in many things, moderation is what's important.
Anyway, there's some food for thought for you...heh heh. Get it?
Next up will be a post on a song that attracts me musically and revolts me in every other way. Stay tuned!
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2 comments:
I totally agree that moderation is key. The argument for reducing meat intake is mounting; the health and environmental ramifications of our current rate of consumption are significant.
Even a small change in what we choose to eat can improve the situation. If every American replaced just one chicken meal per week with a vegetarian one, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than a half-million cars off U.S. roads.
Those who eat meat can improve their overall health by reducing consumption. Forgoing meat once a week reduces your saturated fat intake by 15%, reducing your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers.
I work with a non-profit public health campaign called Meatless Monday, which encourages Americans to start the week out meat free to improve their health. More information is available at www.MeatlessMonday.com
I especially like your second quote about why to go veg. My number one reason to be (mostly) vegan is that my body just feels BETTER. It doesn't feel heavy and torpid and sluggish all the time. I feel capable, and light, and aware in a way that I can't feel when I have a lot of fat, animal products, or sugar in my system.
I've heard good things about Face Your Plate, so I'm glad to hear your voice added to the mix.
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