This is not a confession but rather a musing. Full disclaimer: I am not a health expert. Over the last year, I’ve been focusing on healthier habits in my life and thus warrants exploration of going vegan. Another disclaimer: I eat meat. I enjoy a good steak every now and then and chicken? Well, I actually eat that quite often nowadays. Take the time now to gasp if you feel the need.
David Attenborough
David Attenborough raised a good point in ‘A Life On Our Planet’ His argument was simple, that being a carnivore in nature is tough. So how is it that we, coming from hunters and gatherers, have become the largest consumer of meat on the planet? That point raised one eyebrow in mild interest, as he continued to describe how the apocalypse and end of the world would unfold (great documentary if you haven’t watched already).
People
Before the Pandemic, I talked to people quite often. Some of those people were vegan and thus brought enlightenment of what could be. I think I am now more curious to try tofu than I have ever been before. My brother eats it and I have had it in miso soup, so I’m wondering if it could remove some of the urgency to eat meat. I would have to run the numbers but the little research I’ve done has shown being vegan to be healthier than strictly meat diets as red meats can be linked to some cancers.
The Cows
In my old age, I’ve grown bitter towards the cows. Where once I would run around merrily thinking milk had given me super powers, I now only see evil. Cows produce methane and they are killing us. Your McDouble may taste good, but at what cost? At least chickens are still our friends, right? The future will hopefully shift towards smaller animals with less of a carbon footprint and I will put my faith in chicken. Goodbye steak. In college, I took quite a few sustainability courses from Sustainability 101 to Environmental Economics. In Sustainability 101, we went into great detail concerning factory farms and the current demand for food. That stuck and while it has been many years later, I do truly think we need to eliminate cattle factory farms. Smaller farms might work but honestly I think it is better to shift the societal mindset of a mostly vegan diet with the occasional meat.
Community Gardens
In High School, I was a part of Students for Environmental Action (S.E.A.). I would collect cans around the school to help fund the club and we would meet every week to discuss environmental topics. A decade later and most of those issues haven’t changed, they’ve only grown more concerning. As part of S.E.A, we created a community garden out our High School. We grew carrots, beets, tomatoes, and many other veggies as well as fruit. I would bring food home and the rest would get donated to our local feedback. That was a more wholesome point in my life and I love the idea of gardening. Going vegan could be the chance to really get joy from what I eat, rather than simple consuming. There is more satisfaction in cooking something you grew.
What would it Look like?
For me, it would be a casual affair. My main driving factor in my decisions is my health. I want to have energy and not feel like, pardon my French, shit. All our food nowadays is designed to kill us. You drink a bottle of Coke, it tastes great. You get Diabetes from drinking too much Coke? Not so great. A bag of chips is filled to the brim with salt and eating meat everyday is not all that healthy. If you eat fish more than you eat meat, then we are talking. As I do more research into the subject the more excited I get, which typically does not happen with food. So for me, it is about a sustainable balance. I will actively try to eat less burgers and steak as I do not want to support industries that have grown in excess. If I do eat meat or cook, I will try more chicken dishes. The economics make sense and who knows, when Sustainability month roles around next year, I might just have something to talk about for my journey.
And that’s it for this article! With Sustainability Month, I’ve finally achieved a level of satisfaction with the blog that has pushed it beyond simply writing poetry, short stories, and the occasional article. In truth, I looked up the term and the diet I’m looking at is more a pesce-pollotarian diet than vegan. Fish, chicken, and veggies. Thanks for reading!
To the Moon 