Meat, Glorious Meat.



Last week, I was walking down the hall at work when I over heard a conversation between a mother and son. The twenty-something son with an overgrown beard and Birkenstocks was mumbling, " Mom, I am not going to eat dinner with you tonight. There IS a difference between vegan and vegetarian."

I just had to roll my eyes. There are some tried and true vegans out there. However, I cannot help but think how many are going through some sort of fad. It's cool to be vegan!

First, A VEGAN does not eat or wear any animal products. Some even go as far as not eating honey because it extorts the bees. Seriously. Instead of giving up animal products, shouldn't we be supporting companies and farmers that treat animals humanely?

Instead Vegans think that by giving up meat, they are going to stop factory farming. They think that by giving up eggs, overcrowded farms are going to just disappear. Nothing is going to disappear. We are ALL aware of that. We do NOT have the power to change the world.

Anyway, it's not really even that healthy to be a vegan. It's not. I have tried many times to give up meat. Sometimes, I have a sick feeling when I eat chicken flesh, or brown a pork chop that came from a living, breathing pig. I must say, that I usually last about two days before the cravings for an egg and cheese gets in the way of my social stance.

These cravings are totally natural. I know this now, from reading Real Food What to Eat And Why, by Nina Planck. Nina Plank is a goddess in her own right. She wrote this wonderful, fabulous book that has opened my eyes to the whole food issue. My body has a physical need for animal fats. Meat provides essential amino acids, and B12 vitamins, that plants just can not!

Plants are wonderful, but so are eggs, dairy, and MEAT. Just be picky about the meat and eggs you choose. Try to go to local farms that treat the animals with respect, and let them graze openly in a grass pasture. Shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joes where they care about the products that line their shelves.

Moral of the Story: It's not really all that cool to be a Vegan. It's better to nourish your body with a nicely balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and meat, glorious meat.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Shabby Cheap,
I really enjoy reading your blogs.
They are so enlightening. Please continue writing them I look forward to reading them.
Love
Mom

Misty said...

Dear Shabby Cheap,
Your mom rocks. Although I do not know her, the fact that she logged onto the computer and read your blog at all is hugely impressive in my book!
(and I agree whole heartedly with A) what you wrote about and B) your mom's comment.
Sincerely,
your faithful reader Misty ;)

foodiechickie said...

You are right veganism is not for everyone. It's not for me but I am not sure if most people who are vegan do it to be cool. Some may, but not sure if all do. Nor do I think all Vegans are trying to close the farms. Some farms are great others are not. But those are the farms who are beholden to the large food companies. And I'd like to think that some people also can change the world for the better. Veganlunchbox is a very good blog by a concerned mom who is trying to raise a healthy vegan family properly. That guy should have had dinner with his mom but he was properly just tired of her trying to change him and not accept him for who he was?

Tuco said...

I'm a vegan, and one thing I keep in mind is that I never ever ever want my money to end up in the pockets of the factory farm operators.
I agree that buying eggs and dairy from organic/humane operators is a good way to go, but getting really strict and becoming vegan has been easy for me actually.

As far as the health aspect goes - most studies will stop at saying eat "leaner meats" and fish. None of them recommend red meats anymore. And you can scare yourself to death reading about fish and eggs.