Why Vegetarian to Begin With?

As any vegetarian or vegan knows, the number one question is "How long?", followed by the more important, "Why?" Everyone's always interested in why. Not that I don't welcome the question. I just get tired of explaining. To me, it was more "Why not?"

The turning point for me was when my sister, a longtime vegetarian (current vegan), asked me out to dinner one night. Unsurprisingly, we got into a discussion about animals. I had just ordered a quiche that was made with ham. She was arguing against the unethical slaughter and treatment of animals. I, like so many others, valued humans above animals. I chose to argue pro-animal testing when it came to lifesaving treatments, such as HIV antiretrovirals, medicine that saves millions of lives every year. The utilitarian point of view. But I was just doing what many of us do, rationalizing. For example, did the treatment of HIV warrant or excuse the inhumane slaughter that goes on in factory farms? No, but somehow it made me feel better knowing not all animal testing was done in vain.

Generally speaking, we only do studies with humans after drugs have passed many initial tests done on other animals. I mean, we could test on human beings instead, but then we'd argue safety and ethics, etc., something not generally afforded to other animals. And while some of these drugs save lives, some don't. Some are very dangerous, even after they get approval. Imagine being the initial guinea pig. And it's not just drugs. There are cosmetics, most of which are unnecessary (and probably even harmful) that get tested on other animals. Is it all for the greater good?

So sitting at that dinner table, seeing my sister's sympathy, I didn't know what to say. I felt guilty. Here I was, a rational logical person doing something I knew was wrong. I could see she was impassioned just talking about it, even though she noted that she used to get even more moved. I decided I couldn't eat the quiche anymore.

But after that night, I continued to eat animals. Though I didn't stop looking into it. I wanted to know what exactly were the benefits of vegetarianism. As it turned out, plenty. I read a Guardian article about a study which indicated that vegetarians had lower rates of certain cancers.

Here are some quotes:

"Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – which last year earned a share of the Nobel peace prize – urged giving up meat at least once a week as a way of combating global warming. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions."

"Annette Pinner, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, said: 'It is widely recognised that a third of cancers are directly related to diet and what's interesting in this study is the findings on blood cancers. We wouldn't claim vegetarianism is a panacea for cancer but it is a step in the right direction.'"

That first quote introduced me to the Meatless Monday campaign. Rallying people to give up meat one day a week, to help cut down on all the energy and water (and carbon emissions) that go into the meat industry. It was an intriguing idea. I decided to give it a shot.

And if I was going to think eating fish was acceptable, boy was I wrong. I listened to an NPR interview with Daniel Pauly, a professor at the Fisheries Centre of the University of British Columbia, about our fishing industry. It was alarming to hear how disastrous it has been. Having to go further offshore and into deeper waters as fish in coastal waters started disappearing. Opting for smaller and uglier fish as we started fishing off all the bigger ones. Football stadium-sized nets that scoop up and destroy countless ecosystems, taking the seafood that they want and then chucking everything else back to die. It simply wasn't (and isn't) worth it.

Here's an excerpt from his New Republic article:

"In the past 50 years, we have reduced the populations of large commercial fish, such as bluefin tuna, cod, and other favorites, by a staggering 90 percent. One study, published in the prestigious journal Science, forecast that, by 2048, all commercial fish stocks will have 'collapsed,' meaning that they will be generating 10 percent or less of their peak catches. Whether or not that particular year, or even decade, is correct, one thing is clear: Fish are in dire peril, and, if they are, then so are we."

So I was sold. There was the health aspect, the environmental aspect and the animal suffering bit. It was sound reasoning. My first Meatless Monday wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be. I guess when you have morals on your side and believe in something, the will power comes naturally. So much so that the next day I continued to go meatless. Then that night, I grilled some chicken, but as I took the first few bites, it wasn't as rewarding as I imagined it would have been. Because my morals didn't suddenly disappear. And I felt guilty because I knew I should and could continue being vegetarian. So I did.

I mean, this isn't meant to convince or convert anybody. So if you're reading this, don't get defensive. Many times, people have asked me why, and when I explain my reasoning, they get defensive when I was looking for an argument (though I understand that they feel indirectly attacked since they are pro-meat). I'm just reflecting on my journey here. Most vegetarians or vegans I know used to love and probably still would love the taste of meat. There's no denying that it's tasty, but that taste isn't worth all the pain that goes into it. Not in my mind. And yes, I always hear the "eating meat is natural" argument. Yes, it is. I always acknowledge that. But that doesn't mean we have to. Not to mention, the whole "natural" argument is unconvincing. Humans do all the most "unnatural" things in the world. Industrialization, Airplanes, Medicine, Ipods. Just to name a few. Yet we welcome those things without any pause.

Moreover, whenever people brought up "not getting enough protein" or "needing a complete diet", I always felt as if I was the first vegetarian in history. Like I was going to die not eating meat. Which was also kind of insulting, because sometimes these were people who knew me, and suddenly they didn't trust me to have made this decision with the proper research and education. Meanwhile, they've got nothing but "common sense" on their side. But I'm getting too ranty, so I'll just say, the list of many an intellectual and healthy (and in some cases bodybuilding or MMA-fighting) vegetarian/vegan is long and plentiful.

In any case, if there's anything you should take away from any of this, it's this nifty Michael Pollan adage: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Love and Peace,
VG

Michael Pollan the foodie?

Over the course of that next year, I got really interested in food. More so than usual. I had always been interested in food. When my brother and I weren't being lazy and ordering takeout (or when we ran out of money), we cooked for ourselves because we were latchkey kids.

My newfound interest in food, specifically the food industry, came after I listened to an NPR interview with Michael Pollan. He had written an open letter to the next president. It called for food reform and perhaps a "farmer in chief." In the interview, he brought up some key points about the disconnect we had with our food, the troubles with food subsidizing and all the cheap unhealthy calories running our country. He also points out some ways we can make it better for everybody and the land we farm on. It's well worth a listen if you are interested in food.

I would thank him for piquing my interest in our food industry. His book, In Defense of Food (or the shorter, quicker, Food Rules), is a great read because it snaps a lot of common sense back into the way we should be thinking about eating. I'd recommend that as well.

In any case, I started wondering what a foodie was. There isn't an official definition for the term, but most people confuse it with the term gourmet. Gourmets are people who want to eat the best food out there, food connoisseurs, if you will. Picture typical snobby food critics, no offense (not all food critics are snobby). Whereas foodies are just people who are really interested in all the makings behind food, the science, politics, etc.

So was Michael Pollan a foodie? And by that regard, was I starting to become one myself?

Whatever it was, I continued to listen in on the conversations about food, such as the local food movement, organics, ethical animal slaughter and of course vegetarianism.

Heartbreak and Vegetarianism

It was the summer of 2008. I was in the middle of a bad breakup, and therefore a complete mess, as expected. The lack of control over my life bothered me the most. I couldn't stop myself from calling her, drinking, smoking, throwing away money. My willpower was depleted. So in an effort to regain a grasp on my life, and in "preparation" of cutting myself off from her, I set a few short-term goals. I wanted to give up cigarettes, coffee, alcohol and meat for two weeks. Yes, all at once. I don't know what it's like to withdraw from hard drugs, but I imagine my experiment, given my disheveled state at the time, could be at least a 7 on a 1-10 difficulty scale. Though it may have been mostly psychological.

I forget if I was actually able to do all four things concurrently. But I will tell you about giving up meat. It's not easy. I loved it all. You don't realize how much of a centerpiece meat is in every meal until it's not. I watched jealously as others chowed down on meat, even at a place like Ikea where my friends ate the signature Swedish meatballs and I had a lousily made veggie wrap (which isn't a knock on all veggie wraps, just theirs. veggie wraps are awesome if you actually put some effort into it).

My brother supported and joined my temporary vegetarianism, though I must confess that under his suggestion, we allowed seafood. I would frown upon that now since it's not true vegetarian. But pesco-vegetarianism is a challenge in itself. And it's not like I had seafood every meal those two weeks. This was when I first tried falafel. Oh, thank goodness for the almighty falafel. Crispy, zesty lumps of vegan goodness. For that reason, Oasis in Williamsburg, Brooklyn will always be dear to me.

Anyway, I didn't experience any veggie stigma, but I'm guessing it may be because I told everyone it was only temporary. That seemed to bring expressions of relief which I didn't realize at the time.

"Oh, you're not going to give meat up forever, are you?"
"No, just two weeks."
"Oh, okay. Good." / (Phew!)

So the two weeks went by without a hitch. After that I "broke" and had some grilled chicken, which frankly wasn't even that good.

Also, vegetarianism doesn't cure heartbreak.

Pre-Vegetarian: Running into Peter Singer

Five years before I would even consider dabbling in vegetarianism

myself, I read a Peter Singer essay as part of an ethics class I was

taking in college. I had no idea who Singer was or the groundwork he

had laid for animal rights, let alone that his essay would be a

cornerstone to my lifestyle change (I choose not to use the word

conversion here, even though it is suitable, because of the negative

connotations).

"All Animals Are Equal" by Peter Singer. His argument was a bit of an
eye opener even though anyone could come to the same conclusion using
common sense. It went into drawing comparisons between animals and
slaves, women and infants. In the end, it was simple. If you believe
that animals feel pain (which they most certainly do) and you don't
want to contribute to that pain and suffering, then you shouldn't eat
animals.

At the time, I knew it was the right thing to do. But giving up
anything, let alone meat, isn't easy. The moral implications alone
weren't compelling enough. I did however learn to respect those who
were strong enough to abstain from animals and animal products because
contrary to what a lot of people think, most vegetarians/vegans do not
hate the taste of meat. They probably loved eating meat just as much
as anybody. I know I did.

Which is why It would take me five years to revisit Peter Singer.

Why Am I Here and Why Does It Matter?

My experience with veganism is still new since it's only been a couple of weeks, but I sure have read and heard an abundance of different remarks and criticisms, either ignorant, good-intentioned or both. My goal here is not to answer all the naysayers who make hateful comments (of which, most are embarrassingly uninformed). It's also not to support those who force their views, no matter how ethical, onto others. However, I will dispel common myths and cheer on good-hearted activists.

My goal here is personal and communal. Obviously, it's a blog for me to reflect and sort through the conflicts and issues, "woes" if you will, that come up. Through that, though, I hope it clears confusion and resolves arguments that others may have. I only ask that you keep an open mind, and to seek out your own information, objectively. Please don't make the silly mistake of searching for just the evidence that supports your theory, while ignoring opposing views. Of course, if along the way, you need a friend to talk all things vegan, feel free to reach out.

I'm not completely vegan yet, in the sense that I haven't given away all my non-vegan clothing yet, though I made a healthy start. But even then, it's tough to be 100% vegan. Sometimes you can't get around it, as I'm quickly learning. Did you know that everyday dental floss or your car's rubber tires may not be vegan? But my aim isn't to adhere as strictly as possible to preset rules. That shouldn't be anybody's aim for anything in life. People who buy into a system of beliefs shouldn't do so mindlessly. Any "rule" of the system should be questioned. Why do you do the things you do? What are the reasons and benefits? Who gets hurt? Is it ethical? What I've learned just from the first few days was how conscious a lifestyle veganism can be, if you're truly inquisitive and curious, or if you care about what you consume or purchase and how it affects everything around you.

With so much going on in the world, so many big issues, real struggles, the life-threatening kind, many wonder why this lifestyle choice even matters. You may even think it doesn't matter at all. Well then you'd be misunderstanding it. Quite the opposite. In the first place, small choices you make at the register drive the economy. How the economy affects the world and foreign relations, that connection you should already know. Second, how you treat your body affects your overall health, your ability to contribute to said economy and the price you pay for health care (or the price your neighbor pays for your health care and vice versa). These are just two very broad points about how what you do matters, how one person makes a difference. And it's the lesson we learn as children that we stop believing in somewhere along the way.

love and peace,
VG